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In what did you start your married life ?

(81 Posts)
MawtheMerrier Mon 08-Aug-22 22:07:40

Like Fleurpepper an attic flat, ostensibly furnished but a dump, freezing in winter, roasting in summer, coin in the slot meter and 10 guineas a week.
It was in a nice part of S London, very close to Greenwich Park but without access to the tube it felt very “outer suburban” although there were overground trains to Maze Hill and the 53 bus.
I could not wait to move to our second, unfurnished flat across the Upper Richmond Rd from Richmond Park.

Ladyleftfieldlover Mon 08-Aug-22 22:07:18

Two weeks after we married in Henley on Thames, we flew to Seychelles. OH had a job as a Junior Resident Engineer on a water project. We were there for two years. Bungalow, maid, garden boy, boat! I worked as a Part-time Secretary to OH’s boss and did voluntary work at a school.

BigBertha1 Mon 08-Aug-22 22:07:04

A one bed flat, damp, no heating but it was great to get away from my mother's house

Witzend Mon 08-Aug-22 22:00:35

In a small prefab on a company compound in Oman, with the most horrible furniture imaginable, and garish vinyl floors. One was orange and white.
To be fair, there wasn’t much available at the time (1974) - there were virtually no Western style shops, but it was evidently the cheapest they could find.
I’d asked dh before arriving what I should bring from the U.K. - he said nothing! - only to have me find so much basic kitchen equipment lacking. I went in search of e.g. a wooden spoon - the shop where they might have had such a thing told me there might be a ship coming in 6 weeks. ?

Fleurpepper Mon 08-Aug-22 21:54:42

In London too- attic floor, ex servants quarters- damp, with gas fire that took 50p pieces, and a freezing bathroom, with the gas heater that almost exploded when you switched water on. It was a dump and very expensive too- a whole 13.50 a week!

Floradora9 Mon 08-Aug-22 21:50:17

We started off married life in a furnished flat in London over 50 years ago . We had not meant to live in the city long so did not want to put down roots . We had the top half of a house with the owner living below us She was totally vulnerable as we used the same front door and went through her kitchen to put the rubbish out . We had a gas fire in the living room and that was all the heating . The bath water came from a gas appliance which was a devil to heat and I managed to set the curtains alight one day in my efforts to light it . The oven was an old gas one difficult to regulate and I cannot remember if we had a fridge or not . I remember one of my frinds who was a bit older than me telling me that they did not even have an inside toilet in their first flat . Our old lady was very sweet and would leave things on the bottom step for us that she had been given and did not want.
It was made very clear to us when interviewed by her family before we were accepted that we had the right colour of skin and were not foreign .