UK Wash In - Hoover Matchboxes - with a twist!

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Mathew.

Its a beaut, eh! people deep in converstaion.

There is a real stormer with you in it, although i dont think i will post it. Its of richard, discussing the elctras with you, and making a point with his index finger. He looks like he is sternly telling you and rob off and you both look rather stunned.

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Ash.

As you say - simple.

Absolutely nothing complicated about them - just a dial and a long/short spin button.

still to get used to the lack of powder drawer though.

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Matthew.

For sure, your Zodiac is a derivation of this machine and its predecessors.

In fact the whole of the hoover front loader range, sold in Australia, were derived from Hoover matchboxes.

I woluld love to see pictures of the 1970s Hoover machines, that were sold on your shores.
I think they were model 460 and 465 and arrived in the mid 1970s.

For some reason, your machines were paired down, lacking a heater as well as the powder drawer. Strange that you didnt get two or three versions of the machine.

Will post some pics next to show how the Zodiac, plus mine and robs electra's, were derived.

Cheers
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

The history bit now.....

The origin of the A2E04 lays with the first version of the Hoover 3235 Automatic, first sold back in 1970.

The replacement facia picture is courtesy of Mathew (keymatic3203)...

 

[matchboxpaul]

this was replaced by version 2, with a full width darker coloured facia, and then version 3 (shown below) with a light coloured facia.

picture again courtesy of Mathew....

 

[matchboxpaul]

Another version of the 3235 was produced and sold through the electricity board shops.

This was model A2018 - the 'Automatic E'.

The picture is provided by cbosch and was his grans machine, whilst i did the drawing.
the bottom left image is a piccy from the TV - an A2018 stars in an episode of Hetty Wainthrop Investigates....

 

[electron1100]

Old Hoovers

I feel a proud door moment coming on ;-)

 

[matchboxpaul]

The A2018 was then discontinued and replaced, in electricity board shops, by the A2E04 and the A3E02 (shown below).

The latter machine boasted the hot and cold fill, an economy button and powder drawer, akll of which the A2E04 lacked....

 

[matchboxpaul]

Here is the first vid of the A2E04.

This vid was made shortly after the machine arrived in Crewe. The machine to the right is one of Mikes latest acquisitions, in the form of a Hotpoint 95450!

here is gently displays the old 'water down a 1970s hoover doorbowl' effect. You know what i mean....

 

[matchboxpaul]

daylight!

the morning after the unveiling and the machines looked even better, bathed in natural daylight...

 

[matchboxpaul]

washing away...

 

[matchboxpaul]

...

 

[matchboxpaul]

just a hint of suds, going on there...

 

[matchboxpaul]

not forgetting the dryer...

 

[matchboxpaul]

waiting patiently for its new partner to finish...

 

[matchboxpaul]

The Towering Electras

Always like pictures from this angle - the childs view...

 

[electron1100]

The morning after

They look brilliant, better without the stacking kit, yea its a pity about the size bing a bit over (bloody annoying actually)

But thats nothing compared to the machines..........excellent

MORE MORE MORE

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Gary.

am just uploading another vid, but am running out of pictures so you'd better get your fill, cause the flow will soon be stopping :-(

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

here we have the vid of the machine washing its first load, after unveiling.

looking and sounding good.

enjoy.

Paul
p.s will save the last vid and piccies for later.

 

[electron1100]

Hi jacking

Sorry Paul i couldn't resist this

 

[matchboxpaul]

that is a skill you got there Gary!

Hilarious. absolutely hilarious!

A mate of mine a uni had the same skill for funny captions.

In second year we shared a house and, each evening he'd go through the paper, cutting out pictures and writing superbly funny captions on them. by the following morning they'd have been blutacked to the wall (opposite our Hoover Classica 1000).

By the end of the year, the wall was covered in funny captions and they had provided much hilarity to visitors to the house.

The more risque ones were removed, prior to visits from our parents, and re-stuck on the wall once they had gone.

Great stuff Gary.

Paul
p.s no - its not a Hotpoint toploader!

 

[electron1100]

dodgy skills

cheers Paul ;-).........wasnt sure, an of course his nibs hasn't seen it yet :-/

Not Hotpoint...... BUM!

 

[74simon]

Fantastic!

Eeeeh, I remember the days when matchboxes were talked about like they were completely extinct! What a great coincidence to find the washer after the dryer!

They're a very handsome pair, and how ace that they're both non-standard machines! I love that Electra logo with the plug on the end, my gran had a fridge with the same branding, which stuck in my mind.

Oh, and talking of Matchboxes in the media, there's a 3236H in the film 'Tommy' in a mock commercial for 'Hi' (High power, low suds) washing powder...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hiya Simon.

Great to hear from you and hope you are well.

Thanks for posting the link to the film 'Tommy' - brilliant to see a 3236H with a human moving alongside it, rather than just a picture.

Seeing the shiny metallic facia of the version 2 machine, makes me pine even harder to see one of the old girls again.

Although the electra completely qualifies as a matchbox - cause that what it is - the holy grail lineup really does still have to be the three basic core models for me:

3243H Keymatic De Luxe (in the safe hands of Gary)
3236H Automatic De Luxe
&
3235 Automatic

Those were the machines that spawned the rest of the line up for the whole of the 1970s and yet they are the worst represented in preservation.

I have taken a screen grab of the 'Tommy' 3236H - now waiting to be filed.

Cheers for the link
Paul
p.s i remember seeing a 3236H in the Alf Garnet programme (name escapes me), but does anyone know whether matchboxes appeared anywhere else? I have heard 'George & Mildred' mentioned before, for a 3236H.
Also, Rob has mentioned that Mrs Warbuoys (spelling?) in 'One Foot in the Grave' had an electra A3E02.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Here is the final vid for the moment.....

.... with the machine reactivated after rinse hold, going into distribute and then a final short spin.

It really shocked me, when we first used the machine, how strong the ditribution is.

The first load we tried, in robs backyard, was fully fastened to the sides of the drum within 1 to 2 seconds.

This is how i remember my mothers 3236H machine being, whilst Mathew can remember them being more gentle. What do people think? too fast, too slow or about right?

Enjoy the final vid
paul
p.s quite what the point of coming down from spin and continuing to distribute is, I dont know.

 

[matchboxpaul]

just before the final part of the programme - cooldown with high water level...

 

[matchboxpaul]

...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Jumped the gun a bit with the spin vid

I should have posted it here, but anyways.....

final spin completed and Mathew digs deep in there.

 

[matchboxpaul]

next port of call is here...

 

[matchboxpaul]

gently tumbling away...