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“We bought the milk directly to the farmer but before we drank it, we had to boil the milk to eliminate the germs. Our farmer used to go to the capital to sell the milk surplus, he got there on donkey, it was a long exhausting journey”

Aguadores

During the 50s there was no piped water in most of the province, it was not easy to carry water to the houses, they used to wash the clothes either in the rivers or in the public laundries. On one hand, the water was cold and washing the clothes was actually unhealthy. On other hand, they needed a great amount of water to cook and clean the house. As to get the water took a long time, people who could afford to, paid for the water sold by the “ aguadores”, those water carriers were contracted to carry the water, often using earth jars, to the houses, from the rivers and the fountains. The “caña” was a type of long stick, and one end was put in the flow of the fountain and the other in the tub or jar which was to be filled. There were usually made of brass. Some women from the lower class used to offer their services to clean and iron clothes, hard work but at least it gave the women one of the scarce job opportunities available.

“There were people who traded with snow brought from the mountain to make “leche merengada”, a delicious mixture of milk, ice, sugar and cinnamon, it was a traditional delicacy in the festivities. To preserve the ice they wrapped it in straw and it was carried into esparto sacks”

It was a bench with a back support where two or three people could sit. Some benches had a practical seat and inside there was a space where, in some houses they stored food, and in others clothes. They were usually made of wood and they were used to have the “siesta”, to make them more comfortable, they put on them cushions made of cork strips or of wool. Usually they were found in the entrance hall or in the kitchen.

It was a piece of furniture which was found in the main bedroom and normally was made of the same wood and in the same style as the rest of the furniture in that bedroom. It included a mirror, a sink and a jug for water. The better-off had a marble stone covering the wood. In the 1950s the most popular styles were the modernist and the deco-art.

As there were no toilets inside the houses and it was very cold (the houses didn’t have central heating) under each bed there was a chamber pot. The chamber pot was normally porcelain or brass, round and with a handle. In the better-off houses there were urinals, they were round or triangular pieces of furniture with a lid that could be lifted, and the urinal was found inside.

A round copper or bronze object with a large wooden handle. The round part could be open and inside they put hot charcoal, they were used to heat the beds.

Then the mattress was filled with wool strips. Over time the wool became misshapen and mites accumulated, and as a consequence there was a custom once a year of cleaning them. Firstly they unpicked the mattress to take out the wool, then they left the wool to dry in the sun and finally they hit it with varas long sticks. As this task required a lot of time and effort, people were contracted to do it. It was carried out in the sun, on the terraces, the house patios, or in the street.

In the houses there was no running water, and water carriers were contracted to carry the water, often using earth jars, to the houses, from the rivers and the fountains. The “caña” was a type of long stick, and one end was put in the flow of the fountain and the other in the tub or jar which was to be filled. There were usually made of brass.

Brasero

A brasero was a heater commonly used in Spain.. It consisted of a round base with a perforated cover to let the warmth to go out. It is placed under a table covered with a cloth that extends to the floor to provide heat for people sitting at the table. Modern brasero are electric, but in the past they were coal fired.


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	“We bought the milk directly to the farmer but before we drank it, we had to boil the milk to eliminate the germs. Our farmer used to go to the capital to sell the milk surplus, he got there on donkey, it was a long exhausting journey” Aguadores During the 50s there was no piped water in most of the province, it was not easy to carry water to the houses, they used to wash the clothes either in the rivers or in the public laundries. On one hand, the water was cold and washing the clothes was actually unhealthy. On other hand, they needed a great amount of water to cook and clean the house. As to get the water took a long time, people who could afford to, paid for the water sold by the “ aguadores”, those water carriers were contracted to carry the water, often using earth jars, to the houses, from the rivers and the fountains. The “caña” was a type of long stick, and one end was put in the flow of the fountain and the other in the tub or jar which was to be filled. There were usually made of brass. Some women from the lower class used to offer their services to clean and iron clothes, hard work but at least it gave the women one of the scarce job opportunities available. “There were people who traded with snow brought from the mountain to make “leche merengada”, a delicious mixture of milk, ice, sugar and cinnamon, it was a traditional delicacy in the festivities. To preserve the ice they wrapped it in straw and it was carried into esparto sacks” Escaño It was a bench with a back support where two or three people could sit. Some benches had a practical seat and inside there was a space where, in some houses they stored food, and in others clothes. They were usually made of wood and they were used to have the “siesta”, to make them more comfortable, they put on them cushions made of cork strips or of wool. Usually they were found in the entrance hall or in the kitchen. Aguamanil/ Palanganeros (Old Sinks) It was a piece of furniture which was found in the main bedroom and normally was made of the same wood and in the same style as the rest of the furniture in that bedroom. It included a mirror, a sink and a jug for water. The better-off had a marble stone covering the wood. In the 1950s the most popular styles were the modernist and the deco-art. Orinal (chamber pots) As there were no toilets inside the houses and it was very cold (the houses didn’t have central heating) under each bed there was a chamber pot. The chamber pot was normally porcelain or brass, round and with a handle. In the better-off houses there were urinals, they were round or triangular pieces of furniture with a lid that could be lifted, and the urinal was found inside. Calienta Camas (Bed Heaters) A round copper or bronze object with a large wooden handle. The round part could be open and inside they put hot charcoal, they were used to heat the beds. Wool mattresses Then the mattress was filled with wool strips. Over time the wool became misshapen and mites accumulated, and as a consequence there was a custom once a year of cleaning them. Firstly they unpicked the mattress to take out the wool, then they left the wool to dry in the sun and finally they hit it with varas long sticks. As this task required a lot of time and effort, people were contracted to do it. It was carried out in the sun, on the terraces, the house patios, or in the street. Caña de agua In the houses there was no running water, and water carriers were contracted to carry the water, often using earth jars, to the houses, from the rivers and the fountains. The “caña” was a type of long stick, and one end was put in the flow of the fountain and the other in the tub or jar which was to be filled. There were usually made of brass. Brasero A brasero was a heater commonly used in Spain.. It consisted of a round base with a perforated cover to let the warmth to go out. It is placed under a table covered with a cloth that extends to the floor to provide heat for people sitting at the table. Modern brasero are electric, but in the past they were coal fired. Housing Homepage