Web Page 906

First Picture:

A typical Laundrette shop sign

Second Picture:

That Levis advert!!!!!




Yet another school friend to join us, a big welcome to Robert Webster.

My Wonderful Laundrette

One innovation which came our way during our youth, before the days of the automatic washing machine, was the introduction and rapid spread of the laundrette. These new fangled washing places seemed to pop up all over the place. The nearest one to my childhood home was the one in Cosham High Street, although I do believe that one did open a little nearer but Mum had got used to the Cosham one, she said she knew the machines, so we always used that one. My parents never owned a washing machine in their lives although my mother did submit to having a Hoover Spinarinse to help with the home wash. She preferred to hand wash in the sink and boil the whites in a large container on the cooker. After my father had managed to persuade her that actually taking your washing to the laundrette was not like washing your dirty linen in public, it was then a scout round the house to find as much washing as possible to get the best value for money from the machine. Having found enough large bags to pack it all in we then took the car, a grey Truimph Herald 948cc 186 COU, on a family excursion into Cosham, but Mother always insisted that this trip was to be in the early evening when there would be fewer people about.

Having arrived at the place we loaded the top loading machine with our washing and bought the little packet of washing powder (there was a sign hung above the machines which said that you were not allowed to bring your own washing powder as it was not compatible with the washing machines, I suspect that was just a rouse to get you to buy their expensive powder), it was a case of just sitting there watching the washing go round. Actually as the years rolled by the little packets of washing powder disappeared to be replaced by bulk machines which dispensed the powder into little paper cups.

Of course whenever we went, there was always a barrage of advise from those already in the place, “Don’t put that shirt in with those sheets”, “That will need a hot wash not a cool one” and “If I was you I would not put anything like that into a washing machine”. After the wash there was the scramble to get a dryer ( have you got a 2/- piece for the machine please?) and then again we sat down to more watching. When the dryer had completed its job it was time for the emptying and folding. Now this had to be done with your back to the other washers so that you could hid your smalls or badly worn sheets from prying eyes, my mother used to go to great lengths to preserve her privacy in the place. What was the lingering memory of these washing evenings? Mainly the warm soapy smell and the utter boredom of watching the clothes tumble round and round and.

The very first UK laundrette was in opened in Queensway, West London in 1949, if they had been introduced in the 1980’s I suppose we would have had to put up with names like Suds-You-Like !!!!!

But in the last 25 years, the number of launderettes in the UK has fallen by three-quarters. In fact mention launderettes to a lot of people and their first reaction is often one of surprise that they still exist, actually there are two within a half a mile of where I live today. According to NALI, the National Association of the Launderette Industry (yes, there is an association for everything these days), numbers in the UK peaked at 12,500 in the early 80s but have since have dwindled to just 3,000. In the mid-1980s, a Levi's jeans television advert generated hopes of an altogether different kind of liaison in a laundrette. In the ad, a handsome young man enters a 1950s-style American launderette and in front of the other customers, calmly strips down to his boxer shorts and puts his jeans in the machine. The ad helped sales of jeans to rocket and made a star of its leading man, Nick Kamen. The opening bars of Marvin Gaye's hit I Heard It Through the Grapevine are among the most evocative in television advertising history. For a whole generation, it brings one image to mind but did you know that Nick Kamen only got the part on condition that he lost weight!

But back to our washing. Once all the processes had been completed and all the clothes neatly folded without anyone seeing what they were, they were all carefully placed back in the bags they came in and then it was back to the car and home. Once indoors all that was left to do was to sort the washing out into piles and Mum to do the ironing.

Such strange pleasures we had in the 1950’s!!!



Stay in touch

Peter

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

You Write:

Chris asks:-

I had a friend who lived at No. 4 Lonsdale Avenue in the 1950’s, Richard Coppin. I wonder if anyone knows what happened to him? I am also keen to trace Michael Harrison from the same period, he lived in Hilltop Crescent on the top of Portsdown Hill.

News and Views:

Reg Presley Update. Reg is recovering well and at present a tour with the Animals during this year is a possibility and he has been told that he does not need to see the doctor again.

Pat Boone, who normally lives in Beverly Hills, has bought a second home on a floating condominium ocean liner named the Utopia. The ship, due to sail in 2013, will take its tenants around the world to events like the Grand Prix in Monaco and the Cannes Film Festival in France. Pat is estimated to have spent $4 million on his onboard "home."

More ‘home’ news:-

Ringo Starr and his wife, actress Barbara Bach, have put their three-bedroom Aspen, Colorado cabin on 16 acres of wooded land on the market for sale. The price? A mere $4.5 million. They have owned the property on the Roaring Fork River for 20 years.

On this day 23rd January 1960-1965

On 23/01/1960

the 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 North by Northwest. 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 bomb attempt on Harold McMillan in Africa.

On 23/01/1961

the number one single was Poetry in Motion - Johnny Tillotson and the number one album was Tottenham Hotspur. The top rated TV show was The Russ Conway Show (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £ 13.25. The big news story of the day was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada).

On 23/01/1962

the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard. 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 23/01/1963

the number one single was The Next Time/Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - 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.

On 23/01/1964

the number one single was Glad All Over - Dave Clark Five 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 23/01/1965

the number one single was Yeh Yeh - Georgie Fame 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.

Web Page 904

First Picture: Mickey Dolenz as Circus Boy Corky





Second Picture: Mickey with the Monkees.



Firstly lets welcome two new school friends, a big hello to Christine Budd and Carol Page.
Secondly look for the new Section School Report

Mickey Dolnez

Many of us will remember Micky Dolenz as the drum playing lead singer from the late sixties American answer to the Beatles, the Monkees. During the peak years of the Monkees his voice was featured on such hits as “Last Train to Clarksville”, “I’m a Believer”, “Stepping Stone” “Words” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday”. But what may be a lesser known or even totally forgotten is that Mickey Dolnez first gained fame some ten years before the Monkees project ever got off the ground, as a child actor on the television show, Circus Boy.

Born to actor George Dolenz and his wife Janelle in 1945, Micky Dolenz made a very early decision to follow in his father’s footsteps. George Dolenz had made it as an actor with RKO Studios and during the 1950's played the Count of Monte Cristo for the ITV television series. To avoid the stereotype of being another actor’s son, it was decided, early on, that young Micky would not use his father’s last name; instead, Micky Dolenz began his acting career as Micky Braddock but by the time of Circus Boy this plan appears to have been dropped. In early 1955, the production company, Norbert Productions, were looking for a way to generate some form of income from a bankrupt South Carolina circus that, for some reason, they had bought. The idea of developing a television show that would make good use of props, animals and infrastructure of the circus occurred to the Director Herbert B. Leonard. As a Director had had a previous success when he had developed another childrens favourite, Rin Tin Tin and was now looking for another prospective television success. By the end of the year, he had a script for the pilot prepared and began to hold casting sessions for the various roles of what was now being called the Circus Boy project.

