Why This Vintage Kenwood Chef Was Rehomed
Uncle Les’ Woodbine smoke permeated the narrow cluttered corridor and thickened as you neared the repair room. He liked to work with a cigarette perched on his bottom lip, alongside a long wooden workbench with Ted next to him and Dave opposite. TVs with their backs pulled away were propped up in every nook, as the trio replaced fuses, soldered wires, and tutted away on their multiple projects, often waiting for spare parts.
At the end of the repair area, was a tiny back room, where I’d make them strong teas. The mugs were stained, as were the sink and toilet, not dirty as such, just old, scratched, and yellow. Les and Dad gave things a bit of a bleach from time to time.
As a teenage “Saturday Girl” working in my dad’s shop on Lower Richmond Road, Putney, I not only looked forward to visiting the nearby sweet shop with the 2 fat ladies, and eating greasy sausage rolls from the bakers, I also loved serving customers and the banter with Les, Ted, Dave and Dad. My specialty was selling “sundries”, things like batteries, bulbs, fuses and hoover bags. I’d also take in repairs, noting the details on a form, and then attaching it to the faulty appliance which would be taken to the cluttered repair waiting room.
That’s where years later I discovered this 1980s Kenwood Chef, it was from a customer who never returned to collect it, possibly after months maybe years of it standing forgotten on a shelf.
Incredibly it still works, a while ago I lost the “K” beater and found a replacement on eBay.
Meanwhile back in Putney, it got more complicated to repair things, people started to dispose of them and found they could cheaply and easily replace appliances with the out-of-town superstores. Dad diversified.
Distracted whilst typing, I discovered this talk, so intend to attend with my reusable clean mug.
Thanks to Surrey Suppers for listening to this story recently too!
Jane Tyson
The History Of Kenwood Chefs: https://www.kenwoodworld.com/en-gb/history-of-kenwood
