Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Anyone remember these, I do

Remember all these, especially the brush salesman with his fitted suitcase and large foot for wedging in the front door when you wanted to shut it. Memory also of heavy galvanised dustbins and the poor bin-men who carried them on their backs to the side-access refuse lorries. Bins were mainly full of ash if I remember and very little waste compared to today's throw-away society. The ash stopped with the advent of the rubber lidded dustbin clearly embossed with 'no ash'. Of course, this was all before widespread central heating.

We had a calor gas fridge when I was a child in Devon - no mains electricity so Calor worked out more effective than the Lister Generator cutting in overnight when there was no other draw on the electrics. An electric fridge and a freezer came along once we had mains electricity (around 1965 I think).

Growing up we had a gas-powered fridge, probably because my father worked for the Gas Board and got it at a discount. Slightly perversely, it was made by Electrolux.

A gas fridge has no compressor and consequently is totally silent. Whenever I visited other kids' houses one of the first things I noticed would be their fridge droning away in the kitchen. I always wondered how they put up with the noise but if I mentioned it I'd get blank looks, so I learnt not to bring the subject up! Even today, I find the whir of a fridge compressor an irritation. Our kitchen has a gas point for a fridge but I doubt you can still buy them.

I remember gas street lighting and the leerie who came round to light them. They were at my grandparents road in Stepps.

Ours in Malvern were the inspiration for CS Lewis's in The Chronicles Of Narnia.

Again in Malvern, the lamps in the gardens adjacent to Great Malvern Station were fully restored by the original manufacture 5-6 year ago. The interesting feature on this particular site is the use of an LED source designed to replicate the appearance of the gas mantle including the 'flicker'.

Dose anyone remember having to get the "accumulater" recharged at a shop for the radio. It was an acid battery. I can remember the change from gas mantles to light bulbs. I also remember the back to back house in Birmingham being changed from DC to AC, but I am not 100% sure.

Now that really is stepping back John, do you remember what years we are talking about here. I have heard about these events but that's all.

Thanks for the tip-off Rob. A quick Google search has found a number of places supplying LED "gas mantles", I shall investigate further.

My grandparents' had gas lights in their house but by the time I was born they'd had electric lighting installed so I never saw their gas ones in use. The redundant brackets remained on the wall. The only time I experienced gas lighting was on our annual caravan holiday in Bognor Regis. Gaslight always seemed less harsh than electric, I hope the LED versions can replicate that, though I doubt they can make the sound!

Well Richard, l was born in 1946 - yes an original baby boomer. I can remember back to about three years old, so these situations were about '49 to '53'. The centre of Birmingham had been severly bombed. In fact we used to throw bricks at each other in games on the bombed building at the top of Hingestion Street, our street.

Our milk was delivered by horse and cart. I remember mum saying "Go up to Amey's and get a bag of sugar for Freda". The sugar would come from under the counter.
Rationing don't ya know! I also remember queuing for hours, with my mother to get new ration books. I seem to remember a big marquee 7in the middle of town. No hot running water and a communial lavatory at the top of the entry that froze in winter.

Don't start me off about the social media obsessed Young- but I suppose that has been said by every generation.