Micky Dolnez auditioned for, and won, the role of Corky, the central character in the pilot. The plot that was developed had the twelve-year-old orphan being adopted by the boss Big Bill Champion and performers of the near bankrupt Burke and Walsh circus. Corky had become an orphan after his trapeze artist parents were killed during a high wire act that went wrong. In the story Corky was now looked after by the clown Uncle Joey and his friend Pete. There had to be animals in the programme of course and Corky's pet chimpanzee was called Bobo, other featured animals were Sultan, the tiger and Nuba the Lion. Each episode Corky was seen riding the baby elephant Bimbo, and each storyline had him dealing with his adolescent problems, whilst the financial problems of the circus were always in the background and as the story developed it was clear that the Circus Boy actually helped the adults keep the circus in the black as the show moved from town to town each week.

NBC picked up the series for the September 1956 line-up and ordered a season of episodes. “Circus Boy” made its debut in the US on Sunday, September 23, 1956. While the show did not establish itself as a runaway success, there was enough interest from young people to establish some Circus Boy merchandise and that soon became a mini-boom. Goodies such as Circus Boy puzzles, board games and colouring sets, a lunch box, Halloween costumes, and action figures and puppets. That year Circus Boy promotional toys were found under quite a few American Christmas trees.

Still, the ratings were not quite what NBC had hoped. In the spring of 1957, it was announced that the show would be cancelled, although all the 36 episodes that had been filmed would be run. However, the show was not over yet. ABC announced it would be picking up “Circus Boy” for a second season. While ABC did a fair amount of promotion for the series, it appeared that the show was not going to perform any better for ABC than it had done for NBC the previous year. ABC had made a second season commitment of thirteen episodes and aired all of them by the end of the year.

While the production of “Circus Boy” had ceased, re-runs of the 48 filmed episodes found a home on Saturday morning television much to the delight of the small but loyal fan base and even developing a rather strong fan base in Australia in the late 1960’s, actually during the heyday of the Monkees’.

The series was picked up in 1956 by the BBC who screened it on and off for the next two years. “Circus Boy” might well have been lost to posterity if not for the success that Micky Dolenz had with the Monkees a decade later, and his continuing success as a director and performer in the United States, here in Great Britain and Australia.

At the very least, the show occasional appears on Cable TV helps a few of us to recapture some of the innocence we knew as kids.

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

You Write:

Anida Writes:-

The name of the grocers on the corner of Roseberry Ave and Lonsdale Ave was Kinch's, Mr Kinch had two daughters and they ran it together. When Mr Kinch died it was taken over and became Chusan Stores because the man who bought it had worked on the liner 'SS Chusan'!!!!

Martin Writes:-

Miss Burdens christian name was Barbara.............She was gorgeous...........Bob Coulthard and she would met for lunch and smooches in her classroom (one of the old hut room beside scholars walk...........Molly Butler..........the photo does not do her justice........remember her blue hair.............the 58 trip to London was a great trip.......we all had a great time.............Where was Cosham House located....???? on Havant Road close to Drayton..........????............I think it was Andy.....not Danny Williams who recorded and hit number one with Moon River............Cheers for now

School Report.

Web Page from 9 years ago.
Homework

There was a strange period during my 4th year when most homework for some subjects actually ceased and we returned to school for two hours between 17.00 and 19.00 for extra lessons. These lessons had to be at these times so those kids with paper rounds could get their evening deliveries done. This was a very strange system although it was helpful, it was also very frustrating especially when it was a glorious summer evening outside and we were still stuck in school. The reason being that the school had changed examination boards from Oxford to Southern Counties and there were things in the Southern curriculum that we had not covered. So to catch up we had to return in the evenings. We were not told the reason why we just went. In fact it was not until about 6 years ago that Norman Folland told me the reason and that the teachers and the cleaning staff were paid overtime to take the classes. As a concession those of us who attended were allowed to wear non uniform clothes and to eat during these evening classes. I remember diving into the shop on Central Road to buy a cold Steak and Kidney Pie and a cake so I could munch them during those lessons. I don’t really remember having evening classes in all lessons, I remember David Gee taking Religious Education and Bob Coulthard Geography but I don’t remember English or French and Keith Conlon reminded me recently that the was also General Science lessons with Bert Ray. Maybe you remember other lessons in the evenings. Did these classes help? Who knows? But maybe it assisted me passing my 0 levels but it certainly was a very strange system. Although I do know that most of us could not wait for 19.00 so that we could descend on the Chip Shop in Drayton. Peter

News and Views:

Announced on TV recently by Gerry Anderson himself is the news that he is going to make a further ‘Thunderbirds’ film!

On this day 16th January 1960-1965

On 16/01/1960 the 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 North by Northwest. 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 US screenwriters plan pay strike.

On 16/01/1961 the number one single was Poetry in Motion - Johnny Tillotson and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (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 16/01/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard. 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 16/01/1963 the number one single was The Next Time/Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard & the Shadows 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 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 16/01/1964 the number one single was Glad All Over - Dave Clark Five 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 16/01/1965 the number one single was Yeh Yeh - Georgie Fame 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.

Web Page 902

First Picture:

Out on the trail

Second Picture:

Major Seth Adams, Ward Bond.

Wagon Train

One of the most popular programmes of our youth was ‘Wagon Train’ and no self respecting early teenager in the late 1950’s would miss an episode. To us it represented all that was good, happy, exciting and adventurous. The program went out on BBC between 8.00p.m. and 9.00p.m. on a Monday evening, which meant I was allowed to stay up late to watch it with my parents. We sat in total absorption, immersed in the stories of those brave, ordinary and extraordinary people who dared to load a wagon and strike out for the Wild West as they travelled from St. Joseph to Sacramento during the 1860’s.

Wagon Master, Major Seth Adams, was played by Ward Bond. Scout Flint McCullough was Robert Horton and I knew that no matter what terrors, wickedness or evil deeds occurred, these two, together with Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster, the cook, would ensure that righteousness would triumph and the Wagon Train would get through. Basically, the ‘goodies’ would defeat the ‘baddies’ and the moral message was that good could often redeem evil, or at least, the wicked would get their just desserts!

