Monday, November 29, 2010

'Quick, fetch my smelling salts!'


This past Saturday, R handed me the Weekend section of our local paper.  The headline read 'British Stove fit for a prince' and get a load of this!

'Susan Gitajn was scared.  Her new house had a weird half-ton of curvaceously boxy cast iron in the kitchen.'

My eyes widened when the article went on to say that this poor woman (who lacks British domestic knowledge, obviously) asked the former owners 'if they wouldn't rather take their odd stove with them.'   I come over all queasy every time I recite that line.

The story does have a happy ending as Susan has learned to live with her 'odd stove'.  I would have been willing to take it off her hands.

15 comments:

  1. This reminds me of my Nana's old Aga in her cottage.
    Heating, cooking, clothes airer (hanging from a washing line across the ceiling).
    In those days the kitchen was the place to be on a cold day.

    carol

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  2. Goodness me! Did she not know how much her odd stove was WORTH?!

    I'd give my right arm for one of these - there was a shop right next to where I used to work that used to sell Agas (called 'The Aga Shop', incidentally) and they had spotty ones and stripy ones and coloured ones and I wanted one very badly. Sadly I am yet to possess a kitchen all of my own so I shall have to wait patiently!

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  3. Lucky, lucky woman. Here's hoping she has the sense to curl up in front of it, staying toasty warm while reading books that tell her all about the magic of Agas.

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  4. My friend bought an Aga in British racing green...it heats her main floor and has 3 or 4 ovens and is divine...they cost the earth but if you had one already installed it's worth it to learn how to cook all over again :)

    I'd personally LOVE the chance to cook on this...

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  5. I'd love to have one of these again (I had a Rayburn, briefly). John and I occasionally fantasise about how we could make space in our tiny kitchen for one!
    My sister has a Rayburn, too. It was secondhand and cost her a bottle of whisky!

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  6. Oh, I have coveted an Aga for ages and ages. To move into a home with one already settled, broken in like a saddle, oh my, I may faint. That racing green one sounds quite spiffy, mentioned above. Oh well, I'll settle down and go watch Ina Garten for awhile.

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  7. Oooh I dream of having a cottage with an Aga. Though having tried cooking with a Rayburn on holiday, I think I'd need a regular oven too...

    K x

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  8. Oh my goodness, some people don't seem to know their luck - I would love an Aga!

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  9. Dizzy C, To have a Nana with an Aga in her cottage sounds very idyllic indeed, lovely memories.

    bookssnob, The poor woman was clueless *sigh*. In fact, I bet most North Americans don't know about the wonder of an Aga.

    Perhaps Naomi will find a cottage with an Aga!

    Cornflower, Give your Aga a hug for me!

    makedoandread, She does go on to say that know she doesn't think she'll ever move...phew.

    hostess of the humble bunglow, Perhaps your friend wouldn't mind an offer to camp at her house and do some cooking. It's win/win for everyone!

    Penny, A bottle of whisky! Some people have all the luck!

    lifeonthecutoff, I wonder what it is about an Aga that makes us go weak at the knees? Then again, Ina's lovely home does that as well.

    Kristina, There is a bit of a learning curve isn't there, or so I've heard. I'd be happy to just watch water boil all day long.

    A Bookish Space, I would have taken one look at that Aga and yelled 'Sold!'.

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  10. Any reader of Rosamunde Pilcher knows what an Aga is

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  11. crownover, Apparently this woman wasn't a fan.

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  12. Speechless! We have a two door model, but I dream of one like that with four doors.

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  13. fleurfisher, Oh lucky you! At least the article has made me aware of an Aga shop in Toronto. I'm going to stalk them and loiter around, coveting everything in sight!

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  14. I would relieve her of her dilemna. I would love a stove like this.

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