We know first-hand how much an Aga range cooker can mean to our customers. For some, it's more than a cooker - it's been with them for years, it's become the heart of the home, or even a part of the family.
We understand that making any decision, big or small, that can affect your beloved range cooker can be a hard one; whether you're purchasing a new cooker, converting to electric, re-enamelling to a whole new colour, or making the big decision to remove a range.
This was the case for Kim and her family when she made the decision to have her mum's Aga range cooker removed. The day was an emotional one, filled with memories of family dinners, Christmas lunches and, of course, the favourite spot for a morning coffee.
Shortly after our on-site team visited Kim, we received an email that reinforced the true sentimental value a range cooker can have in a person's life.
"I was hugely impressed by my Blake & Bull experience. It was all set to be a pretty traumatic day for me. I was making the big change from Coal fired Aga to Electric but the more emotional aspect was having my mothers old coal fired Aga removed from her house (next door to mine). Mum died in June 2020 aged 92 and it was only for the last year that she had let me and her grandsons take over filling her Aga each night and taking out the ash. I grew up seeing both my parents create amazing family meals on that wonderful cooker. I can still picture my Mum leaning against the towel rail drinking her coffee on cold winters days and seeing my dad create lavish Christmas lunches on it was a glorious mix of chaos and brilliance. As other Aga owners will understand, it was the warm and cosy heart of our home - and the reason why, when I moved next door at the age of 28, I had to search out one for myself.
Getting mum's Aga removed not only felt disloyal, I was worried it would be like saying goodbye to her all over again.
Phillip and Bradley were absolutely brilliant - they turned what could have been a very miserable day into a cheerful adventure. All my questions were answered with good humour and evident expertise - I was included in each step of the process and I got to see for the first time exactly how the inside was constructed. When I made requests for some parts of mum's Aga to be put onto mine, even late in the day when Phillip must have been exhausted, he gave me an extra hour of his time to fulfill my request. Both he and Bradley clearly understood my emotional attachment to both Agas and treated them - and me - with enormous care.
I now have a beautiful , coal dust free! Aga that has aspects of my mum built in. When I lean against it with my cup of coffee I will be leaning against her towel rail. I think it is really remarkable that Phillip was able to complete a total strip down of a coal fired Aga and a rebuild as an electric one in a single day. My kitchen is very cramped but he worked in a very efficient and friendly manner without a word of complaint and without damage to anything. The room was cleaner when he left than when he arrived! It is a real delight to see people take such pride in a job fantastically well done.
Bradley had to carry all the heavy components of my mum's Aga a considerable distance to his van - he worked with a cheerful smile and even helped me choose one or two pieces of the now defunct internal Aga mechanisms to become unusual and striking features in my garden!
I am so glad I came across Blake and Bull - you are a remarkable company and offer the sort of friendly, personal service that is not easy to come by in these high pressure, rushed and profit driven times. Luna’s work back in the office, in the build up to the job, was essential to establishing the approachable and thoughtful attitude of the entire company. Her gentle reminders when I had forgotten to provide certain bits of requested information were helpful, encouraging and stress free. I am confident that the company will be more than helpful should I need to call on them for help in the years to come.
I would not hesitate to highly recommend Blake and Bull to anyone needing their much loved Aga converted or refurbished. Although this was not an inexpensive process, Phillip and Bradley’s skilful hard work and 100% ‘can-do’ attitude on the day provided me with a wonderfully completed job that in my view was more than worth the money. I was left with none of the feelings of trauma I had dreaded - simply the delight of seeing my dear Aga looking more beautiful than ever and the happy knowledge that the outward parts of my parent's Aga will be refurbished and eventually bring warmth and happiness to a new family that will no doubt love and appreciate it as much as we have for the last 60 years.
Thank you Blake and Bull!!"
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