The events, scenery, characters and heroism, all combined to capture the essence of the West. Though ‘Wagon Train’ was filmed in black and white from 1958 to 1962, when it was extended in length from an hour to an hour and a half for the seventh series it was shot in colour, but for some unknown reason the production company decided to film the eighth series, which was actually the very last series, in black and white. But as we only had a black and white television I only ever saw it in monochrome. The stories, the acting and the realism of the locations was enough for me, colour was not needed!


Like all good drama, this TV Western drew it sources from real life, plays, history and books, which possibly explains its appeal for so long. It ran from 1957 to 1965, with changes in casts, sadly, the death of Ward Bond, in the saddle, on location in Texas, in 1960, which put the production team in a quandary and after much casting around they put Chris Hale (John McIntire) as Wagon Master, most viewers took some persuading but they soon accepted him. The series still told the stories of pioneers travelling through the unsettled territories to reach California. Along the way they still encountered "wild" Indians, cattle rustlers, con men, blizzards in the mountains, shortage of water in the desert and every other hazard you can possibly imagine. The series also often explored the motivations that caused average people to leave civilization for the unknown lives they would find in the Western United States!

For a lot of households in the UK these central characters were like family and friends but by 1965 the wagons had rolled across our screens for the last time and we had moved on to other great TV Westerns, ‘Bonanza’, ‘Rawhide’ and ‘The Virginian’. On hearing the theme music of any of these programmes I am still instantly transported back to those days of the old West. However so many earth-changing events had happened during the heyday of the TV Western that the simplicity of the world of the Wild West was no longer a means of escape.

So, for many reasons, the Western disappeared from TV in the 1970s, but not before it had delivered thousands of hours of entertainment and created millions of fans. Of them all, ‘Wagon Train’ still stands out as the best and most authentic, never mind the fact that certain aspects of history might have undergone imaginative amendment.

Let’s take a look at some of the facts about Wagon Train.

Ward Bond started his acting career when one of his fellow football players at USC got him some work as an "extra". That team mate was John Wayne! Ward Bond's first job was in the 1929 musical "Words and Music". That was also the first movie where John Wayne got listed in the opening credits!
The TV show was not only popular with audiences. Actors and actresses were very easy to get as guest stars. Here are just a few that appeared:- Dan Blocker, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Van Cleef, Chuck Connors, Lou Costello, Bette Davis, Lee Marvin, Agnes Moorehead, Leonard Nimoy, Leslie Nielsen, Ryan O'Neal, Cliff Robertson, Cesar Romero, Mickey Rooney, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Vaughn and Shelley Winters. One reason why big stars were willing to appear on Wagon Train was that the storylines very often made them the main character. The regular cast members were often given supporting roles while the guest-star became the main focus of the show.

If only life was quite so simple now as it was then! But one scene clearly stays within the memory is Ward Bond standing in the saddle, looking back at the wagon train, raising his arm in the air and calling

“Wagons…….Roll!”


Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

Willie Writes:-

You are right,without refrigerators food shopping was a daily chore ;
but we did have our corner shop. Does anyone remember Mr. and Mrs. Shaw's tiny shop opposite Solent Road School? It was packed with children at lunchtimes and after school, exchanging their pocket money for halfpenny chews, sherbert dabs and fizzy pop etc. Mr. Shaw bottled the drinks himself, using a strange apparatus that Bert Ray would have been proud of. On Saturday mornings I often did odd jobs for Mr. Shaw. It is difficult to believe now, but I sometimes used to collect his weekly small change for the shop. In the bank in Drayton I would give the man a list of monies and receive small bags bursting with everything from farthings to half crowns. I was no more than ten years old! It was obvious it never occured to Mr Shaw that anything could go wrong........People did things differently then!

News and Views:

Ringo Starr and his wife, actress Barbara Bach, have put their three-bedroom Aspen, Colorado cabin on 16 acres of wooded land on the market for sale. The price? A mere $4.5 million. They have owned the property on the Roaring Fork River for 20 years.

On this day 9th January 1960-1965

On 09/01/1960 the 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 North by Northwest. 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 09/01/1961 the number one single was I Love You - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was. The top rated TV show was Emergency Ward 10 (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. The big news story of the day was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV).

On 09/01/1962 the number one single was Moon River - Danny Williams 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.

On 09/01/1963 the number one single was The Next Time/Bachelor Boy - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 09/01/1964 the number one single was I Want to Hold Your hand - The Beatles 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. The big news story of the day was Anti-US demonstrations over the Panama Canal.
On 09/01/1965 the number one single was I Feel Fine - The Beatles 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.

Web Page 900

First Picture: A Flit Gun the only defence against the bluebottles!






Second Picture: These have made a come back recently, the Muslin Food Cover.

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.

I thought that at the start of the New Year, I would look back 60 years to when we were children.

After that there are letters from Peter, Steve and Mary.

Was this the price of two World Wars I wonder? Adults in the 1950's were somehow different. Or at least they seem to have been different. They all looked older, more serious, and they acted in a more adult way. I suppose even young adults look to be old when you are a child and our teachers all looked decidedly ancient! Mind you, we have to take into account that they had gone through two world wars within thirty years, it's no wonder they looked older than the adults of today. But by the time the fifties arrived, things were getting back to normal.

Let’s start with food. Everything was cooked from fresh then. All the meat and vegetables came straight from farm, to shop, to table, with only an occasional tin of something being used. When I say occasional I mean the odd tin of processed peas or baked beans with dinner and a tin of Salmon on special occasions. There wasn't the variety of tinned food in the local shops and supermarkets were yet to make an appearance. Frozen foods were non existent because no-one had a freezer. In fact hardly anyone even had a refrigerator! Things we take for granted now and eat frequently were too expensive back then, because the farming methods differed. There were no factory farms, chicken was a luxury, served only for Sunday dinner periodically. Afters, which we now refer to as dessert, were also a luxury, normally Spotted Dick or home made jam tart with custard. On special occasions we would have tinned peaches with Carnation or Libby’s evaporated milk poured over it. The trouble with all this fresh food and the fact that there were no supermarkets and no fridges and freezers to stock up, was that someone had to run to the shops every time Mum forgot something. It was either go, or get no dinner!

Generations were brought up on bread and scrape, but luckily not ours! The meat dripping from Sunday dinner was always saved. Poured into a pudding basin when hot, it solidified into a thick white mass with brown jelly at the bottom. This was for ‘bread and scrape’. My Grandmother would spread the dripping on bread or toast with a bit of salt and pepper, but this was not for me! Another snack was sugar bread, bread and butter sprinkled with sugar. Terrible for the teeth! All the stale bread was collected during the week and used for bread pudding, real Bread Pudding bulging with raisins and currants. Oh, and Custard went with everything!

