Thread Number: 26026
British Rarities |
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Post# 399658   12/14/2009 at 17:20 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399660 , Reply# 1   12/14/2009 at 17:25 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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The Parnall is a real rarity - it has its ancestry in the Thor Auto-magic although without the dishwashing basket. I am amazed that they did not sell in larger quantities as it was a similar price to Hoovermatic, Hotpoint Supermatic & Servis Supertwin (the market leaders). I suppose it was simply as a result of much lesser marketing (Hoovers & Hotpoint frequently appeared in soap powder adverts) and the percieved need for plumbing in - a big deal back then
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Post# 399661 , Reply# 2   12/14/2009 at 17:27 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399662 , Reply# 3   12/14/2009 at 17:30 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399665 , Reply# 4   12/14/2009 at 17:33 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399666 , Reply# 5   12/14/2009 at 17:37 (5,217 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)   |   | |
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Beautiful!!! |
Post# 399668 , Reply# 6   12/14/2009 at 17:38 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399671 , Reply# 7   12/14/2009 at 17:42 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399684 , Reply# 9   12/14/2009 at 18:17 (5,217 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399691 , Reply# 10   12/14/2009 at 18:50 (5,217 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)   |   | |
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Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing! Stokvis is Dutch, it was a company from Rotterdam. The full name of the company was actually the name of the founder, R.S. Stokvis. His initials were later used for the new name the company got later: Erres. R.S. and Erres sound about the same in Dutch. Erres was later taken over by Philps. I have no idea about when that actually happened. |
Post# 399716 , Reply# 12   12/14/2009 at 20:06 (5,217 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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This is fabulous stuff. What freedom of engineering. The ladies' reports on the machines are over-the-top funny. And how 'bout Mrs. Shea's giant tweezers to feed the clothes to the wringer. I'd love a pair. Word for the day and forever:TURBULATOR, so much more accurate than pulsator to describe the spinning vaned disc in our twinnies. Thanks so much for this entertaining enlightening washer lore. |
Post# 399798 , Reply# 13   12/15/2009 at 02:57 (5,217 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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And yes, one has a pair (purchased NIB), of vintage wash tongs. Wash tongs were the later incarnation of "wash sticks" which were used for ages to fetch laundry from the "berlin pot" (as Mammy would say in "Gone With The Wind"). Rubber or rather latex/neoprene gloves that could keep Madame's hands from feeling very hot water are rather a new invention. At best the "Playtex" type gloves from the 1950's or so did keep one's hands dry, but you still felt hot or boiling water. In the UK at least those laundry tongs were either given away or could be purchased when one got a twin tub washing machine. All the better to fetch one's washing between tub without getting one's hands wet or damaged from boiling hot water. L. CLICK HERE TO GO TO launderess's LINK |
Post# 399813 , Reply# 14   12/15/2009 at 06:36 (5,216 days old) by electron1100 (England)   |   | |
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Thanks Alistair for posting these articles, christ childhood memories!...........My mum had the GEC "L" shape washer The whole presentation is so rational and comforting.....not like todays aggressive styles. And of course the variety of machines, all designed by engineers not kids sat on a computer, so nice Thanks Gary |
Post# 399820 , Reply# 15   12/15/2009 at 06:54 (5,216 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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was the slogan!! nice one Al, nowthen Bri-Nylon sheets..oh a winter warmer with all that static electricity, coupled with the wincyette & flanellette bedwear sparks would be flying for all the wrong reasons!!! Many of the Servis wringer washers had provision to house the "Wash Tongs" in the door of the machine when not being used.. I was always fascinated with the gas heated washers, one of my Aunts was given a big wringer washer when she moved into their first house!!big agitator and then this long flexible gas pipe to heat the water...another aunt had the more modern Servis Supertwin with "ServisAir" gas burner to heat the water!!! amazing to think these where still about in 1963.. |
Post# 399828 , Reply# 16   12/15/2009 at 07:34 (5,216 days old) by keymatic (London / UK)   |   | |
