What did you have at your childhood home that you dont have now in your current home?

[fillyboy]

Quite a funny storey about a cooker similar to that. Years ago was doing some work with a family member - builder. During the putting back together stage we moved the cooker back into place and plugged it in to the gas valve. I opened the burners and after a minute or so clicked the clicker to light the burners. The couple that owned the house were watching - they immediately looked at each other in that funny sort of way. Turning back to me, the bloke says; how did you do that? Do what I said? Light the burners. I did it again to demonstrate. Turns out they had the cooker for about ten years and didn't realise you could light the burners by clicking the clickers. They'd been using matches and lighters all that time.

Mrs filly wanted to take our landrover back to the dealership because several times a week the boot hatch would open on it's own as she walked past. Her nephew who'd owned one said that if you flick your foot under the rear wing it operates the boot, because our driveway is relatively narrow she was walking close enough to the car to activate it.

 

[gigz]

A black and white TV with a wired remote control. And the redifusion radio switch in the kitchen. Fk me I’m old.

 

[crystal ball]

We had Redifusion in the pub my folks ran, colour tv, all offset against tax as the punters liked the racing during the day, as well as a few always watched Paperplay with Susan Stranks for their own reasons

 

[Seafarer1966]

View attachment 290334
A New World 42 cooker with an eye level grill which made the best toast ever. You could also put your plates beside the grill to heat them.
It also had a wee pilot light which my granny always kept a big kettle of water over. It was surprising how much it heated the water. In the winter it also kept the chill off the air in the kitchen.
The old ones knew how to get the most out of everything.

Yes my old mum had New World gas stove when I was a kid. Not sure what precise model it was as she got rid of it in 1983 when she married my step dad but the model in the photo looks very similar. I remember the side plate racks well. The drawer at the bottom for baking trays, Yorkshire pudding tins etc. was very useful. She'd had it from when she got married in 1957.

 

[Seafarer1966]

Anyone remember a polar bear making chicken sounds they saying "It's frothy, man". (Cresta)

Yes the polar bear had sunglasses on

 

[Bod ...]

My Mum & Dad

 

[Seafarer1966]

A Ferranti valve radio

 

[Stivino]

A Ferranti valve radio

Did you have to know where to thump it? We had to thump ours.
We also had a Smith’s Sectric clock on the mantle piece.

 

[Seafarer1966]

Did you have to know where to thump it? We had to thump ours.
We also had a Smith’s Sectric clock on the mantle piece.
View attachment 292461

It was years old but worked great. I remember tuning into Radio Bern on the short wave band and listening to the Bern Cathedral bells ringing at noon. To a small boy who'd never been very far it was magical to hear bells ringing in Switzerland. The world was a much bigger place then.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Did you have to know where to thump it? We had to thump ours.
We also had a Smith’s Sectric clock on the mantle piece.

Selectric I think? A little button on top, to cancel the alarm, or latched to disable it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The drawer at the bottom for baking trays, Yorkshire pudding tins etc. was very useful.

Very sensible it was. My partner of the time, when I did a full kitchen refit, insisted she wanted a similar free-standing oven, so designed in a gap for one, but arranged it to also allow a modern unit to go in. The modern one. Modern one, or it's replacement is a double oven - I use the larger bottom oven most of the time for storage of trays.

 

[Stivino]

Selectric I think? A little button on top, to cancel the alarm, or latched to disable it.

Ours was definitely Sectric. Ours had no alarm but it had a button which was used to get it going again after it had been unplugged, if I remember correctly.

 

[Mottie]

I can tell you something we had in my house as a child and I’ve never heard of anyone else having one. A cigarette dispensing machine! Yep, people would knock at all hours, come in and put two Bob or half a crown or whatever it was and get their fags. My dad used to get a cut of the takings.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Ours was definitely Sectric. Ours had no alarm but it had a button which was used to get it going again after it had been unplugged, if I remember correctly.

OK. The push start would make it an early version. The later ones had a hair-spring, which allowed the motor to start under no load, then a cam to ensure they started with the correct rotation.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I can tell you something we had in my house as a child and I’ve never heard of anyone else having one. A cigarette dispensing machine! Yep, people would knock at all hours, come in and put two Bob or half a crown or whatever it was and get their fags. My dad used to get a cut of the takings.

In a similar vein - a 'You may telephone from here' sign. White letters on a dark blue background.