Help calm me, house buying and selling stress. Part 4

Does anyone remember wash houses? Must have been the 50s in liverpool, liverpool 5. I can still remember the steamy hot atmosphere in the wash house where women were beavering away doing clothes in big sinks.

Liverpool was so badly destroyed in the war, no-one had good facilities or gardens where we lived. The bakehouse where the christmas cake was taken to be baked. Later on the big queue to get the polio vaccination when there was a big outbreak. Midwives on bicycles and waking up to a new baby. Roller skates up and down pavements next to the cobbled road. Playstreets. Marbles, Boys building carts from old orange boxes and pram wheels. Swings from rope on lamp posts. The big crowds on pub corners on new years eve all singing auld lang syne

There now, makes me appreciate the facilities and ease of today but that old pulling-together will never be beaten and neither will the humour in that adversity

Morning Franbern.

I do feel extremely foolish, it's quite embarrassing really, I have completely messed this up. It really couldn't have gone more badly!

I am still in my dressing gown, my dog hates the walk up the country lanes, as do I. My toe still hurts when I walk, I've been jumping in and out of the shower, too scared to 'soak' it in case the nail does come off.

Good to hear from you Shandy - many of us have been quite concerned about you and I like your philosophical turn of mind. Glad the auctioneer seems to be being supportive.
The offer for the chests can be put on hold = the purchaser knows they cannot be moved at present.
I thought that when this is over I might get a handyman in to put together my small patio shed on the balcony - went into the the site I have used before and said I know it cannot be done for sometime, but would like to get an approximate price and maybe book for August. Unfortunately no-one had updated the site, and booking on that can only be made for about two weeks ahead - so could not accommodate me.
In the meantime I am (one panel a day -deliberately, to spread it out for something to do) giving each panel two coats of Cuprinol, inside and out.

My mum boiled something in the twin tub, she forgot about it so it boiled for ages ....which brought the dodgy ceiling down!

Morning all. Interesting you talking about a twin tub, my late Mum had one, it almost took off when it was spinning, but if you touched it to control it you got a shock, so dangerous. Housework was such physical work in the past, we are so lucky nowadays. I also remember taking solid sheets off the line too, crunching them into the basket!

I've just watched the news with a young nurse crying as someone she helped has passed, it's getting worse isn't it.

Just staying well is my priority now, so I am putting my sale on hold in my mind until next Tuesday, what will be will be. The auction manager sent me an email giving me the mobile number of my contact, and said they will 'take it across the line for me'. I am really missing my routine of going to the beach, wherever I end up I would want to be within easy reach.

I'm going to try and write lots of lists today, and actually start doing things. I want to remember using this time in a very organised way I tried writing letters to leave for friends with my will yesterday, but got stumped - I'm still trying to remember where I met my best friend, ha ha! I know I was living in a flat in Chiswick because her boyfriend fixed my VW, but can't remember the very first time we met.

I've had an offer from an ebayer for two of my chests but the person has asked me to research delivery - sadly impossible at the moment.

Have a good day whatever you are doing

Oopsadaisy - my microwave is one of those clever ones which is also a convector oven (this works exactly like a normal electric oven - it also has a grill (which is not very good). When in Convector mode working as a normal oven it is fine to use metal and foil, etc. Obviously, do not use foil when in microwave mode. But thanks for being concerned for me.
When we first married my parents gave me their old twin tub (which also had an electric mangle which could be atttached). We had a tiny kitchenette, and after trying a few times to use this, I gave up. It was very hard work and took ages. We went to launderette for next five or six years, taking dirty washing in a suitcase and popping opposite into the pub, whilest that was being done. Not until second bay came along, less than a year after first did we get a proper automatic washing machine.
However even that had its own problems. It was put in largish bathroom upstairs at back of house through a bedroom. Had to join IN hoses to both hot and cold taps of bath, and drape the exit hose over bath. However, if often went walkies, if I left it - with water splashing all over floor. Was 1972, with third baby on the way, and we moved into a new build house we actually had plumbed in washing machine. With my first baby, his nappies were soaked in Milton and then rinsed out in Kitchen sink and hung outside. His baby clothes were then washed, daily, byme in sink. I suppose we were fortunate in that we did have plenty of hot water on tap.

