Remember the arrival of the amazing non-stick pan ? Initially they received a mixed reception. This was mostly due to the 'non-stick' quality of the pan deteriorating over time. There were options for these early pans; reconditioning or respraying !
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rosie
brummie
My mother treated herself to a non-stick milk pan which had a black lining. An elderly aunt came to visit her when she wasn't well and insisted on washing up. She said to my mother "I've managed to get all that burnt black stuff off that milk pan"!
Dad made our sink unit and put red handles on the doors, the sink/drainer was cream. He fixed the worktop from and old wringer onto the wall and the dog slept underneath in an old wicker washbasket. The little broom cupboard he made was so useful too.
He made the clotheshorse into stilts for me, I've still got the one he made for my dolls clothes.
rosie.
Dad made our sink unit and put red handles on the doors, the sink/drainer was cream. He fixed the worktop from and old wringer onto the wall and the dog slept underneath in an old wicker washbasket. The little broom cupboard he made was so useful too.
He made the clotheshorse into stilts for me, I've still got the one he made for my dolls clothes.
rosie.
My friend had an elderly gentleman staying with him and had the same experience. The old guy, trying to be helpful washed up. He said ow he had had a terrible time getting the once saucepan clean. It was of course a none stick pan, and he’d used about five Brillo pads to clean it.
mbenne
master brummie
My Mom had one of these from 1957 up to the mid 70's. As there was no form of heating in the house, other than a coal fire in the living room, she would light the oven and leave the door open to heat the kitchen before I went to school. On Sundays she would mop the lino tiled kitchen floor and lay down newspapers until it had dried, to prevent Dads muddy boots from mucking it up again when he came in from the garden.
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Interesting mbenne that the cooker has a plate drier above and an air vent (?). Viv.
Anyone remember these? We had one. Used to clean new potatoes and Jersey Mids in it. Never did large potatoes in it. The little potatoes came out nice and smooth. Mum liked small gadgets despite not having a washing machine or fridge. That's all we had room for in our kitchen. Later we also got a salad spinner, I think from Tupperware. Viv.
mbenne
master brummie
I think the rack was probably intended to keep the plates warm before serving.
mbenne
master brummie
My uncle had one of those potato peelers and lent it to us to try. Unfortunately we had a new style mono bloc tap and couldnt get the hose to stay on. Would unexpectedly come off and soak the kitchen. Only any use for small jersey style potatos which were better with skins on. Far easier to peel by hand!
I think so too. My mom was quite fussy about warm plates for serving dinner.
Radiorails
master brummie
Gas cookers of that type often had an eye level plate rack - as per comment in post 40 by mbenne - the vent was from the oven. Later models replaced the plate rack with a grill.
Going down memory lane my thoughts returned to my parents having a outside toilet even up to 1983.
I was a child frightened of the dark, we lived in a council house in Kingstanding.
The bathroom was off the kitchen, and next to that was what my mum called the coal hole. Across from the bathroom was a door leading to the pantry.
However, although incorporated in the house design the toilet was adjacent to the back door.
Now we had no electric light in the loo, and in my childhood newspaper for toilet roll.
Now when your frightened of the dark, it is no problem in the day, but when you need the loo in the evening, and no electric light its a big big problem
I remember my Dad standing on the back door step letting the kitchen light shine in the yard with me having to have the toilet door partially open, and Dad asking me occasionally are you okay.
The very occasional visits to Grandparents was one had a toilet up the garden , and my other Nan had a shared toilet with her own key In the yard in Hockley.
My husband comes from a large family who lived in Sparkbrook again apparently they had a outside loo up the garden. Having only 2 sisters I gather at night the boys often took aim out the window. Just remember if I ever get to a meet I never told you that lol.
I believe in 1966 my Husband’s family were move to one of the first houses on Chelmsley Wood, and his first indoor loo.In fact 2 loo’s . Up until we married 1969 I never had that luxury. LOL.
If I remember correctly Dad sometimes put a candle in the loo to help it not freezing up when really cold. The pull chain was great, the newspaper clogging at times not so much lol.
I was a child frightened of the dark, we lived in a council house in Kingstanding.
