Back in the days when a Big Mac was something you wore

[RossJarvis]

We've got a young Spanish lodger, she asked if "we had "wireless", so I took her to the kitchen and pointed her to the Robert's Radio! :roll: Our first Wireless, which sat on the telly (and was as near as big), came from Radio Rentals, dad had it so long they let us keep it!

Lino, has anyone mentioned that, lovely in the winter, particularly as we had it in the bedroom and the Karzi!

 

[Alex H]

Still in working order (almost)

 

[Frank S]

And you couldn't get waterstones - you had to rely on an old hollow clogged oilstone.

Ah, such memories. As for the waterstones, we used to use the front step of our house to sharpen knives and axes etc. By the time we left home there was a distinct dip in the step. :lol: As for the School girls they all used to wear dark green heavy duty knickers! Don't ask me how I know that. :lol: Talking of *** i can also remember when *** was safe and Scuba diving was dangerous! :lol: I also remember when someone was gay it meant something completely different. I never owned a Johnny Seven but did own the Johnny magumba which was a toy bolt action hunting rifle......and I never killed anyone. :lol: Oh! and almost forgot does anyone remember when a bag of chips was thruppence? you know the strange shaped coin with the portcullis on.

Thrupence !!! they saw you coming, our corner chippy used to sell us a pennoth(?) of chips in newspaper.
But then again I may be older than you

 

[joethedrummer]

My sister was in 3B....

So was my bloody wife!

Baldhead

Hi mate,,,,give my regards to your missus !!!!!!!

,,,joe,,,

 

[graduate_owner]

Chips, yes - a threepennyworth bag was a bit small, fourpennyworth was a good size, and for sixpence you'd have a job to finish it all yourself. A shilling bought a family meal. Wrapped in greaseproof, then newspaper but no forks, just fingers. Then they started selling fishcakes, that was something new and made a change from rissoles. If we had enough we could splash out on a bottle - not a can, a real glass bottle - of pop.

There were a number of makes of bike for older kids and adults, but the bike you saw nearly everywhere was the Raleigh Trent Tourist.

K

 

[RossJarvis]

Still in working order (almost)

Crumbs, is that yours, is it real, is it original? I'd have died for one of those.

 

[Alex H]

Still in working order (almost)

[/quote]

Crumbs, is that yours, is it real, is it original? I'd have died for one of those.[/quote]

Yes, Yes and Yes :D

I've now had it for 53 years - he still walks, but the antenna have given up spinning (there are rubber bands inside that perish over time)

The photo is not mine, but my Robbie is in the same condition with a few minor scratches - unfortunately the box died a long time ago :(

 

[graduate_owner]

Talking of macs, does anyone remember the Pakamac?

K

 

[Racers]

Or Caramac http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramac

Pete

 

[graduate_owner]

I remember when Caramac it first came out. It was not Nestle then, but Macintosh's I think. Have you noticed that all those chocolate firms have disappeared - probably been swallowed up by Nestle? There used to be Fry's (5 boys and of course Turkish Delight), Macintosh (Quality Street), Rowntrees (Dairy Box and Fruit Gums - don't forget the fruit gums mum), and probably others that I don't recall at present. I do remember Spangles though.

And does anyone remember vans coming round selling paraffin for household and glasshouse heaters (Valor, Aladdin)? Smelly old things they were, especially when you turned them off.

K

 

[Graham Orm]

I remember when Caramac it first came out. It was not Nestle then, but Macintosh's I think. Have you noticed that all those chocolate firms have disappeared - probably been swallowed up by Nestle? There used to be Fry's (5 boys and of course Turkish Delight), Macintosh (Quality Street), Rowntrees (Dairy Box and Fruit Gums - don't forget the fruit gums mum), and probably others that I don't recall at present. I do remember Spangles though.

And does anyone remember vans coming round selling paraffin for household and glasshouse heaters (Valor, Aladdin)? Smelly old things they were, especially when you turned them off.

K

We bought our paraffin from a local hardware shop. he had a big tank in the back and it stank the shop out. You can still get caramac in most shops if you look for it.

 

[Splintez]

Cod and chips 1/9p.
No bones or skin wth the fish, just pick it up and eat all of it.
In winter a large glass off hot whiskey one and truppence.
Back row balcony seats in the cinema one and ninepence :wink:
Carrying a half-hundred weight bag of coal and the wet battery for the wireless on me bike in the middle of winter.

 

[Baldhead]

My sister was in 3B....

So was my bloody wife!

Baldhead

Hi mate,,,,give my regards to your missus !!!!!!!

,,,joe,,,

Joe, the wife says, "which Joe are you....."

We got our paraffin off the man with the horse and cart, and if it left its 'doings' outside our house it was my job to go out with aa bucket and shovel and pick it up!

BH

 

[Eric The Viking]

We got our paraffin off the man with the horse and cart, and if it left its 'doings' outside our house it was my job to go out with a bucket and shovel and pick it up!

Did your dad grow roses?

E.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

In the village I was born in there was always a race between the women for the manure for the roses. The guy who owned the greengrocers horse and cart was a distant relative of mine.

 

[Baldhead]

We got our paraffin off the man with the horse and cart, and if it left its 'doings' outside our house it was my job to go out with a bucket and shovel and pick it up!

Did your dad grow roses?

E.

Spot on Eric, roses in the front garden, chrysanthemums, sweetpeas and veg in the back. He used to cut the sweetpeas for my mother but didnt believe in cutting the roses or his prized chrysanthemums, that is until I brought my now wife home, she was the only person to get roses and crysanthemums from him.

This thread is bring back some very nice memories, thanks to Graham for starting it.

A tearful Baldhead

 

[Eric The Viking]

Very slight change of subject: anyone (else) remember lamplighters?

I lived in North London (Hatch End) as a small child, and we had a lamplighter for a couple of years - my mum would stand me on the windowsill to watch him do the one by our garden gate. Then they were fitted with timers.

Bristol still has at least one street in Kingsdown lit by gas lamps (on timers, sadly). Our Hippodrome theatre also used gas for its emergency lighting well into the 1980s. Last time I went though the fittings were still there, complete with mantles, but not working. Shame.

E.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Baldhead - you've forgotten lupins and dahlias.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've not seen gas lighting. Which is probably sad, as I live in the first town in the world lit by gas.

 

[Graham Orm]

We got our paraffin off the man with the horse and cart, and if it left its 'doings' outside our house it was my job to go out with a bucket and shovel and pick it up!

Did your dad grow roses?

E.

Spot on Eric, roses in the front garden, chrysanthemums, sweetpeas and veg in the back. He used to cut the sweetpeas for my mother but didnt believe in cutting the roses or his prized chrysanthemums, that is until I brought my now wife home, she was the only person to get roses and crysanthemums from him.

This thread is bring back some very nice memories, thanks to Graham for starting it.

A tearful Baldhead

Glad it's made you smile BH :wink: