Could we all travel back to the old times?

soappie

~grumpy old woman mode on~

The yoof of today (with the exception of Sammy_Kaye18) they never had it so good, they EXPECT to have a washing machine, a fitted kitchen, central heating etc. when they set up home. They would really struggle.

~grumpy old woman mode off~

soappie

Kimberley wrote: »

If say, you had to lose one of these 3 items, what would you choose?

Washing machine
Mobile Phone
Computer

Mobile phone first - hardly use it, it's just there for emergencies
Washing machine next - because I can do it all by hand if I need to and there are launderettes in town.

The Computer would be REALLY hard for me to give up. I use it so much for research, hobbies, work etc. etc.

spaghetti_monster

Hi there! Will stick my (35 year old) oar in.....

Earlier this year moved in with my OH and for previous 8 or 9 years was mostly single but always living in a shared flat, taking care of myself, food, housework, bills and of course career and jobs.
Now, the career and job side is still the same - but OH is not so into cooking/cleaning/housework so I do much more of this than before, and it's really hard to get everything done!

And we would also like to have a family - so now I imagine how much work it would be to take care of a whole family but without any modern labour-saving devices.......

I guess that life is just totally different from in Victorian times - I know that's obvious to say - but I think that a modern housewife (and just modern life in general I guess) has all sorts of different problems and activities that fill your day.

What I like from the posts above are descriptions of how things were simpler in the "olden days" - I think this aspect of that way of living really improves our present quality of life ie. fresh home cooked food, going for a walk, growing stuff in the garden etc, taking more time over things..

Anyway, will stop ramble! And wish you all Happy New Year too!

Alex x

Charis

soappie wrote: »

~grumpy old woman mode on~

The yoof of today (with the exception of Sammy_Kaye18) they never had it so good, they EXPECT to have a washing machine, a fitted kitchen, central heating etc. when they set up home. They would really struggle.

~grumpy old woman mode off~

You're not kidding. Despite the fact that marriages don't seem to last these days (not a criticism, mine didn't either) the process of getting married is getting like a Broadway musical for some couples. I turned down an invitation to a friend's daughter's wedding 200 miles away, mainly because it was getting so theatrical it was absurd. Big wedding, big hotel, two hen nights, one involving a stretch limo to Brighton (they live in London). Then at the weekend I heard a friend's son is going for a stag week skiiing in the Alps. Neither of the families is well-to-do.
Some couples marry abroad, then expect to set up home with all new, colour coordinated furniture and kitchen equipment. No wonder they are deep in debt before they even begin married life.

Money might buy lots of things but it doesn't give the satisfaction gained by crafting your own life with your own resourcefulness. :A

Charis

soappie

You're so right Charis!

I have, in my hallway, an old wooden orange box, stood on its side, that I use to store photo albums.

It started its domestic life as a bedside cabinet (stood on its side) for Mum and Dad when they first married. Mum made a little curtain out of some spare curtain fabric and strung it across the front on a bit of net curtain wire.

After a few years, as their finances improved, it was then used as a box for storing Dad's tools. I 'inherited' it when Dad died and gave it a good rub down and a varnish and found that my photo albums fit in it beautifully. It's quite a unique little 'feature' in the hallway now. And still has "Union of South Africa" printed on the side!

But then I guess we don't get wooden orange boxes any more - and I feel (and this really is a sweeping generalisation) that many people are too proud or materialistic to even contemplate doing such a thing today.

M.E.

My mum did the same with the orange box. Put a cover over that matched the curtains. How "changing rooms" is that?
Now they call them mdf lamp tables... and £££

spaghetti_monster

I also like this idea of resourcefulness and making do (essence of OS after all!)
But I'm guilty sometimes of wishing for all these things round the house (new bathroom, bedroom furniture, various bits decorated- maybe the influence of all the housing/decorating shows!) - actually I'm very appreciative of what we have- it is totally liveable and we are really lucky and have a nice house.

Sometimes people just want all these extra things - houses just end up characterless and all looking the same

blackvelvetshoes

ceridwen wrote: »

D&DD

I just love that smiley - how do I get it?

right click it and save it to your puter then uploadto photobucket album if you have one

seraphina

I think it's unfair to say that most people would be utterly lost if they had to suddenly start living old style - after all, this board is full of people who used to live on ready meals, takeouts and spend hundreds of pounds a month in supermarkets. Now look at them - cooking and OSing with the best of them!

It's not that difficult at the end of the day to cook - it's following a set of instructions and it's pretty difficult to get it so far wrong that it's inedible (says someone with a husband who's been very diplomatic about my cooking at times;)) and most people know at least one person who can give OS tips and hints!

Frankly living in the past is my idea of hell - restrictive social attitudes, expensive foodstuffs, poor access to medicines, women with no chance for education and career. I could go on but you get the idea:D

And I'd far rather have my friends in a situation where they can't cook but live on ready meals and takeaways (I know very few people like that to be honest) than have friends living in primitive accommodation having to scrape ice from their inside windows and making do with crap old handmedowns (not a dig at anyone, we all do what we have to at times).

It's a good thing that people have higher standards now. It's called progress - God forbid that we are ever forced to lower them.

Happy New Year!:j

jannyannie

What an interesting thread. I was born in 1961. We had a fire in the front room and radiators which were lukewarm and ran off the boiler. We didn't have a phone until 1974. We lived in a tiny village and we cycled everywhere. Dad had a car for work and when it went wrong he stripped it down and mended it. He taught my two brothers to do the same. Apart from the mortgage, they were never in debt. People thought we were posh because we wore Clarks shoes. What they didn't realise was that my Granny, two Aunts and Uncle, saved up and sent Mum the money each year. We played outside. I got my first job at thirteen. We were poor but had so much and we were such a part of a close knit community.

I wouldn't want to go without the things I have but I would like our Son to have a childhood like mine. So, yes, I would like to go back to the 60's and 70's, but no I really couldn't live without my washing machine! xxxxx