This is my kitchen door door stop.
A family heirloom, inherited when my husband's uncle passed away.
As it's half term I had the pleasure of looking after all three of my grandchildren on Monday and although we eventually spent a lovely day out at RHS Hyde Hall, I don't think they were expecting a history lesson as we trundled off in the car.
While I was in the throws of packing wellies, nappies, binoculars, waterproof clothing etc, the telephone rung.
So what do you do when your Granny has to answer the telephone, do you
a) carry on watching the tv
or
b) find a smooth surface and practice a spot of curling.
Well obviously the answer to that one is b!
There they were shoving my cast iron doorstop from one end of the kitchen to the other. Oh, what a lovely game they were having, little Jack thought it was wonderful. I suggested that they should perhaps play with something else and asked them to put the iron back by the door. Both girls stared at it blankly and Charlotte said, " what iron, that's not an iron, it's a doorstop!".
Now I can remember my grandmother showing me how she used to use an iron like this when I was little, so when we were finally in the car and on our way, I explained to them how the iron would have been heated up on the stove and then used. I then told them about washboards, mangles and tin baths. It really dawned on me that there is so much that they take for granted in their short lifetime. They couldn't begin to imagine a life without electricity, central heating and a car, as it would have been for my grandmother.
Last night, as I watched the news and they spoke about sending people to live on Mars, I thought, whatever next! I reckon those words were on the tip of my grandmother's tongue many times as she journeyed through her life.
My nan had about three of those irons, different sizes and shapes and a proper mangle. When my uncles and mum saved up and bought her an automatic washing machine she wouldn't use it for about six months, she was convinced it wouldn;t wash properly, in the end my uncle got cross but I used to love helping with the mangle and that was in the late sixties. The past, as they sa, is a different country!
ReplyDeleteWe used to have these too - as door stops, inherited from Husband's grannie who still used a posser and dolly tub when I first met her! Any time is a good time for a history lesson, if they were to stop - how would the next generation know the difference between a curling stone and a iron!
ReplyDeleteToo true!
DeleteI'm using something very similar as my studio doorstep, in my case it was my great grandmothers. How the world changes ... they didn't have to worry about stubbing their toes on the things ;o)
ReplyDeleteI reckon if one of those irons hurtled off the end of the ironing board (as my electric iron has done on ocassion) you'd have to be pretty nifty moving your feet out of the way.
DeleteHope no damage to the kitchen cupboards. Life is changing so fast, how long will it be before books are totallyreplaced by computers and e-readers? Technology plays a huge part in this generations lives, nice to hear that granny involves them in the world outside x
ReplyDeleteI really hope that doesn't happen Diane but it's a strong possibility. The children had a great time up at Hyde Hall and I was surprised just how many mums, grandparents and children had the same idea as me.
ReplyDelete