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Hi Paul, I have that exact pair of English Electric "Liberators" I was given by a friend who lived in Clapham, and they belonged to Lady Dashwood of Kensington..The Dial-a-fabric idea is quite nifty !! One for Mike...I recently found out that the GEC "Double Plus" twin tub had a two-way wash action, the wash tub went one way and then agi went in the opposite direction..do you have any info ? Al, I think the Parnall Spinwasher, did sell quite well in it's hayday, but the components weren't great, hence they didn't last well, saying that I have had 2 of them and 3 Automagic.. Regards Keith |
Post# 399830 , Reply# 17   12/15/2009 at 07:41 (5,216 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)   |   | |
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Post# 399831 , Reply# 18   12/15/2009 at 07:45 (5,216 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Hi Keith, great to hear from you, now dont tease use you know we need pics, pics & pics & you must have more literature and rare machines than all of us...LOl..would love to see the Liberators.. I have a pic leaflet of the GEC twinny in one...do you mean the spinning discs moved one way, stopped and then moved the other way?? rather like the Maytag A50 twinny?? I take it you got the last Panall spinWash that was on ebay then?? good on ya glad it was saved & not crushed!!! |
Post# 399832 , Reply# 19   12/15/2009 at 07:47 (5,216 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399833 , Reply# 20   12/15/2009 at 07:51 (5,216 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Post# 399845 , Reply# 21   12/15/2009 at 09:33 (5,216 days old) by hunter (Colorado)   |   | |
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Imagine a washing machine that boils - wouldn't that be great? The closest I know of is an older Asko that i had for a while, that would heat to 95C/203F. COOL! |
Post# 399913 , Reply# 22   12/15/2009 at 18:48 (5,216 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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You've got the lady's daughter bringing her wash down from London on the weekends, the next lady celebrating spring cleaning with a washer instead of hand washing, yet another delighted that she can wash anything from Orlon jerseys to builders dust-sheets. Then the fluff-shedding, bicycle grease on jeans--very familiar with this-- and kids' socks stained from shoe dye. I love it all to death. AND the definitive definition of semi-automatic, finally!!! ;'D This is a real Christmas Story for us Washer Boys and Girls. And then the coup de gras: Available in a choice of gay colors: Stardust Blue, Stardust Red, or BISCUIT. I'll take Biscuit, please, Hyacinth. Thanks so much for the blown-up aerial shot of the GEC, the most unusual machine I've ever seen. Wondering if one can order the Tongs and Tweezers from the ads in the back of adult magazines ;=> since the washer shops no longer carry them. |
Post# 399985 , Reply# 23   12/16/2009 at 03:56 (5,215 days old) by keymatic (London / UK)   |   | |
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Morning Mike, I must get some new pics done of the washers I have, they are all on the move on the 16th Jan to a new location..nearer to me in Reading/Berkshire..they haven't seen the light of day for a couple of years now (3) but hopefully they will all be up and running again soon !! I do have a home video of the Parnall Spinwasher doing a load all the way through, which i took just before i left my old house, i must get it uploaded at some point..A friend near London got the Parnall, great condition..I was away on Biz at the time it was closing and missed it.. I had a bit of a dizzy moment about the machine i was inquiring about, it wasn't the GEC "Double-Plus" although that brochure is great...it was the Goblin Double G twin tub..it was about in the early 60's and i believe this to have had a two-way wash action, i only have reference in mail order catalogues. Regards..Keith |
Post# 400041 , Reply# 24   12/16/2009 at 11:49 (5,215 days old) by hoovermatic (UK)   |   | |
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Bri-Nylon Sheets!!! How HIDEOUS were they?!?!? I remember having nylon sheets and pyjamas as a young child, hardly bears thinking about now!!! |
Post# 400118 , Reply# 25   12/16/2009 at 17:32 (5,215 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400231 , Reply# 26   12/16/2009 at 23:49 (5,215 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)   |   | |
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That GEC twintub is an unusual little creature. I wonder how well it performed? |
