Web Page No 2506

2^nd September 2018

The Drayton Observer wemt to print this week I will let you all know when it is available.

1^st Picture. Morris Minor

 2nd Picture. Standard Vanguard

3^rd Picture. Ford 100E

4^th Picture. Front seat of a Rover 75

5^th Picture. Vauxall Cresta

Top five family cars of the 1950s

From the Standard Vanguard to the Vauxhall Cresta, lets look back at the family favourites of the 1950s.

The Morris Minor, 1948-71 (otherwise known as the Jelly Mould)

The Morris Minor was designed on the quiet during World War 2 by Sir Alec Issigonis (who later created the Mini). At the last minute he decided to widen the Minor by four inches, hence the crease in the middle of the bonnet. Its strange exhaust note was part of the soundtrack of British post-War life. This little car had immense character, handled well and it was spacious and tough – although front wheels would fall off if the suspension wasn’t greased regularly. Still it was one of the decade’s most-loved cars and in 1959 became the first British car to sell a million. All pre-1950’s cars can be identified by having split screens. The model in the top illustration was turned out in a strange lilac colour with Minor 1,000,000 on the boot lid and for a time was owned by someone in Lealand Road

       Standard Vanguard, 1947-63

With its humpbacked saloon body, and broad front end, the Standard Vanguardwas styled to resemble a scaled-down American car and conceived with international aspirations. After World War 2, Britain was badly in the red, businesses were extolled to ‘export or die’ and the Vanguard was one of a number of British cars that initially mostly went for export, reaching British roads in quantity in the 1950s. Sadly, it was only tested on those roads and quickly developed reliability problems in tougher conditions, denting sales. Even a complete re-design with Italian styling didn’t help. The Vanguard had its fans and its engine was used in everything from Ferguson tractors to Triumph TR sports cars.

Ford Popular and Anglia 100E, 1953-62

Before the 100E, baby Fords had sit-up-and-beg bodies and were upgraded 1930s' designs, so 100Es with their boxy, modern styling were a revelation. These simply engineered, robust cars sold in huge quantities. They had features like hydraulic brakes and independent front suspensions. Being Fords they were sparse inside. Customers paid extra if they wanted heaters and sun visors and the windscreen wipers were powered by a cheap-to-make vacuum system with the flaw that the faster the cars went, the slower the wipers worked.

Rover 75-110 P4, 1949-64

Few cars have a more British feel than a Rover the model of choice for a generation of 1950s' solicitors and bank managers. Outside it looked staid and the wood and leather interior made it feel like a gentleman’s club, but ironically the car was intended to have an American feel. Early P4 75s had a single fog lamp in the middle of a grill that resembled a chrome Radiogram speaker cover, and it became known as the ‘Cyclops Rover. The P4 had an enduring friendliness that has made it much loved to this day. The picture shows the column gear change and lads do you remember those bench front seats?

Vauxhall Velox and Cresta, 1957-62

Mid-fifties Luton was the place where Vauxhall were made cars with cut prize American glitz, cars like the PA Velox and Cresta. These big saloons had acres of chrome, tail fins and ’wrap around’ front and rear screens. They could be ordered with whitewall tyres and two-tone paint. Inside, big, comfortable bench seats front and rear could accommodate six, the driver worked a three-speed manual or two-speed automatic gear box with a steering column lever and the dashboard was as flashy as a jukebox. Lazy, six-cylinder engines made these cars relaxed straight-line cruisers and they were loved by salesmen who thrashed up and down Britain’s trunk roads. Glitzy, vulgar and fun, they were also instant rust buckets, which is why so few survive today.

And finally, what was my first car –a Blue Standard 10 registration number 9295 BP

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Yours

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

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On this day 2^nd September 1960-1965

On 02/09/1960 the number one single was Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) 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 02/09/1960 the number one single was Apache - The Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) 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 02/09/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 02/09/1963 the number one single was Bad to Me - Billy J Kramer 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 02/09/1964 the number one single was Have I the Right? - Honeycombs and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) 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 02/09/1965 the number one single was I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher 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.

