Web Page 2090

21st September 2014

Top Picture: The weekly wash

Second Picture: Vauxhall column change

Third Picture: 1960’s Hair Rollers

I Remember When. . .

things were so much simpler. Remembering small things like a clothes line full of laundry blowing in the summer breeze, which really doesn't mean much now, but thinking back then makes all that simplicty of the 60s, make sense over the hustle and bustle of life today.

I remember mother washing and hanging clothes on that line. I can still picture her wiping the clothes line off with a wet rag to rid the line of dirt and bird droppings. The clothes would be hung with wooden clothes pegs that clipped the clothes to the line. After she hung the clothes up she would prop the line with a line pole and the clothes would just blow in the summer breeze. When the clothes were removed from the line, I still remember how fresh they smelled. I also remembered the clothes being frozen stiff on a cold winter day as they were taken from the line. Also the mad dash out of the back door to get the washing in when it rained. Then the wooden ironing boards were used. They were really popular in the 30s, 40s, and 50s but families continued to use them during the 60s.

Cars either had a gear lever or a column change that enabled some models to have a bench front seat. Headlight dimmer switches were on the floor and the ignition switch was on the dashboard and we still used hand signals to make a turn and wing mirrors and radios came as extras and if you had a car radio it needed a separate licence.

Ignition keys were left above your sun visor or in the ignition of your car was a common thing in many small towns without fear of your car being stolen. If by some break of bad luck it was stolen you walked to your neighbour's, who was also your insurance agent. There was no need to compare car insurance rates, you knew your friendly Insurance man would look out for you and get you the best deal.  

Pizzas weren't delivered then but milk was. The milkmen were the kings of 4am delivery. I remember the glass milk bottles that were delivered to your front door before you were even out of bed in the morning. The only person that heard the milkman arrive was the dog. You left your empty bottles on the front step with a note inside the bottle telling the milkman what you wanted that day.

When it came to going to school there was a dress code boys hair could not be over the ears and shirt tails had to be tucked. Girls' skirts could not be above mid knee however many got away with it especially if they had decent looking legs. Our schoolteachers dressed up while they taught us. The men teachers wore ties and a jacket while the women teachers wore dresses, their hair done and many of the women wore heels.

We never had convenient stores we got all our last minute necessities at the corner shop. If we had a telephone in the home (and we didn’t), there was only one instrument and probably it was located in the living room or the hall. It had a rotary dial and was black and had a little drawer underneath for telephone number. If you were unlucky you could have been on a party line so before you could dialled, you had to listen and make sure some person you didn't know wasn't already using the phone line.

Remember playing marbles in the school playground and losing, I don't think kids play marbles anymore. We all would go to school with our pockets bulging with marbles waiting to play our favourite game. Then later in the year we all filled our pockets with conkers.

At home we always had our meals together sitting around our large dining room table. We talked, laughed, joked and complimented my mother on her cooking. I still remember those special Sunday dinners she would cook.

On the relationship side holding hands in public was an intimate gesture between a boy and a girl and wearing each other's ring around your neck meant a real commitment. The boys would experiment with different after-shave brands and sometimes the girls would roll their hair before a date or before going to bed. I often wondered how did they sleep with those curlers?

Ah well another page of do you remember when and how things have changed. I hope I have stirred a few memories.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

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News and Views:

On this Day 21^st September 1960-1965

On 21/09/1960 the number one single was Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was Down Drury Lane to Memory Lane - A Hundred and One Strings. 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 Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 21/09/1961 the number one single was Reach for the Stars / Climb Ev'ry Mountain - Shirley Bassey and the number one album was Ipswich Town. 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 £Argentinian swims English Channel both ways non-stop and 13.25 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Take Your Pick (AR)".

On 21/09/1962 the number one single was She's Not You - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Best of Ball Barber & Bilk. 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 1 champions.

On 21/09/1963 the number one single was She Loves You - The Beatles 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.

On 21/09/1964 the number one single was You Really Got Me - Kinks 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 21/09/1965 the number one single was Make It Easy On Yourself - Walker Brothers and the number one album was Help - 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.