Web Page 2074

27^th July 2014

Top Picture: Stephens Thermometer

Second Picture: Counter Match Box Holder

Third Picture: H. Samuel’s street clock

Fourth Picture: Clocks in Commercial Road in the 1960’s, there are none there now.

Where did they Go?

What has happened to street clocks? When we were younger there always seemed to be a large clock of some sort hanging high outside various shops and stores on every High Street in the country. I remember that in Portsmouth’s Commercial Road there was a large twin faced, illuminated one at the first floor level of H Samuel’s. There was also one outside Picketts and Pursers, these were both jewellers so it is understandable. However other companies also displayed timepieces outside, the London Watch Company under the railway bridge. Then there were the clock faces on public buildings; I know that the Guildhall clock is still there! But clocks on other ones like Post Offices, Council Offices etc are all gone, although we do have a clock on the Town Hall in Gosport but it is so badly lit and badly designed it takes ages to work out the time!

Another public facility that seems to have disappeared is the large thermometers. Occasionally somewhere in a High Street we can see a large digital thermometers but do you remember the large Stephens or Quink thermometers which comprised of a long reading tube with the holder for the liquid being a facsimile of a bottle of ink.

Another service that I remember was the provision of some means of lighting your cigarette in the tobacconist. The two things that stick in my mind are firstly, the chrome matchbox holder standing on the counter with the matches ready to be struck and the other maybe a bit more modern. This was a normal house brick placed on the counter with a quantity of Swan Vestas matches placed in the frog, the idea being to strike the matches on the brick. However these memories go back to the days of having a chair alongside the counter so that the customer could sit down whilst being served.

Thinking about the past a few weeks ago Geraldine sent me the poem below, it sure rings a few bells!

This is from Geraldine

A POEM WE OLDIES CAN RELATE TO !!!

I remember the cheese of my childhood,

And the bread that we cut with a knife,

When the children helped with the housework,

And the men went to work not the wife.

The cheese never needed a fridge,

And the bread was so crusty and hot,

The children were seldom unhappy

And the wife was content with her lot.

I remember the milk from the bottle,

With the yummy cream on the top,

Our dinner came hot from the oven,

And not from the fridge; in the shop.

The kids were a lot more contented,

They didn't need money for kicks,

Just a game with their mates in the road,

And sometimes the Saturday flicks.

I remember the shop on the corner,

Where a pen'orth of sweets was sold

Do you think I'm a bit too nostalgic?

Or is it....I'm just getting old?

I remember the 'loo' was the lav,

And the bog ey man came in the night,

It wasn't the least bit funny

Going "out there" with no light.

The interesting items we perused,

From the newspapers cut into squares,

And hung on a peg in the loo,

It took little to keep us amused.

The clothes were boiled in the wash house,

With plenty of rich foamy suds

But the ironing seemed never ending

As Mum pressed everyone's 'duds'.

I remember the slap on my backside,

And the taste of soap if I swore

Anorexia and diets weren't heard of

And we hadn't much choice what we wore.

Do you think that bruised our ego?

Or our initiative was destroyed?

We ate what was put on the table

And I think life was better enjoyed.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

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News and Views:

Another stalwart to the British Entertainment Industry has passed away. Farewell Dora Bryant.

On this Day 27^th July 1960-1965

On 20/07/1960 the number one single was Please Don't Tease - Cliff Richard & the Shadows 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 Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Plastic carrier bags introduced.

On 20/07/1961 the number one single was You Don't Know - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) 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.The big news story of the day was Berlin Wall erected.

On 20/07/1962 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

On 20/07/1963 the number one single was Sweets For My Sweet - Searchers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coro nation 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 20/07/1964 the number one single was Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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.The big news story of the day was Portabl e TVs launched.

On 20/07/1965 the number one single was Help - The Beatles and the number one album was Liverpool. The top rated TV show was "Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £not very interesting and 11.69 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Riviera Police (AR)".