Born survivor

In his recent Guardian gardening column, horticultural expert James Wong wrote: “If you want a truly indestructible houseplant, there are few that will survive quite such a high level of neglect as an aspidistra. It will tolerate more shade than pretty much any other, not to mention months of drought, the coldest of drafts and almost any pest going. Hence the Victorian common name for the species: ‘cast iron plant”

This is not a gardening column. But it is important to reflect on the qualities of the evergreen perennial because it was after this plant that the Panther became known as ‘the biggest aspidistra in the world.’

The Panther Model 100, built by Yorkshire-based company Phelon & Moore, was no showpiece, but it was a reliable, tough, hardy machine that could accommodate even the most prolific of families, complete with their belongings.

But the aspidistra tag applies not only to the Panther 100. Those reliant qualities apply to the operations of the Phelon & Moore marque as a whole. This was a company that persevered – and survived – economic catastrophe and political cataclysm, outliving many