An unusual house, "A la Ronde" (the round house)

Golly what a wonderful building. Glad I don't live there though.

Brings back memories of being a little girl. Before we had an electric washing machine the copper boiler would go on, ( the house became full of steam) the skiffle board came out for dad's shirt collars and whites. can't remember what that soap was called that mum would scrub the collars with. It wasn't "Wright's Coal Tar" Green it was could have been "Fairy"

Then into the dolly tub, more manual labour and finally wrung out in the mangle and out onto the line, unless it rained and then oh how damp house our house was as the washing hung above the fire and on a clothes horse drying.

After the washing was done, we would stand in front of the fire and bathe in a tin bath in the used water. Dad first, then me as eldest daughter, then brother and finally youngest sister. Mum would go to gran's house for her bath as gran was alone, so her water was much cleaner.

Memories of the water shortages of the late 70's, where the government of the days message was "Save water, bath with a friend" urrrghhh.

I still to this day hate having a bath in someone else water!!

my nan would never let me use her mangle when i tryed to fit my brothers arm thru it,and i hated shareing my bath water too,lol

What a meanie, your Nan. Best thing that could happen to snotty, pesky little brothers. Love mine dearly.

Gosh yes, it does bring back memories doesnt it. The old tin bath on a Friday night when Dad went to pub to pay the thrift club (so we were told) and we all had a bath in front of the fire and had to be out before he came home, then in the summertime the bath was taken into the old wash house outside the back door, where the copper was, plus the old bikes were kept there along with other things of that nature, and we had to bathe out there, spiders and all. Great blog Sue, good for reminiscing.

Thankyou all,for you comments, i will do a post again when i have been inside.Lovely to see though

I grew up in Exmouth so it's nice to see this place again.
There is a little chapel (Point In View) beside it that used to have a small school attached. There were just 12 pupils - 6 boys and 6 girls. My great grandfather's youngest sister was there in the late nineteenth century (she was born in 1890) and we have seen her name in the register

Makes you appreciate mod. cons. doesn't it? ... I remember my Mum using the copper boiler ... she always put my Dad's car mechanic overalls in last ... to this day I can picture her face grimacing at the smell of it ... lovely blog Sue ... :o)))

Such a wonderful building and I can recall being bathed in a tin bath then in the late 70s early 80s having to bathe my children in one too as I was given a house with no bathroom and no roof by the council as they had made me homeless, used a mangle too lol and broke the buttons on x husbands shirts till I found out you have to fold them inwards

Hi Sixpence . I too learned that lesson about the buttons.when the washing went through the mangel you hardly had to iron anything did you .

No you did nt lol its the spin dryers to blame and for putting jumpers and some materials out of shape too faster spin. Your house above was on tv today.

O I didnt see it never mind i will visit it again soon .

It would be lovely to return shame you missed it, as they showed the inside of it, designed by two sisters, so that they could move around each room following the sun so by tea time it would be shinning in the dinning room.

I was born in Exmouth & travelled past A la Ronde year after year, went in once when they were having a Charles the 1st type dance rehersal in period costume. Surreal as it wasnt an open-day & as the door was open my wife & I went in, talk about a time-warp, the music & dancing stopped when they saw us & we had a really nice welcome & conflab for a while, one chap stayed in character & was "foresoothing" all over the place, too funny!!
Also, its from that point that you have a terrific hill heading towards Exmouth, as kids we used to see how far we could coast without peddling, good times!!

Hi Bampy Glad I could take you back in time we will try and go in next time :)

Hello Folks, always good memories of home. loved the deer photos btw.