Among the wedding presents from 1963 that I still use (Letters, 9 October) are Denby ovenware, a complete set of Prestige kitchen utensils, a Victorinox paring knife we bought with money given to us for bedsheets, and smoked-glass wine and sherry glasses from a friend of my parents. When a grandchild noticed that we had rather a lot of flower vases, we had to confess that when asked what we would like as a present, we were so embarrassed that we always said “a flower vase”, knowing that it could come in at any price. It was a vintage year, 1963.
Prue Baker
Brighton
I inherited my mother’s potato masher, bought just after the war. As a newly married housewife setting up home with everything in short supply and rationing continuing, she told me that she was delighted to see the masher for sale and bought two – one for her sister. It was flimsy – a thin circular metal holed base with three wires attached, which were twisted to form the stem, and a wooden handle painted blue. History and memories in a utensil.
Sue Rawson
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
For Christmas 1944, I gave my mother a breadboard fashioned from a slab of elm – probably an offcut from a coffin board. In spite of decades of mockery about its imperfection – I have to confess that it is a far-from-regular octagon – she used it for many years before passing it back to me. It is still in daily use.
Martin Knight
Hovingham, North Yorkshire
My elder daughter has insisted I leave her my bag of clothes pegs – they largely consist of very worn spring-loaded ones which belonged to my mother. I suspect that many of them date from late 1930s.
Joy Stephenson
High Peak, Derbyshire
