Frigidaire Electric Refrigerator

In 1957, as a working wife, I needed a refrigerator. It came in the form of an English Electric unit with freezer tray and cost £47.10.0d. I bought it on hire purchase, which had to be guaranteed by my husband! This addition to my kitchen created so much excitement that I wrote in glowing terms to my Californian pen friend… what she did not understand was that I was the first person I knew who actually owned a refrigerator.

— Valerie Raven

We had one of these Frigidaires, probably bought around 1955. Not red, like the picture, but more orthodox cream coloured. As the previous contributor says, not many people had fridges. I didn’t know anyone else who had one, though a friend’s family quickly copied us, getting a Prestcold model. Notice the solid doorhandle, hinged at the bottom. This is the kind of lock, now banned, that could result in small children getting stuck inside fridges. As you pull the handle, it hinges backwards and the door catch, just visible, is lifted upwards to allow the door to open. From the inside, there’s obviously no way to open the door. It was quite noisy as the motor started up or shut down, but not too bad while the motor was running.

— Adrian Robson

Yep, I remember this fridge, or one very similar, bought in 1958, I remember it very well as I last saw it this morning when I left my mum's house, it is still working and is her one and only fridge she has ever had for nearly 50 years.

— AC Marsden