So he we are - where it all began, not in my teenie tiny kitchen but that of me Mam's

Hi, I'm  Ellie,
But if you want to be precise and me  Mam, yes you heard that right me Mam always called me by birth name of Eleanor.  I appeared on this earth on 6th July, 1962.  Premature, me Mam thought she was menopausal - then I appeared, 1lb 10ozs of me.   Just under the size of a bag of sugar ! Forever told by me mam and my sisters - hence I have rubbish lungs from a breathing point of view not a speaking !! Mam always said I came into this world kicking and screaming and I never stopped! (At this point she would screw her face up and frantically throw her fists around !) The youngest of FIVE siblings.  We lived in Stanley County Durham, a tiny mining village, where you knew everyone and everyone knew you.

We lived in a council house.  Three bedrooms; a living room, kitchen  and a parlour for hey days and special days.  Our living room had a coal fired hearth, with a oven that you could warm your feet on once you had walked home from school,  Even though,you were always told not to as you would get chilblains!

Our kitchen was actually teenie tiny! Me Mam's proud and joy being two things - a Hoovermatic second hand twin tub and a baby belling cooker. This twin tub changed all of our lives and especially mine. It made me realise that 'gadgets' existed, They would help us and our family.  When this came into our kitchen I remember washing everything.  Including taking in washing from neighbours.

The second thing was our cooker (even now  my lovely Boydettes laugh as I say COOOOOker!). This tiny little cooker fed a growing family of five, how me Mam did that is beyond me!

It had two rings a small one and a large one, one small oven and that was it.  We also had the use of the oven built into the hearth, actually there were two, a full sized oven and a small one.  You could also pull down the back of the fire onto the coals to have a flat surface to boil kettles or to cook on. I have looked everywhere to find a picture, but sadly I can't find one.  Everything from that era looks like a Aga, We Never ever had an Aga!  We also had a toasting fork, so once the fire was lit, we could make our toast!

Happy Days!