Suddenly, a new rich row to hoe

NOTE: North Americans please glance at my profile and check: I am the ancient of ancients. My US experiences date way back. Nixon was in the White House and the Pirates were winning the World Series.

So, the US and white goods. When we moved to Philadelphia my wife complained about the summer humidity. But I didn’t fancy paying a big electricity bill all the year round. Ha ha. During my holiday at home we bought an air conditioner. Pushed up the casement window, shoved the metal box half in, half out, and plugged it in.

Then we moved back to Pittburgh (journalism’s like that). I pointed out to my new landlord I had an air conditioner but his metal framed windows precluded its use. “Do what you need to do,” he said, “I want you to enjoy the house.” (These days I tell foreigners that English landlords, especially in London, are just as nice.) So I sawed away part of the frame and installed the box. I must add that when we moved out I re-glazed the gaping hole. A different world?

In those days Americans used to change their fridges to match the new kitchen décor. Avocado green was popular. The old fridge went down into the cellar where it was plugged in. Visitors to cook-outs traditionally brought a case of beer (that’s 24 cans) which they put in a downstairs fridge. Which filled up. I was born in the West Riding (“Lucky enough to have a pebble”) and occasionally I goggled.