Post# 400234 , Reply# 27   12/17/2009 at 02:47 (5,215 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Matt, yes in just 50yrs we have seen washers & dryers evolve from some of the most primitive machines and wash actions to todays whiteboxes, although as lifetyles change washing large ammounts of clothes in a twinny or wringer would be a no no for a working mum of today!!! Mickey, glad you like the Brit Stuff, did you notice the McClary Easy Top Loader?? probably the nearest looking washer to a US / Canadian design, Paul, well you know what usually happens, find the dryer and sometime later the washer comes along!!! heres hoping!!! Louis, have you ever used a Stokvis twinny?? where they considered a good brand?? Keith & Al, wow the double action sound interesting, I wonder if it was a hyped up marketing term?? I remember seeing a friends mums Goblin twinny, the one with the faux snakeskin cabinet effect, really weird!! it had an inset control panel, am assuming it had a turbulator in the base for washing, could never get near enough to see!! Heres a pic of Mathews English Electric Liberator dryer being put through its paces!!! solid heavy enamel, gently purrs , no stop on opening the door, just a little removable safety catch to stop the kids opening it!!! |
Post# 400235 , Reply# 28   12/17/2009 at 02:55 (5,215 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400263 , Reply# 29   12/17/2009 at 09:17 (5,214 days old) by keymatic (London / UK)   |   | |
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Afternoon Mike & all I never noticed those dials before on the EE Liberators being the same as Servis machines. Learn something new everyday !! I do luv those machines, while the tumble drier has a good size drum the washer drum is sooo small, I would say it is no deeper than about 15inches..I will get some pics done as soon as I move them. The Goblin twin-tub is a quirky one, I will have to do some searching around, I was just very intrigued, I need to read the description again of the quote on the wash action, but I am sure it said something like “the movement starts up by a powerful vortex and then the agitator – surges suds deep into the clothes” but i will clarify, the machine was also re-badged as a W.S Summerscales machine, or may have even been the other way round. I have a pic in a Trafford Mail Order Catalogue of 1961…More info to follow !! BTW, did you see that “Servis” brochure for the Model D washer, which was only made for one year between 1935-6. Now that would be a machine I would luv to get hold of, but only being made for a year, I bet there are none around now. I still long for the day, when one of these sodding Servis Mk42 – All fabric Auto’s turn up…there must be a few out there, My everyday machine, the Hotpoint 1504 is still going wildly strong and that dates from 1969…here’s hoping for 2010 !! Keith |
Post# 400281 , Reply# 31   12/17/2009 at 10:51 (5,214 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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but I love the writing and the stories even more. They all come in with a Hyacinth Bouquet (Bucket) voice. YOu guys have been so generous over the years with closeup pics of these advertizments-- in the flesh, from your kitchens, gardens, and washrooms. And for us yanks, the UK is Twinny Heaven. I'll go back and check out the Mc/Easy now. |
Post# 400312 , Reply# 32   12/17/2009 at 15:26 (5,214 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Nice one Mikey, is that your Easy??, glad you are liking the stories, thats what makes the difference from a whitebox as most people see washers!!!! Hi Hunter, yes its always great on a cold day to get your twinny on a boil wash!!! wafting swirling steam everywhere, even better with vintage powder!!! although mums machine had a heater it was never used only to boil, the hot water from the house system was always piped in to it...even the people with Hotpoint top loaders always hooked them up to house hot water, I never knew anyone who started a wash off in cold and heated it!!! Heres the Hotpoint Filter Flow twinny that is featured in the report on a boil wash!! |
Post# 400313 , Reply# 33   12/17/2009 at 15:34 (5,214 days old) by mayfan69 (Brisbane Queensland Australia)   |   | |
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Post# 400314 , Reply# 34   12/17/2009 at 15:38 (5,214 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400315 , Reply# 35   12/17/2009 at 15:46 (5,214 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Hi Leon, great stuff, dont hesitate, these are great machines, very sturdy and simple to get too for repairing, once you disconnect the hoses and remove the top, everything sits on a metal frame!!we are about to start renovations on number three, just think filterflow and 3,100rpm spin, good luck, This casing has just come back from the Spa of Neil, and its had replacement hoses, all we need to do is a new gasket on the direct drive washpump and a spin motor microswitch replaced, then ready for the next 50yrs!!!, note the fiberglass outer spin can!!!cheers, Mike
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Post# 400321 , Reply# 36   12/17/2009 at 16:15 (5,214 days old) by mayfan69 (Brisbane Queensland Australia)   |   | |
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Brilliant Mike! I will defintely have to get one then! My contact has quite a few buried underneath other stuff...so it will be a little while before i can get my hands on one. Also, i missed out on a 1950's Wilkins Servis Twinny in immaculate condition a few weeks ago at an estate auction...somebody else outbid me! Cheers Leon |
