Out with the old ........

Being a woman of thrift, I like to hang onto things, possibly past their sell-by date. Sadly, I decided that this beloved purse/wallet/thing that holds money was not really fit to be taken out in public any more. I had noticed some rather natty ones in a shop window down Main St so took the reckless decision to discard the old one and hunt for a new one.



More importantly, after nearly three years of cooking on a ceramic hob with a built-in oven underneath that has never worked, Partner made the mistake of saying he would knock it out if we bought a new freestanding cooker.

Admittedly we have had this conversation repeatedly for the last three years, but it has never got to the 'I've got some free time, I'll do it now' stage.

I dragged him down to the shop. When I say dragged, I literally mean that. For someone who invariably walks quite briskly, he suddenly seemed to have developed a serious case of oscillating between first and reverse gear (in pedestrian terms).

Nevertheless we got there before the shop closed for lunch. I don't really know why I took him as I could have guessed which one he would have chosen anyway. The most expensive model in the shop in black. Exactly like the previous two range cookers he has also chosen, except one was gas, one was a gas Rayburn, and this is electric.

Although Gib is quite limited in choices for some things - there are loads of cookers. There are the Spanish manufacturers such as Balay and Fagor, various others - eg Bosch, and at the shop we went to, Belling and Stoves. If you want to spend big money , you can get a Rangemaster. (For stockists of all these - see end of post)

We paid our deposit and went happily back home. After gazing at the useless oven and the fully functioning hob - and the built-in brick surround, Partner could wait no longer and decided to start work.

Out came the oven.




Next, out came the saw to chop through the wooden worktop.





Next - whack! - he started demolishing the brick supports. A good evening's work.



Suppliers:

Bosch and Balay available at RDA, Horse Barrack Lane and New Harbours
Stoves and Belling available at Popay, City Mill Lane

I have used both these firms and can recommend them, reasonable prices and a good choice of models.

They will deliver and install the equipment included in the price. They will also take away the old models.

Fagor is available at Bush House, Town Range, and Rangemaster at Interbuild, New Harbours. I haven't used either of these so can't comment either way.