why in old houses did they.....

[Jimmy Boy]

Fit pendants about a foot from the window I have heard theories over the years be good to get an opinion from someone on here that may have wired one in the 1930' s lol
J

 

[Guest55]

She can pick up the cartoon channel if she sits still , useful for tuning into roadrunner :-D

 

[Des 56]

I always thought it was because in yesteryear folks used to have clothes dryers and vegetable hangers and stuff in the middle of the room so the light was always offset. Might be a load of tripe though.

Yes,in old times it was a pain battling your way past the onions and grandpas Long Johns just to get to bed.then find the slugs had the same idea.
Some quaint ideas of old times there K
:sleep1:

 

[telectrix]

we were posh. the clothes driers and veg. racks were in the kitchen not the bedrooms. tin bath in the scullery, hung on a nail on the back door all week. saturday night, kettles on the fire/aga. kids in first, then mother, then father. but that was just in winter time. april through september was a hosepipe in the back yard.

 

[Adam]

No electrical but following the same privacy rule as above,

Another one you don't always see nowadays is doors to rooms were always hung so they hid the view into the room when the door was partly open.

Now they are hung the other way to make the rooms look bigger when you sell the house.

 

[Strima]

we were posh. the clothes driers and veg. racks were in the kitchen not the bedrooms. tin bath in the scullery, hung on a nail on the back door all week. saturday night, kettles on the fire/aga. kids in first, then mother, then father. but that was just in winter time. april through september was a hosepipe in the back yard.

Hosepipe? We should have been so lucky...

Cue Monty Python...

 

[alarm man]

wring the clothes in the mangle and dry it in front of the aga,christ i remember me granny doing that..:rolleyes2:

 

[telectrix]

was it like ours?

i keep telling her to grease the gears.

 

[Strima]

Up until 1980 my nan had a twin tub and a mangle. Many happy days getting my fingers trapped in that.

 

[sedgy34]

yep. a combination of simulating window light and for the ladies to get dressed/undressed without being between the light and the curtains.

why didn't they just close the curtains lol

 

[alarm man]

more like this one,was the 70's.modern times:1eye:

 

[sedgy34]

Up until 1980 my nan had a twin tub and a mangle. Many happy days getting my fingers trapped in that.

By looking at your avatar you sure it was just your fingers that went through the mangle lol

 

[sedgy34]

more like this one,was the 70's.modern times:1eye:

View attachment 14177

So you found my pants give them back lol

 

[Strima]

By looking at your avatar you sure it was just your fingers that went through the mangle lol

I may have tried to get my head in at some point knowing me... :lol:

 

[Darkwood]

Im a bit late on this one and probably already suggested but here's a few reasons and myths;

Myth- They were wired close the windows due to war era and the thought that enemies may shoot at shadows cast

Truth- In the days of lead wiring etc the cost of fabric was high thus ppl couldn't afford heavy thick curtains and the consequence was they were similar to the net curtains we have no for fancy, but this revealed all if you passed between the light and the window so positioning close to window solved this.

Another thing was that fitting were used as plug sockets as well and in some rooms were offset to allow for irons etc to be run off the lampholder adaptor (pre 17th ) where having them central normally would mean ironing in the center of the room but more beneficial if you ironed near the window with natural light.... although this wasn't the original reason it kept the trend going for many decades after.

Believe it or not ive been to a house of a very old lady still plugging an old iron to the cotton wrap drop but it was 10yrs ago and believe shes now passed away.

 

[Geordie Spark]

And another one, radiators were always put under windows to mask the draught from single glazing and unsealed casements,

I almost always fitted them under the window - regardless if the property had double glazing or not.

My thinking being that you can't shove a wardrobe in front of a window (well .. you can, but ..) so put the radiator there & leave a wall clear for wardrobes etc.