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[Lizzie Zoom]

I can remember my Father asking a yoof( not that many years ago ) in the local DIY store for one of those ancient socket connectors that plugged into the light fitting so he could run some power off it  , the poor kid just looked baffled 

There's some of them knocking about at my parents house. Christmas tree fairy lights used to be plugged in with one. I forget now where I've seen the picture ... probably my parents, but it was of a woman ironing with her iron plugged into the light fitting above.

It was a very common practice during my childhood

But now the fact is that modern irons, especially the steam versions, use up to 2,400 watts, so pulling off around 10 amps, which is totally unsuitable for 5/6 amp wiring fused limit of lighting circuits!

[dave the builder]

I can remember my Father asking a yoof( not that many years ago ) in the local DIY store for one of those ancient socket connectors that plugged into the light fitting so he could run some power off it  , the poor kid just looked baffled 

There's some of them knocking about at my parents house. Christmas tree fairy lights used to be plugged in with one. I forget now where I've seen the picture ... probably my parents, but it was of a woman ironing with her iron plugged into the light fitting above.

It was a very common practice during my childhood

But now the fact is that modern irons, especially the steam versions, use up to 2,400 watts, so pulling off around 10 amps, which is totally unsuitable for 5/6 amp wiring fused limit of lighting circuits!

Old wire fuses will glow quite happy for long enough to get a weeks washing made flat with one of them electric hot triangle contraptions 
No earth point on them b22 adapters though ,so , don't slosh too much water about 
 

[Lizzie Zoom]

I can remember my Father asking a yoof( not that many years ago ) in the local DIY store for one of those ancient socket connectors that plugged into the light fitting so he could run some power off it  , the poor kid just looked baffled 

There's some of them knocking about at my parents house. Christmas tree fairy lights used to be plugged in with one. I forget now where I've seen the picture ... probably my parents, but it was of a woman ironing with her iron plugged into the light fitting above.

It was a very common practice during my childhood

But now the fact is that modern irons, especially the steam versions, use up to 2,400 watts, so pulling off around 10 amps, which is totally unsuitable for 5/6 amp wiring fused limit of lighting circuits!

Old wire fuses will glow quite happy for long enough to get a weeks washing made flat with one of them electric hot triangle contraptions 
No earth point on them b22 adapters though ,so , don't slosh too much water about 

My grandmother had the right idea.  When I was a very young child I remember seeing her still using fire irons; that is those solid pieces of metal shaped similar to a modern iron that was heated by placing them over an open fire or on top of a range. An environmentalists dream, without a bit of leccy used!

[Andy B]

....  When I was a very young child I remember seeing her still using fire irons; that is those solid pieces of metal shaped similar to a modern iron that was heated by placing them over an open fire or on top of a range. An environmentalists dream, without a bit of leccy used!

Flat irons .....  There are some at home, they make good door stops. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

....  When I was a very young child I remember seeing her still using fire irons; that is those solid pieces of metal shaped similar to a modern iron that was heated by placing them over an open fire or on top of a range. An environmentalists dream, without a bit of leccy used!

Flat irons .....  There are some at home, they make good door stops. 

Indeed, and yes they were called flat irons comes to think about it!

Later, once nan had been persuaded to buy a new fangled electric iron, she used them for that purpose throughout her home, as did my Great Aunt.  They couldn't be without them I suppose.

[Tony H]

....  When I was a very young child I remember seeing her still using fire irons; that is those solid pieces of metal shaped similar to a modern iron that was heated by placing them over an open fire or on top of a range. An environmentalists dream, without a bit of leccy used!

Flat irons .....  There are some at home, they make good door stops.

Agreed I have three of my late mums holding my doors open in this scorcheo weather 

[hercules]

a few years ago i changed my old fuse box for a consumer unit and the wife thought i was daft and annoyed i had to kick her out of the house for a few hours while i did it,three weeks later she rings me saying told you it was stupid the powers gone in the house what i found out later when i got home was my lad had stuck a knife in the toaster and she didnt like the big smug grin on my face(stupid eh)

[BazaJT]

Yep remember those light socket things for powering other electrical items-like irons-flat irons for those who couldn't afford or distrusted those new fangled electric irons-a mangle atop the washing machine a wooden "mushroom" for darning socks and a metal three legged thing with different shapes/sizes on the end of each leg for doing shoe repairs-you never threw anything out whilst ever it could be mended and eventually it became a "hand-me-down"...……….first up best dressed

[Bigron]

That 3-legged cobblers tool was called a Hobbing Foot, Baza; I saw one at a boot sale last year for the first tjme since my grandfather died - he did all our shoes!
Our mangle was in the lean-to, near the outside bog!
In the "Scullery" was the Copper, a huge tub about 6 feet across and made of copper, with a fireplace underneath to heat the water for washing. We never used that, having a posh gas-fired version.
That's East London for you.....

Ron.