Which reminds me of something else that has almost disappeared, the local milkman with his battery operated cart. We still have a milkman but his van is now diesel powered.

I always knew what was for tea on Sunday afternoons. On Saturday morning my Mum and I used to walk into Slapes the Fishmonger in Drayton and buy a quart of cooked shrimps. Sunday tea was very often shrimps with bread and butter followed by tinned fruit and jelly.

Because there were no refrigerators, precautions had to be taken against flies and heat. There were two inventions of the time that most households possessed. The collapsible muslin meat cover, and ‘Flit’. There were no aerosol sprays and this lack of spray cans mean’t that ‘fly papers’ were hanging from the ceilings of most kitchens and were even seen in the butcher’s window. A roll of sticky paper pulled out into a coil (like a spring), covered in dead and dying flies that had been unfortunate to land on it and get stuck fast. One day Dad brought home a ‘Flit Gun’. This was a tin of insecticide mounted on the bottom of what can only be described as a bicycle pump. You pumped the handle as hard as you could and a fine spray of fly killer emerged from the nozzle. The trouble was, that unless you could keep pumping the pressure dropped and the spray became more of a squirt.

The next great gadget was the collapsible muslin food cover, a framework of four metal spokes covered in muslin, with a handle on the top. When you pulled the handle the spokes opened outward and formed a square shaped dome. Any meat left over from the Sunday roast was put on a plate on the table and the muslin umbrella was placed over the top of it to frustrate the flies, who could see the meat, but not get through the muslin.

We never had computer games or battery operated and electronic toys. We did have imagination and the advantage of being able to play real games with real kids in the open air instead of at a computer or games console.

I hope the next paragraphs will give you a chuckle and maybe bring back some memories.

The Marshes and the Hill were favourite play areas for us. Here we made hideouts, gang headquarters, and meeting points. They all had an order of preference depending on what we had chosen to do or what we wanted to be at the time. Cowboys, spacemen, Tarzan, or whatever the current mood was. Where I lived we had such a choice of places to go on our adventures that we never ever got bored. In one way I suppose it's just as well that today's children don't face the playtime dangers that we did, because when I look back at some of the things we got up to I wonder how any of us survived!

First there was the chalk pits and their steep drops or the marshes with its sticky mud. We had the run of the place and here we would recruit a gang, or jump in the puddles, chuck a few stones, or dig a hole. We could do battle against the raiders from Mars but we always knew that Mum’s word was law, unless you were due for a serious word, when it was Dad who took the initiative.
Yours

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com



Peter Writes:
Hi Pete

By the way, do you remember we went to the launching of a naval
frigate at the dockyard. about 1960 I guess. The ship was HMS Nubian and the launching was marked by lots of red faces. The pomp and circumstance, the prayers and hymn,the speech by Lady somebody followed by the smashing of the champage............Then followed by nothing , the ship refused to budge. .......After what seemed an age that has no place in time, it reluctantly started to edge its stern down the slipway and was in no time afloat. I guess your Dad got us the invitations, and , you and I had a morning off school.

Steve Writes:
Hi Peter, you were right about the post deliveries on Christmas day, my Father was a postman in Portsmouth for 35 plus years and he very rarely had Christmas day with us.

There was one treat for us kids of Postmen, the Christmas Post Office party. Here we all had lashings of jelly, cakes, sandwiches etc. And the highlight of the afternoon or evening was the arrival of Father Christmas. I remember the one year when the regular chap who donned the red suit and fluffy beard could not do it for one reason or another. So when it was my Brother's and my turn to sit on Father Christmas's knee prior to collecting our present, it came as a bit of a shock to find out that it was actually our Father!!

Regards and happy New Year to you and all your many readers.
Steve.

Mary Writes:

I can’t say how much I enjoy the weekly bulletins - it’s great! I saw a sight in Fawcett Rd., recently that made me smile. Outside a second hand shop was an old Aladdin paraffin heater. I could remember my parents giving my grandparents one as a special gift and then it was the very latest thing. You could remove the top bit and boil a kettle, which is exactly what my grandparents did when they were snowed in at Catherington. My father was somewhat shocked when they told him that the pipes had frozen and the water for the kettle came from their rubber, hot water bottle! The box for the Aladdin heater was taken by my Uncle Harry who, sometime later, appeared with it full of live chickens which he had decided to give us. He opened the box and for a few minutes chickens were attempting to fly around the room. Like a couple of other families we kept poultry when we lived at Farlington. Oh happy days!


News and Views:

Chuck Berry fell ill an hour into his Chicago concert on January 1st and had to stop the performance twice to be checked over by paramedics. He refused to be taken to a hospital but the concert, already an hour long, never resumed. The 84 year-old left on his own in his limousine. Concertgoers said the performance began to deteriorate after 15 minutes and he began to play only portions of songs at times out-of-rhythm.

The Housing Minister has written to Liverpool's City Council urging a temporary reprieve of the demolition of Ringo Starr's birthplace. A campaign to have the home preserved was rejected by government heritage officials in December saying "the house has no associations with the success of the Beatles as a group, was only lived in by Ringo Starr for four years after his birth and is not architecturally or historically significant enough to match listing criteria." The decision paved the way for the house to be demolished, along with many others in the neighbourhood.

The white suit which John Lennon wore on the cover of the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album brought $46,000 at an auction in Norwalk, Connecticut. A fancy blazer owned by the ex-Beatle sold for $18,000. However, both items together had fetched $120,000 in an auction six years ago. John and Yoko's 1972 Chrysler station wagon sold for a mere $5,500.


On this day 2nd January 1960-1965

On 02/01/1960 the number one single was Starry Eyed - Michael Holliday and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was North by Northwest. 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 Stephanie Baird was beheaded. She was murdered and decapitated at a YWCA hostel and her killer was thought to have escaped by bus.

On 02/01/1961 the number one single was I Love You - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was The Russ Conway Show (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 02/01/1962 the number one single was Moon River - Danny Williams and the number one album was Another Black & White Minstrell Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 02/01/1963 the number one single was Return to Sender - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 02/01/1964 the number one single was I Want to Hold Your hand - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - The 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 Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 02/01/1965 the number one single was I Feel Fine - The Beatles 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.

Web Page 898

First Picture: A 1950’s living room.






Second Picture: Typical 1960’s advertising promotion, good old shillings and pence!
How we as youngsters spent our Christmas Days

Imagine a world without Computers, Mobile Phones, I-Pod’s and Game Consoles, a world where less than a quarter of the population of this country have a TV Set, about the same applies to Cars, or a Telephone and you're somewhere near the mark of what life was like when we were young in the 1950's .Our mothers were still buying some food which was still on the ration and at school the cane or slipper still held sway. It sounds centuries ago doesn't it? But we all lived through it and this is the way that we grew up.

