Web Page 1066
11^th August 2012

 ‘The time of Our Lives’ a Portsmouth Childhood 1950-1970 is ready and available and costs just £2.95 plus P&P . If you would like a copy please forward a cheque to the value of £4.00 along with your address to me at 19 Lyndhurst Road Gosport PO12 3QY or maybe we could meet up and save the postage.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.  Peter 

Top Picture: A tube of the dreaded Clearasil 

Bottom Picture: Wolf Cubs

Down Memory Lane yet again.

Talking to two or three old schoolmates the other day several things came to our corporate minds so here are a few of the things that we remembered, I hope they jog a few memories for you too.

Firstly it seemed to depend upon your town of origin as to what most of us called Gym Shoes (not trainers in those days) or Plimsolls, we seemed to remember that some folks who hailed from somewhere north of Watford called them sandshoes and the kids who came from the Dorset or West Country area called them Dabs. Any more suggestions? But I do know that we all wanted the elastic fronted shoes not the laced ones and that they had to carried in a special shoe bag.

At this period of time we all seemed to have more respect for our elders, we did not answer back (much) and we certainly did not swear at our parents. The local bobby was known by all and was treated with respect and none of us would dare ride our bikes on the pavement or have two on a bike when he was around. At that time almost of us seemed to have enormous extended families, all adults were called Uncle XXXXX or Aunty ZZZZZ it did not matter if we were related they were always called Uncle and Aunty, we never knew their Christian names!.

Growing up and being a teenager in the 1960’s gave some of us lads a terrible problem with acne and spots. One solution which most mothers seemed to adopt was a liberal application of the cream preparation Clearasil. This was fine as it did clear up the annoying and unsightly spots but as it was produced in a sort of flesh pink colour, the manufacturer called it natural tints, it also had the unfortunate appearance that the user had been plastering on foundation or make up causing many ribald comments and much ragging to the boys in question.   

For most of us Friday or Saturday night meant a trip to a youth club, maybe the Manor Court Club, or to a local dance in a church hall or community room somewhere locally. These was fine and many of us remember dressing up in the latest fashion, with our smartest clothes, stylish shirts and trousers, white socks and chisel pointed shoes or winkle pickers and our hair fashioned into place by either Trugel Hair Gel or Cossack Hair Spray for Men, no lad would have dared use Brylcreme. We thought we were really smart until on the dance floor the management dimmed the main lights and switched on the blue florescent light which dramatically showed up not only your white socks but all the dandruff that was laying on your shoulders. Most embarrassing!! I think these blue tubes must have done more to promote the sales of anti dandruff shampoos than any of their advertising campaigns.  

Something else that came out of our chat was that we knew very little about the teaching staff. We knew their Christian names and a little information about their lives but little else. For example our metalwork master, Ken Wells, had a nickname. In the staff room he was known as Vulcan! Does anyone know why? I love to know.

And whilst asking who remembers things and people, here’s one for those boys who lived in the Drayton and Farlington area  in the early 1950’s. Now who remembers the Akela of the Monday evening Wolf Cub Pack at the 70^th Portsmouth 1^st Drayton Scout Troop? I think her name was Mrs Chambers and she had two sons Phillip and Marcus. Am I right?

And again taking about the Drayton area were you a patient of the dentist Mr Kenroy whose surgery was on the Havant Road opposite the Methodist church in Drayton? I was!!! AHHHH. I remember Mr Kenroy injecting my gums for a filling and telling me to think of somewhere over the hills and far away and it would not hurt. I HAVE TO TELL YOU HE WAS WRONG IT DID HURT.  And also do you remember Dr. Cheyne our GP tottering across the road from his surgery to administer the gas for extractions?

Other places in Drayton came to mind during our chat, Jones the Jeweller, Street the Butcher and the fact that when Mr Street died his wife Doreen converted the butchers shop into motorcycle dealers. We noticed that the shop is an Undertaker nowadays and we did wonder if they were still using the same fridges!!! Ruston the Upholsterer, Wynns the Cycle and Toy shop, Napper’s and Light’s the Ironmongers, Herbert’s the nurseryman, Chapman’s Laundry, Jarmans the Tobacconist with the gents hairdressers in the back room, Fishy Francis Chip Shop and to round it all off the Milk Machine which stood outside the chip shop and sold plain and pink raspberry flavoured milk and stank to high heaven in the summer when the refrigeration unit broke down.

Ah well off to the chip shop for 3d worth of chips and a handful of batter scraps and maybe a pea fritter and don’t forget the lashings of salt and vinegar.

Stay in Touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write: 

Christopher Writes:

Oh the memories of Saturday morning pictures. Queueing up in the alleyway next to the Odeon in the High Street with my guns on my hips under my school raincoat deciding whether to pay 6p and sit downstairs and buy a lolly or blow it and spend 9p and sit upstairs.

We could always tell if we were "late" if we had to join the queue when it reached the stockpiled (was it cinder or coal) they heaped at the back?

I still remember the final chase in each film and when they showed the baddies (in black hats) chasing the good guys when the bad guys came on screen we would blast away with our cap guns and the cinema would be filled with smoke.

Great, great memories. Thank you.

News and Views:

A message from Bobby Rydell:-

I recently underwent a double organ transplant (kidney & liver) after a long battle. My life donor saved many lives, myself being just one. I am alive today because of the value one grieving family placed on life. My hearts go out to them. My doctors tell me I am doing extraordinarily well and I expect to have a full recovery. I hope to be back on stage as soon as the Doctors say I can, that’s my home.

On this day 11th August 1960-1965

On 11/08/1960 the number one single was Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd & the Pirates and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the week was Castro nationalises all US property.

On 11/08/1961 the number one single was Well I Ask You - Eden Kane and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Top Secret (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 11/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 11/08/1963 the number one single was (You're the) Devil In Disguise - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 11/08/1964 the number one single was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 11/08/1965 the number one single was Help - The Beatles and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Riviera Police (AR) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.