Web Page No 2504

26th August 2018

Firstly: This really is the very last book in the Drayton series it will be available in the next two weeks. As I am now winding down the project (9 books on Drayton is enough) this last book will be a limited edition as I do not want to be left with a pile at the end of it all. So, if you would like a copy please let me know so I can reserve one for you.

The front cover is below and features another of Peter Westcott's superb pictures 

                               Eamon Andrews

1^st Picture. This is Your Life pose

2nd Picture. The Singer

3^rd Picture. What’s my Line

4^th Picture. Crackerjack (Double or Drop)

For many of our formative years Eamon Andrews the genial Irishman was a feature on our television screens. He was born in Dublin on 19^th December 1922 and he began his career as a clerk in an insurance office. He was a keen amateur boxer and won the Irish junior middleweight title in 1944.

In 1946 he became a full-time freelance sports commentator, working for Radio Éireann, Ireland's state broadcaster. In 1950, he began presenting programmes for the BBC, being particularly well known for boxing commentaries and soon became one of television's most popular presenters. The following year, the game show What's My Line? began with Eamon Andrews as the host.

Throughout the 1950s, he commentated on the major British heavyweight fights on the BBC Light Programme. On 20^th January 1956, he reached No 18 in the UK Singles Chart with a "spoken narrative" recording named "The Shifting Whispering Sands (Parts 1 & 2)", which was produced by George Martin with musical backing by the Ron Goodwin Orchestra, released by Parlophone as a double-sided 78rpm record. The song later reappeared on Kenny Everett's compilation album The World's Worst Record Show, which was released in June 1978.

Between 1955 and 1964, he presented the long-running Sports Report on BBC's Light Programme (now Radio 2). In 1965, he left the BBC to join the ITV contractor ABC, where he pioneered the talk show format in the UK. He hosted a chat show on ITV, The Eamonn Andrews Show for five years. He was known for coming up with off-the-cuff linkings that did not work – such as: "Speaking of cheese sandwiches, have you come far?" This was parodied by the character Seamus Android on Round the Horne in the 1960s, performed by Bill Pertwee. Then in the 1960s and 1970s he presented Thames Television's Today news magazine programme.

He was probably best known as the presenter of the UK version of This Is Your Life, between its inception in 1955 and his death in 1987. He himself was the first This Is Your Life subject on British television when he was surprised by the show's creator, Ralph Edwards.

He also chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ Authority) between 1960 and 1964, overseeing the introduction of state television to the Republic of Ireland. About this time, he also acquired a number of business interests in Ireland, including recording studios and a dance hall. He stepped down from the RTE Authority amidst a bitter political storm started by the Catholic Church hierarchy over what was seen as the controversial content of The Late, Late Show.

After months of illness during 1987, originally caused by a virus contracted during a plane journey (but which was not recognised at the time), he died from heart failure on 5^th November 1987 aged 64 at the Cromwell Hospital in London.

(He had recorded his last edition of This Is Your Life six days previously on 30^th October 1987. After his death, the show, and two others that had yet to be broadcast, were postponed until, with his widow's permission, they were broadcast in January 1988).

A funeral service was held at St. Anne's Church in Portmarnock where he had his home, and his body was buried in Balgriffin Cemetery to the north of Dublin. A memorial mass was also held for him in Westminster Cathedral.

He had married Gráinne in 1951 and they raised three adopted children.

But to us he will always be the host of ‘Crackerjack’ (did you shout out with everyone else?) along with Pip Hinton, Gillian Comber, Peter Glaze and Leslie Crowther.

Keep in touch

Yours

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

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On this day 26^th August 1960-1965

On 26/08/1960 the number one single was Apache - The Shadows 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 Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 26/08/1961 the number one single was You Don't Know - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Blackpool Tower Circus (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Actress Rebecca De Mornay born.

On 26/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield and the number one album was Pot Luck - 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 26/08/1963 the number one single was Bad to Me - Billy J Kramer 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 26/08/1964 the number one single was Have I the Right? - Honeycombs and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 26/08/1965 the number one single was I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher 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.

