Web Page 2066

29th June 2014

Top Picture; Hot Buttered Crumpets

 Second Picture: Pinky and Perky

 Third Picture: 1960’s radiogram

Bottom Picture: Bottled Fruit Jars

Memories from Home

For those of us of a certain age the 1960’s covered not only the later part of our childhood in the early years but also on to our growing up teenage years and eventual courtship and marriage and more permanent relationships.

In 1960, I was fourteen and was well and truly too old for things like the Tufty Club, Blue Peter and Pinky and Perky and was far more interested in the up and coming pop music scene, much to my grandmothers disapproval (such strange noisy music) and the latest fashions and most of us lads all heard the cries from the older generation saying that those pointy shoes will damage your feet or your hair is too long. Also for the girls it was too much hairspray will give you asthma, modern make up is unnatural, you also suffered from the phrase ‘those pointy shoes will damage your feet’ but in your case it was not just the pointiness of the shoes but the stiletto heels as well which were all condemned as being injurious to your foot health. Towards the middle of this period when ankle jewellery became popular how often did you hear an older person say ‘only a certain type of girl wears a bracelet round her ankle!!!!!’

We were all growing up fast and to some extent the cry in many houses was ‘Oh! Mum/Dad, everyone is doing it!’ this applied to everything from clothes and the way we dressed, to modern dances, to the time we had to be in at night. But there were still some home-grown compensations that were strictly for the family.

Toasting Crumpets on an open fire was one such compensation. Nothing beats sitting round an open fire with a toasting fork, a pile of crumpets and a large packet of Anchor butter and a pot of Mum or Grandma’s home made jam. It was a real social event and everyone had a turn at toasting his or her own tea, it did not seem to matter if the crumpet dropped off the end of the fork into the fire, the ash added to the flavour! Ahh! what times crumpets toasted in a toaster or under a grill were never quite the same.  Nor is electrically cooked toast.

The other social thing I remember in our home at this time is sitting down for Sunday tea with a bowl of a pint of freshly cooked shrimps, bought from Sidney Slape the fishmonger in Drayton, and peeling them and eating them with bread and butter, this was Sunday tea and was followed by tinned fruit and Carnation Milk plus tea of course in the best china complete with milk jug, tea strainer and slop bowl.

We had a large garden with pear, apple, plum, damson and cherry trees, plus white currants, red currants, gooseberries and blackberries and come the harvest season both my mother and grandmother were heavily involved with bottling fruit in a range of Keilner Jars or making pots and pots of jam to see us through the winter. We also had a row of hazel nut trees but as far as I remember these were never harvested (only by me when I was at the top of the garden!)

Whilst thinking of life at home in the living room we had an enormous radiogram, do you remember these? I bought ours from a Jumble Sale at the local Scout Hut and somehow managed to lug it home. This machine only played 78’s and was built way before the days of the transistor. Having got it home my father and I (he did an apprentiship  as a radio engineer years before, took the old deck out, up dated the valve amplifier and fitted a modern BSR record deck which could play anything from 16 rpm to 78 rpm. Being an old piece of furniture it was built of wood and had one very large speaker in the very centre of the unit. Being surrounded by wood this speaker provided a fantastic tone. I covered the face of the speaker with a length of gold cloth that I found somewhere in the house. However within the first week of having this system up and running my girlfriend at the time was sat on my lap in the chair next to the radiogram and somehow managed to put her stiletto heel through the gold cloth, luckily she missed the sound cone inside. This machine I used until I got my first pay packet and went out and bought a brand new Fergusson record player of my own a machine that I could keep upstairs in my bedroom.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

You Write:

Christopher Writes:-

Just found your blog today. I was reading 'Stephanie writes:' I did paper rounds for Ed and Isobel (I believe) Bryant. For extra I cleaned their car on Saturday morning (Triumph Herald). Loads of straw in the car - Steph's horse? Although I think I recall a younger sister. I see the ATC features, I think Ed Bryant was involved with it.

There was always a bit of rivalry with the kids of the other shop - Flemings.

I think I can add some names to a couple of photos.

1st, MC tennis team sent by Christine. Anthony Davis centre back row, 3rd back row Gary Buckner.

2nd, School picture from Michele pictures by Ian Marshall. The 'hair' just  behind Mr Folland's rt shoulder I reckon is Derek Dacre. The faces behind Jane Merrit, on her right Michael Dewey, on her left is John Brailey with Glynn Jones just behind and David Cookson next to John.

John Brailey's dad used to drive the little bus featured (No.22) I used to catch this to CPH annex before moving on to Court Lane then MC.

Memorable teachers for me Maurice Jones, Mr Stephens, Mr Sexton, Mr Spinney and outstanding Ken Wells and Solent Road Mr Brooks who went on to became head of Highbury 1st and Middle. Inspirational the last two. Head teacher at SR (Mrs Bellinger his sec) could swing the cane, I can almost feel the sting in the fingers on each hand.

My two brothers followed me through school, 2 & 9 yrs behind me.  Both my boys did Springfield as it became after Court Lane. The youngest Adam now 35 may still hold the school mile record.

I left school at Xmas '63, in my 5th year for a Dockyard apprenticeship, the last of the Xmas entries.
Also around goodness where are photos entrants in the Dockyard and Portsmouth Polytechnic undergrads.

All very interesting, regards

News and Views:

On this Day 29th June 1960-1965

On 29/06/1960 the number one single was Three Steps to Heaven - Eddie Cochran and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) 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.

On 29/06/1961 the number one single was Surrender - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Harpers West One (ATV) 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 29/06/1962 the number one single was Good Luck Charm - Elvis Presley 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 Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/06/1963 the number one single was I Like It - 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/06/1964 the number one single was It's Over - Roy Orbison and the number one album was Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones. 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 29/06/1965 the number one single was I'm Alive - Hollies 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 Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.