For families, Christmas time was much the same as it is now, a time for the family, except your visitors arrived by train or bus rather than a car. (Oh yes both those services still ran on Christmas day in the 1950’s). Religious or Victorian Scene Christmas Cards were sent, never funny or rude ones as for many it was the only form of communication with each other for the whole year and often a hand written note would be attached to catch Aunty or Uncle up on all the family news of the last twelve months.

Our living rooms had the aroma of coal fires or maybe the rich smell of an odd log being burnt. Christmas decorations consisted of home made paper chains, natural foliage such as holly, fir and mistletoe and the odd commercial paper decoration
probably bought from Woolworths. Naturally there was a real Christmas tree but I am too young to be able to claim that I remember it being decorated with real candles. But I do remember the presents being piled underneath the tree and the curiosity generated by an unusual shaped parcel. The electric lights for the tree were very simple, normally just a string of twelve glass bells with coloured bulbs inside. And of course the fairy on the top was home made and dressed with white crepe paper by mother. In fact the fairy angel we use in our own home today comes from that era, I know this because Pam can remember it being sat on their own family tree over 60 years ago and it was made by her mother.

On Christmas Eve itself when it was time to venture up to bed I would lie there for quite a while excitedly listening for Sleigh Bells but of course, I always fell asleep before they and Santa arrived!

Christmas morning would come and here starts more of the differences. If we were very lucky, we may get six or seven presents just one each from immediate family. I'd usually get a Rupert Annual, an addition to my Meccano Set etc. and I can recall the one of the biggest present of all during the 50's was a pair of roller skates with steel wheels. It seemed that for weeks after Christmas, when I went to bed I neatly stacked my new things next to the bed, after all there may well be a burglary in the night and they might get stolen, this way I could keep these new things close to me!

Even the Milkman and the Postman called on Christmas morning and sometimes it would be amazing how these two visitors ever saw the end of their Rounds as it was quite normal for them to be offered a tipple at every house.

Although there was TV, it was only in the late 1950's that 'Christmas Specials' started to appear and these being mainly imports from the USA such as the Perry Como Show, Andy Williams etc. From the UK came Tony Hancock and very early Six Five Specials. Much to the enjoyment of my family you would get a Laurel and Hardy slot, maybe Buster Keaton and a Cartoon. But the TV was a minor part of Christmas. Parents were usually busying themselves with domestic duties whilst the Kids immersed themselves in their new toys and books. I wonder how many families now get through a Christmas Day without TV, text messages or some time on the PC!

Another factor was that Christmas Day did actually seem a special day there were no shops open and all the theatres and cinemas were closed. In those days Christmas didn't start in late September as it does now, it started just a few days before the event; the only thing to start early was the baking of the Christmas Cake and making the mince pies usually sometime in November.

Traditional Christmas Day food has remained very much the same as in the 1950’s, turkey with all the trimmings and Christmas Pudding but the big difference being that the vegetables we ate would always come from your own garden and not via Mr Tesco or Mr. Sainsbury! Wine is almost a must these days, whereas a glass of Sherry, a Port and Lemon or a glass of beer were the only forms of alcohol on offer in the 1950’s

Life was very different then but it was also very enjoyable. Mind you today I would not miss my modern Christmas with my family and grandchildren round me.

Yours

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com



You Write:

Griff Writes:Who still admires their swimming achievements at the Guildhall Swimming Baths?




News and Views:
The ABC/Essoldo/Carlton Cinema, High Street, Cosham
Built in 1934, as The Carlton Cinema, the building was badly damaged during a bombing raid in World War II. 4 people died in the explosion but the cinema was renovated and reopened. In 1982 it was renovated and became a 3 screen cinema but closed its doors in 2007. Since then, the future of the building has been uncertain with locals frequently campaigning to stop demolition and conversion to student accommodation or flats.

Since opening as The Carlton in the 30s, this cinema has had many aliases: The Carlton; The Classic; Essoldo; Cannon; ABC and, before closure, was known as Cineplex. But now the contractors have moved in and example of Portsmouth’s Art Deco architecture is now just a pile of dust.


On this day 26th December 1960-1965

On 26/12/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Tottenham Hotspur. The top rated TV show was The Arthur Haynes Show (ATV) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68.The big news story of the day was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada).

On 26/12/1961 the number one single was Tower of Strength - Frankie Vaughan and the number one album was Another Black & White Minstrell Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 26/12/1962 the number one single was Return to Sender - 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. The big news story of the day was Take Your Pick (AR)".

On 26/12/1963 the number one single was I Want to Hold Your hand - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - 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 26/12/1964 the number one single was I Feel Fine - The Beatles 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 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 26/12/1965 the number one single was Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out - The Beatles and the number one album was Rubber Soul - 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.

My Christmas Greetings to you all.

Extra Web Page Just to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and to thank each and everyone of you for all your messages, stories, comments and notes throughout the year. I was beginning to wonder if I should stop writing but by the look of the meter on the site I am receiving almost a hundred hits a day some weeks.

So

A Very Merry Christmas to you all and your families. Oh! Below is a couple of Christmas Card that I think reflects the times!!!!!

Yours Peter & Pam

Plus a Letter from Martin below and after that sad news from Cosham.





Letter from Martin in the USA

Those cold remedies.............Don't forget the immortal Friars Balsam...........That stuff in a pot of boiling water could decimate a vulture on a fertilizer cart at forty paces............In our house the cold cure was lashings of hot water, half a jar of Gales Hony and fresh squeezed lemons........then of course in later years a drop or two of dad's scotch was added...........

That photo of the Old Manor Inn still intrigues me.....after all these years the building looks so clean and new.......must have been a winter photo...........like you had quite a few there in my younger years.........

Big sad day here to commemorate John Lennon's death on Dec 8th...............especially so as Paul McCartney was being honoured by the Kennedy Arts Foundation hosted by Carolin Kennedy and Obama at the Lincoln Centre on Sunday Dec 6th.....




Sad News and Views:

The contractors have moved in to demolish the Essoldo in Cosham High Street.

Web Page 894

First Picture:

Girls fashion from the 1960’s

Second Picture

: The hub of 1960’s fashion Carnaby Street.

Here we go again the annual trivia quiz, hope you enjoy it.

These first few are railway based

.

