THE NEW FRIDGE DRAMA
Do you feel your electrical goods don’t last very long? I am convinced now that our electrical appliances are designed to stop working after about ten years. Why? When our oven was about eleven years old it stopped functioning. The electrician came and showed us the damage, quoted for replacement parts and then explained the oven was so old that new parts would take months to arrive. We use the oven almost every day and not having a working one for three months would be difficult.
The next problem was finding a double oven which would fit the existing cavity. We’d recently had the kitchen cupboard doors replaced and I didn’t want to have to get a carpenter to modify the oven space so we were limited to only a few models which would fit. We bought a stainless steel Smeg double oven and we have been very happy with it. The big issue for me was the stainless steel finish in my all white kitchen. I got used to it and eventually didn’t notice it every time I walked in there.
About eighteen months later the dishwasher also stopped working. This was during the early days of isolation and it was worrying having an appliance repair man come into the house. He arrived gloved and masked and after inspecting the machine, shared the news; our Bosch dishwasher had died.
His company was able to supply and install another dishwasher and remove the old one. We weren’t keen on shopping in a huge electrical shop so took his advice and bought the dishwasher he recommended, a Siemens. We are pleased with it but the only one available at the time had a stainless steel finish. Not my preferred finish but I felt we had a solution which meant we stayed isolated and had a functioning dishwasher.
Then a week ago we came inside from gardening. I turned the coffee machine on, my husband turned on his laptop. Coffee machine worked, no internet connection on his laptop. Modem not working. Investigating the meter box revealed we had a problem. Called the electrician. He diagnosed a dead fridge. It wasn’t the compressor or the fan belt and probably couldn’t be repaired and anyway, parts would take months to come. The fridge, despite looking very new and modern was actually about twelve years old.
So, Friday mid afternoon we go to a big electrical goods supplier as we have to find a fridge which will fit the existing cavity. The salesman wanted to know what we were looking for in a fridge, which I hadn’t given any thought, but told him the size was actually the most important factor. That limited us to very few options and we selected the one from a brand we knew. The salesman thought it was available in white and tapped away on his computer. Tap, tap, tap, yes, available in white, tap,tap, tap, delivery in ten weeks! Only stainless steel or graphite finish available now. We bought stainless steel. It matches the oven, dishwasher and hot plate.
We keep a lot of food in the freezer. We buy locally caught fish and prawns (shrimps) which are very affordable this year as the traditional export markets are limited. My husband buys big pieces of meat and butchers them to suit our needs. There was a lot of meat in the freezer. Luckily, a neighbour (we have great neighbours) offered us several shelves in her freezer.
The next afternoon the new fridge arrived. It was very difficult to get through the portico and front door to the kitchen. I was really impressed by the two young men and their determination, care and problem solving skills. Eventually the new fridge was in place, the old one was gone and my once white kitchen now has all stainless steel appliances. I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
Relating this drama to my mother she referred to the fridge she has in the garage and the one in her kitchen, telling me they are really old! Both are over 30 years old and no problems. Fridge design didn’t change very much for years so despite their age, her fridges look fine and do the job well.
Pondering inbuilt obsolescence led me to Buy Me Once, a business promoting long lasting products. Tara Button created a website featuring products which do last. She considers
1. Do the materials used result in a durable product?
2. Do customers and independent reviews confirm the product’s longevity?
3. Is the product manufactured from ethically and sustainable materials?
4. Is exceptional aftercare offered?
5. Is the design timeless?
I like the concept of buying the best and buying less. Sometimes the best will have already proven its durability, such as an antique or second hand product and sometimes the brand is well established and recognised for its quality. As consumers we all have the power to buy thoughtfully.
More information, mainly focusing on UK products from www.buymeonce.com
Bought 38 years ago in still in frequent use.
EXCITING TIMES by Naoise Dolan A BOOK REVIEW
I hesitated to review this book as I was always told,”If you cant find anything nice to say don’t say anything at all”. The nice thing; this story is set in Hong Kong and I really enjoyed the author’s references to places I know well. Many of the streets, MTR stations and routes and even some restaurants were familiar and I enjoyed the nostalgic journey, but not much else.
This is a book about millennials. I know a few things about millennials; I grew one myself. He is thoughtful, funny, focused and hardworking, as are many of his cohort. The angst, self obsession, ennui and ability to ignore her core values in favour of free rent in a lovely flat (without the cockroaches in her paid accommodation) in exchange for sex and occasional company, seems at odds with our protagonist’s communist leanings and constant sneering at those who house, feed and entertain her.
Ava has finished university with a degree in English Literature and uses her “abortion” money to leave her home in Ireland to teach “rich children” English in Hong Kong. She doesn’t like them or the job but has no plans for the future. Ava actually scorns the job and her colleagues, scorns the children she teaches, scorns her sex partner but allows him to pay for everything. She is shallow and self obsessed.
This tale, a quick read, is full of clever quips about the use of language. These fill in the gaps between Ava leaving her rich, Oxford University educated male sex partner and going to her rich, Cambridge University educated female sex partner. Her parasitic behaviour was at odds with the irony and feminist views so important to our main character.
The author, Naoise Dolan , herself a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Oxford University, obviously hated her university years and everyone she met. She has been compared to Sally Rooney, author of ‘Normal People’. This is another book I found frustrating but I must be out of sync with young readers. It has been made into a series of 12 episodes currently airing.
Finally, I headed to online reviews and discovered many readers who reacted the same way I did to this book. Reviewers don’t publish their age but I would like to know if this tale resonates more with young people. I could not recommend it.
Did you know?
June 10th marked the 99th birthday of Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, the Duke of Edinburgh. He is the longest serving consort in British history. Born to both Greek and Danish royalty he has been married to Queen Elizabeth 11 since 1947.
He is best known for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, developing competitive carriage driving and his sharp wit and occasional gaffe.
Many happy returns!