old furniture

[vivien]

Hi Lisa

Thanks for your reply to my email I thought I had upset the whole of Manmates because I had a memory and had written it in the wrong Thread. Was just about to apologise to LittleMo, but as you have mentioned it then maybe I will get away with it !!!!

Your Gran did sound cruel. I remember eating dog biscuits but that is because I just fancied them and quite liked them !!!!

Viv

[Lisa]

Hi Viv, No need to apologise. I am always putting postings on the wrong threads, and I'm supposed to know better !!! I liked the dog biscuits, by the way, especially the black ones. I must have needed to charcoal...........

[fluffymoat4]

Vivien, I only pointed out the other THREADS to you because I thought you might find them interesting to scroll through and read. Not because I thought you were posting a "memory" in the 'wrong' place.
Sorry if I misled you....! I hope you spend more time reading through all the old POSTS and THREADS and realise that we've all contributed in one way or another and yes, we do sometimes post "ramblings" on the wrong thread. Hope you feel more at ease here now and realise that apologies to ANYONE, me especially, are not needed?

[Lisa]

I dont think members will thank you for calling their postings "ramblings".

fluffymoat4 said:

Vivien, I only pointed out the other THREADS to you because I thought you might find them interesting to scroll through and read. Not because I thought you were posting a "memory" in the 'wrong' place.
Sorry if I misled you....! I hope you spend more time reading through all the old POSTS and THREADS and realise that we've all contributed in one way or another and yes, we do sometimes post "ramblings" on the wrong thread. Hope you feel more at ease here now and realise that apologies to ANYONE, me especially, are not needed?

[fluffymoat4]

fluffymoat4 said:

Vivien, I only pointed out the other THREADS to you because I thought you might find them interesting to scroll through and read. Not because I thought you were posting a "memory" in the 'wrong' place.
Sorry if I misled you....! I hope you spend more time reading through all the old POSTS and THREADS and realise that we've all contributed in one way or another and yes, we do sometimes post "ramblings" on the wrong thread. Hope you feel more at ease here now and realise that apologies to ANYONE, me especially, are not needed?

Trust me to spell "REMINISCENCES" wrong eh?

[wynwilliams]

little mo l remember the rag and bone man ,,use to get goldfish in a plastic bag, must of got other things can,t remember right now , but it will come to me shortly. fancy getting your ramblings mixed up. actually ramblings is easier to spell than reminiscences, what a long worddd

[fluffymoat4]

Thanks Wyn - good job the rag and bone man didn't get his "stones" mixed up with his "goldfish" though eh?

[tony38337]

Funny enough Mo it was those mirrors that made me aware of the value of furniture items that I was always taught were of value, I can remember a neighbour getting one and saying how expensive it was and her husband telling his mate "It was worth a bob or two". There are three interpretations of value. There is sentimental value, that equates to priceless and irreplaceable, there is monetary value usually worked out by the vendor and there is true worth which is what people are prepared to part with when they want something. My Uncle Norman & I broke loads of those mirrors because nobody wanted them. Before anyone runs away with the idea that Uncle & I were "Teddy Boys" he was a general dealer and did a lot of lumber room clearances, mirrors and huge Victorian wardrobes were the hardest to get rid of and often had to be dumped.

Tony T

[Lisa]

Hi Tony, I am aware Tony that you are going into hospital soon for your operation and I was wondering how you are feeling? Will you let us know here on the Chatline when you go in and we will start sending our prayers for your speedy recovery? Is it still the 24th? If so, good luck Tony and I'll be thinking of you.
Your comments about Victorian furniture reminded me of the time when my gran died. She had this beautiful Victorian furniture and it was all taken into the back yard and set fire to. I would have loved to have a piece of that furniture and I still prefer the large Victorian wardrobes with loads of space. No-one seems to want it now and auctions have problems getting rid of it too. In years to come there will be a revival for Brown Furniture and it will become popular again, I hope.