1. In which city was a brick sculpture called ‘Train’ unveiled in June 1999?

2. About which train did the Reverend W Awdry write?

3. In which classic of 19th Century literature is the heroine killed by a train?

4. With which train was Oliver Postgate associated?

5. In which 1945 film does Celia Johnson meet Trevor Howard?

6. ‘Sitting in a railway station with a ticket for my destination’ is a line from which song?

Now for the Roads

7. The Roman Road Ermine Street ran from London to where?

8. What is the name of the emblem on the front of a Rolls Royce?

9. What is the name of the famous road that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles?

10. In what year was the wearing of Crash Helmets made compulsory?

11. Which is the most expensive road on a British Monopoly board ?

12. In which street would you have found ‘Big Bird’?

Life Like That!

13 What is the colour of the black box in a commercial airplane?

14 How long was the 100 years war?

15 Which country makes Panama hats?

16 From which animal do we get cat gut?

17 In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?

18 What is a camel's hair brush made of ?

19 The Canary Islands are named after what animal?

20 What was King George VI's first name?

21 What colour is a purple finch?

22 From which country do Chinese gooseberries come?

We cannot do without the traditional 1960’s trivia

23 Which orchestra-leader, born in Italy but based in Britain, became the first artist to sell a million stereo albums ?

24 She was the best-known female folk-singer of the 1960s but her only British top ten hit that decade was "There But For Fortune" in 1965; who was she ?

25 Lesley Gore had a top 5 US hit in 1963 with "Judy's Turn To Cry"; what number 1 was it the sequel song to?

26 In 1960 the Shadows' reached number 1 with their first release without Cliff, what was its title?

27 Which girl group had a worldwide hit in 1964 with "Chapel of Love"?

28 Who wrote the musical "Oliver" as well as Cliff Richard's hit "Living Doll"??

29 Whose real name was Charles Weedon Westover?

30 Who took “Three Steps to Heaven” to number one in 1960?

Well how did you do? The answers are in the ‘You Write’ section

Pam and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.Keat@ntlworld.com


You Write:

THE QUIZ ANSWERS



1. Darlington
2. Thomas the Tank Engine
3. Anna Karenina
4. Ivor the engine
5. Brief Encounter
6. Homeward Bound
7. York
8. Spirit of Ecstasy
9. Route 66
10. 1973
11. Park Lane £350
12. Sesame Street
13. Orange,
14. 116 years
15. Ecuador
16. Sheep and Horses
17. November
18. Squirrel fur
19. Dogs
20. Albert
21. Crimson
22. New Zealand
23. Mantovani
24. Joan Baez
25. "It's My Party"
26. "Apache"
27. The Dixie-Cups
28. Lionel Bart
29. Del Shannon.
30. Eddie Cochran.

News and Views:

On the 7th December Edmundo Ross, the famous 1950's band leader celebrated his 100th birthday!!!!!


On this day 19th December 1960-1965

On 19/12/1960

the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Knight Errant (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.

On 19/12/1961

the number one single was Tower of Strength - Frankie Vaughan and the number one album was Another Black & White Minstrell Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 19/12/1962

the number one single was Return to Sender - 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 Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 19/12/1963

the number one single was I Want to Hold Your hand - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - 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 19/12/1964

the number one single was I Feel Fine - The Beatles 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 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 19/12/1965

the number one single was Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out - The Beatles 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.

Web Page 896

First Picture: Mrs Shufflewick (Rex Jameson)



Second Picture: A Hilsea Gas Works locomotive in 1961

Make it better

I don’t know about you but my family seemed to have a plethora of home remedies and potions for all sorts of sickness and ailments, some worked, some seemed to be very odd indeed and having a mother who was at one time an Assistant Matron in a children’s hospital was also a problem; no swelling, cut , graze, spot or pimple went ignored or unsqueezed. I would point out here that these were the days when if a nurse married she had to leave the profession, as married nurses were not allowed, well it was the 1940’s.

Bicarbonate of Soda was the all-embracing panacea for any form of stomach upset. ‘Drink it down it will make you feel better’ was the cry as I was forced to drink it. Did it hell I always made me throw up and so for a time I lived in fear and dread of that cup of bicarb!

Coughs and colds were always treated with Vick Vapour rub. I can remember going to bed with a heavy cold and my mother not only rubbing Vick onto my chest but onto the soles of my feet also, a case of treating both ends at the same time! If things got really bad it was out with the bowl of hot water with Vick dissolved in it, a towel over my head lean over the bowl and inhale and as if this were not bad enough I had to endure the Wrights Coal Tar Vaporiser. Now who remembers them? A round tin contraption the size of a baked bean tin with a night light burning in the bottom and a stone dish at the top into which was dripped a coal tar concentrate and the thing was left burning all night so that the fumes could ‘clear your chest’. Then if things were not as bad as this there was always Owbridges, Zubes, Victory V’s and Fishermans Friends to suck until you got better.

For spots and pimples it was Germoline or Zambuck, for upset stomachs it was Lucozade by the gallon or a glass of warm sweetened milk. Yuk!!!

Some of the stranger and more unusual remedies are still a mystery to me today. How did a hot poultice work especially a bread poultice and why were they used? A friend who lived in Africa as a child tells me that one-day he managed to squirt the juice of a poisonous plant into his eye. He was rushed to the nurse who told his mother that if the poison was not washed out he could go blind. She was told to make a cup of Bovril, let it cool and then bathe his eye in it. She did this and his sight was saved. But how did that work? What was the magic ingredient of Bovril?

For a while my mother always seemed to have a toilet fixation, ‘Have you been?’ she would ask at regular intervals and I soon learnt to always say ‘yes’ otherwise it was out with the bottle of opening medicine, whatever that was.

As children I expect we can all remember being given National Orange Juice to make us grow big and strong however Pam also remember being given desert spoonfuls of Cod Liver Oil and Malt Extract once a week, she was living in Newcastle at the time so maybe it was a northern thing.

There were several remedies for removing warts, my mothers favourite was to rub the wart with a raw potato, then bury the potato in the garden and as the potato rotted so the wart would drop off. I have to tell here and now it did not work! Nor did onion in the ears to cure earache but a clove in the mouth did help to relieve toothache and Colgate toothpaste eases the pain of a burn. One thing that did always work was blue bag on wasp or bee stings, today we have to rely on commercial preparations for relief I’ve not seen a blue bag in years.

Then of course if all else failed there was always ‘Come here and I will kiss it better’ and somehow that always seemed to work!

