Web Page 884

First Picture:

Spotted in a Museum in Oxfordshire Tiger Tim Annual 1950

Second Picture:

A 1950’s sweet shop, which sweets do you remember?






The big news of the day is that this is my last official day of gainful employment, I retire today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Good Read

When we were young we all received an impressive grounding in reading and writing, reading has always been a favourite pastime of mine but if you saw the standard of my writing I think you would despair because even after 60 plus years it is still absolutely terrible!

I think that we were all read to at bed time when we were young children but once we started at infant school we soon started to learn our letters and the alphabet. Having eventually mastered these we then progressed onto early simple readers such as the well known Janet & John Books and then we moved on to more progressive reading. Once we had learnt to read for ourselves this soon opened up a brand new world of discovery to us, it was also a new avenue for Uncles, Aunts and other relatives to explore in the way of Christmas and Birthday presents. I know I got some really good books as presents as a child, but I also got some really terrible ones!

I know, as a child, I progressed my way through the whole gambit of children’s books. Starting with Noddy and Big Ears, Toby Twirl, Tiger Tim, Mr Turnip, Thomas the Tank Engine, Sammy the Shunter and the like. But I was soon introduced to the Famous Five and the Secret Seven books by Enid Blyton, books that both I and Pam (so she tells me) relished. These led onto books such as the Wind in the Willows, Huckleberry Finn and others. However some of my favourites were the Swallows and the Amazons, Peter Duck and Swallowdale, in fact, all the twelve books in the Swallows and Amazons series written by Arthur Ransom. (it always amazed me how he actually got away with calling one of the girls Titty!!).

But having got to grips with reading, when I reached the age of 10, I was allowed to become a member of the public library in Cosham, but, at this age, only the Junior Section. My mother and I used to take the bus into Cosham and we would walk across Spur Road and enter the hushed portals of the Portsmouth Libraries Service, Cosham sub branch. Having got my junior library tickets I was only allowed into the Junior Library section which was in a separate room to the left of the Reception Desk. Here I could wander around for ages choosing my books for the week whilst my mother was in the main section of the library. Having picked my books I waited for her so when she had selected hers we met me at the desk to have my ticket stamped. After a while, and when I had a bike, I was allowed to visit the library on my own and joy of joys when I was 14, I was promoted from the Junior Library to the Main Library and so could explore the main bookshelves.

Off to one side of the reception, opposite the Junior Library, was the Reading Room which, to me always seemed to be full of elderly men (they were probably younger than I am now) closeted behind the free newspapers and magazines. But Libraries in the 1950’s and 60’s were very different places to the ‘Discovery Centres’ of today. The whole of the business was conducted in hushed or whispered tones and talking was definitely not allowed. The other lasting memory of Cosham Library was the heavy smell of the furniture polish which was used to buff up the shelves and reading desks.

Then of course once we arrived at Manor Court School the Cosham Library was abandoned as we had a fully fitted library within the school. This was vital resource for our studies and there was a rota of pupils who actually ran the library. One of the most popular sections of the school library was the magazine section and there were always pupils thumbing through the Illustrated London News. It really summed up the news and it was a great shame when it ceased publication in 2003

Thinking back I do not remember a library at Court Lane School, maybe someone can tell me if this is something that I have forgotten, and as far as Public Libraries went the one at Cosham was the only one I ever visited during my years at school.

But over the years books have always been in my life, I really hate to think how we would all live if we never learnt to read.


So much for memory!

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk

You Write:

Steve Writes:-

Hi Peter, like Mary we also had an Anderson shelter in St Andrews Road Farlington when we moved there in the early 60s and likewise it was then doubling as a garden shed.
I think my Father soon demolished it though.

Regards the prefab article, I had my first home in one at Fawcett road Southsea (long gone). Possibly the only prefab there on that plot and adjacent to the Fawcett Inn. I think I sent you the photo copy of it sometime ago?
Now a question to you or possibly some of your readers might know? A betting shop run by a Mr Staley maybe in Cosham, I don't remember one in Drayton but maybe? He was previously our Butcher in Fawcett Road but moved up to Drayton (South road) shortly after we came to Copsey Grove in the very early 50s??

Just in case you don't still have the photo of the prefab here is another, you may use it if you want. That is my Parents in the doorway with my older Brother Ronald, I think my Mother was pregnant with me here.

News and Views

Elton John's mother auctioned off her collection of memorabilia from her famous son. Sheila Farebrother sold more than 100 gold and platinum discs, tour jackets and backstage passes she used at his concerts. More than 200 items went be up for auction on October 19th in Sussex. Not everything is autographed. However, as she put it, "Why would he sign it for me? I'm his mum."

On this day 31st October 1960-1965

On 31/10/1960 the number one single was Only the Lonely - Roy Orbison and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) 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 First vertical take-off aircraft tested in Surrey

On 31/10/1961 the number one single was Walkin' Back to Happiness - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was The Shadows - Shadows. 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 Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.


On 31/10/1962 the number one single was Telstar - The Tornadoes and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. The top rated TV show was The Royal Variety Performance (BBC) 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 31/10/1963 the number one single was You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & the Pacemakers 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. The big news story of the day was Beatlemania born.



On 31/10/1964 the number one single was (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me - Sandy Shaw 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 31/10/1965 the number one single was Tears - Ken Dodd and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. 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 £11.69 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.