General Chat

A porridge stirrer :-)

First prize to Mau! I use them for all sorts of stirring especially sauces.

Used to have a friend's elderly mother stay with us regularly - as a Scot she took her porridge with salt and was most surprised I had a spurtle.

Hand embroidered runners, a bag full of very old lace and embroidered cottons.

I take mine with salt too and as I belong to Northumberland it figures we've always had a spurtle :-D and btw also a wooden mushroom
and proggy mat poker.... :-D

Now you're just showing off, Mau :-D

Trying to think now - a pair of bellows (they still work) but hang on the fireplace OH tarted them up many years ago. Inlaws had a thatched cottage so quite apart from him I have quite a few old things I have inherited from them! ;-)

eeeh d'ya think so Wend ;-).....got lots of old things at home ..Me :-(

Sue wish Id known when you were over,,,,,,,,I have a box full of your collectables.........mind you maybe would still be in the stocks for carrying dangerous weapons ))))))).

glad I'm not the only --er,,,,,,,,, custodian of relics of the past,,,, :-D :-D :-D :-D.

I got a wooden mushroom but dont use it,along with old tapemeasures, cotton spool holders which are very pretty and collectable.

I bet no one has a dolly blue!....or a few of you will remember.
Clearing out my mother's flat I found it in a little pot and couldn't resist taking it to keep as a reminder of seeing my Dad's white collars soaking!
I have a lot of those old things mentioned,including toasting fork etc
Question......how does one manage without a colander?Always use one for draining veg ,fruit,rice,etc.

'Course they'll remember dolly blue Brenda! I think they've all given their 'eras away LOL
I used it for my dolls swimming lessons in the kitchen sink. I'd wind up their arms and legs and watch them swim round in circles. They even had swimming caps which I made from cutting the top off balloons. No costumes though
:-0 ........and some arms and legs dropped off.

I was wondering how anyone would manage without a colander. I steam my greens so don't need one for that but couldn't be without it for roots - unless I roast them.

I used a tea cosy for years until bright spark bought us a thermal teapot a few years ago - I seem to recollect that it was a christmas gift......for me! :-0 :-0

I stopped using block soap when the kids were little as it was always a soggy mess on the sink.

I found a wooden darning mushroon at my parents house (I have it of course) but I will not be darning any socks! :-0 However.......I used to enjoy embellishing jumpers by darning motifs on them. It is quite a relaxing pastime if I remember rightly.
So........you lot mentioning darning has given me an idea for something crafty so thanks for that folks :-D

Brenda.....my grandmother used to dab wasp stings with dolly blue when my dad and his cousin (as naughty little boys) spent the summer poking sticks into nests!

Oh 'eck- I still use a fountain pen, spray starch, when needed, and I always use fish knives and forks, and pastry forks.

The reason I use the fish knives and forks is that my mother had some given as a wedding present in 1935. She used them, because she had them. I grew up thinking all people used them and was puzzled when I saw my aunt using ordinary cutlery for fish. We weren't posh by any means

.I still have the brass toasting fork from the days before my parents had a grill on the oven.-jl

Whilst talking about things from the past, have read on the Tele this morning that the shops 'Pastimes' has gone into receivership.
Shame, I liked these shops when they first opened years ago, but the one I went into was terrible.

Julia in Derbyshire

ah sorry to read that Julia as Pastimes here is a smashing shop and I bought my Mother's journal album there for the familys' history.

Another one bites the dust :-(

Brenda I used a 'blue bag' - they were in all the rinse water of anything item which was white from sheets down to handkerchiefs.

Brenda - I'm with you - how on earth could anyone manage without a colander - I have a few

However you can have your fountain pens refurbished if you wish to use them, my brother had one done. I still have mine, but haven't used it since sixth form.

I have a pretty full collection of tableware I've accumulated from various rellies, don't use most of it, but for special, get it all out, white linen napkins with silver rings, side plates and knives, butter and cheese knives etc.
Always use a teapot though, and a stand, and colanders.

If you look on e-bay some old fountain pens can sell for as much as £250.

Carol :-)

Ballpoints were regarded with disdain by one tutor when I was at college and refused accept work by anyone who used one. Mind, ballpoints weren't neat writers then.
That is not as long ago as you might think!

Ooooh what a lovely thread this is :-)

Fountain Pen.
Yes, I had a Parker fountain pen for my 21st and I still use it with Quink permanent blue ink!

Fish Knives and Folks.
Don't have fish folks :-0 but occcasionally use fish knives, as well as soooop spoons, pastry forks, butter knives, cheese knife, sauce ladles & gravy boat, olive forks/pickle forks, cake/serving slices etc along with side plates and linen napkins plus linen table cloth - when we're 'avin posh guests that is - pauses to draw breath - I don't get that lot out just for me and 'imself!!!

Bread Knife.
Yes, what else to cut bread with?

Tea Caddy.
Yes, for the tea bags!!

Tea Cosy. No. Tea Strainer. No, I use bags. Caddy spoon. No.

Teapot Stand.
No, but use trivets for hot dishes on the table.

Table Cloth./Tray Cloths.
Yes, a table cloth for when we have peeps round, otherwise I use table mats just for me and 'imself. I've got some lovely tray cloths made by my mother's great aunt, just haven't got a tray to put them on!

Clothes Brushes.
Yep, deffo.

Darning Wool.
Hmmmm, no but for some reason I've got granny's mushroom.

Block Washing Soap.
No.

Starch.
Yes, spray starch for linen things.

Window Leather.
No.

Colander.
Yes, definately.

Guest towels & guest soaps for 'guest loo'. Yes ;-)

K