Post# 400325 , Reply# 38   12/17/2009 at 16:20 (5,214 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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it looks great. How sturdy and simple. Look at that elegant design, Like your mum, I don't have tongs either, just a nice wash stick, but I"m working on it. Yeah, that's my old Easy left on too long, and look at what happens. So nice that most--all?--of the UK twinnes have auto shut-off. Love your steam ghost in the Hotpoint. Easy's controls |
Post# 400338 , Reply# 39   12/17/2009 at 18:10 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Not a strictly a BRITISH rarity however ....... I really dont know much about these machines at all I am afraid. The only other Calor appliance I can remember is an simple dry iron, with an open handle. However, looking back through some old Which reports (Consumers Association - our equivalent of Consumer Reports I guess) here is one from November 1964, where Calor machines are mentioned |
Post# 400340 , Reply# 40   12/17/2009 at 18:11 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400341 , Reply# 41   12/17/2009 at 18:12 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400342 , Reply# 42   12/17/2009 at 18:13 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400343 , Reply# 43   12/17/2009 at 18:13 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400344 , Reply# 44   12/17/2009 at 18:14 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400345 , Reply# 45   12/17/2009 at 18:14 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400346 , Reply# 46   12/17/2009 at 18:15 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400347 , Reply# 47   12/17/2009 at 18:16 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400348 , Reply# 48   12/17/2009 at 18:17 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400349 , Reply# 49   12/17/2009 at 18:18 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400350 , Reply# 50   12/17/2009 at 18:19 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400351 , Reply# 51   12/17/2009 at 18:21 (5,214 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 400558 , Reply# 53   12/18/2009 at 18:34 (5,213 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Moving forward to 1968 (I think) Although there were plenty of twin tubs around they do not feature in this article at all - demonstrating the aspirational approach of this magazine - it is still published but has gone distinctly down market now. This time was probably the zenith of variety of automatic machines in the UK with a number of top loaders in addition to front loading machines. In only a couple of years the top loaders would be almost gone along with front loaders with controls in the top rear, with only the Hotpoint remaining (as it did right through to the 1990s) and top loading H axis machines - at that time only Philips I think. As with the previous model English Electric, the new reversomatic looked to Westinghouse for its design. I believe that English Electric had been absorbed by AEI (Hotpoint) but this machine continued in production alongside the (wonderful!) Hotpoint 1600 until the all new Hotpoint Liberator range was introduced in 1972(?). Interestingly "Liberator" was the model name of the older EE machine. Also of interest is that many of the machines were manufactured in the UK again in a few short years it would be down to Hoover, Hotpoint & Servis, all the rest of teh machines on sale would be imports |
Post# 400560 , Reply# 54   12/18/2009 at 18:39 (5,213 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Note the amended Keymatic which allowed the machine to be placed under a work top - the previous short lived model had the powder dispener on the top rear of the machine - an acknowledgement of the (generally) small size of UK kitchens where worktop (counter) space is at a premium, again a reason for the demise of top loading or top control panel machines. If I am not mistaken, the Keymatic was the first appearance of a powder drawer in the UK |
Post# 400561 , Reply# 55   12/18/2009 at 18:47 (5,213 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield, East Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Of all automatics the Hotpoint 1600 would be my "holy grail" machine - I always liked it. In styling it is not unlike the Indesit Europa with top (left) mounted powder dispenser and controls but with very clean styling. Rather like the Keymatic it has a horizontal programme indicator, a feature which would be transferred to the Hotpoint top loader for a number of years although it would be dropped on the new front loader range previously mentioned. No "vox pops" this time, but by this time washing machines had moved forward from being desirable to necessity and the differences between different types of machine would have been established in teh British "psyche" |