Cars, Buses and Washing

We had a black Ford Prefect, LWB 195 and later PWB 72, a square-backed four door car which had running boards by the front doors, and orange indicators that, when you turned the switch to left or right, stuck out at right angles to the car between the two doors.

Buses

They were open at the back, where you got on and where the stairs were, with a metal pole by the edge of the platform to divide people going inside from those going upstairs. A conductor came round to collect the fares with a bag over his shoulder for the money and a ticket machine. A child's fare to town in the early to mid 50s was 2d and 1dd to Ecclesall.

Washing

All washing was done by hand until we got a twin tub washing machine in about 1958. It was hard work with a washboard and a 'posher' for pressing down the sheets and towels to clean them. After rinsing, things were put through the mangle, making sure the buttons were kept flat so they didn't break. Then the washing was hung outside on the clothes line or, if it was raining, hung on the pulley rack in the kitchen which made it smell of steamy damp washing. The kitchen fire had to be lit to heat the water for washing etc, no immersion heater. There was something I vaguely remember called 'dolly blue' which you put in the wash to make the whites whiter. One of the washing powders was called OMO.

We used to save bits of soap and put them in a little enclosed wire basket with a handle and swish it in the hot water for washing up - before they invented Fairy Liquid!

Penny Hammill