Age Test: What Is This?

[Tengu]

I have a bar of that red carbolic soap, I use it to get stains off of clothes before I wash them.

My Nans was a Pears soap user. (mean to get some when I finish this bar...Imperial Leather.)

 

[British Red]

But did you polish the brasswork ?

Our letterbox is both painted and outside gate

But did you polish the brasswork ?

Houses smell different nowadays. Used to smell of beeswax and turpentine, of bleach (steps and sinks) and coal burning.
In Winter most homes had paraffin somewhere in use (wee flying saucer type stoves in the bathroom under the cistern to keep the pipes from freezing.

Any or all of those smells are preferable to those damned chemical stinks, that seem to be bought by the same type of women that bathe in cheap scent. You can smell them coming round a corner. Makes my eyes water to walk into a house with that rubbish "air fresheners" in use - what are they trying to cover up? Can they not open the windows and blow the faust out or bake some bread?

 

[Goatboy]

Yup.

Whitening the grout on the fireplace tiles, every single day. Scrubbing the doorsteps every morning. Polishing the door handle, the letter box and the key plate too…..and the bars that lifted the windows, and the tools beside the fire.
In museums where they have rooms set out as though the houses were in different eras I'm appalled at how dirty and dusty they look. People did not live like that. They knew that soot and the factory chimnies dirtied and tarnished everything, and they scrubbed and polished and took a pride in things being 'right'.
Heck of a lot of labour day in day out though.

M

It bothers me when watching a period movie/program and the oil lamps have sooty chimneys. Few self respecting folk would neither have the wicks set so wrong or allow the glass to get in that state.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[tombear]

Picked up a few old can openers while looking for tools on boots

Don't actually use them as once upon a time the old army surplus tool stall on the Burnley flea had some still in their boxes Bonzer can openers for peanuts and I got one. It does look a little odd in a domestic kitchen but it does the job lovely.

http://www.bonzer.co.uk/products/food-preparation/bonzer-can-openers/en

ATB

Tom

 

[Joonsy]

Malvern in Worcestershire still has the old victorian gas street lamps, they are still working thanks to a group of enthusiasts called the ''Malvern Gasketeers'', it's nice to see them glowing when you walk past in the dark.

http://www.allaboutmalvernhills.com/the_malvern_gaslamps

[video=youtube;wM6AlkttUGk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6AlkttUGk[/video]

 

[Tengu]

I like the calfs head one

 

[British Red]

Malvern in Worcestershire still has the old victorian gas street lamps, they are still working thanks to a group of enthusiasts called the ''Malvern Gasketeers'', it's nice to see them glowing when you walk past in the dark.

http://www.allaboutmalvernhills.com/the_malvern_gaslamps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6AlkttUGk

That sir is the coolest thing I have seen in many a long day

 

[sandbender]

It was once the case (and may still be) that the Lord Provost of Edinburgh (Mayor) would have a similar gas lamp outside his house in place of the street lamp. Also in the Castle district of Budapest (the posh bit) there is a long winding road still lit by gas lamps, they produce a nicer light I think.



Link for the 'Bailie Light', Edinburgh no longer has one but a few small towns still do.

Picture and location of a Buda Castle gas lamp on Panoramio.

 

[Joonsy]

That is the coolest thing I have seen in many a long day

Thanks British Red thankfully credit to the Gasketeers for saving them.

It was once the case (and may still be) that the Lord Provost of Edinburgh (Mayor) would have a similar gas lamp outside his house in place of the street lamp. Also in the Castle district of Budapest (the posh bit) there is a long winding road still lit by gas lamps, they produce a nicer light I think.



Link for the 'Bailie Light', Edinburgh no longer has one but a few small towns still do.

Picture and location of a Buda Castle gas lamp on Panoramio.

Yes Sandbender like you say they give off a nicer light returning from a walk in the dark by gaslight is very pleasant, there's lots of wells there as well but that's another story. Thanks for the interesting links and info, some nice examples there, that's a nice pic of the Budapest lamp.

 

[Mr.punch]

Stabbed my finger with the spike on an old tin opener as a kid my parents got a modern butterfly key one after that.

 

[Toddy]

I have to admit I really don't like those spike tin openers. They always left the edges so damned lethal.
I too use the butterfly key kind.
The little MOD ones are effective but a footer to use, and again, they can leave viscious edges.

M

 

[tombear]

I keep a uk issue P-51 can opener on my keyring for when not carrying a penknife with a can opener. A P-38 is too fiddly and a Aussie one with the spoon too large
.
the Bonzer cuts the lids off neatly for when the cans are going to be reused/ projected.

atb

tom

 

[bilmo-p5]

We have and use a Kenwood electric can opener. It is excellent! Cuts the lids cleanly, inside the rim and close to the can wall, on a par with a Bonzer or butterfly. It doesn't leave any sharp edges, just a light milling on the outside of the rim. It's ideal if cans are being re-used, which they often are in this house. As hand-o-matics go; give me a SAK can opener.