A Rochdale woman has been telling the Herald how she has had the same can opener for 51 years this year.
Bernadette Gottelieb told us, “I bought it in 1967. I’d saved up 4000 green shield stamps the previous year. Ever since then it’s been kept in my kitchen draw and I take it out every time I need to open a can.”
Prior to buying the can opener Bernadette had had to smash cans against her doorstep to get them to open.
She told us, “It was really revolutionary. We went from only getting peaches when they were in season to eating them all year round. We’d invite our family round in January and all marvel at eating peaches. It was a special time.”
Mrs Gottelieb told us her most memorable moment with her can opener was on July 20th 1969. “I was in the kitchen opening up a tin of hearty lamb stew, tin of carrots and some tinned potatoes. I’d just finished and walked into the living room. My husband told me Neil Armstrong had just landed on the moon and I’d missed it. It was a lovely stew though. We had Neapolitan ice cream for afters.”
However, it hasn’t been all plain sailing. “There was a period of time in 1988 when we didn’t know where the can opener had gone. I thought I’d have to get a new one. It was very distressing because the only thing available was an electric one. I’ve never been any good with electronics. Then, it turned up down the back of a draw. I was so happy I cooked a Fray Bentos steak and kidney pie to celebrate.”
The Rochdale Herald sends congratulations to Mrs Gottleib, you fricking weirdo.
