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Thread: Pot menders

  1. #1
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    Default Pot menders

    Remember When is a nostalgic Sunday night program on Melbourne radio, a look back at music and events of the past.
    Last week caught a bit of a song about a man who mends umbrellas, and it took me back to something that I lost somehow somewhere along the way.

    Being born in the middle of WW2 I have few memories of that time, but still recall my first day at school in September 1948.
    Bread and milk was a staple breakfast, very few cereals then though I do remember one by the name of Grape Nuts.
    Tea was made in the pot with tea leaves and then your fortune told with the bits in the cup bottom.

    Meat and Confectionary were the last to come off rations in 1952, and many goods had three farthings in the price of them.
    Sliced bread had been invented and came in grease proof paper, but sliced bread was not new, we had it before but it was a DIY job, using a loaf and a sharp knife.

    Toast we only had in the winter, a long fork with a slice on the end held in front of the open fire, but we had real butter, none of this table spread stuff.
    Sunday was always a roast followed by a pie, apple, rhubarb, gooseberry or sometime rice pudding or semolina.

    Milk came in glass bottles and in the winter months there would be a real ice cream coming out of the top when the milk froze on the door step.

    We walked to school, or took the tram or bus, none of this modern day chauffer stuff for us, we were tough back then.

    We played outside until it got dark, we were inventive making all manner of things that today would get us into serious strife.
    For one penny you could buy one cigarette at the local shop, Woodbines came in packets of five and other things in packets of three.

    There were no supermarkets, you shopped at the local grocer, he put the things you wanted on the counter, wrote the price on the side of the sugar bag and added them up, no fancy cash registers then.
    Cheese came in a big block and he cut it with a wire, there was Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, stored Cheddar, mature Cheddar and of course Cheddar, none of that plastic cheese then.

    Smiths crisp came in small bags with a bit of salt in a blue paper twist, sixpence got you into the Saturday morning movies with half time icy poles from the usher at the end of the aisle at half time.

    I was rooting in the shed the other day looking for a nut and bolt along with some washers and it brought back to mind something from a time long past.

    Pot menders! In the days after the war the quality of sauce pans was not good, little holes would appear in the bottom of them.
    So a Pot mender was used. One washer on the outside, one inside held in place by a small nut and bolt. My aunt had one very bad pot, there were more Pot menders than natural bottom.

    Times have moved on since then and now few cook, they order Uber Eats or similar and then wonder why they are getting fat and sick, no spare money and wondering which one to try next.

    It is called progress but now under the lock down process many are reviewing their lives and thinking about what is next and how to get back to normal, some are even cooking at home, wonder if they have got some pot menders just in case?
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    You never got past the Mickey Mouse gas mask then John, but still in time for the free Cod Liver Oil . JS
    R575129

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    cod liver oil malt and the slate to wright on ink and nibs and the Cain slipper and slapping around by the teachers some cruel bastards them days.. jp

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    Quote Originally Posted by John Pruden View Post
    and slapping around by the teachers some cruel bastards them days.. jp
    Especially the Nuns!

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    “Smiths crisp came in small bags with a bit of salt in a blue paper twist, “ Geez John, that brings back memories. I’ve never come across that since back then. Thanks for the memory.
    Duke Drennan R809731

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    Made our own tanks out of an old cotton real, cut notches on the side for grips, elastic band for power, and hours of fun , kt
    R689823

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    Pot meanders. In the shipyards they workers brewed their tea in the old fashioned dried milk tins. Problem was, burners torch after a few boils burne a hole in the tin.
    Solution-seal tin with cadmium plate nut an bolt, wouldn't do that these days.
    Vic

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    I remember a couple of my Nana's pots with pot menders. Seem to remember the kettles had the most. My Grandad was a retired Chief Engineer and always fixed things rather than bought a new one. He used to do a good job too, could turn his hand to most repairs with no trouble.
    Last edited by Chris Allman; 30th May 2020 at 02:31 PM.
    When one door closes another one shuts, it must be the wind

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    You bring back memories for me and I’m trying to add a few, I was twelve years old when the War ended, Britain was still in the grip of austerity and rationing.

    Humour helped see us through those days and was not considered racist nor cruel. There was a very popular TV show called the “Black and white minstrel show” which consisted of a group of dancers and singers made up to look like a parody of Africans who gave a magnificent show which was never considered racist.

    My sisters' favorite doll was a ********.

    Stainless steel razor blades had not arrived, so you tortured yourself with a thing called a safety razor blade “Seven o'clock Cock” was one brand

    Plastic had not been invented and there were no supermarkets selling imitation food. You simply walked to the cluster of shops in the village and carried your purchases home in your shopping bag, Potatoes were fresh from the fields, covered in mud and invariably had worm holes, but they were natural, plentiful and good.

    Milk was delivered in bottles to our house front step by a milkman driving a horse and trap, he was known locally as “Ben Hur” and didn’t contribute to air pollution. The milk was milk and the birds knew it. They pecked through the caps to reach the cream at the top.

    School boy humour

    Boy came home from school weeping

    What’s the matter asked Mum

    Boys at school call me Big Head

    That’s cruel says Mum you have a perfectly normal head. Now go to the green grocers and get ten pound of potatoes' Yes mum, says the boy where’s the shopping bag?

    Never mind that says Mum, use your hat.

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    Default Re: Pot menders

    Funny you should mention the Milkman and the Horse. We had one too. One day it had the ' squitters ' and bad wind and was firing a fine spray of you know what every now and then. Milkman was furious and was blaming customers for giving it things to eat. Anyway just as it reached our house it let a huge one go which sounded like a motorbike and covered the front of the cart, the milkman and half his load in a fine spray of awful smelling liquid. My Nana nearly collapsed with laughter but it soon changed to horror when the Milkman with a scowl on his face, deposited 3 light brown bottles of milk into our milkbottle holder and strode off up the road leading the horse, which was still polluting the atmosphere with various loud sounding passages of wind and spray. My Nana made me go in and get a large bucket of cold water which, I remember had a pot mender in its bottom too, another of my Grandads repairs. She washed the milkbottles before taking them inside where they got carefully washed down again without disturbing the foil tops. I had to clean the milkbottle holder with carbolic soap and hot water. Still makes me laugh today when I think of it. I lived off that tale at school for a couple of days.
    Last edited by Chris Allman; 30th May 2020 at 02:56 PM.
    When one door closes another one shuts, it must be the wind

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