Still in Use- Kitchen equipment handed down

I forgot the cookery books - I have my grandmother's ancient Mrs. Beeton, it is vast, from the early 1930s when she married. I love all the notes next to recipes in her writing.

granjura he sold off everything before anyone in the family knew he was going to do it. MiL and FiL had a huge row with FiL's two brothers some years back because they sold all of great-FiL's stuff off without letting anyone know. They came to me for sympathy, I couldn't believe it! I said why didn't they ask anyone, they said they left messages to say that the flat needed sorting out but it was 'a few days' before anyone replied to say they could come to help, by which time the deed was done... I know MiL, she is a vulture when it comes to sorting through possessions. I had first hand experience when DBH's beloved great aunt died. I was invited to go along to choose some things, by the time we got there at 11am she had been there for three hours and almost everything was packed up and ready to go!

I digress...

I have a lovely little egg holder of my GP's too, one that is a little wooden shelf for the wall. I use it to hold ceramic eggs. I have floral salt and pepper pots, too, very pretty.

My MIL's (who I never met - she died long before I was on the scene) pyrex lemon squeezer dating from the 1950s.

I also have an ancient silver ladle found at the back of FIL's kitchen drawer that belonged to his MIL therefore circa 1920s - I started to use it for basting and gravy and found it was just somehow the perfect shape and balance....it just feels good to use.

Sadly I have nothing from my Mum.....dammed father threw it all out!!
I would so liked to have had her old recipe book...I still remember that on page 375 was a recipe for bakewell tart that used stale cake crumbs in place of some of the ground almonds.

in which case I'd sell them myself and go on hols or treat myself with the money... really.

I can't remember the right words, but it struck me when I read it in the wonderful book on an Asperger teenager 'the incident of the dog in the nightime'. He says he knows why old people are grumpy and afraid of dying- it's because they can't stand all they beloved possessions ending up in a skip. Sad, that.

We have dh's grandmother's silver cutlery-never used - as the pieces seem to be much bigger than today's and are not easy to hold. Her horn handled carving set is used at Christmas and we also have a pair of silver candlesticks. These belonged to her mother and possibly go even further back so they're around 140 years old. Granny used to drive her home helps mad by trying to get them to polish her silverware. We couldn't make her understand that that wasn't what she was paid to do! She came from another country in another time.

The only one of our kids to express interest in having any of our things when we`re gone, is youngest son, but he`s just interested in the ornaments, in case they`re worth anything! He`s not planning on keeping them.

I have my Grandmothers very heavy cake tins. They have been used to make many family cakes including wedding cakes . I suppose they must be over 90 years old as I think they were a wedding gift.

Oh janerowena- what a shame. That must have hurt to see it all sold. Could you not have asked for a few bits? My OH has nothing of his family- as it was all left in South AFrica when they moved to the UK at the dreadful time of Apartheid- and his older sister had anything from his mother. Fortunately he is not too bothered- although his grandfather's paintings and collection of coloured diamonds would have been VERY nice ;)

It's funny with our daughters, 1 really is not bothered- but the eldest is always telling me 'do not get rid of a thing mum' - thank goodness we have the space! I've still got my dad' army bike from the 1940s in the barn- and photos from the past 4 generations at least-andso much more in this old monster of a 16C house.

I have a caseerole dish, a couple of "carving" dishes and a cruet set that were wedding presents for my grandparents. My daughter has my mother's silver serving spoons, my first cookery implements and various bits from her grandmother's house which none of us wanted! So nice to see these things in general use - which they are - and despite having plenty of money she wouldn't dream of replacing them. Love her.

granjura I would love your things. My farming grandparents had so many things like that, but they all went to the uncle who inherited the farm - and then he just sold off the lot.

All my in laws' silver Mappin and Webb cutlery (they married in 1936) and MiL's parent's carving set, in a box where the velvet is worn thin, as is the knife.

And - from the first fridge we bought - the spatula that came with the free food mixer that came with it - c 1968.

And a set of 3 Prestige knives - carving, bread and a small one that were a wedding present in 1965 and are still sharp.

