Originally Posted by jasper123

Yes thanks so much trotty for all your hard work and trouble getting that list updated, Wow your good,
As I have told you all before my Mum is 91 years old, well since I have been back home these almost 2 months, slowly I have gone through the food storage cabinets in the kitchen, I always do it while she is out for the day somewhere with her friends, she has these great big very deep built in cabinets, and there was so much stuff in there that when you opened the doors stuff would fall out, and when we bought more food she would just try and fit it in there somewhere, nothing was rotated,
a couple of weeks ago I emptied all the stuff out of two big cabinets and went through it all one can or one box or one packet at a time and ----- Im not kidding folks that I found stuff with a sellby date of 2002/03/04/07/08/
Oh my goodness, so I had TO EMPTY ALL THE BOXES PACKETS AND CANS out in bags wash out the cans and bottles, --- you know recycling law --- what a lot of work that was and wiped out the cabinets and put all the fresh good stuff back and the cabinets looked so nice and clean and organised, ---- anyway when Mum came home that day and looked in the cabinets her first reaction was not too pleased at all that I had changed her lifestyle, but she soon came around and although didn't admit it but I m sure she realised it was much better that way,
Now today is another day that Mum is out with her friends so I decided to go through the rest of the cabinets, big deep ones they are too, had to stand on a chair and get right up high and get everything out from the back that I just knew had been there for many many years, and I had stuff piled high on the kitchen table, I started to go through all this stuff, the oldest thing I saw was a large unopened bottle of HP brown sauce, 1998 was the sale by date on this sauce from the past --- any offers
Anyway you get the picture, half of everything that I got out of the cabinets was at least 2 years passed the sell by date, most of it around 4 to 7 years old, so I tossed a lot of stuff away, thank goodness its pick up day tomorrow for the big green wheelie bin, ---- so everything was washed down inside the cabinets, all stuff put back --- same kind of food together, cans neatly stacked on top of each other with the labels facing out so you can actually see what you have just by opening the door, all cookies together in one place, all packets of things together, Anyway Im sure you all get the picture --- the cabinets look so clean and neat and lovely, ---- and (ORGANISED)
But I just hope that Mum when she comes home likes what I have done
Take care ya all,
Rodney.

Originally Posted by Mallory

I have a tin of Bird's custard in my pantry that my mum brought to me from England. The last time she was here was in 1990 - she died in 1991. I don't know when she gave it to me though. (I can't find an expiration date - I think it was before that was invented)!! On the top it says it's from The International (grocery store), and the price was 44P. I just prised the lid off, and the paper top is still intact - it's never been used. No one in my house (except me) likes custard, or anything that goes with custard. I can't bear to throw it away because my mum gave it to me!

I can't believe it's over 20 years old!

Originally Posted by islandwoman120

It should go into a museum - you know the kind like in the USA - recreations of old kitchens and the packets and tins in them. Perhaps the British Museum will make you an offer

Originally Posted by between two worlds

PatM is welcome in my room if she wants to be there! the European stepping-stone (Anna is there too!). But it sounds as if PatM will be going back soon to London...

France is nice, indeed--and so is Italy, I lived there for five years, long ago...

Tina

Originally Posted by Mallory

I guess the coffee pot and custard will stay with me until the end!!

Originally Posted by sallysimmons

They'll be in your will. Someone will say 'oh look! She left me an old tin of custard!'

Originally Posted by jasper123

Yes thanks so much trotty for all your hard work and trouble getting that list updated, Wow your good,
As I have told you all before my Mum is 91 years old, well since I have been back home these almost 2 months, slowly I have gone through the food storage cabinets in the kitchen, I always do it while she is out for the day somewhere with her friends, she has these great big very deep built in cabinets, and there was so much stuff in there that when you opened the doors stuff would fall out, and when we bought more food she would just try and fit it in there somewhere, nothing was rotated,
a couple of weeks ago I emptied all the stuff out of two big cabinets and went through it all one can or one box or one packet at a time and ----- Im not kidding folks that I found stuff with a sellby date of 2002/03/04/07/08/
Oh my goodness, so I had TO EMPTY ALL THE BOXES PACKETS AND CANS out in bags wash out the cans and bottles, --- you know recycling law --- what a lot of work that was and wiped out the cabinets and put all the fresh good stuff back and the cabinets looked so nice and clean and organised, ---- anyway when Mum came home that day and looked in the cabinets her first reaction was not too pleased at all that I had changed her lifestyle, but she soon came around and although didn't admit it but I m sure she realised it was much better that way,
Now today is another day that Mum is out with her friends so I decided to go through the rest of the cabinets, big deep ones they are too, had to stand on a chair and get right up high and get everything out from the back that I just knew had been there for many many years, and I had stuff piled high on the kitchen table, I started to go through all this stuff, the oldest thing I saw was a large unopened bottle of HP brown sauce, 1998 was the sale by date on this sauce from the past --- any offers
Anyway you get the picture, half of everything that I got out of the cabinets was at least 2 years passed the sell by date, most of it around 4 to 7 years old, so I tossed a lot of stuff away, thank goodness its pick up day tomorrow for the big green wheelie bin, ---- so everything was washed down inside the cabinets, all stuff put back --- same kind of food together, cans neatly stacked on top of each other with the labels facing out so you can actually see what you have just by opening the door, all cookies together in one place, all packets of things together, Anyway Im sure you all get the picture --- the cabinets look so clean and neat and lovely, ---- and (ORGANISED)
But I just hope that Mum when she comes home likes what I have done
Take care ya all,
Rodney.