Yours

Peter

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

You Write:

Peter Writes:- Dear Peter You like to take a look at http://www.pompeypop.co.uk/ and http://pompeypop.wordpress.com/

These are run by Dave Allen, former lead singer in Harlem Speakeasy (and other bands), now a Lecturer at Portsmouth University. Dave has complied a comprehensive history of pop in Portsmouth in the sixties - there is an overlap with you interests

Keep up the good work. Best Wishes

News and Views:

Liverpool has included original Beatles drummer Pete Best on a list of names to be considered in naming new streets. Peter-- who was drummed out of the group in favour of Ringo Starr shortly before the group became a success-- was chosen for his "'special contribution' to the city's musical heritage

On this day 9th December 1960-1965.

On 09/12/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Armchair Theatre (ABC) 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 09/12/1961 the number one single was Tower of Strength - Frankie Vaughan. 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. The big news story of the day was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV)".

On 09/12/1962 the number one single was Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield and the number one album was On Stage with the Black & White Minstrels - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 09/12/1963 the number one single was She Loves You - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - 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 09/12/1964 the number one single was Little Red Rooster - Rolling Stones 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 Poet Edith Sitwell dies

On 09/12/1965 the number one single was The Carnival is Over - Seekers 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.

Web Page 894

First Picture:

Radio Times from 1961

Second Picture:

A face from early TV Friar Tuck (Alexander Gauge) from the Adventures of Robin Hood Series

Part two of last week’s article’

Christmas Eve and Beyond

These were the most exciting days of the year for all children. The presents had been bought and the local shops had delivered the Christmas groceries which were paid for from the weekly contributions to the shop’s Christmas club.

The postman frequently brought the electricity bill on Christmas Eve and my mother and some neighbours always commented that they thought this was done on purpose to spoil Christmas. Despite this the presents from the grandparents, aunts, uncles, distant relatives and friends had arrived and were put near the Christmas tree. I remember I always tried to put my fingers through the wrapping paper then the guessing game started, “Will I get slippers from my grandmother again this year?”; “How much money has grandfather put in the Christmas card?” Money always came with some Christmas cards until the late 1950’s when it suddenly changed to the newly introduced premium bonds.

On the same day all the goodies that had been bought for Christmas were taken out of the cupboard: packets of dates and figs, candied lemon and oranges, crystallised ginger, nuts, oranges and bananas, a large coconut, exotic Turkish delight and various kinds of chocolates and sweets.

Christmas Eve for those still young enough to believe in Father Christmas was an exciting occasion. I would put one of Mum’s best mince pies on a plate next to a glass of brandy for Father Christmas. I was told that Father Christmas was on his way around the world to visit all the children. After a cup of Bournville I went to bed with an empty pillow case left at the bottom of my bed in the hope that it might be full the next morning. Up to school age all boys and girls were taught by their parents that Father Christmas really existed, it was not until we went to Primary School that we were told by the older children that Father Christmas was in fact our parents.

Piles of coal and logs were put on the fire and I remember my parents and grandparents always said that Christmas was a time when they returned to their childhood, when life was easier and simpler before the problems of the adult life arrived.

Presents were modest for boys maybe a train set, model ships and aeroplanes, tinker toys, jigsaw puzzles, cap guns, roller skates, games and annuals as well as well sealed envelopes that not only contained a Christmas card but also a ten shilling or one pound note. Then families had time to play board or card play games together.
As far as I remember everyone was satisfied with their presents. There was no present swapping that nowadays often turns into a round of “let us see how much we can collect for the car-boot sale”. Socks and handkerchiefs were unpacked, accompanied by a genuine chorus of “Oh, that’s just what I wanted”. We were celebrating Christmas in an age when society was more contented. Presents for our parents in the included Lily of the Valley, Max Factor or Rubenstein’s perfume, fifty cigarettes in a presentation box or a packet of Manikin cigars. Items to wear were popular, especially slippers, pullovers, shirts, blouses and white “under-things”.

Christmas morning was a busy time for Mum cooking the bird, putting the vegetables on, making gravy and getting the table ready. She had a lot of work and would say from time to time that the oven was slow - not surprising as nearly every housewife in the nation was cooking the same meal at the same time that day. While my mother was in the kitchen we played with our new toys and games, read our annuals and counted our Christmas money over and over again. This was the one day in the year when we felt rich. There was plenty of time for playing as we did not have a telephone and no one could disturb us. On Christmas Day the neighbours would come in for a Christmas drink and we would also visit them. Dinner was ready at about 1 o’clock. The bird was carved and the vegetables were put onto the table. We had sage and onion stuffing, sausages wrapped in bacon, the well-done Brussels sprouts, the fresh carrots and parsnips from the garden tasted better after a frost, the boiled and roasted potatoes, thick dark-brown onion gravy and cranberry sauce and then the wish-bone had to be pulled. After the main course we would all declare that we were completely full but always seemed to have room for Christmas pudding.

After washing up our parents would plunge into a chair and just sit until 3.00 pm for the Queens Christmas message. For 15 minutes we all sat silent and listened to Her Majesty address the nation. This was an indelible part of Christmas Day. After the Queen’s speech my grandparents uncles and aunts always reminisced and told us about their lives as a child and that Christmas had changed since then.
As the afternoon wore on and the effects of the Christmas dinner wore off, we were in the mood for some fun and games. Games included “hunt the thimble” and “charades”. When father declared that it was time for some walnuts we all had to think now where did we put the nutcrackers last year?

5 o’clock and time for tea, chicken or turkey sandwiches, jelly, trifle, fruit salad etc. and Mum’s Christmas cake. Christmas in England without Christmas crackers would not be Christmas. At home my mother normally opened the box of 12 crackers at around tea time. They contained a paper hat, a small rather useless toy and a motto or corny joke. I remember one year making my own crackers by using the empty tubes of toilet rolls.

Later that evening it would be time for a hot mince pie. While the adults indulged in a glass of wine, port or sherry we children were given hot chocolate or a cold drink and continued to play with our new toys and games while Mum admired her Christmas cards and ask why a aunt so-and-so had not sent her one this year. Frequently the missing card arrived after Christmas and the second class postage stamp was not to blame as there was only one class of postage in the 1950’s.
Soon it was time for bed and to look forward to Boxing Day when we had visits from relatives or we visited them. Boxing Day was more or less a continuation of Christmas Day when a present or two was received from an aunt or uncle or friend who had forgotten to send it before Christmas.

