Old fashioned things you still do

Actually prefer to read or listen to radio or chat to rather than watch TV.

Read this thread as I sat down having just ironed the special red and gold Christmas tablecloths, the red serviettes - working class - very non-U us - the Christmas runners, a couple of my shirts and one of her tops.

Until a couple of months ago, when he discovered big boy standing up weeing it would have been my youngest GS’s Terry nappies napkins to MY mother as well.

I guess we are terribly old fashioned, but is there anything actually wrong with being so very behind the times I do wonder ?

I hang my washing out in the garden unless it's raining when I hang it on the pulley in the laundry room.

No sat nav ..yet. But I use google maps to look journeys up beforehand and print them out.

I was taking DGS aged 9 on a family outing, and was following the rest of the family, and lost view of their car in front. DGS took me the wrong was to the nature park then he got in a blind panic.

"never mind, " I said, "we'll do it the old fashioned way". I'll ask for help. One hairdresser, a garage, and an antique shop later, we arrived quite easily.

but I will gt a sat nav eventually as i really get lost around where they live as its out in the countryside and I want to easily take them to a number of complicated to get to places.

Never had a dishwasher.

Ironing is a task of the devil. (shudder)

I used to iron hankies for my mom when I was a girl - so, so long ago. True no one irons anymore (or much) but I still have a steam iron and ironing board - because you WILL NEED IT at some point.
I still have two of my mom’s hankies that I plan on giving to each of my nieces when they marry… you know, “something old, something new…”
Cheers!
USA Gundy

Nellietheelephant

A small tip: if you by duvet covers which have some polyester in them (not all of it) - you can get away without ironing them. So exhausting ironing and THEN doing the whole business of trying to get them on the duvet!

I have patterned ones in pure cotton that barely show the lack of ironing. I can recommend the dark blue Strawberry Thief pattern that’s on our guest bed at the moment!
For guests I do usually iron the plain navy pillowcases, though.

I also, or DH peels potatoes, we make our own gravy, always cook from scratch,make my own pastry and dumplings, use china mugs or cups and saucers, have cutlery which is used for best only, always use a white cotton table cloth and napkins if we have visitors, also use a heat protector under the table cloth, is that old fashioned too? We also use table mats and serving mats, warm plates up for food and I use talcum powder in the mornings down my t shirt, vest or top!

I don't use Satnav. I have a paper map.

I sometimes wonder whether, if the invention of writing on paper had happened after the invention of the internet, whether we might all be thinking "what a brilliant idea"

I darned a hole in a cardigan this afternoon with my late Mum's darning mushroom - how's that for old-fashioned!! Took me back to when I used to sit with her in the evening watching her darn my dear Dad's socks...

Perhaps I don't belong on this thread because when my OH complained that I'd not darned his socks I told him to put the holey sock in the bin or darn it himself.

I can actually remember being taught sock darning at primary school in the 1950s but he doesn't know that.

You have to draw the line somewhere.

I'd say the same to my OH, varian - does anyone still darn socks nowadays? I only darned the cardigan because it was one that I had made for myself not too long ago that I am particularly proud of and could not replace with a "bought" version.

I must be old fashioned too. I have cotton handkerchiefs (as does DH) and wash and iron them. Apart from anything else, they are surely greener than tissues and you don’t get the horrible germs in bins. I also like tablecloths and wash and iron them. In addition to this, I have two beautiful tablecloths that were embroidered by my grandmothers when I was engaged. I have them in turns on a side table with ornaments on. I generally use tea bags for expedience but always use a teapot if more than one person is having a cup of tea. One teabag per two people. It is more cost effective and tastes nicer when properly brewed in a teapot. Bone china mugs. When I have time I use tea leaves and a cup and saucer.

Oh, and I also have best china and cutlery in a canteen that were wedding presents. I still love using them on special occasions.

I feel a proper sloven. I don't polish but then my furniture isn't the type you polish. I don't bake but then my cakes are like lead and you need a pneumatic drill to get through my pastry. Aunty Betty makes my dumplings, roast potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings. If I had my way I'd NEVER iron but some things just have to be done. I do shirts and tee shirts, and then only if they look like they need it.