Web Page No 2502

19th August 2018

1^st Picture. Clip round the ear

2nd Picture. Seat on a Bus

  

3^rd Picture. Family Meal

4^th Picture. Rebel Without a Cause

Children's manners and etiquette in the 1950's

Having had a couple of pages that featured memories I thought I would look at our manners and behaviour in the late 1950s.

Many people, especially those under the age of around 45 will often hear 'us oldens' say "If I'd have spoken to my parents like that, I'd have got a clip round the ear" or sent to bed with no supper. If you gave a child a clip round the ear nowadays, they'd probably sue you and put you up in front of the European Equal Rights Committee or something similar! The same with withdrawing a meal from the little darling.

But in most cases it's true what we say, you would never answer back, you would do as you were told because that's how it worked. Possibly part of the reason was that for the last 100 years, the vast majority of us were children of those who fought in the Services during the two Wars and this brought about a form of discipline. There again, discipline goes back many centuries before that even.

It is best to write how things were back in the 1950's by just giving examples and the 'rules' which existed, most of which are long forgotten I'm afraid.

1. When any adult, excepting your Parents, entered the Room, you would stand up. If you didn't you'd get ticked off for sure.

2. You would always vacate a Bus or Train seat for a Woman or someone in senior years. You would also offer them your place in a Queue when alighting from a Bus

3. You would never leave the Table without seeking permission first. In fact, you would usually not even bother asking, in the 50's most families would eat as a group and then leave the Table together.

4. "Please" and "Thank you" were compulsory and unlike nowadays, if you didn't say it, it wasn't a case of the Adult saying what an impolite young child you were after you'd left, they would tell you face to face.

5. At School, every Teacher was referred to as 'Sir', Miss or 'Madam' and upon entry into the Classroom, everyone would stand and unanimously say "Good morning Sir or Miss"

6. If you wore a Hat, you would never wear it indoors or at Home or in a Shop. You would take it off if you met or you were talking to a Lady.

7. "I want" were two 'no no' words, it was always "I would like" or "may I have" (followed by the mandatory Please and Thank you of course.

8. You would always open a door for someone, a woman or adult and allow them entry or exit before you.

9. 'Speak when you're spoken to', another expression us oldens often say. You would not normally make the first comment other than to ask how a person was, you would sit politely when you had Guests and wait for the question - and that was usually based around your Schooling!

10. Going back to Buses and Trains and even walking down the Street, if you saw a Lady struggling with her Shopping, you would offer to help, even if that meant going out of your way to take them to her home.

11. If a funeral drove by, if you were wearing a cap or hat it was the done thing to remove it.

12. The maxim of the early 1950s was that ‘children should be seen and not heard’ this was starting to be relaxed at the 1960’s came over the horizon but it did lead to some rebellion later of in the decade.

I'm sure there are many more you'd be able to find, but a dozen is a nice round number.

Much of the above would remain for some years to follow, but the main change in 'youth' came about in the mid 1960's. Sure there was the James Dean 'rebel without a cause' attitude and the 'Teddy Boys' later to become 'Rockers' and nowadays known as 'Bikers', although I must add it's hard to find a modern day Biker without manners.

Manners and etiquette was just a part of the 1950's lifestyle, it was more disciplined, you wouldn't see so much rubbish in the Street, you would find it hard to find untidy front gardens, people wanted to show others that they had things sorted, they were leading a decent life, did the right thing and the Children's manners were one way of showing this.

Keep in touch

Yours

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

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On this day 19^th August 1960-1965

On 19/08/1960 the number one single was Please Don't Tease - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) 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 19/08/1961 the number one single was You Don't Know - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 19/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 19/08/1963 the number one single was Sweets For My Sweet - Searchers 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 19/08/1964 the number one single was Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Conservative Party Political Broadcast (all channels) 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 19/08/1965 the number one single was Help - The Beatles and the number one album was Liverpool. 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 were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions. Watts race riots in US and the big news story of the day was Riviera Police (AR)

Web Page No 2500

12th August 2018

1^st Picture. Chimney Fire

2nd Picture. Typical Larder

3^rd Picture. A Tin of Mansion Polish

  

4^th Picture. Airwick

Yet another of those do you remember pages.

