I was pondering this whilst reading posts on an American site (Grandma Donna, have you come across her?) She and her husband are quite elderly but getting more fed up with the modern way of living and have been researching and experimenting with life as it was lived in the 1940s. It's certainly food for thought.
Firstly, and how could I ever forget them - I couldn't be without my cats.
Folk in the comments on her site were talking about people having new kitchens put in and all-new appliances too, but some people weren't bothering with dishwashers any more, as they didn't last very long - built in obsolescence I suppose. I have never had one, but Tam has. Not sure if it really helps with their "I hate washing up" as the really dirty things, greasy pans etc, and certain items still have to be washed by hand. Keith was my washer upper, now I have to do it all myself!
We made our washing machine last 17 years by Keith changing the brushes on it regularly. My latest one has a 10 year parts guarantee so hopefully it will last 10 years! A washing machine is an essential of course. My poor mum had to make do with the "copper" in the corner of the kitchen. She was thrilled to bits when she finally got a twin-tub! When I was first married, the first time (married twice, divorced once) I didn't have a washing machine and having a husband in the motor trade, can still remember having to take a stout nail brush and washing soap to try and scrub out the worst of the oil on his jeans. Drying was a pull-out stretchy drying rack over the bath . . .
Which brings me to tumble driers. Had one once, wouldn't bother again.
Fabric conditioner - don't bother. I haven't used it for nearly 50 years and have never missed it. Total waste of money, and it pongs something awful. NOT a natural just-washed-line-dried smell at all! Yuk. Febreeze comes under the same heading, along with plug-in air conditioners.
An electric blanket - only just started using mine again to take the chill off the bed, but I have returned to hot water bottles - my feet get cold and in winter, that's no fun. I have a daytime electric blanket to drape over me which costs very little to run but can just heat me rather than turning the central heating on to heat the whole house when it's cool rather than chilly.
Central heating - yes please! In a house with no fireplace, it's non-negotiable. I use it sparingly and have it on just 17 deg when I do have it on. It would be upped if snow/frost outside.
A kettle. Can manage without that. Until recently I heated just a mug full of water up in a pan on the hot ring of my stove, but then noticed that even the little bit of steam from heating that (and not turning the extractor fan on) had lifted the covering on the end of the wall cupboard beside it.)
A vacuum cleaner. Yes that's a must-have. When Keith and I first at Ynyswen, mine broke and our financial state was so parlous we couldn't afford to buy another. I remember having to go round the carpets with a stiff brush and dustpan. I do not recommend that for one room, let alone the entire house, especially when we had inherited awful nylon carpets with the house. The one in the living room had to go straight away because years of muddy farm boots from the cow-hand living there had "embellished" it!
A breadmaker. Useful as I can just bung the ingredients in, go out and 3 hours later I will have a loaf. I can of course still make bread by hand if I want to, but it's nice to be able to raise the dough reliably to ready to cook in the oven, to get a good crust. In a cold kitchen, you have to wait longer for it to rise.
A microwave - not essential. Handy for re-heating small portions (I recall putting leftover meals on plates, covering with a dish and steaming over a pan of boiling water to reheat them.)
A shower. I grew up with shallow wartime baths (still do that - WHAT a waste of water having a deep one and wallowing in it for ages). I get in, wash, and out again. It's good to have the shower hose/nozzle for washing hair, but I grew up washing mine in the kitchen sink, so it could be done again if no shower available.
A radio. I used to have it on all the time in the kitchen, listening to Radio 4, but since moving here I have gotten out of the habit. I prefer to listen to podcasts when I am working in the kitchen, or upstairs sewing.
TV is non-negotiable to me as it stops me being quite so lonely, and I watch all sorts of documentaries which keep my brain active. The first winter here on my own was so lonely, but I used to have Kate at The Last Homely House on regularly and she was like having a friend in the room, one who quilted! The subscription to Sky was the first thing I stopped, and then the subscriptions to Ancestry/Find my Past. I may just get a month's subscription in January which is a long house-bound month.
Books - another non-negotiable. I use our local library, and also look for good books on the charity bookcases in supermarkets. Rarely do I buy a new book from a shop/on line.
Computer and Internet - don't be daft! Another way of keeping touch, learning things, shopping etc. Saves me on the shopping as my nearest big towns aren't near at all!!
A car - an essential, on many levels.
Well, enough of me wittering on. I fear we have all gotten far too used to "having everything". Sometimes less is more.
