An elderly couple will be cleaning up their house after Christmas with the help of a 98-year-old multi-purpose German appliance - which has NEVER broken down.<br /><br />Mary Waite and her husband Ivor have been using their trusty Piccolo, which performs at least eight different functions, since they got married in 1976.<br /><br />The plastic and metal gadget is a vacuum cleaner but can transform into a food processor, meat mincer, coffee grinder, polisher, vegetable peeler, drill and even a compressed air paint sprayer.<br /><br />The couple still use their all-in-one tool today to keep their home in Halesowen, West Mids., spick and span.<br /><br />Piccolo's were produced in 1925 and were popular for families living in cramped houses in Germany and Eastern Europe due to its compact size and versatility.<br /><br />Ivor, 73, was given the Piccolo by his aunt and says modern household appliances don't come close to it's reliability.<br /><br />The retired engineering inspector said: “We were given it in 1976 from my auntie as a wedding present - it's the household equivalent of a Swiss Army knife.<br /><br />"Her husband was a businessman who imported these things in the 50s from Germany. Because he had no service department, he couldn’t sell them. <br /><br />“She was giving them away. I’ve lost a few spare parts but I'm quite handy so I've managed to keep the Piccolo going all these years.<br /><br />"There was a juicer and a carrot slicer attachment but I don’t know where they have all gone. <br /><br />“It’s pretty amazing that you can use it as a mincer, liquidiser, a food mixer, a juicer, a slicer and even polish the floors with it. <br /><br />"It's a one-of-a-kind and we wouldn't be without it.<br /><br />"You can also turn it into a vacuum cleaner. There’s a tool kit, there’s a circular saw and a drill with a grinder. <br /><br />“We mainly used it as a mincer. We use it as a vacuum cleaner in the car because it’s small and once in a while we use it to polish and clean the floors. <br /><br />“It had been in storage for god knows how long in my auntie's cottage before she gave it to us in 1976.”<br /><br />German-made Piccolo’s are made from a strong metal casing and have the ability to be made into a variety of items.<br /><br />They were manufactured between 1925 and 1930 and were imported to Britain by traders.<br /><br />The couple won an award in 2013 for the oldest working appliance in the Black Country after they entered their trusty device into the contest.
