The below is less than a 50 yards away from our house, but I'd never noticed it before yesterday.
Boot scrapers in town are a reminder of when the roads were no more than muddy tracks. To remove all that mud from your shoes before entering the house was essential.
We had a bed delivered yesterday, and the two men who kindly took it upstairs for me both removed their shoes. Our brand new stair carpet joined me in saying 'thank you'.
Boot scrapers are a thing of the past. Not so long ago almost all homes had one outside the front door; either free standing, or fixed like the one above. At my people's Shropshire home there was a fine Victorian example, that I used regularly.
With my Dog-walking park becoming muddier by the day, I rather wish I had one here!
I wonder if the owner of the one above ever actually uses it?
Addendum: I've just remembered that we have this integrated boot scraper (below) at the other house.
25 comments:
I wouldn't mind having a boot scraper, I could scrape off all the loose leaves that stick to my shoes after watering the garden.
Ours had a sort of 2 pronged fork on it that you could jam your heel into for assistance levering off your boots.
Like this one above, it's good to have one for when you might need it.
I used to have one like that. It was half boot scraper, and half boot remover.
I could do with a boot scraper here at the new house. Our drive gets very muddy and we have to take off our boots and shoes in the porch. I wonder where I can buy one?
Antique Cast iron ones are plentiful, but you might have to pay £50 for one.
We once had an iron hedgehog with a bristly back which was perfect for cleaning shoes. The dog attacked it and all that was left was a pottery hedgehog face, still somewhere in the garden and a bit of scrap iron.
Everyone takes off their shoes here before coming in, even neighbour Vaso. She brings a pair of slippers with her.
The shoe scarper looks unused, probably because the owner walks from the front door to their car door.
We were so poor when I was young that all we had was a piece of wood with a V cut out to remove boots.
I have seen those Hedgehogs. Taking off shoes is probably a much better idea.
It was always a sign of wealth to own BOOTS.
Now you have focused on boot scrapers, I will be looking out for them myself. Perhaps I will see Jacob Rees-Mogg coming out of the bookies or the kebab shop.
We have a free-standing one. It really needs to be cemented in to be useful.
I love your boot scraper. So convenient!
For practical purposes, the more solid the better.
I don't remember ever using it, but I probably have.
With all your gallivanting, you need one under the car door.
I've got to the stage of keeping indoor and outdoor easy changeable shoes at each door to the house so that I can go in and out all the time without hassle when I'm working round the house or going to the bins.
We have a boot tray in the mudroom. Boots come off and are set in the tray. Theoretically, the mud stays in the tray. It doesn't. A boot scraper is a better idea, I think.
Thanks for the inspiration. I had a complicated job on and replied to your readers HERE
There's no mud here yet as we, in Massachusetts, are in a deep freeze. As the ice melts, a nice iron boot scrapper would be very useful. Our Brimfield antique and collectible event might have something I'd like.
He needs one shoving up his arse sideways. Might stimulate the other brain cell.
Growing up on a very muddy farm I do not remember boot scrapers. i remember the outside tap and the broom provided where one scrubbed ones boots before entering the hallway and from there one walked on the newspapers that my mother had spread on the floor to keep the boots and mud off, especially after she had just mopped clean said floor. This was the format for her entire 70 years in the farmhouse.
A thoroughly unpleasant remark and totally uncalled for - but typical of this visitor.
You must buy and install one. We have one; quite useful.
Farms usually have some sort of Boot room, for all those dirty things; including dogs. Very wise.
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