Mmmm

I still use my MiL's cutlery, just the knives and forks, (I don't know what happened to the spoons). Plus I still use the salad tongs. They are hinged, like scissors. I have never seen modern tongs as good. I don't have anything from my parent's house. I think my sisters have all those. I didn't need any of them.

I still use my mother's Spong mincer and MIL's carving knife (sharpens up a treat!) My baking trays were my grandmother's and are as black as your hat - years of seasoning and nothing ever sticks.

Not kitchen equipment but I also have Mum and Dad's Chinese pattern dinner service which they bought in the back streets of Steamer Point, Aden in 1957. Some of it got broken on the journey home - they used to call it 'deep sea storage'. Dad asked a friend still out there to source a match for the missing pieces so some of the soup dishes are just slightly different but that adds to the sentimental value.

We still use my grandparents metal meat grinder- which you clip on the table- 'feed' at the top and turn the wooden handle- great for making shepherd's pie, etc.

We've inherited all the stuff from my parents' kitchen 2 houses down from here when my parents died. I have a butter churn, glass with a wooden handle and metal paddle- but never used it to make butter. And my mum's (great dran-mother's I think) very large copper jam pan with a massive wooden spoon to stir, which I use every autumn. And also a miniature 'wine' press- metal feet, wood base and drum with a wooden lid and metal screw and turning handle- to make fruit jelly (clear jam- apple, quince, blackcurrant, etc). 2 very large fish kettle- 1 brass and copper with zinc inner, and one enamelled. And 2 very large old Le Creuset pots, 1 round and 1 oval... and so many tools and garden tools. And so much more.

A friend at WI told us she has, and regularly uses, her grandma's carving knife which was once a murder weapon. The grandma worked for the police and was given the knife when the case was completed.

A few things from my grandma, given to us when we married in 1963. Amongst them, a double spoon for tea leaves, in order to brew in the cup, there are holes in both halves. Hasn`t been used for a long time though, not since I went over to teabags in 1977. Then there`s one of those glass dishes divided into 3 sections, silly me, can`t remember what they`re called! It`s made of very heavy, opaque glass, hardly ever gets used, I`m scared of breaking it. There was also a canteen of cutlery, but most of it has disappeared now. Oh, and an oval blue and white willow pattern plate, a bit chipped around the edges ever since we`ve had it, I use it for cutting up my roasts on.

I still have my mother's mincer - which I never use!! It is still in very good condition as it was always put back in its box after use.

Mum's old flour shaker from Woolies. Love it!

On a day to day basis a silver fork with long tines which was my mothers which breaks up mince beautifully. I used to have two of them but one walked off.

My Mum's big creamware mixing bowl - only use it at Xmas for the puddings and cakes as its very large.

Oh yes! DM's carving knife is an odd shape from all that sharpening on the back doorstep - and responsible for her regularly cutting herself!

Nan's carving knife which was inherited by my mum and is now mine. It was always sharpened on the back step and like loupylou's is now a slither towards the tip. Cream coloured china mixing bowl. Plus several items that were MiL's.

Wow, either we are a very careful lot or as Marmight says things were built to last. I wonder how many of the things we buy today we can hand down to our children or grandchildren? My Kenwood Chef will celebrate its 44th birthday in a few months ( a wedding present) and is still used two or three times a week.

Silver cutlery sets in boxes, each at least 100 years old, old paring knife, the blade worn to a slither and rescued from my GM's house after she died in 1984, aged 90.
Also a silver tablespoon from her without which I'd be lost.

Oh masses. A couple of old pyrex dishes I use in the microwave, an old breadboard that my grandfather carved for my grandmother, a silver fork he made a wooden handle for, to help her with mashing small amounts, even her old electric hand whisk is still going and she dies 19 years ago - it was already yellowing when granddad gave it to me so heaven only knows how old it is! An old bone handled carving fork from the other grandma, also her silver meat hatchet with a mother of pearl handle, again, heaven only knows how old they are. An old metal egg slicer from one of them - even back then someone was trying make things prettier, it has a heart shape cut out of the metal.

I have my great-grandmother's dariole moulds, and until recently I had her big stack of mixing bowls but sadly they died of old age, the cracks in the glaze just grew and grew.

Just my mum's wooden bread board from the 1930s. It nearly hit the bin in the 80s when they were seen as unhygienic. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the hype.