the good old days

[GREENWIZARD]

Just for a minute, forget everything stressful and read this........
all the way to the bottom........

Close your eyes and go back in time...
Before the Internet or the PC.
Before semi-automatics, joyriders and crack....
Before SEGA or Super Nintendo...
Way back........

I'm talking about Hide and Seek in the park.
The corner shop.
Hopscotch.
Butterscotch.
Skipping.
Handstands.
Football with an old can.
Fingerbob.
Beano, Dandy, Buster, Twinkle and Dennis the menace.
Roly Poly.
Hula Hoops,
The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass.
Bazooka Joe bubble gum.
An ice cream cone on a warm summer night from the van that plays a tune
Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe Neapolitan or perhaps a
screwball

Watching Saturday morning cartoons....short commercials, The Double
Deckers, Road Runner, He-Man, Zeebedee Tiswas or Swapshop?, and 'Why
Don't You'? or staying up for Doctor Who.
When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere.

Earwigs, wasps, stinging nettles and bee stings.
Sticky fingers.
Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Zorro.
Climbing trees.
Walking to school, no matter what the weather.
Running till you were out of breath and getting a stitch, laughing so
hard that your stomach hurt.

Jumping on the bed.

Pillow fights.

Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.

Being tired from playing....remember that?

The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.

Water balloons were the ultimate weapon
playing cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Choppers and Grifters

I'm not finished just yet.....

Eating raw jelly. Orange squash ice pops.

Remember when...
There were two types of trainers - girls and boys, and Dunlop Green
Flash - and the only time you wore them at school was for P.E.

You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents.

It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.

You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas eve.
When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.
When 25p was decent pocket money
When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
When nearly everyone's mum was at home when the kids got there.

When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a
real restaurant with your parents.

When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to
carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.

When being sent to the head's office was nothing compared to the fate
that awaited a misbehaving student at home.

Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of
drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs etc. parents and grandparents were a
much bigger threat! - and some of us are still afraid of them!!

Remember when....
Decisions were made by going " Ip Dip Dog Sh*t "
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "Monopoly".

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs. And
the worst thing in your day was having to sit next to one.

It was unbelievable that 'British Bulldog 123' wasn't An Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a catapult.

Nobody was prettier than Mum.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable aspirin.

Ice cream was considered a basic food group

Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true

Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED.

[GREENWIZARD]

[wardy]

Thanks for that GW.  I'm sniffing now having read it.  Green flash trainers - how I loved mine - my dog chewed up to bits  ;D  I used to go swimming every day and twice on Saturdays.  My mum used to make me wait exactly one hour before I was allowed to go back to the afternoon session and I was literally on the blocks ready to dash off.  She used to buy me a vanilla slice off the van as a treat but I had to "let it go down" before I could go for another swim.  Going to the pictures (can anyone remember the Brooke Bond shows) where you had to "pay" to get in with the stamp off the tea packet  ;D  Then you could win prizes which was usually a rubber Brooke Bond monkey.  We all got into trouble for staying in the pictures to watch "Help" one more time.  Me and my friends used to go scrumping and laugh so much as we were being chased and all the apples falling out of our jumpers as we ran down the hill  ;D

[weedy gardener]

Ooooh, I feel so old!  Having said that, yesterday afternoon as it was nice we had icecreams from a van (with a tune), played in the garden and spun round and round till we were dizzy and the neighbours came out to see what all the giggling was about.  Then the neighbour's daughters (26, 24 and 22) came round and rolled down the very shallow slope in our garden while my children (nearly 3 and 18 months) watched in astonishment!  Then we all had ice lollies from the freezer and everyone went home with grass in their hair.  I just hope my kids grow up the way I did - actually having a chance to be kids!  And both children and I slept soundly all night long.  wg

[lorna]

All  I can say is I MUST be old. 25p pocket money?? More  like 6d (old money)I remember when an Aunt rode on the back bars of my young brothers three wheel bike.. down Eltham Hill, would probably get locked up these days for being crazy.Those were the days,  then again life is still pretty good, every day is a bonus :) Lorna.

[Heldi]

Erm....I still do   Ip dip dogs sh*t  !

