No refrigeration in the UK?? What is different??

But I remember back in Florida (northern rural part) seeing conditions that were ghastly....and let's not kid ourselves, America still has pockets of poverty with families growing up with no electricity nor hot water nor glass in the windows.

There is an area an hour from Washington DC that didn't have indoor plumbing until the mid-90s.

I used to have a bedsit with a meter like that back in the 80's when I lived in London for 3 years. And, believe it or not, I lived all that time without a fridge! Just used to buy fresh meat etc on the day I needed it, milk survived the day without going off.

Anyway, we put things outside in the winter, particularly when our smallish fridge is close to bursting around Xmas. Doing pastry when I need to chill it, it just goes outside for a hour!
Might be needing to do that again soon as I think our fridge is on the blink - having difficuluty finding a fridge-freezer the right size, they are either way too tall for the space we have or they are quite a bit shorter! A bit more searching online today I think!

Can I help here? If you are wanting a fridge that is too tall, how about you or someone who knows carpentry cut out the space to make room for a tall one?? It can be done.  Carpenters are very creative.   

The only good thing about cold temperatures in the winter is being able to store stuff outside and keep it cool.   My entranceway keeps beer to a perfect temperature 

Ha ha! Mine too!

Tyke, I have read that parts of Liverpool and other cities didn't get real indoor plumbing until the 70's or something. The lack of modern sanitation was one of the components of the Beveridge Report.

I guess there were some parts but I wouldn't think it was the norm. I live in a terrace house with an extention at the back which contains the bathroom. That's common among terraced houses in this area. I recently got all the documentation that the bank held on my house following the mortgage being paid up, must look through in more detail to see if it has details on when that was added on.
My parents moved to the house I was born and brought up in, in the mid-50's because it had an indoor toilet and hot running water.
We got central heating installed in about 1970 and were first house in street with it.

To the OP, I'd also recommend some TV programmes like Andrew Marr's Post-War History of Britain.
When you realise that Britain stil had rationing until the mid 1950's, that what was a time of prosperity in the US was a struggle here. DW didn't realise how things were here in the aftermath of the war.

Sorry, seem to have strayed a little off topic there!

Can I help here? If you are wanting a fridge that is too tall, how about you or someone who knows carpentry cut out the space to make room for a tall one?? It can be done.  Carpenters are very creative.   

Thanks but not really. Had a new kitchen fitted a coupel of years ago. That's not an option. One option is to swap things a little and put the fridge back were we used to have it - that way we could have a much bigger one, but then we have the old space taking a kitchen cart and smaller beer fridge!

Thanks but not really. Had a new kitchen fitted a coupel of years ago. That's not an option. One option is to swap things a little and put the fridge back were we used to have it - that way we could have a much bigger one, but then we have the old space taking a kitchen cart and smaller beer fridge!

I would have to advise you to plan your kitchen around the beer fridge. It only makes sense.

I would have to advise you to plan your kitchen around the beer fridge. It only makes sense.

I agree. 

When you realise that Britain stil had rationing until the mid 1950's, that what was a time of prosperity in the US was a struggle here. DW didn't realise how things were here in the aftermath of the war.

I didn't realize this either.  My MiL describes her childhood and it sounds more like my grandparent's era rather than my own parent's era.  MiL is actually a bit younger than my mom and while my mom, but MiL talks about the toilet being outside and a big bathtub in front of the fire where she and her sisters bathed.  Things like that I was surprised by.

We can use our porch as an extra refrigerator from time to time if we need to - so that's where extra stuff goes when we are entertaining, such as beer & wine, extra chilled dishes at Thanksgiving etc.  It's so rarely ever hot enough for heat to be much of a concern out there!

Tyke, I have read that parts of Liverpool and other cities didn't get real indoor plumbing until the 70's or something.

Until 1970, my ex-husband's family home (tenement flat in a poor area of Glasgow) had a shared toilet on the landing, that they shared with 2 other flats on their floor.  They had their main weekly bath at the 'steamie' or public baths, and did 'top-up' bathing in a tin tub in front of the fire in the kitchen.

Albatross,  you thread-killer!

Albatross,  you thread-killer!

LOL - Now you can call yourself a thread reviver!  I did a double take on this one, and for a split second thought, "Why would I think there were no refrigerators in the UK?!?"  Silly me! 

Actually, on the subject of refrigerators, I love our new UK style 50/50 fridge/freezer!  The milk is at the perfect height for me to take out and put back every morning and it takes up so little floor space! 

The jury is still out on all those drawers in the freezer part though..... I keep forgetting which drawer I put stuff in! 

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the drawers in the freezer either... mainly because you have to open the door fully to open the drawers. 

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the drawers in the freezer either... mainly because you have to open the door fully to open the drawers.

We have to take the drawers out of the freezer completely. Can't get a thing out of the narrow opening when they're pulled out as much as they'll go.