Exeter Couple Finally Ditch 1950s Appliances

Sunday November 19, 2017.

An elderly couple are getting rid of household appliances they bought more than 50 years ago.

Sydney Saunders, 83, and wife Rachel, 81, from Exeter, have a tumble dryer, water boiler, cooker and washing machine, all in recent working order.

They bought some of the items when they got married in 1956 and have been using most of them since.

They say they are "not interested" in money and hope a museum or collector will take them.

Image copyright David Hedges/SWNS

Image caption The couple bought some of the items when they got married in 1956

Included in the items for sale is a Servis washing machine which the couple bought for £60 when they first got married.

"It was a lot of money in those days," said Mrs Saunders.

All of the items operate, but Mr Saunders said the washing machine does "have the slightest of leaks".

Image copyright David Hedges/SWNS

Image caption The dryer was used up until a couple of months ago

The tumble dryer was bought when their first daughter was born 55 years ago and was used until a couple of months ago.

They also have a Baby Belling cooker bought in 1956 for £19 and a five-gallon boiler bought in 1959 for about £15.

The couple decided to get rid of the appliances after "having a clear out".

Image copyright David Hedges/SWNS

Image caption The couple say they do not want to throw away the machines which have served them so well

"It would be an awful shame to throw them away or to take them to the tip," said Mrs Saunders.

"We've been here for 60 years and we've kept them for spares for years, but now we'll never use them again.

"I'm not bothered about the price - I'd like them to go to a museum or something like that so they can be preserved."

From Chip War To Cloud War: The Next Frontier In Global Tech Competition