[Roy Bham UK]

:o I hate to admit it but my ice cream was put on a flat piece of white cardboard, anyone dare to remember that ??? ;D

[jaggythistle]

A lot of things we did when we were kids could not be done now.....we used to
  go for walks well more like expeditions we would be gone about up to 8 hours
at a time we learnt a lot in the fields and surrounding countryside, heres a nice
1 that will have you laughing.....if we were ever doing anything we shouldn't have
your pals would say don't give them your proper name if caught me being young
  and very very naive we were out this day 6 of us brothers and cousins and we
  were walking along the top of a 8 ft wall that we had climbed when someone
spied a tortoise me being the youngest and smallest was lowered into this
enclosed garden and instructed to pick up said tortoise and head back to the wall
where I was to hand it up to them on the wall and then they would lift me back
up........... just as I lifted the tortoise a door opened and my friends disappeared
off the wall (my heart was thumping and my mouth very dry..... was what they
said about not giving my name) so A man came out the door "right whats your
name and address"  well when your put on the spot I stuttered my brothers
name and the proper address.......it came back to haunt me too my brother
included that story in his bestman wedding speech at my wedding ...gggrrr

I have to say we played a game in the summer months am gonna cringe now
because thinking about the site am in it was called the grand national over a
1/4 mile round it was too at dusk we all put our pocket money in the kitty winner
took all and the fences were peoples back gardens you can imagine what comes
next off we all went jumping fences and running through flower beds or veg plots
till we ended back at the garden we started in  ::) ::) ::) ::) I won it regular
also ended up ripping my breeks a few times ;D ;D most of all its the feeling of
being young and not having to worry about a single thing is what was really
good about it all

[Derek]

For some of us that wasn't 'the good old days' it was just yesterday!

I recall the endless sunny days, playing in the streets from morning till dusk....very few cars and apparently no perverts
People never locked doors when going out...the neighbour would fetch in washing if it rained when you were out.
Saturday matinee .... 6d... that's old money folks.. a big picture, cartoons and the next exciting story of the lastest serial.
No food goods were pre-packed....sugar in those blue bags.
The lamplighter....aagghh ...Bloomin 'eck ..now that's old

Street traders...the vegetable man pushing his wares around on a handcart....milkman and Co-op bread delivered by horse drawn cart



The horse was called 'Dolly' and according to John, the milkman, would take a piece of bread from a babies hand... I tried and the horse had a finger sandwich....I have cause to remember Dolly   ...notice not a car in the street... picture taken around 1956/7

Now..those were the days

Derek

[wardy]

I used to go t'pictures on Saturday morning (before I started swimming regularly) and it cost 6d.  As soon as the screen started to flicker all the kids used to cheer  ;D  It was always cartoons first followed by the main feature.  We used to by 3d popcorn and it came in a long paper tube with pastel coloured stripes running down it  ;D

We used to go on long expeditions too with a bottle of water and some tomato sandwiches which were always soggy by the time we came to eat them  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

There were definitely perverts about (I remember one making quite a nuisance of himself trying to get his hands up all the boys' trousers) but you just dealt with it, and nothing was ever said. 99.9% of them are totally pathetic individuals who are more of a threat to themselves than anyone else anyway.

[Roy Bham UK]

Derek, surely you mean 1946/47, I remember going round the streets with our local baker in an electric bread van around 1949. mind you, the rag and bone man still used a horse and cart. ;D

Birmingham remembers VE Day 1945 ½ d (a half penny = 2 farthings) says you can’t spot me ;D
Soz about the quality, my scanners on the blink. :-[


A typical old iron mongers shop. Oh dear galvenised tubs sometimes I want to forget. ::)

[katynewbie]

 Incredible photos everyone....thankyou!!
As a child in Kent in the early 60's we used to spend whole summer holidays in the woods. Me and my gang used to make dens (now i think it would be seen as a "bender") and rebuild it on a weekly basis after "big boys" trashed it!!
Sherbert fountains were the biggest treat!!

[supernan]

 :) Enid Blyton-----Noddy Famous Five Malory Towers.

;D Hugh Lofting--Dr. Doolittle

Jack and Jill, Diana, Bunty--soppy girls comics.

Boarding school, uniform and god awful felt hat. Matron doing vest and knicker checks, usually when you were walking up the main school path. Kinckers were the grey thick flannel sort, with hankie pockets are you ready for this only two pairs allowed a week!!! We used to sneak them into the bath wash em and hang them to dry under the beds.

PE on the school field in freezing weather meant chapped knees and if you fell over you did not feel it till about an hour after, cos you were so cold.

