39) 6th July - The freezer beats me to having a full on breakdown. Meet the Meat from 1991

 

A label from the frozen meat in the bottom of the freezer.

After Ant mentioned to me that dad's freezer was 'on the blink'. I suggested he keep a close eye on it - It is at least 35 years old, and is a huge chest type freezer, where the top lid opens and it appears things at the bottom can be missed, staying there for a long time - the space is big enough for a body - should you need to keep one in there... just sayin' so you get an idea of size.

The freezer has lived in the shed ever since I can remember, as did its predecessor. The shed, being jam packed full of 'stuff' - an 8 foot x 10 foot insulated wooden shed which was brought after an outside broadcast by the BBC many moons ago, has stood there since I was a child - we are talking a looong time ago. I am not sure if it is the same freezer or if it was replaced by a similar one many moons ago.

Anyway, said freezer, with perfect timing, decided its time had come and was blowing hot and cold. Permanently worried about a fire, I told Ant to leave the shed door open, keep a close eye on it and if anything by the plug looked too hot, to rescue the butter and recent stuff but the meat would have to go out. Ant put 27 packs of butter in the under-counter fridge in the house. He said there was a funny smell in the freezer.

Shit! 

The following day he checked it and said it was barely cold, the smell was worse and it was definitely broken.

Double shit!

I told him to unplug it then. The meat would have to go. I said to leave all the pre-packed sealed meat for now but get out things in trays like chicken and sausages, put them in food bags and we would put them in the food waste. However the food waste collection wasn't until 5 days time.

Triple shit with fly topping...

He said the smell was awful so I suggested put a plank of wood to stop the lid closing and air it out a bit an put old newspaper in the bottom to soak up any moisture. And shut the shed door.

The next day Ant said there were lots of flies in the shed.

...

Luckily a family friend from the church had come to visit Chris and she got all gloved up and stuck in and helped Ant get the meat in the food waste bins. The council had luckily delivered the 2nd food bin I had requested. Julie suggested line the bin with a food bag at the bottom and put the meat in. Ant did this and the meat went out for the bin men.

When Ant returned home later that day, he saw the sausages had adhered to the bottom of the bin and the stench was stomach churning as the temperature had been in the 30s. Flies everywhere.  When I held my breath and looked in the bin, it was clear Ant had just put the food bag at the bottom. but not the sides so the sausages had made a huge disgusting lump inside the bin. And it would now have to wait until next week to go out. We got gloves and double bagged the sausages with a chicken something and tied it and put it sealed in the food bin. Slimy and vile. We put it at the bottom of the garden.

As we tried to clear up the wrapping the meat had been in, Ant noticed the label above. note the expiry date of the meat - dad's writing says it was 1991 - THIRTY FIVE years old. I have no doubt had dad found it and had a dog, he would have tried to give it to the poor animal. I am grateful (and sure as hell the potential dog ) would be grateful that he didn't have a dog. The meat had apparently been put there fresh the day the freezer was bought... (or maybe 'fresh' from the predecessor freezer).

We have managed to get rid of all the meat and the freezer is stuck at the back of the shed with no space to bring it out via the 1 ft gap dad had left to get to it.