Which gadgets deserve a comeback?
Hardeep Singh Kohli has been investigating the gadgets of yesteryear that were the 'flavour of the month' back in the day.
Last time he looked at the infamous Soda Stream and today he explored the 1960s and 70s classic, the hostess trolley.
Hostess trolleys became fashionable at dinner parties, to help the hostess spend less time in the kitchen and more of the evening with her guests. The invention kept pre-prepared food at the correct temperature making for a stress free dinner party; marvellous!
Two One Show team members were so excited by a revival of the hostess trolley that they made that 70s favourite, cheese and pineapple on sticks, as props for the show.
Also: Do you have a treasured item you just refuse to throw out? Send in your photos here.
Did you have a hostess trolley? What other items are "classics" of their time? Which do you think should come back into favour? Share your views.
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Comments
Teasmaids!! What happened to them? Why can't I get one? I know I must be getting older by the sheer fact that I want one but I would have thought that Argos could stock at least one, what with all the tat they sell but no.....
Even Woolies didn't sell them. Perhaps they should have..?
Anyway, is it a job for Hardeep?
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What is the name of the company in West Yorkshire that feature in this article about hostess trolleys?
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Our 3-bowl/two shelf Hostess came courtesy of an internet auction site - but what a great buy. 2 days/365 - best food warmer available for Xmas ; 363 days/365 - tidy bookshelf!
What other alternative uses are out there.....?
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When I was a teenager, I was deeply envious of the girls with a 'Dansette' portable record player which they took to each other's houses. One even had a pink one! I still want one, and I turn 50 this year! I keep checking Ebay, but as soon as they turn up, they change hands for daft amounts of money! Could someone make them again?
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Adrian mentioned cocktail cabinets as a gadget that one cannot do without.
We have a lovely1930s cabinet bought at an antiques fair many years ago.
It is a lovely piece of furniture and looks fantastic with the lights on inside.
We have tried to buy old glasses to make it look more authentic. I certainly gives us a warm feeling, in more ways than one, when we mix our drinks on an evening..( not every evening as the cost of booze is somewhat expensive)
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Ah, I remember the hostess trolley with a considerable degree of fear. In my past life, it was the symbol, every Sunday, of a long and tortuous Sunday dinner where my (ex) father-in-law held court and used it to direct family operations for the following week. BUT - Thirty years down the track, it strikes me as being a very sensible piece of kit. And my Son-in-Law lives far enough away to be exclude the possibility of history repeating itself!
However, to move on, may I suggest the eternal TeasMade (sp?). It has always been my dream to own one - unfulfilled I might add! What has technology done to this great tool of the eternal layabed? Please, Hardeep, a feature on this classic.
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My Sister and Brother-in-law bought us a hostess trolley for Xmas in 1979 and it is still working brilliantly. Our turkey is never dry, we cook it in a dish of water and then wrap it in foil, it remains as succulent as ever - the trick = never overcook the food and it will taste just as good as if it was served straight from the pan.
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How about the Echo Hostess Carousel? The Hostess Trolley's baby brother. This is a round dish divided into four compartments with a transparent lid - also electric. We still have ours and it is useful for small amounts when the Hostess Trolley would be too big.
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We received a hostess trolley as a wedding present in 1989, it has been used every Christmas since & several times inbetween. I have never thought of it as an old fashioned 'classic', although my 16 year old son says that I am!
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I'd be lost without my electric carving knife! And mattahammer, We've been married 42 years and on our third teasmade - it saves a lot of arguments on cold mornings...
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Teasmades - have you tried your local charity shops. Ours seem to have them - they are also an excellent source of replacement teapots for them.
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Both items featured have been treasured possessions of mine for many years and I wouldn't be without them. Argos on-line still sell teasmades, more modern looking than mine! My hostess trolley really comes into it;s own on occasions like Christmas and family birthdays and takes all the stress out of keeping food hot.
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When my husband and I retired 5 years ago and came to south west France, our children gave us a teasmade, which they bought in Argos. We use it every day and wouldn't want to be without it. It makes a wonderful cup of tea - though I must add that we use tea bags imported from the UK because they are far superior to any you can buy in France.
You can find out lots of things about the teasmade on teasmade.com, including the fact that John and Norma Major once owned one.
I read an article in a magazine in 2007 that told me that Swan teasmades were manufactured by RBC Electronics, which can provide the spare parts. I don't know if this is still true.
Swan itself is now owned by the Littlewoods retail group so maybe one can buy them in their stores.
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I have had my electric carving knife for 30 years and it has been very useful. I have always used it for carving my roasts and now also use it for slicing my freshly baked bread (baked in my new bread maker).
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Mum had all Margarite Patten's cookery books! We used to bake cakes from her books whilst Mum had that Demis Roussos song on the radio
- how did The One Show know about this??
We used to take the mickey out of that Demis Roussos song, which I can now imagine being sung by Mullagan and O'Hare from Reeves And Mortimer!