Good post! Dishwasher, for just me, a no. They always break and leak. [you can btw put in greasy pans, no need to hand wash. For space and extra washing my mom always had two dishwashers, they entertained a lot] I cook mostly using my microwave, so must have that. Dryer is essential here: it is illegal to hang clothes outdoors, plus so humid things mold and mildew before they dry. I don't know anyone ever who doesn't have a dryer, that's crazy not to. [US}
ReplyDeleteIce for drinks is essential, i drink ice water all day long; I'd love a new separate ice maker [and breadmaker] but can do without, make ice in trays. Phone is important. have never listened to radio or a podcast or an audible book. I have a TV but never use it. Books are a big MUST, especially on Kindle. The large font helps w my eye sight problems, a godsend; it delivers books immediately, I read a book a day and no library near me; plus even if I make the trip, only allowed a few books--used to be 4. And nowhere to park.
Must have central heating and AC, it can be very hot, very cold here. I do NOT need cases of bottled water, tap is fine usually except when storms turn it brown like tea. So I do stock a few gallons. Indoor plumbing, bath, shower, toilet--def yes.
lots to think about. I guess I d give up my microwave if I had to...
Warm clean bed, clean clothes, fresh air....
Pets are pretty essential,tho i am managing w/out now.
Oh my goodness, TWO dishwashers. That is one lot of entertaining your parents did. I don't have room for one here, nor was the kitchen configured in a way I could fit one in at Ynyswen either.
DeleteWHY on earth is it ILLEGAL to dry clothes outside? That is just blardy ridiculous. Just checked out of curiosity, and apparently it lowers the tone of the neighbourhood as it is seen as a sign of poverty. Repeat - blardy ridiculous. Some man made that up for certain!
My new fridge-freezer does chilled water, which was a blessing th the summer.
My brain needs the stimulation of tv programmes, podcasts, pleasure from audible books. Radio good for news. I listen to podcasts in the car when I am driving and have learned so much since discovering them.
50 yrs ago when I moved here (Exeter) a neighbour complained when I pegged out washing on a Sunday.
DeletePS Febreeze isn't the same as fabric softener that goes in the washing machine. I don't always use it but it is unscented, hypoallergenic. We use it bec our water is very hard, lots of stiff scratchy chemicals. Softener needed or towels are like sandpaper. Mainly point is, it has NO SCENT.
ReplyDeleteNo I know, Febreeze for spraying soft coverings etc. Just mentioned under the same awful chemical smells banner. What chemicals are in your water to make it like that? Yeesh - I would only use that for flushing the toilet! Defo. NOT drinking.
DeleteMinerals like
DeleteLime , iron. Hard water not unnatural chemicals
Sorry couldn't think late l;ast night. Hard water is totally fine to drink. It contains natural minerals [not chemicals] like calcium and magnesium. Water here is only moderately hard, but to get soft tee shirts, jeans etc, fluffy towels, one ''needs'' a bit of fabric softener in the wash rinse. The fabric softener has NO scent unless one chooses a version that is scented.
DeleteA thought provoking post. I would definitely keep my washing machine as towels and bedding etc are so heavy to deal with when wet although I grew up without one. I no longer have central heating or my log burner and miss both but especially the log burner as winter gets closer. I invested in my first heated throw and am a convert, love it and electric blanket for my bed as I like to get in to the warmth though I have 2 hot water bottles for back up. I spent my early childhood on a smallholding with no electricity or even a bathroom, a lot of things are possible without modern conveniences but it can be hard and time consuming without them although to switch things on and off with a phone really isn't necessary! Regularly read Grandma Donna's blog, I find it very calming though she is having a break now to catch up with things. Kate at the Last Homely House, another favourite, is wonderfully warm and welcoming, its like visiting a friend. What a gorgeous home she has created with her many talents and the lime green sofa must stretch for miles!
ReplyDeleteMy brain was busy in the night . . . I have a friend who has never had a washing machine and still goes to the launderette every week. She doesn't drive either and has to catch a bus. She only puts the heating on if it snows or is very frosty and won't have an electric blanket or throw, or even a duvet. It's like she never left the 1950s. I couldn't live like that.
DeleteGosh, no electricity or bathroom. I grew up with a too blardy cold to use bathroom and an outside toilet. Don't miss either!
I agree, we do not need to switch things on and off with a blooming phone.
