Here is a video I saw on Youtube recently, of a Chalwyn Tropic lantern restoration 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2gLDQIyY2w

Quite the difference from start to finish
And it's proof why I like these things: If you put a bit of care into them, and they'll last you a lifetime and then some

We love them, we just had 6 of them all on together while taking a soak in the bath   

Not only did we get the soft light from them that we love, they also gave us the warmth we needed without having to put the heating on...  

@ AH: Our lanterns might get a bit of fettling, but nothing beyond that, they're all perfectly serviceable, and any blemishes they do have are part of their history.     

Same here. But I can also appreciate the care & effort someone puts in to restoring one.

Restoring a lantern to its former glory is one thing, when it's as far gone as that Tropic was. 

But what really winds me up is seeing a wonderful oily lamp desecrated by a so-called 'up-cycler' 

That, I agree with.
If you wan't to 'modernise' an oil lamp, buy a modern one on amazon. For heavens sake don't drill a piece of history for a lampholder

Agreed, they still make modern ones so just get one of those if you plan to LEDize it. At the very least, if you plan to upcycle something old, make sure your conversion is completely reversible so no drilling. 

Especially as those wonderful lanterns can be brought back from the brink as that video showed. 

Incidentally I've found a solution to getting a stiff wick winder to co-operate... 

A broad bladed flat screwdriver gives that added bit of purchase.