A 92-year-old refrigerator, believed to be one of the first ever built by Frigidaire, is still running in a Northamptonshire manor house. The timber-framed model was shipped from the United States to Britain in 1923 by Harold Bryant, a British-born entrepreneur who made his fortune across the Atlantic.
The fridge, owned by retired banker and Tory councillor Ian Pasley-Tyler, 70, is used daily for drinks and less perishable items like butter. It stands in the 17th-century Coton Manor near Gilsborough. Mr Pasley-Tyler inherited the appliance from his mother in 1990.
Despite its age, the fridge has required only minor maintenance—new door hinges three years ago. 'It is very noisy and I am sure it uses loads of electricity but it is incredible that it is still working,' Mr Pasley-Tyler said. 'There is no reason why it should not keep going for many years. It was built in an age when things were made to last.'
The exact age of the fridge is unclear, but it may date back to 1918, making it potentially 92 years old. When new, it cost $775—more than a Model T Ford, which sold for $450 in 1918. The appliance is believed to be the oldest known working fridge in Britain, surpassing a 63-year-old English Electric model owned by Don and Carol Ashley of Shropshire.
