Cold Weather, Antiques Centre and The Old Fashioned Laundry
It has been a cold day here in Peterborough. I have only been out the once today and that was to go to the Post Office to post a letter. I did nip to the Charity Shop but they did not have anything of interest. I then came home and have been in the warm since although not doing what I had set out to do.
I am glad I came home when I did though as a little while later we had hail and then snow and it went very, very cold. Nothing settled. Wind has been rough but nowhere near what it was and in the greater scheme of things I think we have been very lucky compared to lots of other places.
We had a change of planned meal tonight. Instead with had garlic Kievs which were yummy.
Tomorrow night we will have spaghetti Bolognese. I did not get my act together today as I got involved with some research I am doing.
I am hoping sometime this year to be able to get a trip or two into going to Hemswell Antiques Centre near Gainsborough. I have only been the once and did not manage to get all the way round it. I bought an old fashioned wooden clothes airer the type you can turn into a tent with the aid of a blanket. I still have this and it is very useful. It does however need a little attention as the braid that holds it together needs replacing. I would also like to get hold of an old wooden ironing board and a ceiling airer as well. All things I grew up with. They have so much more charm than some of the modern appliances.
Thinking back, the job I am glad has changed is the innovation of the washing machine. I remember my mum having to use a gas copper to boil the water up and then popping that into a separate tub and use a washboard and posher to get the linen clean by bashing it up and down. The gas copper also used to be used to cook the Christmas pudding. You then rinsed everything a couple of times in a metal tub that used to be filled with cold water and then pressed through a wringer to get the water out.
My mum and my aunty used to also add something to the final rinse called a blue bag, which also used to make the whites look whiter than white. The whites used to come up beautifully and clean with this system.
There is a link here for further information Blue Bag
Then you had to get it dry, Very hard work but the system had its own charm.
Wash day was traditionally a Monday, after washing you then had to get everything dry and in the winter months that was terrible. In the end I remember my mum after my brother was born invested in an airing cabinet which she used to dry his Terry Towelling nappies and other clothing.
Once everything was dry there was then the ironing; this inevitably used to be done in the winter months the day it became dry and then it used to be aired (prior to the airing cabinet putting in an appearance in our household) on the clothes horse or ceiling airer. My mum always said that this was the most important stage of any laundry process. The clothes always had to be aired properly as any kind of dampness could potentially end up making you sick. Ours always used to be put in front of the fire to make absolutely sure it was as dry as it could be. Sadly we do not have a fire and with me having arthritis and soft tissue connection disorder I think it is even more important. Hence me relying on the tumble drier.
I think in retrospect we have it easy in this day and age with the up to date equipment we do have. I know from tales my mum told me that her mum used to start washing at 6am and would not finish until 6pm at night. She was washing for a family of 10 plus two adults!
Saying that, my washing machine is the one piece of equipment I freak out about not having working as it backs everything up so dreadfully and I love fresh clean clothes. It is to me the most important piece of equipment. The washing machine and the tumble drier I think. However, I am considering investing in one of the heated dryers from Lakeland. I have spoken about this before. Fingers crossed that will happen soon. Have to save up.
Which piece of equipment would you hate to be without and why?
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
I am glad I came home when I did though as a little while later we had hail and then snow and it went very, very cold. Nothing settled. Wind has been rough but nowhere near what it was and in the greater scheme of things I think we have been very lucky compared to lots of other places.
We had a change of planned meal tonight. Instead with had garlic Kievs which were yummy.
Tomorrow night we will have spaghetti Bolognese. I did not get my act together today as I got involved with some research I am doing.
I am hoping sometime this year to be able to get a trip or two into going to Hemswell Antiques Centre near Gainsborough. I have only been the once and did not manage to get all the way round it. I bought an old fashioned wooden clothes airer the type you can turn into a tent with the aid of a blanket. I still have this and it is very useful. It does however need a little attention as the braid that holds it together needs replacing. I would also like to get hold of an old wooden ironing board and a ceiling airer as well. All things I grew up with. They have so much more charm than some of the modern appliances.
Thinking back, the job I am glad has changed is the innovation of the washing machine. I remember my mum having to use a gas copper to boil the water up and then popping that into a separate tub and use a washboard and posher to get the linen clean by bashing it up and down. The gas copper also used to be used to cook the Christmas pudding. You then rinsed everything a couple of times in a metal tub that used to be filled with cold water and then pressed through a wringer to get the water out.
My mum and my aunty used to also add something to the final rinse called a blue bag, which also used to make the whites look whiter than white. The whites used to come up beautifully and clean with this system.
There is a link here for further information Blue Bag
Then you had to get it dry, Very hard work but the system had its own charm.
Wash day was traditionally a Monday, after washing you then had to get everything dry and in the winter months that was terrible. In the end I remember my mum after my brother was born invested in an airing cabinet which she used to dry his Terry Towelling nappies and other clothing.
Once everything was dry there was then the ironing; this inevitably used to be done in the winter months the day it became dry and then it used to be aired (prior to the airing cabinet putting in an appearance in our household) on the clothes horse or ceiling airer. My mum always said that this was the most important stage of any laundry process. The clothes always had to be aired properly as any kind of dampness could potentially end up making you sick. Ours always used to be put in front of the fire to make absolutely sure it was as dry as it could be. Sadly we do not have a fire and with me having arthritis and soft tissue connection disorder I think it is even more important. Hence me relying on the tumble drier.
I think in retrospect we have it easy in this day and age with the up to date equipment we do have. I know from tales my mum told me that her mum used to start washing at 6am and would not finish until 6pm at night. She was washing for a family of 10 plus two adults!
Saying that, my washing machine is the one piece of equipment I freak out about not having working as it backs everything up so dreadfully and I love fresh clean clothes. It is to me the most important piece of equipment. The washing machine and the tumble drier I think. However, I am considering investing in one of the heated dryers from Lakeland. I have spoken about this before. Fingers crossed that will happen soon. Have to save up.
Which piece of equipment would you hate to be without and why?
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
Washer AND dryer are a lifesaver for me! I live in the city, and don't even have a clothes line...I do miss it sometimes!
ReplyDeleteVacuum cleaner for me I freak out if I can't vacuum and sweeping just moves the dust around xx
ReplyDeleteHi Fluffy, can understand the vacuum with the littlies and keeping tidy, it is always the washing machine and the tumble drier for me though. Hope you are okay. Take care Tricia xx
DeleteHi Lefting, it is the washing machine and the tumble drier for me. I do have a line but it tends to only get used in the summer months when I am being a cheap skate and don't want to use the electricity for the tumbler. Hope you are keeping well. Take care Tricia xx
ReplyDelete