The cost of living... what can we do?

In Scotland that is known as a "Pulley".

 

Only posh people had a range cooker to put the racks over My Mum put up with an awful, long, thin sliver of a kitchen but we used to joke that at least she couldn't fall over in there

 

Hang your clothes over the range where you are cooking? Wouldn't your clothes then smell like last night's dinner and what about all the frying in oil people used to do? Wouldn't that steam/vapour contaminate your clothes?

When I was young, clothes were hung out from spring through fall and then in the winter, we all loaded into the car and went to the laundromat to dry them. I used to love going to the laundromat as it was always toasty in there with all the big dryers running. I should have been born wearing a sweater

 

We didn't have laundrettes when I was young. London had the first in 1949 but they didn't reach our neck of the woods until the 70s.
The town had a laundry and occasionally my mum would make use of it for sheets and blankets. You handed them in and got them back washed dried and folder a couple of days later.
And yes, everything did smell of cooking, but we all smelt the same so it didn't matter!

 

I remember when the first laundrette appeared at my local shopping area sometime in the 60s.
It all seemed really modern , at the time you only saw them on TV.

 

Ours were just coin operated washers and dryers, no assistance. Just lovely and warm. And since we only went in the coldest part of winter, it was a treat!

 

When I was a student the Sunday morning trip to the launderette was a highpoint especially in winter, pick up the Sunday papers and then sit with your back against the dryers.
As a youngster in the East of England washing was hung out to dry whenever it wasn't raining, although sometimes it would have frozen solid by the end of the afternoon.

 

Mum & Dad had one of those, Mum used to clean with Black Lead it to make it look smart.

 

I still do always hang mine out. Just have to pick the right day. We do have a tumble dryer but I can't remember the last time it was used.