Things that used to be common place in people’s homes

[dgl]

We had a variant on the sandwich toaster that could make small pies, the Breville Pie Magic, quite a good piece of kit it was.

I use a George Foreman grill for toasted sandwiches, works well and is very easy to clean.

I think Teasmaids lost popularity as central heating became widespread - if the whole house is warm it's easier to nip downstairs to make a brew and take it back to bed with you. It's only if the house is chilly that there's an advantage to having tea without getting out of bed.

My gran had a travel kettle for that purpose and has only recently stopped using it, before that she had a Russel Hobbs Two Cup, but she found the on off switch got too stiff to push easily.

1994 Russell Hobbs Two Cup Tea and Coffee Makers – Teasmade UK

www.teasmade.uk

 

[trainophile]

Great link, I had no idea there were so many variations of the Teasmade. Obviously they tried to keep up with the times, but sadly eventually the times overtook their imagination!

The problem with toastie makers was having to butter the bread on the outside, just asking for a messy result. I too have a mini George Foreman (or similar idea but a different make) and often use it to turn leftover sandwiches into dinner when I've come back from travelling and have sarnies left over.

 

[dgl]

The problem with toastie makers was having to butter the bread on the outside, just asking for a messy result. I too have a mini George Foreman (or similar idea but a different make) and often use it to turn leftover sandwiches into dinner when I've come back from travelling and have sarnies left over.

Although buttering the outside did make the sandwich extra nice, if a lot more unhealthy!

 

[Peter Sarf]

On the Teasmade front Lidl were selling them before Christmas, Swan branded.
Oh and old style metal dustbins, some with rubber lids most with metal, replaced mostly with wheelie bins.

Not a direct replacement in my experience. The rubbish collection service was "improved" by the council insisting on you leaving your rubbish in a black plastic bag by/on the pavement. This resulted in a lot less walking for the bin operatives. They did not have to take the bin back and the metal bin no longer had to be collected/returned to a lot nearer the house. We never had urban foxes before black bin bags.

Decades later the black bin bags got replaced by massive wheely bins so collection changed to fortnightly (another "improvement" especially in summer). The foxes got skinny until my neighbour took pity on them and now leaves her sunday roast out by the tree on the pavement. I am not sure how the rats and cats know not to eat it ?.

Incidentally many of the metal bins became an incinerator to burn garden waste in !.

I use a George Foreman grill for toasted sandwiches, works well and is very easy to clean.

I think Teasmaids lost popularity as central heating became widespread - if the whole house is warm it's easier to nip downstairs to make a brew and take it back to bed with you. It's only if the house is chilly that there's an advantage to having tea without getting out of bed.

I never ate or drank in the bedroom. My mother was dead against taking messy food or drink upstairs. I were deprived .

Also if I am staying in bed then it is because I am SLEEPING .

 

[najaB]

Manual table-mounted meat mincer/grinder.

We had one of those up until at least the late nineties, it may still be here somewhere.

Also if I am staying in bed then it is because I am SLEEPING

That's the only reason I'll be in bed late these days too. (C.f. post #184)

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Fax machines? Mine cost about £400 secondhand in 1986 money, and you had to buy special thermal paper for it.

 

[dgl]

Fax machines? Mine cost about £400 secondhand in 1986 money, and you had to buy special thermal paper for it.

Still have one, although it's part of the printer and where it's located at the moment there is no telephone line for it. Fax is one of teh ways my mum could send in the timesheets for the care agency she worked for and as we are on an unlimited landline calls plan the faxes cost nothing and were easier than emailing.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Still have one, although it's part of the printer and where it's located at the moment there is no telephone line for it. Fax is one of teh ways my mum could send in the timesheets for the care agency she worked for and as we are on an unlimited landline calls plan the faxes cost nothing and were easier than emailing.

Gosh, that reminds me. I got hold of a second hand FAX machine in 1988 for nothing. Yes thermal roll thing. The reason was I kept getting calls at all hours of the night that were FAXes although I did not know that was what they were !. My answer phones call screening facility became rather - unwanted !. My clue was when I got to answer a call from a rather indignant lady demanding to know why I was not sending a FAX responder !. Turned out my home number was associated with an error on "Claremont Travel" paperwork.

 

[dgl]

Of course the thermal transfer fax machines with a roll of ink film were quite the security risk as a negative copy was always left on the ink film roll and as such required careful disposal, I acquired such a machine and could take the roll out and see what faxes had been sent!

And what about the shelves that were attached to the wall with brackets that slot into an aluminum strip with eyelet like slots all the way down it, a good way to have multiple shelves that could be adjusted in position easily.