I see you read Grandma Donna's blog too. I am happy with my electric sewing machine, although the old Singers sew very well. I don't think I will be knitting bandages any time soon :) I used to follow the Australian Down to Earth too, but Rhonda has now closed that. I think after losing her husband, her life changed so radically and social media moved on.
That’s another interesting post. I think that what works for some people doesn’t work for others. Like you I live alone but would never be without my dishwasher. Modern dishwashers are very good at getting ‘difficult’ pots and pans clean and use water very economically. I regularly put things like the dish in which I have roasted vegetables in mine. I also always put in the dish I have cooked the lasagne. Family and friends eat with me once a week and I have always cooked from scratch. It makes my life so much less of a drudgery.
ReplyDeleteI have never had a microwave. Doesn’t interest me. Don’t want an air fryer. I have made bread for more than 35 years and would not want a bread maker. I do have a Kenwood Chef mixer with a dough hook.
My washing machine has packed up after fifteen years. Help! Busy looking for an affordable new one.
Susan from France (ex Powys inhabitant)
I think Tam's dishwasher must be an older one as they bought it 2nd hand. She's just invested in an air fryer as it's easier to cook small amounts for Rosie meals. I used to have a Kenwood Chew with a dough hook. It finally keeled over after 25 years and I had a new mixer from my kids one Christmas and decided I would invest in a Panasonic breadmaker. That is a useful beast.
DeleteYou did well to get so long out of your washing machine. Hope you can find an affordable new one.
Do you miss Powys?
No I dont miss Powys but feel lucky to have brought up my children there. i moved there from growing up in London. But that was in the fifties and sixties. Oh how things have changed.
DeleteI suppose I dont miss Wales and Powys because I live in a quiet village in the S W of France. After more than a quarter of a century I obviously feel more at home here and attuned to the life here. But my judgement is probably coloured by the fact that one of my sons and his wife now live in my village and another lives in a village only ten minutes away. I am very fortunate.
I didn't have a dishwasher until moving here now I wouldn't be without. Only used every other day (at the least) it saves the oil boiler heating water and doesn't use much electric.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't be without a shower either, it's so quick and I don't think I could get out of a bath now anyway!
The radiator in my bathroom isn't very efficient (needs bleeding again), so winter showers are to be endured rather than enjoyed! I can nip in and out of the bath quickly and get my big towel round me whilst I am still steaming! Never really been a shower person.
DeleteI've never had a dishwasher or a tumble drier. I did have a microwave years ago, but only used it for heating up porridge, so when it broke I never bothered to replace it.
ReplyDeleteFair play with the microwave. I remember when they were first the rage, and there was a magazine full of things to cook in them. I never considered it in that light - it was just for heating up things for me.
DeleteI have never used fabric conditioner, don't have a microwave, don't have a tumble dryer, couldn't live without dishwasher, electric blanket, kettle and woodburner.
ReplyDeleteI really do miss my woodburner . . .
DeleteI am not sure anyone could get through life without a washing machine, I remember my twin tub, swish-shish it would go. Then haul the washing out into the spinner, they weren't bad little machines. We had a dish washer at Church House, only used very rarely, Paul said it was better doing the washing and drying together. Now for a moan, at my daughter's house, I have to shower, the bath is enormous with claw legs, and I am not sure I could climb out! Still make my bread by hand, the bread machine here produces an oddly shaped loaf. As for washing, never use any fabric conditioners, once slept in highly perfumed sheets in Cornwall and next morning was covered in red blotches. One of the best 'tools' are heated dryers. We have a Lakeland one and it is in constant use.
ReplyDeleteMy friend manages, but it's not for me. We had a bath like tto a loaf.hat at Ynyswen (still there, and upstairs in the attic suite too). They were ok for me to get in and out of. I like the convenience of the bread maker to get the dough rising nicely. I then shape and put in a bread tin or else on a baking tray for a round loaf and cook in oven. I like to have a decent colour and crust to a loaf. Tam has one of those heated driers - only way to get all the washing dry with a little one.
DeleteWhat a brilliant post, you got me thinking for sure. We definitely live without a dishwasher and a tumble dryer, we had both in a rental property once and only used them a couple of times to try them out. They are not for us.
ReplyDeleteI could NOT live without my washing machine. After handwashing everything until my youngest son was about almost a year old, it was hard work but the sight of a line full of terry nappies all lovely and white and blowing in the breeze did make it worthwhile somehow. But the novelty of a machine doing it for me while I got on with something else has never faded.