Originally Posted by jasper123

Hello Cheers,
Oh yes the fridge was another story, that was full with so much stuff, and I went through that right away in the first week --- again while Mum was out,
Most of the stuff was OK though, except for a few things that were maybe just a few weeks past the sell by date, --- they were tossed, but I keep a close eye on the fridge, she didn't know that she had to refrigerate ketchup or chutney or salad cream you know stuff like that, she does now,
I still dont think I will ever be able to get her to refrigerate the eggs oh well so far they havent gone bad,

You know my Mum is one of those ladies that is very clean in everything she does, and she keeps the house spotless, a darn more cleaner then I kept my apartment in Vegas ---- but it was always tidy though,

But well I wonder are a lot of people like that about not bothering to rotate there food and just pack there cabinets full of stuff --- so much stuff that they cant possibly find anything, you know when they get older like our parents generation, 90's & up !!!
Rodney.

Originally Posted by Beedubya

Rodney, I found in England nobody keeps eggs, sauces or salad cream in the fridge, I suppose they don't have to as the weather doesn't get as hot as we are used to. That's how my family know I am around as all of the above get put in the fridge plus jam, etc. as I go on auto pilot after 30 years living here.

Have you noticed how small the fridges are?

Originally Posted by Lorac05

Have to disagree a little - eggs are definitely kept in the fridge where I come from in the UK and salad cream once it is opened. However I have never seen tomato ketchup in a fridge over there!! Interesting my parents have started to keep jam in the fridge once it is opened - and that is a new thing that has only happened in the past few years!!

My parents have a decent sized fridge/freezer than is no smaller then mine over here - as have my brothers and sister - and on my browsing's on rightmove I have seen larger fridge/freezers becoming more common place in the UK now!

Originally Posted by Beedubya

Rodney I would say that all this hoarding of food comes from your mum going through the World War Two years. When my nan died a few years ago, they found bags and bags of sugar in her wardrobe, rock hard it was. Apparently sugar was rationed in the war.................

Originally Posted by trottytrue

Can you imagine how Jackie feels right now, she must be over the moon.


Betweentwoworlds....Yours words really touched me so true the sadness of not being able to just do what we want to do when we want to do it or it just being the wrong time. I do not regret my life, to do that I would have to regret getting married and having my wonderful children (well most of the time) we have spent many happy years together but its just I had a plan and it did not finish the way I wanted it to. Like so many others I am sure. Its so easy to make plans in your mind and see them all blossom but in reality its very different.

Glad you like your room to yourself although very peaceful I could have put PATM in that room as she is in Italy. For me, if I was to get the choice to go into that room Italy or France sound very nice.

Taffy Duck....Changed your name decided Old Duck didnt have the ring of Taffy. Reminds me of the Poem:

Taffy was a Welshman,
Taffy was a thief;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a piece of beef.

I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy was not home;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a mutton bone.

I went to Taffy's house,
Taffy was not in;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a silver pin.

I went to Taffy's house
Taffy was in bed;
I took up a poker
And threw it at his head



Beedubya...So sad when you hear stories like that and thats just one.

Somersetgirl...I printed a copy so I can tick off people when they move from one room to another.

Originally Posted by PAT M

Thank you so much Trottytrue for the list, my skills didn't reach to copying to desktop but I managed to copy it and email it to myself so will keep it handy that way. Tina, I wish I could say we'll be going back to London soon but can't do that until the house has sold as we couldn't afford to rent as we live on a pension. We made the classic mistake of burning our boats when we decided to retire to Italy (my husband's country), our youngest son had emigrated to Australia, one son in Italy and one in Belgium, then youngest returned to London, son in Italy hates the seven hour drive down to see us and son in Belgium and dil and three grandkids miss their frequent weekends to visit us in London and find it too expensive to visit us very often. My husband is as eager as me to return to London. Yes Italy is a wonderful waiting room but it's not where I feel connected and at home, the thoughts of ending up here that lonely homesick (foreign) woman scares me and I will do my utmost not to let that happen. Thank you again TT for all the hard work.