The Kitchen

  

Above the shop is a reasonable size kitchen for what is needed. 

Ellen has a gas cooker rather than a range.  This came from Summerlee House.  Edward and Violet modernised Summerlee House when it became theirs in 1902 and the old range and the small gas cooker were removed and replaced by a large modern gas cooker.  The small one (2) had been bought to supplement the range in the kitchen at Summerlee some time around 1895.  It was to be used when there was only a little cooking to be done or as an extra oven when the family were entertaining and in the summer when it was too hot to have the large range lit.  As cook never really got on with it, in reality, it was hardly ever used.  When it was removed Edward had stored it in the shed, well wrapped in oiled sacking and it had survived very well and was just what Ellen needed.

All the furniture was either already in the shop or has come from Summerlee House so there are a lot of mis-matched and painted pieces.   The dresser has all the dishes and the 'to-hand' food such as cake and bread and tea.

There is a meat safe on the landing, under cover, outside the back door.  This is the old cast iron fire escape stairs for the drapers and now serves  as an entrance for Ellen and any tradesmen.

The rest of the food that  doesn't need to be kept cold is kept in a cupboard and on some shelves above.  The saucepans are also stored here as they are too heavy for the shelf over the sink, where daisy would like them to be.

Generally, if it is just the girls eating, they use the kitchen table.  Daisy eats her 'dinner' (at lunch time) at her moms and then brings back the girls' meals.  They never need more than two chairs in the kitchen.  Molly goes home for her supper and again, Daisy eats hers early and serves or leaves a cold supper for Ellen.

It is Wednesday 11th October 1911, 6 pm.  In the kitchen Daisy has set out Ellen's cold supper.  It is a good job Oscar the cat has eaten!  Daisy has had some potted meat and the last of the previous day's bread for her 'supper' and has forgotten to return the pot to the meat safe outside on the landing.  She'll probably spot it when she comes back into the kitchen for a final tidy up.  She will do Ellen's dishes if she manages to eat her supper before Daisy is ready to leave.  Sometimes Ellen sees to her own dishes if she is working late.  Daisy has washed the oven racks as she hasn't needed to use the oven today.  They are draining in the sink because they are a bit big for the draining board.  

There isn't a lot of meal making done here but they do like to have the basics to hand.  Today there are even vegetables in the box.  Tomorrow is Thursday - half day closing - and it is the day that Daisy's mom does Ellen's laundry along with her normal bits and bobs for her own family.  On Thursdays she and Daisy reverse the meal process and instead of her mom cooking for the three girls, Daisy usually prepares the meal here and then nips next door and puts on a pan of hearty stew for everyone.  The box has King Edward potatoes, carrots, parsnips and cabbage.  She seems to have forgotten the onions, she'll have to scrounge some off her mom.  The shin of beef is in the meat safe on the landing.