However, I do peel old potatoes and cook most meals from scratch although Mr Sharwood and Mr Patak make my curry sauces and Naan, Signor Dolmio makes my bolagnaise sauce and Fred the Homepride Man makes my pasta bake sauce. I also make soup for lunches but my soup maker does the cooking bit. I make my own cleaning spray for the kitchen and bathroom. I melt down the remains of old candles to make new ones. I stick old pieces of soap onto new blocks. I use anti macassars and arm covers because the chairs fabric is wearing thing and they hide it lol.

OH has hankies. I iron them.

I don’t iron as many items as I used to, but I do still launder and iron my husband’s cotton handkerchiefs!

I iron my husbands hankies and the bedlinen, as well as most of our clothes.

I detest gravy granules, it has to be proper Bisto powder!

I peel the potatoes in water as we grow our own and they are a bit mucky. Except for new ones they just get a wash.

There is a plastic tablecloth on our dining table, just practical, its only for us two.

I make my own cakes and biscuits, only use a pinny if I am wearing something nice because we have guests coming (and that doesn't happen often as we have no friends)

My 17yo DGD is an excellent baker and she always wears an apron as without it her clothes get covered in flour ! Aprons do have a place in this technical age .

Tissues rather than handkerchiefs for us. I always wear an apron when cooking - I hadn’t realised until recently that this was outdated - although I always boggle at the fact that people cooking on tv never wear them, Bake Off contestants excepted. Did Fanny Craddock wear one, or Delia when she was on? I prefer to use a teapot although do often make tea in a mug (certainly use teabags - tea leaves are too messy for me.) I do have tablecloths which I use when we have visitors.

Cloth napkins, which are washed and ironed, at every meal
Ironed tea towels
Home baking(never buy scones, pancakes, soda bread, cake, pavlova, biscuits or buns)
Cooking from scratch
Potatoes peeled if making oven chips or champ
Home made soup(if vegetable, then shin bone or chicken carcass used for stock)
Eat at table for all meals
Write letters(but also emails and texts)
Tea in a teapot with a knitted cosy
Cups and saucers but usually just at breakfast
I’m not sure how many of these things are old fashioned. I wonder how many people still do them

Well, clearly you are all to be celebrated! I love everything y'all said. When I am feeling well and the arthritis isn't bothering, I do some of the same. I hope to do more now that I am feeling better. Perhaps these things are old-fashioned, but they are all charming and add to the flavor and texture of life. My son, who always helped me wash the Christmas china after a big Christmas breakfast, would tell me that nobody minded if I just used paper plates. I was horrified! I use my Lennox Holly pattern Christmas china, my mother's silver, holly napkin rings and various Christmas themed or red, white, or green colored linens. I use champagne flutes and wine glasses. I told my son, in no uncertain terms, that I minded paper plates very much. I am so sick of The Squat and Gobble mentality. Sometimes we have to take shortcuts, yes. But, for heaven's sake, not always. Who looks back and fondly remembers a Christmas breakfast of Pop-Tarts on white paper plates? Nobody, that's who!

Hooray for old fashioned grans!! There is comfort in doing all these things the younger generation wouldn’t understand. Let’s keep it up with pride, I’d say 💝

Use gravy salts.
We have just bought new napkins and some lovely wooden rings.The silver ones felt too formal.
Clean brass -candle holders and a lovely ships barometer that's a family heirloom.
Hang washing out as often as possible.
Polish wooden furniture with beeswax or the lovely cream I found in our local hardware shop.I actually enjoy cleaning.I know not everyone does !
Clean the windows and mirrors with a dash of vinegar in the water.
Make my own yorkshire puddings and rice pudding.Apparently ready made are more common now.
Use every last bit of food if I can.Hate wasting food and love homemade soup.
And recently started using a soda bicarb paste to clean the oven as I hate the smell of chemical cleaners.In fact I've ditched a lot of cleaning sprays and gone back to basics.And Ive always worn a pinny to cook.Have ruined too many tops on the times I haven't.

Loose tea brewed in a pot here. And a fine bone china cup. It definitely tastes better!

My youngest daughter loves a real hankie and they are always ironed either by me or the cleaner.

We use table cloths if owe invite friends for dinner and always at Christmas and being out special cut glass wine glasses at Christmas too, they are from Germany and are beautiful.


Bedding is always ironed I couldn't sleep on a pillowcase that was crumpled.

I don’t wear makeup every day by never go out without putting on lipstick and perfume.