Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[Tester]

And when replacement of fuses was a more frequent preoccupation.

And indeed rewiring fuses.

Admission: I still have them!

 

[BingMan]

It can still be the case today. Lighting circuits can still use 5A round-pin socket/plugs.

Or 2Amp round pin socket.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 May 2025 ==

And when replacement of fuses was a more frequent preoccupation.

Yes. replace them with a quarter inch bolt if they persisted in blowing

 

[Bald Rick]

Or 2Amp round pin socket.

I have a 4 gang conventional socket extension lead powered from a 2 amo round pin plug if anyone wants one…

 

[najaB]

The 15A version isn't totally extinct either: apparently the lack of a fuse in the plug is advantageous for theatres, where it's convenient if all the fuses are in one place rather than having to check each plug in the lighting rig.

And also the lesser seen 15A round pin plug (we had an immersion heater with one of these until relatively recently...)

Thanks both. I've seen the 5A version used in recent construction, but haven't seen the 15A version for ages. I used to see them as you say in stage lighting back when I was dabbling in that field.

 

[jfollows]

I've heard about this before, but was it mandatory or could you wear trunks?

A long time ago, but I don’t remember wearing trunks being an option. Perhaps if we’d complained to our mothers things might have changed, but we didn’t. For me, the worst thing was breaking my teeth in the bottom of the pool which has cost me £thousands since, but I doubt I’d be able to claim it back now.

 

[Jimini]

For me, the worst thing was breaking my teeth in the bottom of the pool which has cost me £thousands since, but I doubt I’d be able to claimit back now.

Were you wearing your PJs and attempting to retrieve the rubber brick from the bottom and return it to the pool edge? I remember having to do that at school in the late '80s / early '90s as part of a lifeguard training programme.

 

[jfollows]

Were you wearing your PJs and attempting to retrieve the rubber brick from the bottom and return it to the pool edge? I remember having to do that at school in the late '80s / early '90s as part of a lifeguard training programme.

No PJs, nothing at all, that was the point of the original post ….

 

[4COR]

Were you wearing your PJs and attempting to retrieve the rubber brick from the bottom and return it to the pool edge? I remember having to do that at school in the late '80s / early '90s as part of a lifeguard training programme.

In fairness, swimming in PJs is still a very common swimming drill (as it trains you for falling in water clothed). Not sure about the picking up the brick when doing it!

 

[Trackman]

And indeed rewiring fuses.

Admission: I still have them!

Dear god dont tell me you have a ye-olde fuse box/consumer unit at home? Some commercial properties still have wired fuses.

In fairness, swimming in PJs is still a very common swimming drill (as it trains you for falling in water clothed). Not sure about the picking up the brick when doing it!

For me, you had to inflate said pyjamas as a buoyancy aid , think I did this for my gold ASA badge, plus picking up the brick from the floor of the deep end amongst other things, plus swimming for about three miles, took me about 30 minutes to walk afterwards.

Edit: Just been reading up thread.. will include this quote........

Were you wearing your PJs and attempting to retrieve the rubber brick from the bottom and return it to the pool edge? I remember having to do that at school in the late '80s / early '90s as part of a lifeguard training programme.

 

[AM9]

For me, you had to inflate said pyjamas as a buoyancy aid , think I did this for my gold ASA badge, plus picking up the brick from the floor of the deep end amongst other things, plus swimming for about three miles, took me about 30 minutes to walk afterwards.

In the '60s I did the survival and rescue bit of lifesaving. That involved jumping in with pyjamas on, then removing the trousers and tying knots at the bottom of the legs to make a pair of floats for a rescuee and hoding the collar tight against my neck to allow the back to be inflated.

 

[DelW]

I have a 4 gang conventional socket extension lead powered from a 2 amo round pin plug if anyone wants one…

I had two of those in the early 1970s, for running a hi-fi system in university accommodation. The hi-fi probably got more use than the desk lamp that the university provided. It was the only place I ever came across 2A sockets.

Mine were refitted to 13A plugs once I'd graduated, and are possibly still in use at home today.

 

[Tester]

Dear god dont tell me you have a ye-olde fuse box/consumer unit at home? Some commercial properties still have wired fuses.

Guilty as charged!

I've installed a fair few rewirable consumer units in my time (but no more of course!) and haven't given it a thought.

It's a long time since I have actually needed to change one, but I know what to do!

 

[PeterC]

I can't remember when I last changed a fuse in a plug. Something tripped the circuit breaker in the consumer until about 25 years ago. It wasn't a regular occurrence but I seem to remember that in my younger days you would need to change a fuse somewhere in the house every couple of years.

 

[ic31420]

Toasters without a lift function and thus stabbing the side of a piece of toast to fish it out.

2 and 4 star petrol

Gas fire in the bedroom, either wall fire or calor gas

tea caddies or dispenser. We had one that was the envy of the street. you turned a crank once for each brew (not forgetting one for the pot) and it dispensed loose tea.

 

[dangie]

Remember when you would buy an electrical item and it didn't come with a plug?

