Top Picture: The magazine Jackie
Second Picture: 1960’s BSR record deck with auto changer!!!
Things Ain’t What they Used to Be
After I looked around at the teenagers locally the other evening walking along with their ipods, computers and other such gismos I got to thinking about how we spent some of our evening when we were teenagers in the early 1960’s.
I suppose that when I was 15 or so after the obligatory homework had been completed my time was our own, well at least until 10.30 or so, my folks were very strict on time, so what was there to do? Records were the big thing and several of us collected in my living room (or someone else’s living room, NEVER the bedroom that was unheard of) and listened to records and discussed what we could do that evening. Even arranging this was difficult as none of us had a telephone at home so we had to settle the arrangements before we left school and make sure we had all our school work done before we could get together. The process was always very academic as we always ended up by walking into Cosham and up and down the High Street to see who was about and then walk back home again. Isn’t it funny that in our memories the weather was always fine one those evenings, it never rained! After the walk back, (it was not until a year or so later that we ventured into pubs), we settled down to listen to the pop music being broadcast by Radio Luxemburg and getting frustrated as the signal faded in and out always cutting off the best bit of the record.
Some evenings some of us went to the Manor Court Youth Club which was open six evenings a week with records being played for most evening but live music was the attraction on a Saturday evening. But there were two golden rules NO ALCHOL and NO SMOKING IN THE CLUB. The strongest drinks we could get was coffee and draught coke. This was quite a social centre and people from all over Portsmouth used to come however we always went as a group of lads so we could met up with the girls there.
Some of us also spent time in Scout troops or the ATC but all the this ended when our first girl friend came on the scene and then there was yet another decision to make. You naturally wanted to spend time alone together, you daren’t take her home, Mum might not like it; so it was back to walking through Cosham, around Hilsea Lido or up onto Portsdown Hill. This was really great but you did miss the company of your mates sometimes but on the other hand you really did want to show her off.
It was strange but the mornings and afternoons over the weekends and holidays were always reserved for mucking around with your mates, exploring, cycling, fishing or another similar activity BUT as we got older the evenings at the weekends were reserved for taking your girlfriend out. That is not to say that there was not times when we took them out during the week, these could vary, but especially Saturday Night was the courting night. Happy memories! Even today I can walk past a lady and get a whiff of her perfume and it will whisk me back to the 1960’s and I can usually remember who used to wear that perfume and where we went.
One other thing that is very different today. In our day money was tight some of us had paper rounds or part time jobs that paid but very little. So taking a girl out meant saving up maybe you would go to a dance or to the cinema or if someone was having a party that would be great as it only meant buying a large bottle of cider which would act as an entry ticket. We never actually had enough money to take a girl out to a club like the Pomme d’or for even just a simple meal. Here I must now apologise to any of my ex girl friends that read this, I am sorry that we never shared a meal togethetr, all I can say is if I had the money we would have gone out for a meal and not just shared a bag of greasy chips on the way home.
Ah! Well I still have happy memories of those times and would not change them for the world. Maybe you have some memories similar to these, if so write in and share them with us.
Stay in touch,
Yours,
Peter
DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.co.uk
You Write:
Martin Writes:
That little story about Lulu stirred a memory or two. I was working Reception for what was then the Britannia Hotel across from the American Embassy. shared a dinky little flat with two other chaps off of Sloan Street in a little mews called Kinnerton Place. I believe a Sheraton Hotel now occupies what was that little part of Belgravia. Anyway just around the corner there was a little deli type place small but on Saturdays always all kinds of folks were coming and going. So there we are one sunny Saturday slurping frothy coffee and in walk Lulu and Maurice the two them sat across from us so we said hello and how is it going and had a good old chat. They lived across Belgravia Square in the pop star expensive flats. Wesaw them a few more times there after that also Barry Gibb and his wife Molly met his brother there once also.
News and Views:
Lead singer of the Troggs Reg Presley, who was hospitalized with his second stroke in December. He has announced that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. And, as 70 year-old Reg put it, "I've had to call time on the Troggs and retire." Get Well wishes can be sent to Reg care of his fan club secretary at:
Jacqueline Ryan
56 Waite Davies Rd.
London SE12 OND
Great Britain
On this day 5th February 1960-1965.
On
05/02/1960the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. 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 day was Margaret Thatcher gives her first Commons Speech.
On
05/02/1961the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On
05/02/1962the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. 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 Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was US bans imports from Cuba.
On
05/02/1963the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard & the Shadows. 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Liz Taylor films Cleopatra
On
05/02/1964the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Steptoe & Son (BBC) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On
05/02/1965the number one single was You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - Righteous Brothers and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
No comments:
Post a Comment