IT’S served numerous homes on both sides of the Atlantic.
But after more than 50 years Gloria Clare’s General Electric fridge is still going strong.
Mrs Clare bought the giant cooler third-hand for $12 in 1969 when she was working as a distributor for David Brown Tractors (DBT) in Philadelphia, USA.
When Mrs Clare, moved back to Huddersfield in 1973, DBT paid to have the fridge shipped to the UK.
For two years the fridge gathered rust in a shipping container behind a DBT office.
But Mrs Clare cleaned the fridge and moved it to successive homes in Meltham, Stalybridge and finally Birkby, where Mrs Clare lives today.
The faithful refrigerator is believed to have served in two American homes before it made its way to Mrs Clare’s former home in Philadelphia.
Nowadays the fridge is still going strong and Mrs Clare has received large cash offers for it.
Born in Manilla, Mrs Clare worked as a DBT distributor in The Philippines with her then husband Peter.
She and her husband moved to Huddersfield in 1966 to continue to work for DBT before the pair were seconded to the USA for similar jobs.
Grandmother Gloria, 75, said: “My daughter wanted to buy it for £1,000 from me.
“It still keeps everything fresh.
“My son thinks it’s a prototype. That’s why it’s so strong.
“It’s been moved around again and again. My husband wanted to put it on the tip, but I’m glad I said no.
“It’s not expensive to run and it’s very old-fashioned looking. People are impressed by it because it’s so big. It’s a talking point.
“It’s probably the best fridge ever. I think it has many years left in it.”
General Electric, now known as GE, was founded in 1892, by four men including Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, phonogram and moving picture camera.
