Elbow Grease

Apart from Angie's thoughts on my speeding in her car two days ago, my deal of a lifetime used oven was not greeted by applause. Looks like I may have to end up dumping or reselling it.

However we men don't give up that easily when it comes to gadgets and as all wives know, we lads are simply so good at cleaning jobs around the house.

I set to work and even if I say it myself did a spectacular job on the oven. In the photo I had forgotten to put back the dials. Apart from some scratches on the glass hob, the rest and especially the oven and racks look factory fresh.

Didn't impress and the jury is out! The surface of the glass hob is a few centimetres smaller than the one we now have - the total exterior measurements are the same but the "new" one has ventilation on the top whereas the old one had it on the front.

It is only intended as a temporary solution, well at least the sort that lasts 10+ years. We have an island position for the oven which was home made around 1995 to fit around the then owners old oven when they moved in. That oven is still here but with around 25 years to it's credit it is no longer usable. The glass outer oven door fell off of it's own accord a year or two ago and smashed on the tiled floor - the thermostats for the hob rings no longer work - and to crown it all I put a nice whole in the glass hob last week when I put a bit of plastic on one f the still hot rings.

I would like to find a completely new solution whereby we can use a "built-in" type oven and hob. The choice of models is enormous whereas the variety of stand alone types is frighteningly small. Few electrical or kitchen shops even stock them.

So have to wait and see if a) I can get my trophy fitted and b) if we can find a long-term solution. For the moment the oven is sitting in a corner.