Just adding to this, at the power station where I worked, every appliance or bit of equipment which came with an attached fitted moulded plug had the plug cut off and replaced with a conventional wired plug.

 

[jfollows]

Dear god dont tell me you have a ye-olde fuse box/consumer unit at home? Some commercial properties still have wired fuses.

My fuse box, in a house built in something like 1982, still has wire fuses. I have myself replaced the low current fuses on the lighting circuits with plug-in circuit breakers, not least because these can blow when replacing a light bulb, but the ring mains, cooker and shower circuits remain with wire fuses, not least because they never blow.
I don’t like circuit breakers because they’re unreliable tilted towards safety; I came home from holiday once in my previous flat with them to find a rancid fridge thanks to the curcuit breaker having tripped.

 

[GordonT]

I can't remember when I last changed a fuse in a plug.

And ideally required to have a nodding acquaintance of the significance of differently coloured wiring therein.

 

[jfollows]

And ideally required to have a nodding acquaintance of the significance of differently coloured wiring therein.

Further complicated, although less often in plugs on appliances, when the pre-2006 colours are used. My house wiring uses the older 1977-2004 colours, for example, and I had great fun when I needed to modify a two-way switch setup with all sorts of colours that I wasn’t expecting. What would we do without the Internet to look up these things?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 May 2025 ==

I can't remember when I last changed a fuse in a plug. Something tripped the circuit breaker in the consumer until about 25 years ago. It wasn't a regular occurrence but I seem to remember that in my younger days you would need to change a fuse somewhere in the house every couple of years.

A few years for me.
My better half was over-enthusiastic with a hedge trimmer and trimmed the mains cable.
He didn’t have a clue, I mended the cable and replaced the fuse which had done its job. He’d have bought a new hedge trimmer.
Since then I also use an earth leakage circuit breaker, they’re cheap.

 

[Trackman]

Have we had those loose tea dispensers on walls yet?







AI description:

Description of Shape and Color:​

• Shape:
  • The main body is cylindrical and vertically oriented.
  • The bottom tapers into a cone-like shape.
  • There is a small spout or lever on the lower section used for dispensing.
• Color:
  • The upper cylindrical reservoir is transparent red.
  • The top cap and the lower section, including the spout, are cream or off-white.
  • There is a small black and gold label on the cream section, which likely displays the brand name.

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes. replace them with a quarter inch bolt if they persisted in blowing

Or wrap the blown fuse in kitchen foil?

 

[4COR]

Or wrap the blown fuse in kitchen foil?

I found one of these when removing our kitchen - must have been from our house's previous owner. We'd only been using those outside lights for 6 years

 

[dangie]

Have we had those loose tea dispensers on walls yet?


View attachment 181073




AI description:

Yes my parents had one when I was a child back in the 1950’s or 60’s.

 

[GordonT]

Yes my parents had one when I was a child back in the 1950’s or 60’s.

When folk made a great issue about "infusing" the tea, whatever that may have entailed....

 

[Trackman]

Wrap the blown fuse in baco-foil?

Seen worse, in the late 70s went to my Aunties, found out there was a nail in a 13A plug fuse holder. I'll never forgot that!

Guilty as charged!

I've installed a fair few rewirable consumer units in my time (but no more of course!) and haven't given it a thought.

It's a long time since I have actually needed to change one, but I know what to do!

What about an RCD?

 

[PG]

Just adding to this, at the power station where I worked, every appliance or bit of equipment which came with an attached fitted moulded plug had the plug cut off and replaced with a conventional wired plug.

I'm curious as to the reasoning for that?

 

[GordonT]

Anyone encountered the rubber bath tap attachments with a shower-head at the end? This facilitated the shampooing of hair whilst having a bath and the possibility of incurring third degree burns to the scalp if the cold tap attachment popped out from the tap spontaneously mid-hairwashing whilst the hot tap attachment remained resolutely in situ.

 

[Hadlow Road]

I'm curious as to the reasoning for that?

Either they were refitted with Walsall plugs or it was done to ensure that they were correctly wired - following a case where a factory, I believe, turned out plugs with the Earth and Live wires reversed.

 

[Welly]

Have we had those loose tea dispensers on walls yet?

I only ever saw one of these, it was in my great aunty's house.

Anyone encountered the rubber bath tap attachments with a shower-head at the end? This facilitated the shampooing of hair whilst having a bath and the possibility of incurring third degree burns to the scalp if the cold tap attachment popped out from the tap spontaneously mid-hairwashing whilst the hot tap attachment remained resolutely in situ.

Yes, I had that in my bathroom when I was a kid in the 1970s, we had that weirdly shaped thing on the wall to attach the shower head as well!

 

[dangie]

I'm curious as to the reasoning for that?

Simply because they wanted to ensure they were wired correctly and safe to use. Power Stations were a bit paranoid on that one.

Note: Knowing some of the electricians I’d have felt safer with the moulded plug

 

[Sun Chariot]

Yes, I had that in my bathroom when I was a kid in the 1970s, we had that weirdly shaped thing on the wall to attach the shower head as well!

You are not alone... We had both of those in the 1970s and I hated the darned things.