[Lisa]

Hi Wyn, Hope you had a good holiday, welcome back. Some of the things I remember from the Rag and Bone man were: brass bracelets and rings (that turned green) balloons, windmills, marbles,, hair slides. Can you remember any others?

wynwilliams said:

little mo l remember the rag and bone man ,,use to get goldfish in a plastic bag, must of got other things can,t remember right now , but it will come to me shortly. fancy getting your ramblings mixed up. actually ramblings is easier to spell than reminiscences, what a long worddd

[johnnyowen]

hi lisa...i think our old rag and bone man gave us a choice of either a donkey stone (which of course your mum occasionally insisted on having) a balloon..a bow and arrow or a goldfish,,not any old goldfish of course but a very special one !!! a goldfish with only ten minutes to live!!!.....incidentally i understand the rag bit but why the bone

[Lisa]

Hi Johnny, I think it was because they could sell the bones as well as the rags. Bones were sold to make washing 'liquor' to wash clothes. Rags in the old days were passed onto the poor to be either unpicked (woollen jumpers) and knitted into other garments and the bones were made into either glue or washing liquor. UNLESS someone can tell me differently.

johnnyowen said:

hi lisa...i think our old rag and bone man gave us a choice of either a donkey stone (which of course your mum occasionally insisted on having) a balloon..a bow and arrow or a goldfish,,not any old goldfish of course but a very special one !!! a goldfish with only ten minutes to live!!!.....incidentally i understand the rag bit but why the bone

[johnnyowen]

at last !! after all these years i understand.. thanks lisa off for my tea now have a good evening

[Belinda]

Someone mentioned the old mangles,when i had my first child we were pretty broke,but we managed to get hold of an old washing machine with an electric mangle on top,i was over the moon with it.Iwas doing my washing one day and my long hair got caught in the mangle.I was in such a panic i didnt think to switch it off,i was tugging my hair as my head was getting closer and closer to the rollers,my two year old was screaming,Mummy,Mummy,Mummy.I ended up with a very sore head and a traumatised two year old. x Belinda

[BABS]

HI BELINDA,

I HAD ONE OF THOSE WASHERS,AND THEN GOT THE MODERN ONE
TWIN TUB AND SPINNER,I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEES KNEES.

MY LATE MOTHER IN LAW USED TO MAKE ME LAUGH,SHE GOT THE ELECTIC WASHER SHE WAS SCARED OF ELECTRIC,SHE USED TO MAKE HER HUBBY TURN THE WASHER OFF WHILE SHE GOT THE WASHING OUT OF THE TUB TO PUT IT IN THE SPINNER,SHE SAID ELECTRIC AND WATER ARE DANGEROUS,SO I AM NOT PUTTING MY HANDS IN THAT TILL ITS SWITCHED OFF ;D
THEN HE HAD TO TURN IT BACK ON.
SHE USED TO THROW A WOBBLY HERSELF IF THE SPINNER STARTED BANGING AROUND BECAUSE THE WASHING WAS UNEVEN IN THE SPINNER,SHE START SCREAMING TURN IT OFF BEFORE IT BLOWS UP


BABSX

[Belinda]

Hi Babs,thanks for the good wishes over the toothache.i dont know why I'm so scared,nothing bad as ever happened to me i just keep thinking I'm going to choke.That sounds like a nightmare that you went through.Id have never gone again x Belinda.

[Belinda]

Hi Babs,you really made me laugh when you were telling me about your late mother in law and her twin tub,i had exactly the same thoughts when i first got mine, i was worried sick about putting my hands in the water.Mind you in my defence ive always been afraid of electricity since i put my finger up a light socket when i was about thirteen and fell off the chair ;D x Belinda

[frances]

I remember the racks that used to pull up to the ceiling. My mum took her washing to the Wash House every Monday Morning to wash and dry and then it was all ironed at the night time and hung up on the rack to air. Does the "tin bath" class as furniture. Having your weekly bath in front of the kitchen fire and threatening other siblings not to come in whilst it was your turn in about 3" of water. It was better when we could go to the Public Baths and have a big steaming back with soap and towel for 2p and nobody to disturb you.
Why was the front room never used. There were 6 in our family and we had a very small kitchen but we never seemed to use the front room (or parlour) until we got a tv. Mind you as children we never stayed in we were always playing out. My mum had a "meat Safe" also in the back yard (it was covered with a glass roof) to keep things cool. We also had a lovely black piano in the parlour. I wished I had learned to play it properly.

