Old equipment your grandparents used

[letsgomaths]

Inspired by the "silly things your mother did" thread, what gadgets or items do you remember your grandparents using, that would seem old-fashioned now?

Mine had a twin tub washing machine, and used it for thirty-five years: appliances were made to last in those days!

They never had a cassette player: all music was played on the Bush radiogram, which had auto-change.

My grandmother was a keen photographer, but never had photos printed: she always used slides, to be looked at with a projector and screen, or more informally, a tabletop slide viewer.

Black bakelite telephone with a dial, and cone round the mouthpiece, rented from BT.

A Eubank! It was like a manual vacuum cleaner. She has a twin tub and a mangle too.

The wireless was a radio - huge thing in a wooden box

Cassettes hadn't been invented, but they did have a record player (78s)

My parents used to have slides, but it was printed photos for my grandparents (slide projectors didn't arrive until the 1960s)

My nana had a poss tub to do her washing in.

My DMum has a Eubank - very handy thing

I think her wooden clothes horses were inherited from her parents, as was a wooden writing case and a leather blotting paper holder

Twin tubs weren't invented until the 1950s, so grandparents can't have had one - I never asked, but suppose it must have been a dolly?

When I was a child we had a Eubank, a twin tub......and a Spong meat mincer that attached to the work surface for mincing the Sunday joint leftovers ready for rissoles on a Monday. Oh, and a similar contraption that sliced runner beans!

Mum had a twin tub when I was a kid. Grandparents rented their phone from BT.

My great grandmother had a mangle and a washboard.

Gas poker.
Poss tub & dolly.
Mangle.
Flat irons.

I remember helping my Mum with the twin tub and we didn't get a phone until I was 8 or 9. I feel very old and only 48!!

I've got a Spong mincer. Bought it on ebay, came beautifully wrapped as it had been the seller's mum's & she clearly had memories. She wanted it used more. I use it for cottage pie as it's much nicer using roasted beef.

I remember the twin tub...

My grandparents had a Bissell floor sweeper. I can still hear the noise it made.

Ancient hob top pressure cooker.

A big copper jam pan..... for making her jam in.....it was beautiful....it still is! My mum has it and stores her veg in it now

A toasting fork. A long extending fork that you stuck slices of bread on and toasted over an open fire.
A butter churn.
Chamber pots under beds.

@MsJuniper

My grandparents had a Bissell floor sweeper. I can still hear the noise it made.

So can I! My Nan’s was red 😁

My grandma used a mangle, I don't remember it but I know she had one because my mum put her arm through it when she was about 10. Her arm was fine only because she was super skinny and had tiny thin arms. Much like my eldest daughter.

A tea trolley 🙈

It would get wheeled out when all my aunties came round for afternoon tea. Someone usually tripped over it and knocked it flying iirc.

Oh yes, a mincing thing clamped to the kitchen tabletop. A wall mounted tin opener.
We've not long worn out the woolen blanket with satin edges inherited from them.

Grandad had a bucket of sand he stuck his tools in. In the shed with a flagstone floor.

I remember my DGrandad being delighted with his Teasmaid, tea from it always tasted like nats pee but luckily that's how he drank it. They're having a bit of revival apparently.

I still own a bissell carpet sweep (I’m 37 ) and my mum has a spong mincer (only used at Christmas to mince the last of the leftover turkey with onions and potatoes for rissoles). My grandparents had a best front room, only for high days and holidays, and antimacassars (?sp) on the backs of the chairs.

My grandma had a huge mangle with wooden rollers which was kept outside, and covered when not in use. Her first wireless had a battery which contained acid, and had to be very carefully carried up the road when it needed renewing. Her house had no electricity, so you had to be very careful not to touch the mantel when lighting the gas light.

I've recently bought a Ewbank carpet sweeper, it's great 😁

My granddad used to mow the lawn with one of those old rotary mowers with the long handle.

Kirby vacuum. It weighed a bloody ton. Teasmaid but never used. Just sat on a lovely Doyle 🤣

Toasting fork.
Food mill (to make purée).
Butter pat moulds.
Nutmeg grater.
"Flit" spray gun.