On the 7th July 1999, we interviewed Mrs. Johnson at Halebrose Court, Southbourne. The experience was very rewarding and we learnt a great deal about technology from 1922 when she was born to the present day. Mrs Johnson was able to describe events when she was younger and could remember what everyday life was like for her Grandparents and her parents without the use of technology. We found that in our interview Mrs Johnson was well accustomed to all the types of technology that she had encountered. The novelty of new technology made her more aware of the workings of current technology than us!

Washing

She remembers her Grandmother and Mother having a Monday washday, something she did not have as an adult with the advance in technology. As a child, she recalls it took all day and hot meals could never be served on a Monday because there was too much to do. Having no washing machines, everything was done manually. The clothes were rubbed first and then her Mother got the water to clean the clothes from a pump, which was very hard to use. Having no electricity and no gas, the first boilers were oil and a fire had to be lit to heat the water. There was no washing powder so the soap used to clean the clothes was grated and the clothes were scrubbed against a wooden grate until they were cleaned. The clothes were then put through a mangle, which was turned by hand. After the war, the washing machine developed and Mrs. Johnson had an electric washing machine with a manual mangle on top. This progressed to an electric washer and electric mangle and then to a twin tub, with washer on one side and spinner on the other. Ironing was difficult because there were no electric or steam irons then. They were heated on the stove and had to be tested to make sure they were hot enough, a very painful experience. Washday was just that. Women spent the entire day washing and drying and only had the time to do this once a week.

Heating

As a child, Mrs. Johnson remembers having a coal fire, which was situated in the kitchen and living room on Sundays. This was used to heat the entire house as the heat traveled up the chimney. It succeeded in heating the room but the family gathered around the fire to keep warm. The bedrooms and rooms upstairs were always cold because they were no heating agents up there. Any hot water was heated over the stove or in the oil boiler for baths etc. This took quite a long time and when some families got a gas boiler it meant they could have hot water instantly. Electricity made a noticeable difference to their lives and most people changed to this straight away.

Telephone

In the 1930's Mrs Johnson remembers her father, as a businessman was one of the few people with access to a telephone. The telephone was an upright that was stationed on the wall at all times. As well as using the telephone to call abroad her father used the phone to call people in the local areas. There was no dial on the telephone and an operator was used to connect the call he was trying to make. The telephone did not have numbers like we use today but letters. It was not until after the war in 1955 that they could dial themselves but still had to use the operator for long-distance calls. These telephones were no longer on the wall and gradually becoming more popular within offices and houses. The phones were no longer in two parts (earpiece and speaker) and were hand held with a hook on top. Yet they were still heavy and could not be moved, unlike today's telephones, which are considerably lighter, and in some instances mobile within the home.

Storage

Storing food never seemed to be a problem, even though they did not have a fridge. They shopped daily and therefore, food kept fresh. The milkman delivered milk twice a day and non-perishable food was kept in a pantry. In the 1950's, Mrs. Johnson bought her first fridge, which did not have a freezer but had a small section at the top. It was rounded at the front and had a different system at the back, which meant not as much electricity, was used.

Entertainment

As a child, they did not have any technology for entertainment like we do today. Therefore they made their own entertainment for example reading listening to the radio and going out with friends. The lack of technology that they had in that period made their entertainment centred around a close community. Nobody really had radios and they were not common but again they were much larger and heavier than today. They were run by batteries that you could see through the back of the radio and every week they were re-charged. As a child Mrs Johnson had a gramophone record player which was battery operated, as there was no electricity. She remembers her aunt had a megaphone, which extended from the instrument whereas now they are built in. In the 1970's when she taught in a primary school in London they had a tape recorder and a record player which they used to aid teaching methods in the classroom. They were much bigger and heavier than they are today and they did not have as clear sound as they do today.

Typewriter

The first typewriter that Mrs Johnson had was in 1936 from America, it was again much heavier and bigger and it was positioned with a slight slant on the keyboard that she found easier to use than the keyboards installed on computers today. The typewriter took a long time to use because if they made a mistake they would have to start again unlike today where it is possible to erase text on both typewriters and computers.

Television

Early television was another form of entertainment used by Mrs Johnson who had her first television in 1952; there was no colour on the screen. The televisions were generally 14" wide and were not to be left on all day. The televisions were quite big and the valves were easily spoffed at the back of the television. Yet, nowadays there is a much clearer picture on screen accompanied a clear and strong sound.

Photocopiers

Mrs Johnson used photocopiers in her school to aid with the copying as the equivalent of today's modern day photocopiers. They were used by typing upon a special sheet of paper with letters that are cut out on top of the sheet into material and put on a roller, the ink was turned and the roller which was hand-held was able to make a number of copies.

We found that overall this was a very successful interview where both parties were able to learn something new about the other forms of technology each had used. We also feel it was a valuable experience and hope that it will be of use to future generations!