On Mondays Mum would pull out the Hoover washing machine,
fill it with hot water and do the washing.
After soaking items in the sink she put them in the washer in order;
first the whites and sheets, working her way down to the things requiring a
cooler wash and finally whatever was dirtiest.
That way the water didn’t have to be changed until she’d finished. The soak water for things going in became the
rinse water for stuff coming out.
Until
she acquired a spin dryer in 1977 everything was wrung by hand and hung out on
the line to dry. There was a mangle but it was used so much that in a few
years the rollers were too worn to be of much use.
Blodfa’s garden had been arranged partly with washing in
mind. 
There was a T shaped washingline
arrangement along and across the garden, with a cinder path alongside so wet
ground didn’t matter.
Washing went out
in anything short of a downpour.
Mum reckoned frost was good at killing germs and sometimes washing came back in
as stiff as a board.
Frosted and sun
dried washing smells lovely once it’s dried and ironed.
Dad’s shed had originally been built
(in 1926 before
mains water arrived) as his grandmother’s washhouse. Although it was mainly old railway sleepers
and corrugated iron there was a brick fireplace and chimney where she used to
boil the copper for hot water.
In later
years our Grandma used it to boil layer’s mash for the hens.
From Facebook archives
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The
sun is out!
So is the washing!!
And I don't care if I've puddled the lawn putting it out as I'm the only bugger
that uses our garden anyway.
Miss
Fiddle Mine's
out too!
Dulcima
Wow! Sun!
Henlady
My hens are
loving the sun, lying in it- on a dry spot !
Bentonbag
One of the
nicest sounds in the world is a happy hen crooning in the sunshine. At home we had some fir trees (leylandii) on
the southern side of the shed/garage in the field/orchard/henrun. It was almost always dry under there and it
was their favourite place for dust baths. After which they would stand on one leg and
croon to themselves in the afternoon sunshine.
16 February 2023 at 08.48
Took the day off blogging yesterday and:-
Put on a small load of washing (600 whites and
undies).
Took Ferretfingers to the day centre.
Popped into LDNE on the way home with something I'd signed as a trustee for
insurance.
Phoned Middle Sister.
Took down washing in loft and hung up load of
washing.
Put on a load of washing (400 socks, tights,
pyjamas, trousers, leggings, hoodie,
jumper).
Did the washing up, which in my case includes doing
all the pans, plastics for
recycling and worktops.
Collected Ferretfingers from the Gary Mather Centre.
Stopped off at the Rising Sun Earth & Fire
bakers to collect bread.
Took Ferretfingers to Molineux centre so the dental
nurse could scrape his teeth.
Came home and after tea, having forgotten it, hung
up the second load of washing.
Today the plan is Sainsbury's with Thunderthighs
and, possibly, some ironing.
One day I shall get to the sewing machine...
It's a great life if you don't weaken.
