I wonder how many here know what you're talking about there?

What he IS talking about, gentle readers, is a piece of card or similar on an adjustable arm that can be positioned to block out the worst of the flare. I've got a variant called a Flarebuster with a flexible arm and foam rubber discs that does a perfectly OK job, but I don't know if it's still made, and I've not actually seen any alternatives on sale for a long while - perhaps I'm just not looking in the right place. Useful thing to have, and you only need one for all your lenses.