I am debating getting a breadmaker after we move, I do have my old Kenwood with it's dough hook in one of Alan's cupboards so I am a bit torn, but the thought of getting up most mornings to freshly made bread is very tempting.
I also couldn't live without my television, computer and phone, but there are many more things that I could easily live without. Oh and my microwave is a godsend at the moment, as I mostly use it to reheat all my half drunk cups of coffee, it's a bad habit when I'm busy, making a lovely drink and then wandering off and leaving it ... so that sort of also means that I couldn't live without my electric kettle. I'll stop now, my brain is whirring!!
Without a washing machine, towels and bedding would be hard work and need to be done in the bath, as I only have a small sink in the kitchen (my fault!) Then an old-fashioned wringer would be necessary, as my wrists wouldn't be up to getting them properly wrung out.
DeleteI could, if necessary, manage without the bread-maker, but proving would be slow. I could go back to making 5 minute bread, which you can leave for up to 24 hours (in a cooler room or the fridge) to prove. It makes a lovely loaf too. (Aha - new idea for blog post now). The dough hok, I fear, finally does for the Kenwood. There is such crap in shop - boughten - bread and pastries and cakes there is really no beter thing to do than make your own.
I make sure I sit down with two daily cups of tea - one when I am reading blogs etc first thing and the other at what is probably NAAFI time as Keith always wanted his afternoon cuppa at 3 p.m. I would never need to or dream of putting it in the microwave to reheat it. But that's me. Perhaps put it in a travel mug to stay hot?
Such an interesting post - and all the comments too. We all seem to have our different ways of doing things.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a functioning full oven and grill in my kitchen here so have come to rely on a combination microwave, air fryer and pressure cooker which, combined, helps me to cook anything we want. (There are only two of us so heating a large oven for our food seems to be a waste of electricity). My dishwasher is used every other day - pots and pans all go in. I do have a tumble dryer but never use it. In the summer the washing goes out on the line; in wet weather it is hung on three or four airers in my spare bedroom with a portable dehumidifier, which dries it all in a couple of hours.
Central heating is an essential in this old stone house - not sure what I'll do when we can no longer afford the heating oil though.
Sounds like you have the cooking arrangements sorted anyway. I have a two oven cooker and just use the top one, unless all the family are here and we're having a roast.
DeleteI don't have an outside line - I need to borrow Ed next spring to put me one up as I'm no good at drilling walls. My washing, wait for it, gets hung over what I would call a woden horse and Keith would have called a Maiden (North country term). Bedding gets draped over the two sun loungers which if I lie down on one, I find it difficult to get up from these days! I only keep them for that reason and Rosie loves playing in them. When it's cold or wet it gets put up on the airing poles in the Utility, with an imbalance of socks and knickers on the radiators. Dehumidifier is great in there, to help dry stuff.
Yes, let's hope oil doesn't go up prohibitively so we can't have much heating.
Well the worst thing to come out was the computer and now AI is added to the equation is no help. Mobile phones are ok but with it now being a smart phone people cannot seem to do with out them, how many people do you see with their face glued to it. Life was so much easier and less stressful years ago. To my mind the internet has cost us the banks in the high street putting people out of work which never helped with shops closeing because of it but the Amazon has something to do with tat as well. Too many cars on the road now as well. We have become too reliant on the internet, I doubt I would miss it if it went down for good but what a mess it would leave behind.
ReplyDeleteIf we absolutely HAD to, we could manage without computers/internet. If no-one had them, there would be a re-set. Phones, now we are without landlines - well, that's another matter. I have to bank online as nearly all the rural banks are shut. Problems there though - had to reset my banking app this morning to accept my proof of identity. Our online shopping causes so many more delivery vans, and everyone in a household seems to have a car once they reach driving age. When I was growing up, very few people in our road (50's/early 60's) had a car. We caught the bus, or walked!
DeleteI should have mentioned robots that have done people out of jobs in industry. I was born in 1951 and very few people had a car, my dad did not get one till 1966 and we did not have a phone, it was down the phone box. My parents came from Ireland and when we went for a holiday it was like going back in time, no electric lights, outside loo, collect water from a spring and gran cooked over a fire, they did electric eventually but I don't know when they were connected to water. My dads place was a bit better, they had electric. We would get through it but it would be hard.