[frances]

sorry that should have read bath. I am getting tired now it is bedtime.

[lin]

HI FRANCES...I REMEMBER THOSE RACKS YOU MENTIONED, MY GRAN HAD ONE OF THEM, ALSO THE OLD TIN BATH, MANGLE ETC...MEMORIES ARE GREAT

[frances]

AFter the washing was dry I had the job of ironing the washing. I had to use a flat iron that was put on a rack up against the coals in the fire. I had to be careful it wasn't too hot so that I scorched the clothes. (I would have been in trouble then). We never had an electric iron. It makes you wonder as we take todays appliances for granted don't we?.
Frances

[moonshine]

We used to have a overhead rack in the kitchen. Remember my mum's knickers catching fire when the rack was lowered as it was situated over the gas stove!

[Belinda]

Hi Frances,I remember my mam ironlng with one of those flat irons,she would spit on it to see how hot it was,i dont think i could manage with one of those,i detest ironing x Belinda

[frances]

Hi Belinda
Yes you did spit on the irons (a bad habit really) to see it the iron was hot enough. You had to rub it on an old cloth first so any dirty marks off the coal didn't go onto the clean washing. I remember the posh ones who had an electric iron used to plug it into the light socket. Todays health and safety would have a blue fit.
Frances

[Belinda]

frances said:

Hi Belinda
Yes you did spit on the irons (a bad habit really) to see it the iron was hot enough. You had to rub it on an old cloth first so any dirty marks off the coal didn't go onto the clean washing. I remember the posh ones who had an electric iron used to plug it into the light socket. Todays health and safety would have a blue fit.
Frances

Hi Frances,I also remember having an Iron which plugged into the light socket,one night i was trying to find the hole and i stuck my finger up to feel my way,next minute i was on the floor,like you say,health and safety would have a fit..Do you remember wrapping tin foil around a fuse when it had blown and plugging it in without the back on.When i tell my sons that i did this,they are ashamed of me,saying i went against everything i ever taught them x Belinda

[lin]

HI BELINDA,
MY GOD YOU ARE TAKING US BACK NOW, I REMEMBER THE TIN FOIL, ALSO REMEMBER STICKING A COAT HANGER IN THE BACK OF THE TV ARIEL SOCKET, USED TO BE A BRILLIANT PICTURE AT THE TIME...

[frances]

Hi all
Don't tell your children all your bad secrets. Let them think you did things right. Neccesity was the word then. We had to make do and mend a lot. My mum used to have to put a penny under our clock on the mantlepiece because it wouldn't go unless you did. (Think the mantlepiece was a bit lobsided). We always used to have a large black kettle that was always on the hob ready for hot water. We only had a cold water tap. My dad used to bind the pipes outside with rags to stop them freezing up in the Winter. (Which they frequently did)
Frances

[Belinda]

Hi Frances,Not old furniture,but shoes.Does anyone remember the plastic sandals girls used to wear.I was brought up by my grandparents who had little money.I had some how made a hole in the front of my plastic shoes,i was worried sick because i had no other shoes.I remember as a child thinking what a genius my gran was as i watched her stick the poker in the fire and then use it to weld my shoe back together.Can you imagine kids putting up with that these days x Belinda

[Belinda]

mavisredford said:

Hi Viv, No need to apologise. I am always putting postings on the wrong threads, and I'm supposed to know better !!! I liked the dog biscuits, by the way, especially the black ones. I must have needed to charcoal...........

Hi Lisa,I remember my friend giving me some chocolate buttons when we were kids,when i'd eaten them,she told me they were actually doggy buttons.I felt sick,and i never trusted her again.I really thought she must have hated me,why else would she try to kill me. x Belinda

[lin]

HI BELINDA...I REMEMBER THOSE PLASTIC SANDALS, ALMOST FORGOTTEN THEM UNTIL YOU MENTIONED THEM PEOPLE LIKE YOUR GRANDPARENTS WERE GOOD AT IMPROVISING IN THOSE DAYS WASN'T THEY? NO WASTE LIKE TODAY