3. The Washing Day Trapeze.

Rusted drums link laundry to hoist. Twist, roll-n-swing.

Drum-roll - a tough crowd today!

Twist the mangle. Log-roll the drum – quick step, quickstep.

Leap forward – drum rolls back toward the laundry – reach, grab, grip hoist’s radial arm as it swings … jump, roll.

Bruised and scratched.

No safety nets for washing-day trapeze in our three-ring circus.

Read Full Post »

2. Imagine what can happen in a room where you soak, boil, stir, mangle.

From the back on the right – the Laundry.

Two cement tubs, boiler & mangle, “agitating” pole, packets of soapflakes, bleach bottles.

This is not - but could be - my mum!

Clothes soak, bubble in soapy broth, stirred with pole, then squeezed through wringing rollers.

In that steamy, pungent, cauldron cave, I often imagined an arm, my arm, rolled – mangled.

Get out of there, Steve!!!

Read Full Post »