DeleteWe didn't have a phone until the 1970s. My mum was very deaf, so couldn't use it - didn;t even hear it ring as she insisted nothing wrong with her hearing and wouldn't have a hearing aid until my dad died, and then I took her to the GP, as living on her own, she needed to hear a bit better. We got a car early 60s - a Triumph Mayflower. I still remember the smell of the leather seats on a hot Sunday, when we "went out for a drive" - usually to the New Forest.
DeleteYour family homes in Ireland were definitely a bit basic. It was what folk were used to. Where we lived in Wales, the Cothi Valley, didn't get electricity until the 1950s! Many homes had a little Ty Bach straddling the stream (our house did - got indoor plumbing in the 1970s).
A thought provoking post, I do like my ‘ mod cons ‘ but know, from when we lived on a boat, that I can do without a lot of them if needs must.
ReplyDeleteI used to read Rhonda’s blog too, she revived it very briefly recently then almost immediately closed it again, shame but I do understand why. It was her blog that convinced me I could make my own soap, it was a lovely hobby with a useful end product, sadly I’ve had to give that up for very boring reasons, but I do miss it.
Alison in Devon x
I think staying warm and being able to cook are the two absolute essentials. Staying in touch as well.
DeleteAh, in a forum from MANY years gone past, soapmaking was one of the endeavours, but that is one for another day I think. I didn't get around to making it because of posible asthma-upsetting fumes, but Keith and I used to make our own beeswax furniture polish, back in the day. It was far better than anything you bought.
Electric blanket--no.
ReplyDeleteCentral heating a necessity here in Canada.
Kettle--yes.
I have a Vacuum--yes. When I lived in England as a child, I remember my Mother, taking the loose wet tea leaves and sprinkling them on the carpet then sweeping with a broom.
Bread maker--no.
Microwave--yes I use mine often.
Shower--yes, I do not have a bath tub.
Radio--no
Tv, Computer, Internet, Books--yes, yes, yes, and yes.
Car, again a necessity where I live.
I would also add my sewing machine, iron and ironing board, as I could not live without them. My sewing keeps me in a happy place.
I've heard of the wet tealeaves. I imagine they did help (no off-white carpets back then!!) I should have added my sewing machine, although I do like to hand sew and embroider. Working on a Christmas present for a friend right now - a pretty pattern on a cushion cover. Just basic embroidery stitches. I think we would all manage without if we had, all these electrical things, but would rather stay with what we are used to.
DeleteI could manage without my dishwasher, but would prefer not too. My first washing machine was a twin tub, but love my automatic, don't use fabric softner as it makes me itch. Don't have an airfryer either as I tend to cook from scratch. But if it came to it, I could manage without a lot of things. I've just drawn out a wodge of cash - in case the banking goes down. Xx
ReplyDeleteI could live without an Air Fryer (don't have one). Cash is king when no tills are working . . .
DeleteRe fabric conditioner - I briefly worked for Proctor & Gamble and it was fascinating to see the laundry business from the inside. Apparently, at that time the single most expensive line item for their Lenor fabric conditioner was advertising, followed by the plastic bottle. The active conditioner was way down the list, behind the perfume! We also had some insights into other countries - at that time German households used so much fabric conditioner that it stopped the towels from actually drying anything!
ReplyDeleteMy reply is below. Sorry I didn't put it here.
DeleteAvery interesting read as are all the comments. I've never bothered with a dishwasher or a tumble drier. My ND self can't stand the smell or the sticky feel of conditioners and although you see fluffy towels in the ads it says in small print not to use it for towels as the coating makes towels less absorbent. Of course a washing machine is vital and as well as a washing line in the garden we have an old fashioned rack that you pull up to the ceiling. We use the microwave a lot to heat up food that we've batch cooked. I know a small air fryer would be a good alternative to using the oven but at the moment there isn't any space in the cupboards and I can't bear the thought of having it on the worktop. Plus you need to be careful about the amount of heat coming out of the back and top affecting windows and overhead cupboards. A radio is a must and of course the computer which is my window into the world though my mobile phone could go in the bin as far as I'm concerned. I only use it when I have to and when driving on my own so it does have some uses. And we've lost our land line phone now that we've 'upgraded' to fibre.
ReplyDeleteI miss the Hergom in my old kitchen and the Betty Maids we had hanging from the beams for drying clothes. No air fryer here and no room in the cupboards for any more appliances unless I am able to move Useful Jam Jars elsewhere! My computer is definitely a must as it;s my way of keeping in touch with the world.
