Hoover 307
That is a Hoover model 307 washing machine, sold in the UK from 1948 until 1954 or so, although it may have been sold in overseas territories for several years after that. It was also sold in Canada as the model 308, although it was not sold in the USA as far as I know, although it is the predecessor to the twin tub washers that Hoover later sold all over the world. It is believed that the design was originally American (not Hoover) and that the UK head of operations saw the machine on a visit to the USA and decided that it was an ideal diversification for Hoover's UK operation. There were pre-war plans to build this machine at Perivale but WW2 intervened and after the war Hoover built a plant in South Wales (probably paid for by the government) to build this and ultimately all their laundry and dishwashing range.
A very simple machine, there are no controls and the tub drains by gravity. In some ways it was revolutionary particularly in regard to its compact size in the typically very small UK kitchen, and mechanically simple washing action. There are seven separate water currents in every Hoover wash tub. It might seem like a lot of work rinsing and wringing the clothes, but it saved a huge amount of hard, physical work on wash day. It was also, for the time, relatively cheap.
This is a machine belonging to ChesterMike, I am not sure if this is the one I found for him at the side of the road one night.
And a cinema "short" advertising the benefits of the Hoover washing machine.
Al
