front cover of a late 50s magazine. If it rained he wouldn't have to water the garden. If it rained she'd have washing drying all over the house.
The memories that flooded back as I screwed the two screws into the end of my length of wood....
I remembered that sexist time when families chores were segregated and a woman's greatest worry apart from keeping his collars clean, was getting the washing dry.
Washing day was traditionally Monday around my area.
Sunday was a rest day, well for everyone except mum who cooked the Sunday roast, prepared the Sunday tea and invariably washed up both, so Sunday was busy and it was considered shameful to have washing on the line on that day.
So Monday it was.
The man of the house was at work and the child(ren) were at school, so she had a clear six hours to change the sheets, get them washed and out on the line, wash the underwear and the shirts for work and school uniform for the child(ren) plus other ancillary items she had about.
If she was lucky she had a twin tub (oh, how I loved the convenience of that, I no longer had to wash sheets in the bath!) which not only washed the clothes but had a separate spinner. This was great because lifting heavy clothes full of water out of the washing machine and then get them through the mangle was tough.
My mangle was old when I got it, and lived outside the kitchen door. I would lift out the washing from the top-loading machine, wring it out by hand and then carry it outside to get more water out. The thing you have to remember was the machine washed it, it didn't rinse, this is where a large bath of water came in handy.
Six hours seems like a long time but to be honest with just two of us it would take me at least the morning and half the afternoon.
The best bit was when I got it on the line; the process of washing had been concluded and I could sit down.
A mother of two say, would have tea to prepare for the children when they got back from school, which was usually around 4pm, then make sure they did their homework and get the meal ready for her husband on his return which was usually around 6pm. She still had the bathing of the children and getting them to bed as well as clearing up after hubby's dinner, making a pit of tea and if she was lucky, sit down.
Married women weren't expected to work; fortunate really, running the house was indeed a full time process.
My mind then drifted to Wales and the alleyways where my great aunt lived. Wash days there where busy affairs and she would send us all off so,
"I can get on. Go on all if you, down to the beach, I'll expect you back by 3pm and here's some jam sandwiches to keep you going."
And that was it, we'd be packed off down the hill to the beach about two and a half miles away.
When we got back the pulleys were up and full. You could see if anyone had had a baby by the nappies, or whether the woman down the road had a lodger 😁. Sometimes scandal would be whispered over the garden walls that Mrs. So-and-so had a fancy man,
"Well, fancy that and her Derek not cold in his grave!"
Me? I have a front loader like most people. I put the washing in, dial my programme, give it soap powder and conditioner and then press the start button. Within 40 minutes the washing is done and on the line, none of this three hour lark these days.
And the two screws? If screwed in about a centimetre apart and sticking up about the same, they hold the washing line between them. Easy and quick washing line prop. 😏
