The Iron

[paul mann]

Does anybody mind when an iron was an iron? Not one of them electrical things that spits steam and wettah, but a lump of heavy black iron shaped like an iron that your mam heated on the hob? It had a high handle clad with wood to stop you bornin' your mitts off and she had to iron owa a cloth so she wouldn't leave born marks or smuts on your short. But the hoose smelled great wi' the laundry dryin' in front o' the fire on weshin' day.

[Merlin]

Use one of those as a door stop! The house I have just moved into has an open fire and after living with the CLEAN and CHEAP GAS

(hahaha) for the last ten year, you know what? You can stick ya gas where the sun don't

shine!

[Symptoms]

Blimmey Paul ... you actually had clothes that were ironed. Your Mum had a fancy iron (with a wooden handle). I've still got a couple of my Granny's flat irons and they're all metal ... she wrapped a cloth around the tubular handles for insulation; I use them now as door stops. Two iron on the go at the same time - one in use, the other heating up on her range ready for a quick swap.

Down in Cockneyland where I used to live an 'iron' meant something completely different.

[Canny lass]

I can remember another type of flat iron that wasn't heated on the hob. I think it may have been an earlier model. It was hollow but never the less heavy. There was an opening at the back end, by which you filled the iron with glowing coal, and a shutter that fell into a slot rather like the blade on a guillotine.

[Merlin]

Canny Lass, These went out in the 1800,s didn't they

[Canny lass]

Canny Lass, These went out in the 1800,s didn't they

They may well of done Merlin but Ganny Watson in Netherton (she who rewarded my services with a brass shovel when she ran out of sweets) still had one in the 1950's - and she still used ut. They made things to last in the 1800's!

Edited January 6, 2013 by Canny lass

[Pete]

They may well of done Merlin but Ganny Watson in Netherton (she who rewarded my services with a brass shovel when she ran out of sweets) still had one in the 1950's - and she still used ut. They made things to last in the 1800's!

My Grandmother had a flat iron that she still used in the 50s, then she got an iron that plugged into the light socket, never did figure it out how they ironed in the dark.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Pete

[Symptoms]

They used one of these:

[Pete]

They used one of these:

That brings back memories

[Canny lass]

That brings back memories

Does indeed Pete!