Oh my goodness. Wash day memories. Yes I remember a tin tub with flames underneath to heat the water (did I dream that?) and agitating the clothes with a poss stick. Very early sixties. Dolly blue bag for the whites. Then the twin tub. Used every day. Our boiler broke in the seventies and my mum filled the washer, heated it up and I used the hot water, in a jug, to wash my hair over the kitchen sink. Remember folding sheets, flat, none of these modern fitted ones, with my granny. Ah memories

Thanks whiff, I`ll write that one down

oh that hotpoint twin tub. My parents were poor so could only afford to heat the water once, first the whites went in, then out with big wooden tongs and into the sink for rinsing, then into the spinner and then out on a line in the backyard. Then the next load of whites and so it went. the beds were changed every week, sheets then, often mended sides to middle. The bottom sheet was washed and top went to bottom

The water was very very hot and the spinner hose was hooked over the sink. It was very hard work, wash after wash. No utility room and just a kitchenette. We never had a fridge for years, then someone gave us one. I remember birthday jellies not setting and having to take it to the corner sweet shop to put in their fridge. Thats how it was, a great deal of sharing and helping each other

Craftyone this scone recipe works well no egg. 225g SR flour, 50g Marg or butter, 150 ml milk. Use it all the time as I rarely buy eggs unless I want to bake cakes.

Good steering, crafty. Twin tubs were hard work. When I was in my early 20s my mam went for a 3 week holiday in Canada to see her sister after my nana dies. Being the oldest child at home over the summer holidays (I was moving to London to work in the September) I took over the washing. There were 5 of us in the house and I thought my shoulders would never move again after wash day. It stopped working half way through and my sister’s boyfriend burnt out the motor trying fix it so no more washing. About the only useful thing he ever did. Oh, but he did help me bag up the load of meat mam had ordered for the freezer; I’d just have chucked the whole lot in as I’d already gone vegetarian.

Its always good to get things off your chest. I am not very good at that but I have learnt to use my silent mind. When my husband was alive and if we disagreed then I always knew in my mind that I was right but I buttoned it, that is why we seldom had arguments but another reason was that we each had our own space, a room each and our own hobbies. We used to go out together a lot but he would go cycling with friends, while I rode my horse. I worry right now, for couples and families on the point of bullying and abuse, through being confined

I wish I had a list for today but I haven`t so I have taken a couple of foods out of the freezer. I need to get started, to make room for summer fruit, my 6 blueberries will give me a big crop, if the bumblebees come out and I know I will get gooseberries, in spite of newly planted or moved bushes. A mackerel has come out and a rhubarb crumble, so I suppose I have the basics for meals today

I don`t have masses of butter and want to bake this weekend, bread and either scones or buns, depends which needs the smallest amount of butter oh I think it will have to be buns, I am eking out the milk until my weekly box starts. I ordered more milk weekly than I normally use, scones can wait. Both would need an egg and I have 6

Off track as usual but a friend of my who I love dearly. Has a tendency to do things before thinking about it first she sent me a photo of an Iceland delivery van which had been sent on fire by youths. My son drives a HGV lorry for them. I did ask her how she could do such a thing didn't she realise how much that hurt. All she said was sorry she didn't think. Told her to think twice before doing anything like that. She was divorced in the ,90's and didn't have children.
Don't know if she thought I was due for some pay back as I had told her off about going out shopping everyday when she didn't need to. Also pointed out we had been to told to stay home to protect ourselves and everyone else. Also not supposed to be using the car unnecessarily.

She askes my opinion about a lot of things and I tell her my honest opinion. I can't tell a lie if my life depended on it. It always shows in my face and in my voice. My husband and children had a great game let's teach mom to lie. Never worked. My husband could have made a person believe white was black.

Just needed to tell someone what has happened. Don't want the children to know. Knew you would all listen to me.

Stay safe . Don't worry I' m not going to broud about it. Life's to short.

I don't think I've ever been to Weston but when I did Geography at O Level I remember we always had an ordnance survey map of Weston to study. We had to work out what all the little symbols were like church, youth hostel, hospital etc. Then we had to look at the relief of the land as well as the sea. I can only assume it is an interesting place for cartographers.