 

[Journeyman]

And what about the shelves that were attached to the wall with brackets that slot into an aluminum strip with eyelet like slots all the way down it, a good way to have multiple shelves that could be adjusted in position easily.

I put some of those up in the alcove in my bedroom. My house is only five years old.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Great link, I had no idea there were so many variations of the Teasmade.

Had always thought that the devices were called "Teas Maid(s)" (sic) but apparently not!

 

[Gloster]

Had always thought that the devices were called "Teas Maid(s)" (sic) but apparently not!

Unlike the ‘Tease Maid’, which has a quite different purpose in the bedroom.

 

[Lloyds siding]

One or two dispensed water not suitable for drinking?
Could be a thing in future, one for gray water?

Yes, the middle tap dispensed rainwater, collected off the roof, and stored in a galvanised tank on an outbuilding.
It would be very fashionable now..but dated back to 1928!

We were close to the end of a branch pipe from the water network, mains cold water supply could be intermittent, especially in summer.
The mains water was also very hard, whereas the soft rainwater was ideal for washing clothes.

Fax machines? Mine cost about £400 secondhand in 1986 money, and you had to buy special thermal paper for it.

Ah, but do you remember water based photocopiers?

 

[Trackman]

Ah, but do you remember water based photocopiers?

We had them at school, still don't know how they worked- apart from a handle, if we are thinking about the same thing.
I think there was a later one that stank of chemicals too.

 

[Steddenm]

Golf ball typewriters?

 

[najaB]

Ah, but do you remember water based photocopiers?

I don't know about water based photocopiers, but I definitely remember mimeographs.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

We had them at school, still don't know how they worked- apart from a handle, if we are thinking about the same thing.
I think there was a later one that stank of chemicals too.

You're thinking of a Banda machine, I think...?

 

[eMeS]

Ditto toasted sandwich makers. I love the toasties they make, but keeping them clean is a nightmare.

I bought one in Lidl a short time ago - marvellous!
It goes in the microwave, and the plates are super quality non-stick, and a quick rinse is all that's necessary. (2 x 3 mins in an 800W microwave - first 3 mins to get the plates hot, and 2nd session to cook the sandwich.)

 

[najaB]

You're thinking of a Banda machine, I think...?

Mimeograph or spirit duplicator.

 

[eMeS]

I was in to Family History research when one of our major contracts ceased, and thrown out were both a 16mm microfilm reader, and a microfiche reader. I "rescued" both of them. Then the internet arrived, and I still haven't used either of them... but I know a company in the Oxford area who expressed an interest pre-Covid... They're still with me at the moment - 25 years on.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Mimeograph or spirit duplicator.

The very first line in that spirit duplicator link says "Banda Machine" - so yes, we are thinking of the same thing.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Don't think 'Banda' machine duplicators were exactly common in most folks' homes!

 

[yorksrob]

Don't think 'Banda' machine duplicators were exactly common in most folks' homes!

Richard Briers had one in his home in Ever Decreasing Circles

 

[Mag_seven]

Those embosser things where you would feed a plastic tape through and it would "print" letters on the tape.

 

[py_megapixel]

Those embosser things where you would feed a plastic tape through and it would "print" letters on the tape.

I have one. I was planning to buy an electronic label printer instead, but this was significantly cheaper and I like the style of labels it produces

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Don't think 'Banda' machine duplicators were exactly common in most folks' homes!

Richard Briers had one in his home in Ever Decreasing Circles

He also had pigs in the back garden in "The Good Life", but most folk didn't have them either!

 

[yorksrob]

He also had pigs in the back garden in "The Good Life", but most folk didn't have them either!

Fair point well made

 

[trebor79]

Ah, but do you remember water based photocopiers?

We had them at school, still don't know how they worked- apart from a handle, if we are thinking about the same thing.
I think there was a later one that stank of chemicals too.

The Risograph (sp?). The copies always had a funny vaguely solvent smell, and were somewhat less sharp than the originals, as though someone had traced using a fountain pen on blotting paper. Always fun when the originals had been lost and the teacher handed out third or fourth generation copies, they could be unreadable.
At least one machine in our school could do several colour on the page - definitely green and red in addition to the usual purple, possibly blue too though I'm not sure.

 

[philjo]

Does anyone still use those hand held sprays with a hose that connected to the bathroom taps? I think they were bought from Boots. It Was used for washing hair etc when we only had a bath. If it wasn’t connected to the taps properly or if there was a leak in the hose then it tended to spray water around the bathroom !

 

[westv]

TVs with slots for coins.