A FRIDGE that has chilled an Oxford family’s Christmas Champagne for nearly 60 years could be the oldest one still working anywhere in the world.

Doris Stogdale, 89, from Headington, bought her General Electric fridge in 1952, the year the Queen ascended to the throne, Evita died and The Mousetrap first opened on the West End.

But an incredible 58 years on, it is still working and has only ever needed a single lightbulb replaced.

Mrs Stogdale bought the fridge in tropical Malaya, where her late husband Vivien, then 31, worked as an engineer for the Colonial Service.

She said: “Before we bought it, we used to use an old-fashioned ice box with a zinc-lined compartment.

“We would buy a foot-square block of ice each morning to keep food fresh, but we thought we had better improve on that when my son was born.

“It was very good and very modern, but not too fancy.

“It does not have separate compartments for butter or eggs, but it does have a pull out drawer for meat.”

The couple bought the fridge from the Universal Electric Engineering Company for 1,090 ringgits, or Malay dollars – then equivalent to £135.

They brought it back to Oxford, and it has worked perfectly ever since.

But Mrs Stogdale never imagined the fridge’s performance was so exceptional until her son David, 59, wrote to General Electric congratulating them on the quality of their creation.

The letter ended up on the desk of the firm’s chief executive Jeffrey Immelt in Connecticut and the firm believes it to be the oldest fridge they have made still working.

Mrs Stogdale said: “I suppose I just expect the fridge to go on forever.

“I have never even thought about buying another one. It still looks very smart, and you would never know it is 60 years old.”

She added: “Frankly I don’t think a modern fridge would last this long because they are too fancy.

“This is quite basic and straight- forward, but it still works just as well as it ever did and is in perfect condition.

“We chill our Champagne in it every Christmas, and always have done.”