Web Page No 2434

25th December 2017

First Picture: 1950 Guinness Calander

Second Picture: Toys for Girls

Third Picture: Traditional Cakes

Forth Picture:  Vintage Christmas Lights

Firstly a very Happy Christmas to you all

1950's Trivia Quiz Questions

Answers below

1. Which film, starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, was released in June 1956?

2. Bill and Mark Richards invented what new sporting equipment in 1958?

3. Which company introduced the first plastic credit card in 1950?

4. In 1954, which British athlete broke the Four Minute Mile?

5. Which children's toy made television history in 1952 by becoming the first toy ever to be advertised on TV?

6. The first issue of which British children’s comic was published in April 1950?

7. In 1955, a woman in Alabama, U.S.A was arrested for violating the segregated seating laws on a bus. What was her name? 

8. Which five swinging drinking friends made up the famous "Rat Pack"?

9. In 1952 Gibson introduced what model electric guitar?

10. One of Hollywood's favourite "tough guys" lost his battle against cancer in 1957 who was it. 

11. What toy made it's debut at the 1959 New York toy fair?

12. Which British comedian had the massive-selling 1965 hit Tears?

13. Which Ben won 11 Oscars in 1959?

14. Disneyland, which opened in 1955, was divided into which four themed areas?

15. Frank Sinatra married which actress in 1951, this marriage lasted until 1957?

16. Which Doctor Who became TV's first Robin Hood in 1953? 

17. Who founded the Tamla Motown record label? 

18. What was the name of the Soviet Union's satellite that was put into orbit on October 5, 1957?

19. Which toy, brought from Australia, was huge in 1958 and sold over 70 million?

20. Which 1960s easy-listening Irish crooner was famed for his rocking chair and knitted jumpers?

21. Which company produced the first jukeboxes to play 45 rpm singles in 1950?

22. What was Elvis Presley's first number one hit?

23. What folksy British singer-song writing guitarist was famous also for his whistling? 

24. Who sang the theme song to the film Born Free?

25. Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevallier co-starred in which movie released in 1958?

26. What is the brand name of the fabric hook-and-loop fastener which had its commercial introduction in the late 1950's?

27. In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the summit of which mountain?

28. Who were the famous backing singers on most of Elvis Presley's early hits?
29. Whose nickname was a derived from the term satchel-mouth?

30. What Eastenders star sang on the novelty hit Come Outside? 

Keep in touch

Yours

Peter

Answers

1.       The King and I
2. Skateboard 
3. Diners Club
4. Roger Bannister
5. Hasbro's Mr. Potato Head
6. Eagle
7. Rosa Parks
8. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford
9. Les Paul
10. Humphrey Bogart
11. Barbie
12. Ken Dodd
13. Ben Hurr
14. Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrow land
15. Ava Gardner
16. Patrick Troughton
17. Berry Gordy
18. Sputnik 1
19. Hula-Hoop
20. Val Doonican
21. Seeburg
22. Heartbreak Hotel in 1956
23. Roger Whittaker
24. Matt Monro
25. Gigi 
26. Velcro
27. Everest
28. The Jordanaires
29. Louis Armstrong (Satchmo)
30. Wendy Richard

Maureen Writes about Christmas

How Christmas has changed since our childhood. I don't recall ever making demands on my parents for particular presents under the tree, we were always grateful for what we received.

The magic started on the late afternoon of Christmas eve, we as a family would take the bus to town where we would go to Ships in Meadow Street and Deacons in Charlotte Street for our vegetables and fruit. We would buy our Christmas Tree in the market and then go to the meat lorry for a piece of pork and a Capon. This shopping was always left to late as the stalls in Charlotte Street had to clear their stock by the end of the day or throw it away, so you could buy a string of sprouts for next to nothing and they would literally give the first BOGOF's known, a pound of carrots turned into two or three, they would give you as much as you could carry and more. (this practice changed in later years when most of the stall holders then owned shops in different parts of Portsmouth, so left over produce would be kept a day or two until their shops opened again. (Refridgeration was also more common by then)

We then struggled with all our bags and the tree, back onto a bus to take us home. Try that today and you would be told to walk. The tree was set up and decorated in the evening - and 'Yes' we had real candles on our tree, plastic decorations and real glass baubles, we also hung chocolates on the tree and the fairy on the top, then off to bed before Santa came.

On Christmas morning we would find a stocking, aka pillow case, at the end of the bed filled with goodies. I wouldn't be far wrong if I were to say it contained:

A magic drawing pad (when you scribbled lightly over the page a picture appeared) in later years this was exchanged for a Colouring book and crayons or colouring pencils.

A pretty picture tin of Bluebird Toffees

A small stocking of fresh peanuts and raisins

A Clementine or Mandarine Orange

An Annual (first ones were Rupert the Bear advancing to The Robin or The Swift then onto 'Girl')

There was always some form of clothing such as bobble hats and scarves, gloves, socks and if you were really lucky a jumper or cardigan.

Usually a Dinky toy or animals for the farmyard

There would be a board game or a small pack of cards and simple toys that would have only cost pennies or two.

Of course Santa's present was always left under the tree to be opened with all the family.

And we were very happy with our lot

What Happened on Christmas Day in the 1950’s

On Christmas Day 1950, four Scottish students from the University of Glasgow (Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart) removed the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey in London and took the Stone back to Scotland. The students were members of the Scottish Covenant Association, a group that supported home rule for Scotland. In 2008 the incident was made into a film called Stone of Destiny.

1951 1st Christmas Day in test cricket, Aust v West Indies at Adelaide

1951 West Indies defeat Australia by 6 wkts on 3rd day of 3rd Test Cricket

1953 Avalanche of lava kills 150 from Ruapehu volcano in New Zealand

1955 Pope Pius XII publishes an encyclical on sacred music & popular music

1958 Alan Freed's Christmas Rock & Roll Spectacular opens

1959 A synagogue in Cologne Germany desecrated with swatstikas

1959 Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) receives his first drum kit.

On Christmas Day 1960. The General Post Office stopped delivering letters on Christmas Day in 1960 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in 1965 in Scotland.