On Washing Day

[Lavenderblue2]

We of a certain age, will well remember days like this...

On Washing Day

I’m going to gran’ma’s for a bit
My mother’s got the copper lit;
An’ piles of clothes are on the floor,
An’ steam comes out the wash-house door;
An’Mrs Griggs has come, an’ she
Is just as cross as she can be.
She’s had her lunch, and ate the lot;
I saw her squeeze the coffee pot.
An’ when I helped her make the starch,
She said: ‘Now, Miss, you just quick march!
What? Touch them soap suds if you durst;
I’ll see you in the blue bag first!’
An’ mother dried my frock an’ said:
‘Come back in time to go to bed.’
I’m off to gran’ma’s, for, you see,
At home, they can’t put up with me.

“But down at gran’ma’s ‘tis so nice.
If gran’ma’s making currant-cake,
She’ll let me put the ginger spice,
An’ grease the tin, an watch it bake;
An’ then she says she thinks it fun
To taste the edges when it’s done.

“That’s gran’ma’s house. Why, hip, hooray!
My gran’ma’s got a washing day;
For gran’pa’s shirts are on the line,
An’ stockings, too – six, seven, eight, nine!
She’ll let me help her. Yes, she’ll tie
Her apron round to keep me dry;
An’ on her little stool I’ll stand
Up to the wash-tub, “Twill be grand!
There’s no cross Mrs. Griggs to say,
‘Young Miss is always in the way.’
An’me an’ gran’ma will have tea
At dinner-time – just her an’ me-
An’ eggs, I ‘spect, an’ treacle rice.
My goodness! Won’t it all be nice?

“Gran’ma, I’m come to spend the day,
‘Cause mother finds me in the way.
Gran’ma, I’ll peg the hankies out;
Gran’ma, I’ll stir the starch about;
Gran’ma, I’m come, because, you see,
At home, they can’t put up with me.”


By Fay Inchfawn (pseudonym of Elizabeth Rebecca Ward)

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Nice poem Lavenderblue........enjoyed that.

What about this one.......

Here Maw is Granny Jeannie gettin married
I'm only tryin to stress
Cos I've just seen on her washin line
A bonnie Wedding dress

Here Maw is Granny Jeannie goin to a funeral
I dinnae mean no flak
Cos I've just seen on her washin line
A dress that is so black

Here Maw has Granny Jeannie got a Toy Boy
Ye can correct me if I'm wrong
Cos I've just seen on her washin line
The brighest sparkly purple thong

[Kenn]

I can mind my mother stooking up the copper. the mangle that trapped ye'r fingers is you were n't careful and as for the scrubbing board!
Long consinged to The Skiffle Group!
Well progress has a few advantages!

[Lavenderblue2]

Nice poem Lavenderblue........enjoyed that.

What about this one.......

Here Maw is Granny Jeannie gettin married
I'm only tryin to stress
Cos I've just seen on her washin line
A bonnie Wedding dress

Here Maw is Granny Jeannie goin to a funeral
I dinnae mean no flak
Cos I've just seen on her washin line
A dress that is so black

Here Maw has Granny Jeannie got a Toy Boy
Ye can correct me if I'm wrong
Cos I've just seen on her washin line
The brighest sparkly purple thong

Yes, that's another good one Cedric - old fashioned with a hint of sauciness.

[Angela]

Oh yes, I do remember the washing board & scrubbing brush, the mangle and the little bag of blue.

"Fairy Snow", as it was then called, was quite expensive and exotic, I'm trying to remember the names of the other soap powders ...there was OMO wasn't there? (the initials were said to stand for something else I remember, but maybe shouldn't post....?)

I think there was Persil and Surf, was there something called Rinso as well?

[trinkie]

It would have been Oxydol and that big bar of hard green soap!
Of course they would shove in a handful of Washing Soda too and several rinses would be necessary.
I dont know how many rinses, but when I had my babies I was told to rinse at least seven times in clean water - by hand ! That was after boiling them in my little Baby Burco! Back breaking work.

The first liquid washing up detergent was called Teepol and was a by-product of Shell Petroleum !

Of course we used the powder for the dishes too! What a dreadful job that was. With no running hot water, you had to wait for kettle after kettle to boil. Then the powder had to be frothed up - again the dishes had to be thoroughly rinsed.
Greasy pans were a nightmare !

[Angela]

I dont know how many rinses, but when I had my babies I was told to rinse at least seven times in clean water - by hand ! That was after boiling them in my little Baby Burco! Back breaking work.

My word yes, when I had my first baby, I'd no washing machine -most clothes went to the launderette...but baby clothes were all handwashed in stergene and nappies soaked in napisan, handwashed in very hot water and rinsed over and over again, and then put in the spin drier...no tumble drier either of course!

When my second baby was born, hurrah, we had a washing machine....and when my youngest baby arrived I could afford to buy disposable nappies

Some things have certainly improved imo! I know disposables are not environmentally friendly, but since my grand-daughter was born last year her mum's resolutions to use terry nappies have flown out of the window

[Lavenderblue2]

I still use Fairy washing powder Angela or Fairy Non-Bio as it's called now - old habits die hard.

I still use washing soda Trinkie but not in the wash - it's great for pre-soaking - also for the bits of the cooker/oven and for getting tea stains out of cups and cleaning the teapot. You can't beat the old fashioned stuff and it's so much cheaper than all of these fancy substances.

Ah yes, Rinso, Oxydol, Omo and what about Tide - remember the White Tide Man.

All I had was a Baby Burco when I was first married and then much later in I got a single tub washing maching with a side paddle that just tied everything into a knott - what a pain that was....ah, those were the days...