Expecting the standard pre-feminism viewpoint of applying lippy before the beloved arrives home from his taxing day in the office, I was astounded to discover a woman who conquered tasks I would shun.
Alice About the House is a series of comic strip sagas, with the main character being a woman armed with weapons of mass construction. Alice has the know-how to capably repair anything from a cracked porcelain hand basin to rattles in the family automobile.
Occasionally a man pops into the action in an omniscient manner, guiding Alice through the process of making useful items such as a sun visor holdall. Thankful for his talent, Alice never again lost her lipstick when travelling in the car.
Considering the multitude of home-handy-person tasks Alice and the gentlemen tackled daily led to further conversations with colleagues about the demise of present day homeowners’ skills. The woman could do anything and would put almost anybody under the age of 70 to shame today. If the old kettle looked ready for an inorganic collection she made a new handle, replaced the knob with a cork and repaired a leak with a sealing washer bought from an ironmonger. Where’s an ironmonger when you need one these days?
Of course, Alice did have the ability to look gorgeous while she tightened a fan belt. Hints on bleaching away freckles with lemon and making eyes sparkle with a boracic acid eye bath must have been invaluable.
And where would a 1950s housewife be if she couldn’t cook invalid mutton? Trimming the fat off the chop and sprinkling it with suet seemed somewhat superfluous but if that’s what it took to heal an ailing husband, who am I to judge?
