We lived in a house with an outside bathroom (apparently used to be the servants quarters) - had to boil the copper in the laundry, haul the hot water into the house for guests to use- they must have used one of those portable tin baths I reckon. Dad or mum still had to do that for us, fill the bath outside and then we all took turns to bathe. Being the only girl, I got to go first!! In winter (Victoria) almost froze running back to the house!!!
__________________
jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
Boy did this bring back memories. Winter bathtimes, the old chip heater chuffing away, the cat and her kittens in the kitten box in the corner. The mad dash from the bathroom down the veranda to jump in the bed, no electric blankets, in fact no electricity. kero fridge, wood stove. We would fill the kettle at night and put it in the fridge so we would have water to make a cup of tea in the morning, only place it wouldn't freeze.
We still laugh about the time an elderly aunt and uncle visited from Sydney and popped their false teeth into a glass of water over night. Next morning the teeth were grinning away in a solid block of ice.
Yes I remember the old chip heater and boiler also. Gosh Hendo bet the poor old Uncle and Aunt were a bit upset. Also had to smile about the kettle in the fridge. But look at us we are still all here.
The scary thing is I have one still... bought it for the shack for $20. useful bit of kit in the bush with low pressure water. And cheap as chips to use :)
Pete
Ah yes, the lovely warm bathroom with the chip heater choofing. In summer we used to have a bath late in the afternoon as the water pipes were above ground so we had hot water for free!
Yes hendo, also remember the kero fridge that didn't do much cooling in summer which made meat storage unsafe, so we had to eat a lot of tinned meat.
I just cant figure out why our grandkids are so fussy about what they eat, when we had no choices we ate hungrily.