HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[Stanley]

If you are considering building a garage, give it a flat concrete roof and put a greenhouse on it... That's what my dad did and it was a complete success.

[LizG]

That's a good one Cathy. My dad used to keep bees and our honey always set solid. It's not the be all and end all but is usually a sign of good honey.

A friends son breeds bees and leases hives to farmers for their crops. Honey from crops like canola isn't commercially viable since it crystalises very quickly and therefore its supermarket shelf life is extremely short.

[Stanley]

Which just goes to show how little people understand food. The crystallised honey is just as good as the liquid and only needs warming to become liquid again. Besides which honey has an almost unlimited shelf life. Ever seen honey go bad?

[Tizer]

If you are considering building a garage, give it a flat concrete roof and put a greenhouse on it... That's what my dad did and it was a complete success.

Did you access it from inside the garage or from outside?

[Stanley]

Outside, a flight of steps up to the roof from the garden. A slid fuel stove in the garage with an automatic flue damper heated the hot water heating system in the greenhouse. It was a good greenhouse and the Old Lad spent hours up there getting a good view of all the other gardens....

[Stanley]

In the days when we emptied the twin tub by pumping the soapy water into the sink it was easy to collect a bucketful to swill the flags outside. Done regularly this made a lovely job of cleaning the flags. It would be nice if modern washing machines had this facility instead of a separate waste pipe....

[Stanley]

An occasional trip round the house with a can of WD40 or similar light oil is a good investment. Hinges, locks and window mechanisms all benefit from a light spray. Polished brass and copper keep their shine much longer if treated and wiped down with a soft cloth. A heavier lubricant is needed for any exterior ironwork exposed to weather, a well oiled gate lasts much longer than a neglected one. A stitch in time saves nine and can be very productive. Apart from that, everything functions so much more easily and smoothly.

[Bodger]

http://www.forevergeek.com/wp-content/m ... jpg?8db0e1

[chinatyke]

Bodger, the link to the site brings up the message: The owner of this site (www.forevergeek.com) does not allow hot linking. You can get access by typing the address www.forevergeek.com in to your browser.

When I worked in textiles we used two treatments for removing iron stains. One was an ammonium bifluoride solution, which is very toxic and won't be available to the public, and the other was an oxalic acid solution, less toxic and you may be able to buy this. If you can't obtain it, rhubarb stems and leaves contain oxalic acid. So try rubbing rhubarb or putting rhubarb juice on the iron stain.

[LizG]

I think we used oxalic acid to remove stains from a pine ceiling before we sealed it. Could that be right?

[Stanley]

I think it is Liz.

[Tizer]

Mineral collectors use oxalic acid to remove surface iron stains on crystal specimens. They issue the usual advice...test on a small area first to be sure it won't have undesired effects.

[Stanley]

Does anyone remember the full pages of advertisements in popular magazines for ex WD equipment being sold off after the war?

[PanBiker]

Exchange and Mart and the pages in Wireless World and Practical Wireless. I was particularly interested in the radio stuff and used to lust after a type 19 set (HF and VHF) used in tanks. It seemed very exotic that you could get the same radio but with Russian markings on all the dials and switches. Walkie talkies from America as well another must have but never got.

[Tizer]

There was a big yard somewhere near Houghton Towers where they sold ex-military vehicles. Me and my mates, once we'd learnt to drive and passed our test, went and lusted over those. We had plans to buy a communications truck, a big van whose insides were fitted out with beautiful wooden furniture, convert it into a sort of mobile home and then tour the continent in it. Somehow we never managed it - which is fortunate because it probably only did about 10 miles to the gallon!

[Tripps]

Sorry Tiz - it's Hoghton. I know because I use to have to spell it out every time I rang the future Mrs T via the operator, as she lived in that area. We have come a long way from that to mobile phones haven't we?

[Stanley]

The old phones pre STD were excellent. Once you had mastered the technique you could make calls free by tapping out the number on the receiver rest.....

[chinatyke]

The old phones pre STD were excellent. Once you had mastered the technique you could make calls free by tapping out the number on the receiver rest.....

I think that was just an urban legend. Tapping the handrest say 5 times makes and breaks the signal 5 times in exactly the same way dialling a number 5 did, so why would it be free?

I've been thinking about this, there is no doubt that dialling the number by repeatedly pressing would make the call on a private line, but it would be just the same as dialling the number so wouldn't be free. However, on a public call box it is possible that the wiring was such that the dial was not connected until you put the money in the slot. In that case you wouldn't be able to dial the number except by pressing the handrest. But the other person couldn't hear you until 'button A' was pressed however you dialled the number. I vaguely remember trying this when I was young but don't remember it being successful.

OK, let's have an explanation from a telephone man!

[Stanley]

Sorry China, I can assure you it did work from telephone boxes with the old button A and B equipment. I shame to say that in the bad old days I used the free service frequently. I cant remember if I had to put twopence in first or press any buttons but it definitely did work.
If you have liquid in a bottle that tends to deposit a sediment in the bottom resistant to breaking up by shaking, put a small hard object in the bottle and when you shake it it will break the sediment up. That's what rattles in some aerosol paint cans. I drop a nut into my bottles of layout ink in the shed, particularly the white ink. It works like a charm....
Closely related is the bronze chain trick I talked about a while ago for scouring out the insides of wine decanters or other narrow necked flasks. Sink plug chain is ideal. I first saw this done in the laboratory at West Marton Dairies and never forgot it.

[Moh]

Polish your shoes with the inside of a banana skin - rub on and polish off.

[Stanley]

I've never tried that Moh but come to think I've heard it before....

[Tizer]

Quoted from a book about the village of Bishops Hull in Somerset:
"Gone are the cobb cottages opposite Haydon House, where within living memory one stout lady sat outside pressing her husband's shirts by sitting on them."

[Stanley]

She was sensible. I do no ironing unless it's the rare occasion when I need a dress shirt. Careful stretching when wet and folding before storage works wonders and I've always said the best way to iron sheets is to lie on them.
Always make sure your bedding box has a heavy lid and is full to the top so the weight of the lid bears on the contents. That's why they used to be called presses.

[Cathy]

Haha... I have a sign in my laundry that say's 'Laundry Rules' Sort: Tomorrow Wash: Day After Fold: Next Week Iron: Get Real

[Stanley]

Vera used to iron knickers and dusters.....