tiffy Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Does anyone still remember or even practise some old ways of mekkin' do? Do you have tips for the kitchen that you can remember your Grandma using? Do you have a great cleaning remedy that even Kim and Aggie haven't used? Do you use 'Grandmothers remedies for illnesses ? What about gardening tips, still use Foggy's tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Tiffy how many people darn these days? I can remember my gran sitting with a big pile of mending on her lap and using a huge darning needle to fill in the holes. It used to feel really uncomfortable to wear the repaired ones especially if the darn was around the toe area. She also used to sew those leather patches on my school cardigans at the elbows to stop the wearing through. Bars of soap were bought months in advance and stored until they were rock hard before using them. That way they lasted much longer. We used to have a hobbing foot ( made of heavy metal with 3 foot shaped bits attached) which was used for repairing shoes. This could be fixing new heels or more likely sticking on new soles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PopT Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 I remember the old 'Mek Do and Mend Days'. The old man used to cut up tins to use them as patches to repair amost anything. Either soldering them on or nailing them over holes. Another common usage was the pot repairers that you could buy. These were a small bolt through two metal washers and two inner cork washers. When a metal cooking pot or kettle had a hole in it the washers were bolted through the hole to make it leak proof. Can you imagine that today? The cast iron kettle was permanently sat on the trivet attached to the grate of the fireplace. Inside the kettle was an Oyster shell which they said kept the water clear and free from rust. I still can't work that one out, maybe someone can illucidate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiffy Posted February 23, 2004 Author Share Posted February 23, 2004 I know of putting a pebble or marble in which collects the chalk deposits from the water and so preventing the kettle from furring up. Lots of people still do that today so I'm told. My dad also had a hobbing foot, maybe my brother has it now. Tell you what I do remember when as a teenager we had the power cuts. My dad got his car battery and headlights out of the car, rigged them up indoors and positioned mirrors everywhere to reflect the light. Almost all the neighbours came knocking asking if we'd got our power back cos they hadn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainbow2411 Posted February 25, 2004 Share Posted February 25, 2004 I have memories of pegging rugs using strips of material cut from old coats ect. One of my jobs as the youngest was to undo the wool from jumpers that we had grown out of so that mom could knit a "new" one. My dad had a hobbin foot and would mend ours and most of our neighbours shoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coddy Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Hi. My dad used to have a cobbler shoe as well, also I used to have to help unravel old jumpers for my mom to make new ones and I even remember having dresses made from old dresses of my moms. I remember her darning socks with one of those mushroom things and I remember coming home from school when I was really little and she was washing with a tub, rubbing board, dolly peg and wringer. Never had a car but went on holiday every year on a coach or a train. Do you remember Sunday tea? was it always tinned fruit and bread and butter. At least way back then it was butter and not margarine like most of us use now! And my mom made a cake every Sunday for tea without fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosherchik Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Well Im a young un and still practise the subtle art of darning...havent quite got me head round how to work sewing machine. My Gran has passed down her heritage of hoarding to me, so that every button, or scrap of cloth or anything interesting is kept...just in case Best practise we used to do was darning holes...not in socks...but in tights Is there a difference between mekking do and mending and just bodging??? my mate fixes the seams on his trousers through use of a stapler, and I have done similar in the past also. xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Originally posted by coddy Do you remember Sunday tea? was it always tinned fruit and bread and butter. Yes I do now you mention it and do you remember that horrible Carnation milk we used to have on it because we couldn't afford real cream? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainbow2411 Posted February 26, 2004 Share Posted February 26, 2004 Yes I remember fruit & carnation cream sunday tea, mom used to make a small tin of pink salmon do for everyone by mixing it with some breadcrumbs & butter to make a paste for sandwiches (no jars of Shipmans for us) they were served with a bowl of thinly sliced cucumber and onions in vinegar, wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coddy Posted February 27, 2004 Share Posted February 27, 2004 Carnation milk, ugh. I had almost forgotton. I would only have my tinned fruit without the juice as I couldnt bear the sight or the thought of the carnation milk mixed in and curdled with the juice from the tin. We had small tin of salmon too and that cucumber and onion in vinegar. Never come across it anywhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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