The bathroom was off the kitchen, and next to that was what my mum called the coal hole. Across from the bathroom was a door leading to the pantry.
However, although incorporated in the house design the toilet was adjacent to the back door.
Now we had no electric light in the loo, and in my childhood newspaper for toilet roll.
Now when your frightened of the dark, it is no problem in the day, but when you need the loo in the evening, and no electric light its a big big problem
I remember my Dad standing on the back door step letting the kitchen light shine in the yard with me having to have the toilet door partially open, and Dad asking me occasionally are you okay.
The very occasional visits to Grandparents was one had a toilet up the garden , and my other Nan had a shared toilet with her own key In the yard in Hockley.
My husband comes from a large family who lived in Sparkbrook again apparently they had a outside loo up the garden. Having only 2 sisters I gather at night the boys often took aim out the window. Just remember if I ever get to a meet I never told you that lol.
I believe in 1966 my Husband’s family were move to one of the first houses on Chelmsley Wood, and his first indoor loo.In fact 2 loo’s . Up until we married 1969 I never had that luxury. LOL.
If I remember correctly Dad sometimes put a candle in the loo to help it not freezing up when really cold. The pull chain was great, the newspaper clogging at times not so much lol.
Hi Diane,
Your description of the kitchen and the loo door next to the kitchen door was exactly
like my mother in law's house in South Yardley.
Her coal hole door had a row of round holes about the size of old pennies -about a foot
from the top of the door from memory, and she used to store all sorts of junk in it.
I never did find out what the holes were for, - would you really want to vent coal into
the kitchen. I wonder if your door had the same holes.
Anyway, my girlfriend at the time, and her brother and sisters would not open that door,
as a giant black spider had taken up residence in there, and used to sit in one of the holes
looking into the kitchen. They even named it Black Fluff, and the memory of it has lasted
nearly 60 years. She still hates spiders today.
When her dad went out to the toilet he always took his newspaper to read, although
not much light came in over the door. The kids used to go and kick the door to startle
him, and he used to get pretty upset, but he never did find out which one had done it.
Kind regards
Dave
Your description of the kitchen and the loo door next to the kitchen door was exactly
like my mother in law's house in South Yardley.
Her coal hole door had a row of round holes about the size of old pennies -about a foot
from the top of the door from memory, and she used to store all sorts of junk in it.
I never did find out what the holes were for, - would you really want to vent coal into
the kitchen. I wonder if your door had the same holes.
Anyway, my girlfriend at the time, and her brother and sisters would not open that door,
as a giant black spider had taken up residence in there, and used to sit in one of the holes
looking into the kitchen. They even named it Black Fluff, and the memory of it has lasted
nearly 60 years. She still hates spiders today.
When her dad went out to the toilet he always took his newspaper to read, although
not much light came in over the door. The kids used to go and kick the door to startle
him, and he used to get pretty upset, but he never did find out which one had done it.
Kind regards
Dave
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
Michael_Ingram
gone but not forgotten
We kept a Davy lamp in ours in the winter to stop the pipes freezing
Eric Gibson
master brummie
Your Kingstanding story perfectly describes our house in Hurlingham Road Diane, the outside toilet (lavvy) was still the same when my mother had to go into a nursing home in 1995. She had been in that house from 1933
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Well I lived in Cranbourne Road, the back gardens of Cranbourne , and Hurlingham Met .
I do believe my parents moved in around 1936/37.
Your Mum would have been one of the first people on the estate then.
I live in the next district now, and sometimes drive down Hurlingham, the trees planted on the kerbside actually are rather wonderful especially in the autumn.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
i have one like that out side. whats left of it .in 2010 it froze. i kept yanking on the chain. but the only thing flushed was my face, i pulled the cistern off the wall.
Radiorails
master brummie
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
could have been worse. alan they used to pour diesel and petrol on them and burn it.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
rosie at the bottom of the garden there is a shed that was over the brook. the seat was a couple of planks. as Forrest Gump said "and that's all I have to say about that"
Over the toilet?could have been worse. alan they used to pour diesel and petrol on them and burn it.