What make/model is this?

[jake1234]

I saw this vacuum cleaner on a very popular UK TV show, keeping up appearances. Its actually my favourite comedy of all time and it was very popular over here in the UK when it came out in the early 90s. I think it ran from about 1991-1995. I was watching an episose last night when I saw Liz Warden (the lady in the photo) using this cleaner. I thought I would ask if any of you knew what it was as I honestly havnt a clue and I cant remember ever seeing one and even these days with the internet I have still never seen one. Its a soft bag upright with a headlight and a white square base. The best I could think of was goblin or hotpoint. So, what do you think it is?

 

[stephaniekoro]

it looks to be a goblin form the 70s/80s im not to sure but i think so similar to the picture?

 

[jo]

“Not there dear...I like to face the window”

My favorite line spoken by Hyacinth to Liz immediately after every time she has her over for coffee and tells her to sit down anywhere she likes in the kitchen!

I remember this episode and thinking to myself “I wonder what kind of vacuum that is?”

There was another episode where Hyacinth’s Sister Rose is clutching what looks like a red and cream European Electrolux canister with the hose and an attachment while insisting Daisy and Onslow help her clean up the messy house for her boyfriend who is coming over.

Jon

 

[jake1234]

Goblin

Yes it must be a goblin as the cleaner head is the exact same with the headlight and everything. Liz in the photograph must have the soft bag version of that cleaner. Caught my eye that the goblin advertisement said they invented the very first vacuum cleaner, half the people on here seem to say Hoover came first and the other half seem to say Goblin. I always thought Mr. Spangler invented the vacuum cleaner and sold the patent to Hoover.

 

[jake1234]

Its a Goblin Housemaid!

Since I found out its a goblin I had a bit more to go on so I started looking around where it might be from. It turns out to be a goblin Housemaid from 1978. A year or two later it was replaced by a hard bag version shown in the ad above. Being a 1978 model, by the time this cleaner was in keeping up appearances in 1992 the cleaner was already 14 years old so would have already started to become outdated, although stood next to Hoovers soft bag uprights of the 90s it still looks quite modern! Thanks for your help everyone and its nice to know we have got some keeping up appearances fans among us.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yep Goblin Housemaid

When I was a kid and saw that episode, I used to think it was a very BOL Kenmore Twin Fan from the early 90s. The colors looked similar, had the soft bag and that shape hood, but actually they didn't have a headlight like this does. But of course those machines were never sold in UK.

Another post here about it several years ago thought it was a BOL Hoover Elite, I can kind of see the resemblance.

It's surprising to me they used a machine that old in the scene.

The episode with the orange Electrolux at Rose's is actually the same one this is. I thought it was funny they got two vacuums in the same one.

Also in earlier series, keep a lookout in Onslow and Daisy's living room for a very late production Hoover Junior U1104 (mid-late 80s model)!

These are the only 3 vacuums I'm aware of in the series.

We used to guess what Hyacinth would have, I guessed maybe a Dyson DC01 or DC02 so she could brag about how she has something very modern, but on the other hand she probably would think it was too strange looking and would go for a Hoover or Electrolux with the Royal Warrant! Something very expensive surely!

 

[oreck_xl]

It's surprising to me they used a machine that old in th

Were it Hyacinth's house, yes, but for Liz and Emmet this was perfectly understandable. Completely unrelated I know but do you remember in the early '90's when they used a Hoover Dial-A-Matic U6039-030 on "Family Matters?" I've heard tell of the same DAM being used on "Roseanne." You would think the Winslow's would've at least had a Concept One by that time.

 

[jake1234]

Keeping up appearances

Yes I noticed that about daisey and onslows to. Earlier on in the series they have a Hoover junior upright which would be a lot better suited to their home with it being carpeted, but later on when Rose says she is going to 'tidy up' she brings down an Electrolux cylinder from upstairs! You would think the film creators and props people would just use what they already have and therefore I thought she would of used the junior. I wonder what happened to it because it dissappeared after that and was never seen again. Hyacinth bucket wouldnt have anything without the royal warrant, she would of had a Hoover Turbomaster Total System, or the Turbomaster Freedom, or the Electrolux 612E. She would never of had a cylinder. Interesting that you said you were surprised that they used a 14 year old cleaner in the scene, quite a few people dont realise how quickly time goes by and how things become older quickly. My mother has the Dyson DC07 and she has had it from new, she bought it in 2006. And because she has had it from new and it cost a lot of money, in her head its still reasonably 'new' although its 14 years old! So it would of been the same age as Liz's Goblin Housemaid. If something still works and gets looked after and your happy with it, theres no need to replace it. Theres probably a lot of people out there using 14 year old vacuum cleaners, more than we think anyway.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Speaking of Dial A Matics, I remember seeing one in an early 90s Matlock episode too. It was a later 70s model in that taupe/gray color. His housekeeper was using it. Always thought it was funny he'd have bought a top of the line Hoover even if it would have been getting on 14 years old as well, let alone pay for a housekeeper. But then he did always have the newest top of the line Ford Crown Victoria.

True on the age thing. I grew up in the 90s and anything 80s and before seemed "old" to me just because it was before my time. It's hard now to accept the 90s was over 20 years ago now, it doesn't seem long. And I agree with vacuums. I have some I got in 2012 hard to believe they're 8 years old. To me stuff from the late 2000s and early 2010s still feels relatively new, since iPhones, etc were already around, hard to believe 2007 was 13 years ago, still seems like modern era.

I suppose people still have older machines in use. Seems like a lot of the newer bagless vacuums people just throw out when they need any maintenance though.

Back to the topic of the post,
I could see Hyacinth now picking up the phone. "Oh, it's you Violet, yes. I was just finishing up cleaning my grade one Axminster. Oh, yes Violet I have a vacuum cleaner, of course. Yes, dear mah Hoov-ah with the Royal Warrant!"

 

[watsonw]

Goblin Housemaid

I remember Jenny Tomasin (Ruby in Upstairs Downstairs) on the itv tv channel ( circa 1976)advertising the hard bagged version of the machine.

Poor Jenny, the acting profession did not treat her well.