DeleteI think that I broadly concur with your list.
ReplyDeleteThings I could live without...
Politicians.. and political spin
Reality (not) TV
Trains ( weirdly, I loathe travelling by train)
Radio - I seldom listen to it these days
Dishwasher - pointless (in)convenience
And aside from those people I love most, the things I could NOT live without...
Yogurt
My dog
The beach
Bikes
Modern dentistry ( ha )
I'm sure I could go on...
Modern dentistry - oh I'm with you on that one! The idea of having your teeth yanked out by pliers and no painkiller. Pass!
DeleteTrains I don't mind. I like to look at the view/do a puzzle/read on boring bits. Radio is rarely on now - I think the worm turned during Covid.
I agree with you - I like towels that actually DRY you! We used to have two Betty Maid laundry racks at Ynyswen - the damper stuff went on the front one, by the Hergom stove, and then moved to the one the other side of the room when damper clothes needed drying. The set up I have here in a corner of the Utility isn't too bad.
ReplyDeleteMy phone has to be prioritised as it's the only way to keep in touch with family/friends.
Sorry, that reply is to Will.
DeleteOur dishwasher came with the house. It's a Maytag and may be the original one (house built in 87). The colour is right for the time period. Only use it about twice a week.
ReplyDeleteThe dryer is 22 years old.
The thing that I have learnt is the old school brands are the best. Maytags were built to last. The dryer is a Frigidaire. So when I had to replace the washing machine, I went old school and got a Maytag top loader. The new fridge is a Frigidaire. Biggest mistake was the Samsung cooker. I've disliked it since the day it arrived.
Yes, reliable names are the ones to go with. Before buying a new electrical appliance (as with my recent fridge freezer), I take out a brief subscription to Which and check out the most suitable for my situation/budget.
DeleteWhat a brilliant post...and the comments are just as fascinating. I'm definitely in the no-dishwasher camp...we had our kitchen renovated a few years ago and the fellow who did the cupboards was utterly bamboozled that I didn't want space for dishwasher. He tried to talk me into it but I wouldn't budge. ~melanie
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a really thought provoking post. I was just thinking out loud really! I hope everyone is prioritising what is important now. We are all a bit prone to buying something that sounds useful but ends up gathering dust - so glad I didn't buy myself a soup maker!
DeleteOh My!! You certainly got us going!!
ReplyDeleteWhat couldn't I live without...
my husband, although I could if I had no choice, Family (S,DiL, Gs, Gd) , my hearing aids (utterly ESSENTIAL!)
In the house ... the washing machine - which is actually a drier as well, but gets used as such perhaps once every few years, an oven, a refrigerator and freezer, a stovetop, Bialetti expresso coffee maker, a kettle, a couple of knives and a steel to sharpen them, electricity - for cooking, light, heat and charging the EV car, a shower and functioning toilet. The internet - where I get news (can't rely on one local news source, I need BBC and Al Jezerra for balanced coverage)
What could I live without ...?
the electric drier - all our washing goes on the outdoor pull-out clothesline, or when there's absolutely on choice, on a rack in the laundry, the second oven/microwave. We have no bread maker.
What a lot of "Stuff" I need!!
Functioning toilet - why didn't I think of that?! Definitely my family and friends too. Reading spectacles absolutely ESSENTIAL these days :)
DeleteLoved your post and the comments. You have made us all think. I live in Canada but have not had central heating for the last fifteen or sixteen years, mind you we live in the warmest province in the country. I would dearly like it now as our latest house is cold. I grew up in a 17th century farmhouse in East Anglia with only one fireplace for heat. I can't believe we survived it. I gave away my breadmaker when we moved and regret it, there are tons in the charity shops so I think I will get one again. Commercial bread and the lovely bread in bakeries is all very expensive. I enjoy watching British shows on the TV so that would stay although if I absolutely had to I could get by on books. I love a good soak in the tub, with a podcast playing and a glass of wine. My idea of bliss.
ReplyDeleteHow do you manage for heating then Susan? Free standing heaters, wood burners? Ah yes, breadmakers are quite useful beasties (some even make jam I believe) . Panasonic is a good brand, if you can find one of those in a charity shop. What are your favourite British shows on tv?
DeleteYup, couldn't do without my books, that's for sure. I have a library full here . . .