Exeter couple finally ditch 1950s appliances

Sadly, the story isn't quite as it seems- the appliances haven't been in constant use, they've been stored as 'spares' for some time.

However, still interesting. We had a 'Baby Belling' in our student flat when we were first married- we lived in one of the few halls of residence with places for married students.

The Washing Machine is similar to the one my mother had in the 1960s and I recall a neighbour having one of the Boilers shown.

We had an Ariston Washing Machine which lasted about 17 years and our first Microwave (a Tricity) lasted a similar time- in fact it was still working when we disposed of it, it was just 'tatty'. Sadly, none of the replacements have given comparable service.

you can't beat a twin tub ....

Would that be the original with a solid hotplate or one of the newfangled ones with boiling rings, simmerstats and thermostat for the oven?

We have a fully functional Baby Belling sitting in the garage. It came in really handy when the fancy newish cooker decided to emit magic smoke.

Good question. As I recall, it had two round solid rings on top. However, I could be confusing them with those on my mother's cooker. Either way, I'm sure there were two.

The oven had a temperature control with a thermostat. It took ages to do even a simple roast. We used to cook a chicken in a pressure cooker and then 'brown it' in the oven. We used a pressure cooker for years, until we got an induction hob which was incompatible with it.

This was '76 or so, although I'm not sure how new the Baby Belling was when we moved into the Hall of Residence. The section the married flats were in didn't seem that old, certainly under 10 years, probably about 5.

We used one for 2 years and have several funny memories of culinary events surrounding it. The oven was 'challenged' by anything requiring a high temperature- eg getting good roast potatoes and the temperature control was erratic to say the least.

Half way through cooking Sunday lunch, the original one emitted a loud bang and the main circuit breaker for the whole floor in the block 'went'. The hall warden decided to test it, 'Just to see if it did it again.' The second bang was even louder. Fortunately, he produced another Baby Belling from a store room and cooking of lunch resumed. In time we learned the 'new' one was quite different (despite being the same model) to the original.

Nearly 40 years on we still joke about some of the Baby Belling culinary events in the kitchen where you could stand in the middle and touch all four walls.

I have a "Thorn" microwave that's forty years old. Been in daily use.

My wife has her granny's bread board. Daily use. Must be a hundred years old.

You joke?....I don't believe it ....

I'm sure there are many of these people about actually only recently an old

Several old Morphy Richards Spin driers exist still working down my road as extra units cos modern washing machines see to be pretty inefficient. Sadly these from memory had a nasty habit of wandering around the floor unless on sat on them. Many old irons still work, and of course vacuum cleaners.

Not sure about health and safety though, some of these older devices did tend to have very naff wires on them. Most irons of the period could have their mains leads replaced though.

I do wonder if anything bought in say the last 10 years or so would be still working in 50 years? Doubt it. Brian

I have a 1960s Rogers Cadet valve amplifier in daily use as an amp for a computer in my bedroom. No real issues with it. Just a little more hum than one might expect. Brian

On 20-Nov-17 7:15 AM, Brian Reay wrote: ...

One hand on each?

I still have a Baby Burco, inherited from the M-I-L. I use it for home brewing.

A few years ago there was an exhibition in the London Science Museum of the evolution of domestic appliances over the decades. One exhibit was what they said was the first microwave oven to go on sale in the UK. We had one just like it still in use; made me feel a bit like a museum exhibit myself.

he evolution of domestic appliances over the decades. One exhibit was what they said was the first microwave oven to go on sale in the UK. We had on e just like it still in use; made me feel a bit like a museum exhibit mysel f.

The Amana Radarange. Early microwaves had unsafe interlocks, I came across one years ago where the thing continued cooking until the door was part way open. But even better ones than that were unsafe, relying on one microswit ch to stop cooking when opened.

I saw some domestic appliances in a museum recently, a few of mine are olde r than theirs.

NT

no chance...it will be made in China....

The "newfangled" ones had one ring - a spiral boiling ring as I remember them - that you could have on any time, and a switch enabling you to choose between the second ring, the grill and the oven. The old ones - which I assume were meant for a 15A supply - had high/low/medium switches for the combined hotplate/grill and the oven - which had a thermometer built into the door..

Yes, but you're a bigoted, racist, moron troll, so can be safely ignored.