House Essentials in the 40s/50s

[fatrajah 10]

Coal briquettes which were made of compressed coal dust in the shape of small flattish bricks. I believe they were the brainchild of Dr Bronowski who was working for the NCB in the 1950s.

[historybuff 10]

Drying orange peel in the range oven to use when lighting the fire.

 

Rolling up newspaper and tying in a knot to use as firelighters.

 

Crushing blocks of rock salt with the rolling pin.

[francypants 441]

Darning Egg or Mushroom used for darning socks.

[stpetre 12]

Coal briquettes which were made of compressed coal dust in the shape of small flattish bricks. I believe they were the brainchild of Dr Bronowski who was working for the NCB in the 1950s.

 

Yes and wasn't there another name for them apart from 'firelighter's' which were wood-shaving based things ?

[grinder 10]

Metal dust bins that the dustbin men used to come up the back yard to colect , poker for the fire and cokerake to clean out the ashes from under it, Kitchin cabinet with the drop leaf shelf, picture rails and tall built in cupboards in the alcoves beside the chimminy breast. back door key on string hung round your kneck so you dint lose it, and how could anyone forget the gusunder so we didn't have to go out at night to the toilet down the yard...

Edited July 20, 2016 by grinder

[trastrick 866]

In the 40's the stirrup-pump and bucket to put out incendiary bombs, saved our house from serious damage!

 

Also good for watering the cucumbers.

 

Grown in a ".........frame", can't think of the name of it.

 

---------- Post added 20-07-2016 at 22:26 ----------

 

Metal dust bins that the dustbin men used to come up the back yard to colect , poker for the fire and cokerake to clean out the ashes from under it, Kitchin cabinet with the drop leaf shelf, picture rails and tall built in cupboards in the alcoves beside the chimminy breast. back door key on string hung round your kneck so you dint lose it, and how could anyone forget the gusunder so we didn't have to go out at night to the toilet down the yard...

 

We almost lived in the same house

 

A bathroom upstairs with no bath, called the "box room" Cupboard upstairs with a cistern, or "system" as grandma called it. 'Course, she always called a recipe a "receipt". Oh and cokerake, thanks!

 

---------- Post added 20-07-2016 at 22:29 ----------

 

Yes and wasn't there another name for them apart from 'firelighter's' which were wood-shaving based things ?

 

Firelighters were a bundle of sticks wrapped around some flamable stuff and fastened with two wires. I used to help make them at the top of Derbyshire Lane near Graves park, Saturday mornings.

Edited July 20, 2016 by trastrick

[TORONTONY 10]

Yes and wasn't there another name for them apart from 'firelighter's' which were wood-shaving based things ?

 

I seem to remember the little white blocks of what looked like soap, called Zippo, and also the gas "poker" which was revolutionary in the mid '50's and was so handy when you got the job of making the fire in the morning. That was crucial, no fire, no hot water , no toast ,no hot irons, the list goes on

Edited July 21, 2016 by TORONTONY

[ianparkin 11]

Cold frame ???

[scousemouse 10]

Again not really an object but, Th'stop me and buy one' ice cream man on a bike with the big ice box on the front! Also the Frenchman who came round every year with onions on the handle bars of a push bike, complete with beret and Breton top, anyone else remember them?

[PeterR 10]

My mother used to call the whatsit she scraped the bits of coke and dust (ashes) out from under the fire grate in the Yorkshire range with, a cowerake. I realise after all these years from other posts on this thread that it was probably a corruption of coke rake and that cowk was Sheffield coke

Has any one else heard the word cowerake??

Edited July 21, 2016 by PeterR

[TWhits 11]

Metal dust bins that the dustbin men used to come up the back yard to colect ...

 

... and the vans where they put the bins. they could take a bin at each side and lifted it to the top before tipping it over. If the rubbish was "sticky", the operator repeatedly tipped the bid to dislodge it all. Fascinating to a young lad at the time.

[rainbow2411 11]

Flat irons and later electric iron plugged intat light socket.