Growing up as a child in a 1950's House

Sometimes I look back to the 50's and can't believe I have lived in an age where things were so very different. Seeing movie clips of those times seems like it was before my time and not after it!

You may still see some furniture in people's houses which have been around since then, but always inter-mingled with modern technology and design. Saying that however, the revival of 'Retro' has been fairly authentic and who can fault the Basic Bush Radio!

The Kitchen for many was the centre of the house. My Mother, or the Housewife' was the mainstay of the family and would, for no want of her own, have to spend quite a lot of time in it.

In my own home, we didn't have a Fridge or a Washing Machine. You'd have The Larder for cold storage. Usually a walk in cupboard with various shelves above a plain stoned floor. Meat and Fish would be stored under a felt umbrella on a cold tin plate until cooked. Milk would be placed in a bucket of cold water and butter etc would be covered. This was offset by the fact you didn't do so much 'the weekly shop', but the daily shop - and shops were more plentiful then.

The Kitchen would have a solid wood table, laminates came later and would often be nicely curved by the overworking saucepans and kitchen utensils which were used on it. The Gas Oven actually smelled of Gas and you lived in expectation of something going wrong almost everyday.

One of the centrepiece furniture items was The Writing Desk, something replaced now by the PC Table. They would have all the bills stuffed in little compartments, a small drawer for stamps, drawers full of letters from relatives and friends and a monumental number of Pens and Ink scattered everywhere. This furniture item was the business and communication centre and people actually hand wrote letters then!

As I recall, the only flowers in bowls were Sweet Peas. For some reason or other, everyone grew these and each home you walked in appeared to have the same over riding smell.

Other prominent smells would be Mansion Polish on the furniture, Moth Balls in wardrobes in the Bedrooms, Newspaper laid on wardrobe shelves and drawer bases, Lavender Furniture Polish and Bath Salts in the Bathroom. During the summer months there was always the smell of the Airwick to keep the flies down and in the winter there was always the smell of wet and drying clothes.

The toilet didn't smell of anything really, except Brobat, but it was always the coldest room of the house.

Above all this would be the aroma of coal burning with the smell of smoke coming into the room when the fire was first lit and the coal itself being stored in a shed or coal bunker. With fires there was always the danger of that terrible smell of a chimney fire!!!

The combination of above made being a Housewife and Mother, a full time occupation. The upkeep of a 1950's home meant her being a Business person, Budget Holder, Cleaner, Chef, Mother and general Dogs Body, plus a nurse, laundress and seamstress.

Children's bedrooms then were completely different; no TV, no PC, no Games Console and no massive stacks of toys. All you had were a few books and some toys, all of which would be tidied up and put away before you went to bed or were allowed to go went out.

The good thing was that beds in those days were built of strong stuff and they would adequately substitute a trampoline and many a boy or girls head would come a cropper on the ceiling or the bedhead.

The 50's house was a working house and not often one of luxury, that was for the very rich, not the likes of us. As time went on and TV grew, the House slowly developed more into the entertainment mould. Sitting Room chairs would be turned to face the TV rather than the fire and just walking into the house next door for a chat became a disappearing social activity.

Keep in touch

Yours

Peter

gsseditor@gmail.com

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On this day 12^th August 1960-1965.

On 12/08/1960 the number one single was Please Don't Tease - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Rawhide (ITV) 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 communications satellite launched.

On 12/08/1961 the number one single was You Don't Know - Helen Shapiro and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Top Secret (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/08/1962 the number one single was I Remember You - Frank Ifield 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 12/08/1963 the number one single was Sweets For My Sweet - Searchers 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 12/08/1964 the number one single was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles 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. The big news story of the day was Novelist Ian Fleming dies.

On 12/08/1965 the number one single was Help - The Beatles and the number one album was The Sound of Music Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Riviera Police (AR) 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. The big news story of the day was First woman High Court Judge.