Thanks go to Jean for this blog contribution. Inspired by seeing us (on behalf of a good friend and customer) rescuing an Aga range cookerfrom scrap after its careful owner had sadly passed, Jean told us about her range cooker history.
"My mother in law had one in the early seventies It was the first Gas Aga range cooker to be installed in Derbyshire so the fitters served her very well and when she died thirty odd years ago we had it taken out and bought to St Albans. It cost us £700 to get it put together again and installed, a lot of money in those days but bearing in mind that a good gas oven could set you back £500 we didn't think it was too expensive. Served us well for over thirty years We use it for cooking and it heats the kitchen the conservatory and the living room. We very rarely have the central heating on downstairs 'cos it keeps it all lovely and warm. Serviced every year and has cost us very little in replacement parts over the years don't think an ordinary gas oven would have lasted that long... Ours is cream too!" Jean
Inspired by the enthusiasm for this post, I popped up to the workshop, and had a look at what is waiting to be carefully refurbished and revived!
When you stop to look, you see beauty in all parts of this material. Even when it is lined up ready to be shot-blasted, the patina built up through years of devoted service looks 'space like' in places..
See Matthew's post here,on quite how amazing this material is and how it 'bounces back' regaining all it's youth after a good dose of Blake & Bull TLC.
Interesting to see that the cookers lined up here in the workshop waiting to be restored, accurately reflect our recent survey findings!Cream taking the lead, followed closely by the dark blues reds and greens, 'The Classics'!
Katy