We also didn't have a Soda Stream, but preferred The Corona Man - why MAKE pop when you can just buy a bottle from the Corona Man? And HE sold pineapple flavour pop that I have never found anywhere since. Brilliant!
If anyone wants any of the retro items featured, I'd recommend checking Ebay!
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Twin tub washing machines are more needed than ever as the water and detergent can be used several times and they are quick . A whole week's washing in an hour or so and you can use your hotwater unlike almost all autoamtics now which use cold water only even if you have a tankful of hot. Plus they spin at between 2300 and 3100 rpm so clothes come out dryer. and they are fun to use .....if you have the time. Still made in China ! Kevin, Dunfermline
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Two other classic items I can remember were, Raspberry Creamola Foam drink (maybe only available in Scotland) Hardeep and fellow Scots of a certain age will know what I'm talking about! A kind of powder, that fizzed when water was added. I wonder if it was taken off the shelves of supermarkets because it contained too much sugar??
My other favourite of the 70's was a purple jump suit. The all-in-one had a very long zip up the front, large collar, flared legs, and mine had a round Charlies Angels applique badge on the left side. Classy!!!!
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I earned the money for my Ecko HO31 Hostess Trolley in 1975 from a part time job I had with Kalamazoo Business Systems. It has been in regular use ever since and is invaluable when entertaining. Sadly, this Christmas one of the dishes was broken - a Glasbake 78 JS22 - a rectangular shape and I have tried unsuccessfully to find a replacement. Can you kindly let me have the name of the manufacturers in Halifax as mentioned in the programme. Also, if any other "bloggers" could help I would be grateful. I also still regularly use my electric carving knife, Panasonic microwave bought around 1968 and we have two Bush radios from the 1950's ! Thank you.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
The electric carving knife is the best invention of all time. I have used mine week in and week out for at least the past 35 years. I don't know if they are still available to buy, I've never had to look for a replacement, but if they aren't I will be devastated if mine ever comes to the end of it's life.
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I also have an electric carving knife, purchased in 1983!!, and it still works., also
an electric hand whisk, bought as a wedding present in 1972, and that still works, and thinking about it, also a microwave my husband bought me whilst I was pregnant with our daughter in 1985 - they don't make 'em like this anymore!!
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My Nan's electric carving knife scared the living daylights out of me when I was younger!! The noise terrified me when she used it! I now have it, but only as sentimental value, I've never had the courage to use it!
Maxwell34: Theres a store in Essex that deals in hostess trolleys and replacement parts, maybe they can help?
http://www.hostesstrolleyworld.com/index.html
This is the one in Halifax:
http://www.callde.co.uk/hostess_trolleys.asp
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We loved the item on Hostess trolleys. Ours was a wedding present in 1982 and has been in constant use. Perfect for Sundays, so that I can cook lunch and relax with a pre-lunch Bloody Mary! I also use the pyrex dishes to make bread -- living in France we enjoy our home-made bread and loaf tins are not available here. I am also told that the temperature of a Hostess trolley is perfect for meringues, but haven't tried it.
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Things we used to like but don't see anymore include; Chocolate Vienna biscuits, Hampden Wafers, Porter Biscuits and one my dad keeps talking about is Chocolate Coated Liquorice All-sorts.
Does Hardeep rememember the Old-fashioned "Tobermory-Tatties?" they were really chewy and had a wee toy in the centre (same taste though)
One for all you masochists out there Fennings Fever Cure
Janice Glasgow
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Soda-Stream which allowed you to make your own fizzy soft drinks.
Raleigh Chopper bicycle, the design of which, if i remember correctly, was based on the stock car racers.
I remember owning and using in the 1970's, a Poloroid Camera which allowed you to take a picture, which developed within a minute of removing the photographic paper from the cartridge that was used in the camera & replaced when empty (the cartridge, not the camera).
I can also remember my gran having a gramaphone player, which was a record player and radio, disguised as a piece of furniture. If my memory serves me correctly, it used valves.
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8-track cassette players and beta-max video recorders.
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....regarding the comment about the Teasmade. I am actually involved in bring the much loved item back to the UK with a 21st Century twist. Visit www.swan-brand.co.uk for more information. Maybe the one show could feature it?
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The brush-o-matic, much more effective than the customary clothes brush.
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A plain and simple toast rack is the ultimate gadget for me.
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I would like to see the Brush-o-matic return, it was better than a clothes brush.
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How about compassion, tolerance and humility? They are about due for a comeback.
How about the concept of give and take? That is well due for a comeback?
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I would like the return of the Dansette. The concept of stereo sounded exciting, but now it just has a drumbeat dominating everything.
That's the way the youth like it, but a mono record player would settle their hash.
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I would like to see cruder versions of the computer return. Now we are in such a mess with the ever-changing formats in technology and
faults occur with no apparent reasons.
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