Bream, yes it is near Weston. I do like watching the sea, it is mesmerising

One of my Weston super mare stories. It was always a favourite day out for us Midlanders. Sea was always out for miles though. My dad left a bag of eating apples on the back window of the car it was so hot when we got back they were cooked. But the smell of cooked apple all the way home made us feel sick. But shows how hot it gets in Weston. Is there a place called Bream near by or did I dream that ?

Franbern please don’t put foil in the microwave it can spark and catch fire, hopefully it was a typo. Please use cling film.

Craftyone -are you being derisive of WsM??? Ha Ha, Yes sea was way our when I went on Promenade today. There is one area which has accessible concrete path down to the beach and I sat there chatting to my daughter, sitting about four feet from me and we watched a couple of dogs having a wonderful playtime together on the beach. Bless them tales did not stop wagging, but when their respective owners called them they broke off their game and returned.
I use kitchen foil for cooking fish and chicken in my microwave. Knew I was close to an end of a roll, but thought I had spare one - but when I took that out of cupboard discovered that was not foil but cling film. Desperate email to daughter who will send out kids tomorrow morning to Tesco very close to them to get me a roll of foil.
Salmon and salad tonight for tea with a small amount of pasta - yoghurt for dessert and then two of my little butterfly cakes with my after-tea green tea. With my ostomy I cannot eat late in the evening without it causing me much disturbed sleep - so keep to 'children's meal times'.
Lovely long hone call this evening from a cousin whom I have little to do with normally - but this is not normal times. His Mum is just coming up to her 101st birthday - the very nice home she is in is in total lockdown and none of the patients are even permitted out of their rooms. She is,evidently, finding that difficult. This time last year we were all preparing to meet up for a party for her 100th birthday.
Keep safe everyone and - do remember - look after your mental health at this time as well as your physical one.

The weather is changing Crafty, so I'm looking at a few indoor jobs too.
Not so uplifting as being outside in the garden though.
I don't have enough strength so I have to pick my jobs accordingly.

Shandy

My Uncle squashed his little 8 year old fingers in the mangle many years ago
He was doing what I suppose lots of little boys of the day did, flattening out his paper aeroplane
He was sedated for the operation to have them removed, when a new surgeon took over and re built them for him.
His fingers were misshapen but functioned normally. Except he had a loss of sensitivity for the rest of his life.

I am in 2 groups on whatsapp now, my AC and my siblings. I cannot be doing with being linked to the phone all day, I am coping with isolation better than they are, its a revelation

Gosh memories do come back quickly but I don`t remember any toilet roll shortage midgey.

I am almost all worked out in the garden and most definitely need to do a short list for tomorrow. I can feel things grinding to a halt and that won`t do me any good at all. I have a floor to mop and skirtings to dust and a drawer to sort, huh not at all inspiring. I have knitting and a book to read but cannot be sitting all day. We are only allowed out once, so one cycle ride and being where I am, it cannot be too far, too hilly

My dd and ds both have whiteboards and are making a daily list for their families. I use a desk diary. It is a danger point, I must find satisfying things to do and don`t at all feel like doing much, hence gardening was so good. Can you get to see the sea Franbern?

Oh, I remember the mangle. Sometime in the late 1940's my Mum came home from work by taxi - unheard off - no precedent. She worked in the City - we lived in Hackney. During her lunch time she had seen a mangle in a shop, but the shopkeeper said she had to take it immediately. So she did, they were very big and heavy and that is why the taxi. Used to be my job to help with getting the sheets (all flat then) folded and put through that.

I was remembering the last loo roll shortage! It was early/ middle seventies. Do you remember the football crowds that used to throw the rolls onto the pitch? Then suddenly people were running on to the pitch to collect them! My new boyfriend brought some from Wolverhampton for my parents. Lots of people seem to have forgotten.

Those biscuits that you made today whiff, they sound so nice and of course are good and healthy because they contain oats and cranberries. I remember the mangle, crikey, such a dangerous thing looking back, us children loved to use it. Then in winter the washing went on the line flat and turned into icy boards. I remember my mother being over the moon when she got a twin tub on the never never, she still soaked the whole wash in the bath though. Lots of washing for 9 of us, although we wore the same dress all week bar a sunday. We all had aprons

Do you remember using that bar of green soap on collars? plus also turning collars when they got worn