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goingforit. If you had gas in the Brewus, well I dont know what to say.
It was a grate of a sort for a fire to be lite underneath. The rubbish bin was called the miskin, dont know the name where they were kept.
Sorry thought I had a better pic than this.
View attachment 12864
It was a grate of a sort for a fire to be lite underneath. The rubbish bin was called the miskin, dont know the name where they were kept.
Sorry thought I had a better pic than this.
View attachment 12864
Pete. Census's years ago used to describe womens occupations as Washer Women, they used to take in washing to do for their neighbours to earn a little money. Now the Brewus was communal for everyones use, my Gran used it and had a wringer ( Mangle is the posh word I guess.) in the Pen ( Shed ),
Pen being where my Grandfather kept his Pigeons when he was alive.
Pen being where my Grandfather kept his Pigeons when he was alive.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
GER22VAN.ernie mom had a dolly tub and a wooden thingie she called the poncher.later she got a copper one,then a mangle."wringer"I can remember that it had a winder on the top to increase or decrease the roller pressure.ernie the brew houses are still in some houses here,complete with chimney stacks. pete
Pete. I used to call my Mother Mom like you did instead of Mum.
She had a small table and the wringer swung up from underneath.
Wendy. It was a job and they were done at home, there were lots of different types of jobs done at home even in the 1950's. I guess that was partly why a Census was taken to find out how people made a living.
Sorry Wendy I somehow read the text of your post before I noticed the attachment.
She had a small table and the wringer swung up from underneath.
Wendy. It was a job and they were done at home, there were lots of different types of jobs done at home even in the 1950's. I guess that was partly why a Census was taken to find out how people made a living.
Sorry Wendy I somehow read the text of your post before I noticed the attachment.
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Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
Here is an envlope that used to contain one my parent's early electricity bill; I believe it was their first. Unfortunately the bill itself has long gone. The bill was posted 3rd August 1939, one calendar month before the begining of WW2.
Although the bill is not there you can see my dad's jottings on the back with the charges or an estimate in shillings and pence.
1st (quarter) Summer 6 shillings 5 pence
2nd Summer 6 shillings 5 pence
3rd Winter 12 shillings 10 pence
4th Winter 12 shillings 10 pence
(It was a four bedroomed house an so was quite expensive to light)
It is not clear what the jottings refer to; the bill would be at the end of a Summer Quarter and also each winter cost listed was exactly double the Summer cost.
What I like is the nice little add for hot water. We never had hot water in this house except from copper, then a gas boiler, then an Ascot; our first house with hot water was in 1963 when we moved to West Heath.
Our house had electircity fitted around 1936/7. it was a through house with a court of fourteen houses behind. None of them had electricity until after the war in the very late forties.
I am told that the family had had electricity before, before I was born. In the thirties they lived in a back to back down the street. The court had a electric light at the end of the entry which, as the story went, my father and a neighbour tapped with a cable to their houses. I am not sure how long this lasted because I knew my mother wouldn't have approved.
Although the bill is not there you can see my dad's jottings on the back with the charges or an estimate in shillings and pence.
1st (quarter) Summer 6 shillings 5 pence
2nd Summer 6 shillings 5 pence
3rd Winter 12 shillings 10 pence
4th Winter 12 shillings 10 pence
(It was a four bedroomed house an so was quite expensive to light)
It is not clear what the jottings refer to; the bill would be at the end of a Summer Quarter and also each winter cost listed was exactly double the Summer cost.
What I like is the nice little add for hot water. We never had hot water in this house except from copper, then a gas boiler, then an Ascot; our first house with hot water was in 1963 when we moved to West Heath.
Our house had electircity fitted around 1936/7. it was a through house with a court of fourteen houses behind. None of them had electricity until after the war in the very late forties.
I am told that the family had had electricity before, before I was born. In the thirties they lived in a back to back down the street. The court had a electric light at the end of the entry which, as the story went, my father and a neighbour tapped with a cable to their houses. I am not sure how long this lasted because I knew my mother wouldn't have approved.
Di.Poppitt
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Great bit of nostalgia there, Michael. Every envelope in our house always had some jottings, usually mom adding up her grocery bills.
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Great post Mike. Interesting to read the electricity rates. My parents kept their bills on a meat hook type of thing and it hung on the back of the pantry door. Yes, Di, nothing was wasted and as you say the envelope backs were often used to tot up Mom's spending to make sure no one had overcharged her, etc. or to leave notes for other family members. No neat little memo holders and pens back then.
Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
Jennyann, we lived next door to a grocers who kept all of their (accounts) bills and invoices on a meat hook thing on a piece of string behind the cellar door
Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
Some of the naughts must have faded of the bill. Its a great thing to have; really early too
Frothblower
Lubrication In Moderation
I'm still diddling with mine
Frothblower
Lubrication In Moderation
Louis Dalby
The Ham Man
You can save a little pay by direct debit and have paper less billing. Make sure your meter readings are correct and up to date and they have the right account. When the reader calls I also note it. My account was Hi-Jacked by some one with the same road name and number but two miles away, It took me a year to correct it !. Beware of doorstep salesman.
Louis Dalby
The Ham Man
WE only had Gas in Avon Street Sparkhill in 1940.
I was born in a late 1930s house in Tyseley. I can remember a penny gas meter, but i cant recall an electric meter. Perhaps it was high up out of my view. Dianne with out being rude, it is possible (depending on age) to go on a fixed rate sceme per month for 12 months for both gas and electric. This really does help to bring the cost down even more so with the bad weather we have just had.
lencops
gone but not forgotten
EON have instaiied computer gas & electric read meters in may house no meter reader comes to my house, the meters are read every month by the EON accounts over the airways and i never get an estimated bill they told me this type of meter wiil become the norm in time. Len.
Hi Robert,
In the 1950's/early 1960s we lived in Frederick Road Stechford, and the old chap next door had lived in his house since it was new around 1900. He never had electricity installed and relied on gas lighting, coal fires, and
had an old battery radio with the LT accumulator. Around 1960 he was still taking the accumulator down to Albany Garage in Albert Road for recharging! Our gas lights were still useable, but we didn't use them.
Kind regards
Dave
hi all...talking about diddling the meters...when were living in villa st(over 40 years ago) and had no money for the gas meter dad would fold up a piece of card...put it so far in the slot and pull the lever...hey presto...
case of having to sometimes....
astoness...
case of having to sometimes....
astoness...
lencops
gone but not forgotten
When we had electricity installed circa 1938 we had an electric meter which i think took 6d or 1shilling coins, you had a meter for electric lighting & another for power circuits wall sockets etc, 1shilling coin electricity meters were still in use in the late 1950`s. Len.
G G Jean
Brummy Wench.
This is just heresay of course. In Gozo I was told if you put a negative inside the electric meter it would almost stop the wheel from moving round. Also at Pontins many years ago if you did the same thing as above it would slow the wheel down considerably so I was told. Jean.