COLSTON

[optima]

My very first experience with twin tub washers must have been around 1980.It was a Colston i would love to see a picture of it again. Alot of you have mentioned Colston Rolls twin tubs on here but it wasn't a concorde or caronet. This machine was slightly different. Im sure it was manufactured in or around 1974. The things i remember about it were that it had a dark blue hinged lid that covered the three white control dials. Im sure it had a orange heater light. It also had the Colston logo on the front in exactly the same place as the Hoovermatic Deluxe of around that year.The spinner & pulsator wash tub lids were white with dark blue handles. It also had a light woodgrain worktop. Can anyone remember it i would love to know.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Craig.

Just searched through the Kays Catalogue Colston twintub offerings for the entire 1970's and all they sold was the Concorde and Coronet.

Then looked at the line drawings that Which Magazine produced through the 70's and found this line drawing of the Colston 2351 Autoplus, from 1973.
Does this look anything like the machine?

Paul

 

[optima]

Paul thats the one well done. I forgot all about the triangle logo. I carn't remember it displaying Autoplus anywhere on it. That Colston was one solid classy machine. My nannas first twin tub. One thing that used to baffle me was why nanna would empty the wash tub by hand with a jug that used to always take her ages now i realise the belt must have come off the wash pump i always wondered what the plastic pipe attachment was in the wash tub because it never did anything. If only i was older back then i would have realised saving her all that time emptying it by hand. How good would it be to have the instuction book & some photos of it now. Many thanks Craig.

 

[optima]

I Am 80% convinced its the same one. The control panel hinged lid is the same but where the triangle is i'm sure that was where the colston name logo was. I would know straight away if it was a colour pic. I think nannas was purchased from our local Norweb shop so they might of had a exclusive model.

 

[ozzie908]

The triangle sign.

Could that have been the label for electrical safety? Something along the lines of the BEAB it looks like it could be?
Just a thought anyhoo
Austin

 

[optima]

Yes Austin they are BEAB labels. I can remember them now when they had proper safety labels stuck on.

 

[ozzie908]

The memory is good when it works lol

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Austin.

Wish my memory was better - so many machines with only the vaguest of memories of them. Oh to be able to go back in time and relive it all - for me it would be norweb, comet and currys in the very early 1980s!

Hi Craig.
Another member, a while back, kindly uploaded a whole load of old Which reports one of which was the Autoplus one.
I attach a copy of it below - its from March 1973...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and here are the more familiar Colston Coronet, along with the Hoover offerings of the time - 1976/77...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and the Colston Concorde.

Did they mix up the pictures or names, cause both the Coronet and Concorde look the same to me!

Paul

 

[ozzie908]

Oh Paul

Where did you find that Kays catalogue?

The one difference between the 2 Colston twin tubs as far as I can remember was spin speed and a light on the heater and possibly the instructions written on the top at the back
Maybe someone with a better memory than mine can add more to enlighten you?

Austin

 

[optima]

Paul, Thank you so much for uploading all these catalogue pics & the which report on the Autoplus 2351. The Autoplus was definitely the grandest of the three. On the which report it quotes the variable thermostat control im not sure if the Coronet & Concorde had this. Out of the Coronet & Concorde i would say the Coronet looks more like the Autoplus but without the control panel lid. I also think i remember 3 dials one being a spin timer dial.

Craig.

 

[sudsreturn]

Colston twin tubs.

My mum and nana both bought a Colston twin tub each at the same time when my mum got married in 1975. Mum had the Concorde as she was planning a family (eventually me in '79 and bro in '81 lol) and machine was bigger than the Coronet, which my nana got to replace her ageing Hoovermatic. Mum had the Colston up until I was around 15 yr old, then went to an auto for about ten years, now back to a twin tub (Hoovermatic Deluxe T5090). My nans Coronet lasted well into 1997 when she sold it as she moved into housing with a laundry, although she ended up getting a Hoovermatic (which I have now) as she said the washers in the laundry didn't wash properly (Amen to that nan!). I do remember my mum having a hell of alot of problems with her spinner catch, she had to keep her hands on the lid to keep it spinning. My nans was fine even when she got rid of it. Good wash though, didn't tangle as much as the Hoovermatic. Was noisy on the spin though. Haven't seen one in years, although I did see a Colston-Ariston twin tub about 10 year ago, and a Colston-Ariston seperate pair, washer and spinner... same as Colston but in a brown trim and slightly more modern. Look at house clearances and auctions, old ladies houses get cleared out when the pass away and these gems do come up now and then!

 

[sudsreturn]

Colston twin tubs.

My mum and nana both bought a Colston twin tub each at the same time when my mum got married in 1975. Mum had the Concorde as she was planning a family (eventually me in '79 and bro in '81 lol) and machine was bigger than the Coronet, which my nana got to replace her ageing Hoovermatic. Mum had the Colston up until I was around 15 yr old, then went to an auto for about ten years, now back to a twin tub (Hoovermatic Deluxe T5090). My nans Coronet lasted well into 1997 when she sold it as she moved into housing with a laundry, although she ended up getting a Hoovermatic (which I have now) as she said the washers in the laundry didn't wash properly (Amen to that nan!). I do remember my mum having a hell of alot of problems with her spinner catch, she had to keep her hands on the lid to keep it spinning. My nans was fine even when she got rid of it. Good wash though, didn't tangle as much as the Hoovermatic. Was noisy on the spin though. Haven't seen one in years, although I did see a Colston-Ariston twin tub about 10 year ago, and a Colston-Ariston seperate pair, washer and spinner... same as Colston but in a brown trim and slightly more modern. Look at house clearances and auctions, old ladies houses get cleared out when the pass away and these gems do come up now and then!

 

[paulc]

Matchboxpaul

Thanks for posting the Kays pics, they bring childhood memories flooding back. Are they yours? If so, any chance of posting pics of the other pages, ie the Colston Consort,The two Indesits and the Creda automatic? Sorry for being a bit cheeky,

Paul C

 

[matchboxpaul]

1978-1979

Hi Paul.

here is the other page across from the Colston Concorde:

Hoover A3090 Automatic
Zanussi S118T
Indesit L8LGB
&
Creda 10100 De Luxe

 

[matchboxpaul]

1978-1979

The spinner and single tub machines, including the Colston Cadet single tub and Colston Autopump spinner...

 

[matchboxpaul]

1978-1979

and finally the warm air dryers:

Hotpoint 1720 Home n' Dry
Creda Compact 3
&
Creda 400 Autodry....

 

[paulc]

Thank you

so much Paul. I have used that model Zanussi, we had one in a shared house in the late 80's. Was very quiet and washed well.