Those reality progs on school were no where near hard enough!!!

Watching the ice form on the inside of the windows in your bedroom.

Only having one bath a week on Sunday. Mum always doing the washing on Mondays, Fish to eat on Fridays. Being bored cos you were not allowed to do anything on Sundays. Only having veg in season, no fridge till I was 12 and no television either.

Outside toilet...........................

Ah fond memories.

RB I have those same tubs in my front garden for my flowers!! Tarted up with blue Hammerite they look great.

[lorna]

Syrup of figs every Friday night  wether you needed it or not!! Oh and the "nit" comb.. just in case!!!!!

[wardy]

I've still got three of those galvanised "washing machines", and a copper, stone sink, mangle, wash house, air raid shelter and an outside privvy :) 
I loved Enid Blyton, and comics!  We had the lot in our house.  Ma couldn't get us off to school.  there used to be a mad scramble at the letter box most mornings  :)  I really loved Bunty, June and School Friend, Mandy, Beano, Dandy and all those - still do!  I used to be a real tomboy and my ma used to go mad as I wore jeans all the time and the neighbours kids wore frocks and ankle socks on a Sunday  :o  I fell into a reservoir once in November when we were playing on a homemade raft which sank.  I had thick clothes and boots on as it was winter and I began to sank so I had to get my boots and clothes off sharpish.  I swam like hell as I thought there were rats in there and there was all this green yukky weed all over me.  The worst bit was trying to get back in the house without mam seeing me.  I failed  ;D  She marmalised me  ;D ;D

[Wicker]

Hair tied up in plaits all schoolterm and only allowed to hang loose in the summer holidays. Liberty bodices and navy gym knickers, long wooly stockings with garters, pixie hats for girls and balaclavas for the boys.

Parcels from Canada with lollies, processed cheese and packets of Betty Crocker cake mixes.  Eating whatever was put down on the table at mealtimes and enjoying it - no fads just wholesome food and veggies with everything.

Whole family listening to ITMA, Round the Horne, Up The Pole, Dick Barton and of course Children's Hour featuring Autie Kath and Uncle Mac!! Dad getting our first radiogram after the old windup gramophone and buying a 78 rpm every Saturday - my very first ELVIS record. Then the first time seeing tv at a friend's - mesmerising - and the unbelievable joy when we got our own tv - Six Five Special, Juke Box Jury, Perry Como Show with all our  rock 'n' roll dreamboats - oh, don't get me started

Honestly, loved my childhood .............

[wardy]

My ma introduced me to the joys of Dick Barton and I passed on that love to my son who is only 23 now  :)

We used to melt 78's to make plant pots  :o   I still have load of good uns though.  They were all my ma's but we played them til they wore out.  We used to make up plays and dances using all these records even though they were way before our time you understand  ;D    Mel Torok, Tennessee Ernie, Ruby Murray, Eamonn Andrews, Edna Savidge, Frank S, Frankie Laine, Josef Locke, Mario Lanza, all the military band stuff, Uist Tramping Song, Valderie, Oh Mein Papa, Mystery Street, lots of Guy Mitchell, Hawaiin War Dance, Jimmy Shand, Spike Jones, Hernandoes Hideaway, Ink Spots and the brilliant Platters, and loads more. Then came the Stones and Beatles  ;D

[Roy Bham UK]

;D Oh Wicker babes (sorry Megan) youv'e brought the memories flooding back, navy gym knickers ooh! didn't ware em but memories :o Round the Horne ? Much binding in the marsh...remember this...http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/mbitm.htm
And ...http://www.goon.org/usgoons/charctrs.htm

Not forgetting Wackey Wakey, Billy Cotton Band Show, with stars like Russ Conway, who played the piano with a missing digit.
http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/adults/other/cotton.htm

Isn't the Internet a marvelous tool? It keeps us all happy. ;D

[Roy Bham UK]

:o Some classic cars as they are called now. I snapped these back in 1956 Standard Vanguard, Ford Zephyr, Austin Devon and an earlier Zephyr Zodiac.

My first car was an Austin Devon second hand, costing a hefty £27.10s.0d. ;D I used to love the leathery smell in Austin cars ::) :P ;D

[Derek]

Roy...

you were right the picture was taken in 1946/7..   Damnation I am older than I thought.

Derek