I remember we bought our first television just before Christmas in the late 1950’s. This changed our lives in the evenings, when we could actually watch the broadcast of the Queen’s Christmas message. In the 1950’s there were three BBC Radio stations. Before we had a TV we listened to the "Light Programme" which broadcasted popular music and light entertainment such as variety shows, comedy, and drama. The "Home Service" was the main channel for news, features, and drama although it did have some entertainment of a more demanding kind. The "Third Programme" broadcasted in the evenings only - mainly classical music and concerts as well as talks. For us “Children's Hour’ was the classic. This was listened to by most children and was designed to meet children's wants and needs in the 1950’s. “Children’s Hour” was broadcast from 5-6 pm on weekdays. Those who had a television all watched the “Andy Pandy” etc. As children we loved Christmas TV party shows with the stars like Tommy Cooper, Harry Secombe, Wilfred Pickles and Bob Monkhouse. We all waited for the seasonal TV pantomimes such as “Dick Whittington” or “The Babes in the Wood”, there were always well know celebrities in these such as Hattie Jacques, Spike Milligan, Frankie Howard or Charlie Drake and Boxing Day was not complete without the Chipperfield Circus show.

New Year’s Eve at home was very quiet in the 1950’s. Most people stayed at home and listened to the wireless or watched television. It should not be forgotten that 1st January was a normal working day in England until the 1980’s. On New Year’s Sunday we always spent the afternoon and evening with my grandparents. For us it was like Christmas Day again with the exception that we received no more presents. There was an abundance of food and drinks and we played games and talked for hours. As soon as New Year’s Day was over, I often heard my mother talking to the neighbours about new ideas to loose the weight that she had put on over Christmas. My mother always insisted that we took down the Christmas decorations and the tree on 6 January as on this day, the twelve days of Christmas finished.

Looking forward to another New Year, yours

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.Keat@ntlworld.com

You Write:

Jonathon sent me this-

SCHOOL -- 1960 vs. 2010

Scenario:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1960 - Crowd gathers egging them on "fight, fight, fight". Johnny wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best mates for life.

2010 - Police called, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Mark started it. Both children go to anger management programs for 3 months. School board hold meeting to impliment bullying prevention programs

Scenario:
Robbie won't Keep still in class, disrupts other students.

1960 - Robbie sent to office and given 6 of the best by the Headmaster. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2010 - Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. Robbie's parents get fortnightly disability payments and School gets extra funding from state because Robbie has a disability.

Scenario :
Billy breaks a window in his neighbour's car and his Dad gives him a whopping with his slipper.

1960 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister tells Government psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.

Scenario :
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1960 - Mark gets glass of water from Teacher to take aspirin with.

2010 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.


Scenario :
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from Guy Fawkes, puts them in a model airfix paint bottle, blows up an ants nest.

1960 - Ants die.

2010- Police, Armed Forces, & Anti-terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, MI5 investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario :
Johnny falls while running during break and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary . Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1960 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2010 - Mary is accused of being a predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

News and Views

Ivor the engine found in pig shed. A collection of Ivor the Engine episodes from the 1960’s have been found gathering dust in a pig shed. Almost 40 rusty reels of videotape were discovered under a "large pile of steaming mess" in the disused sty. The 16mm footage is understood to have been stashed by the late Oliver Postgate, the creator of both Ivor the Engine and Bagpuss, who died in 2008. But they lay undiscovered for more than 40 years until they were found by his former business partner, Peter Firmin, on his property in Kent. There are now plans for the animations, which are black and white, to be digitalised and re-released.

On this day 12th December 1960-1965

On 12/12/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was The Army Game (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 Bootsie & Snudge (granada).

On 12/12/1961 the number one single was Tower of Strength - Frankie Vaughan and the number one album was Another Black & White Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 12/12/1962 the number one single was Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield and the number one album was On Stage with the Black & White Minstrels - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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 12/12/1963 the number one single was I Want to Hold Your hand - The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - 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 12/12/1964 the number one single was I Feel Fine - The 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.

On 12/12/1965 the number one single was The Carnival is Over - Seekers 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.

Web Page 892

First Picture: A typical 1950’s visit to Santa.





Second Picture: Fun in the playground.




I recently came across this report of a 1950’s Christmas, I don’t know who wrote it, but is certainly invokes memories of the past. The article is long, so I will split it in half. This week is the build up to Christmas and next week will be Christmas Eve, the Big Day Itself and New Year.


1950’s Christmas at Home.

Preparations for Christmas in the 1950’s started just after Bonfire night; this was the time when the small family-owned businesses began to decorate their shop windows. From week to week stockings for children filled with Mars Bars, Bounties and Crunchies as well as other festive items started to appear between the boxes of biscuits and the multi-coloured decorations in the shop windows. It was also the time of year when people were asking: “What are you doing for Christmas” or “What do you want for Christmas?” In those days it was tradition to spend Christmas with the family. I never heard of anyone flying to the Canaries or going to a hotel for Christmas.

On certain nights in December the countryside seemed to take on a distinct quality of its own, especially when the silvery light of the full moon was around. The dampness of December was frequently caused by sea fog and there were a few years in the 1950’s and 1960’s when the hedgerows, trees and the roofs were covered with a thick layer of white frost. Sometimes when the skies were clear in the evenings you could see several stars on the horizon. Frequently my mother would step outside and would scan the skies for a change in the wind to see if snow was coming our way.
Most families decorated a real Christmas tree in their homes. I do not recall any artificial Christmas trees in the 1950’s. It was as if people who had survived the war needed the security of a festive Christmas and the Christmas tree was an important symbol to set them back on their feet again. It was the centrepiece of the household and admired by all. A few days before Christmas my father and I would bring home the Christmas tree from the local shops. The tree was mounted and secured in a large pot. We then started to decorate it with colourful glass balls and bells. We also used silver tinsel. Small Christmas crackers in shiny paper were laid along the branches, on top of the tree we mounted a golden haired angel which in after a time suffered from old age but it was so high the damage could not be seen. We bought our glass decorations from Woolworths and we also purchased wrapped chocolate bells, stars, angels for hanging on Christmas trees.

By the 1950’s the new fangled electric or fairy lights were available replacing the real wax candles on our Christmas tree With a tree glittering you experienced the real feeling of Christmas. In those days we ignored fashion and used our own well loved tree decorations year after year. After Christmas they were stored carefully away in a cardboard box.

Multi-coloured paper Christmas garlands either bought or self-made were popular. They were hung across the living room, balloons were hung in the corner of each room and colourful paper lanterns were hung at the windows of many houses. A lot of our decorations were still of 'home-made'; we spent hours at school making snowflakes and stars from cardboard. At Primary School the girls used beads to make decorations.

I remember one year when the gypsies appeared going from house to house selling mistletoe. From their dress it was clear that they lived a nomadic way of life. They came for a few years in the 1950’s both in summer and winter selling pegs, hand-knitted socks etc.

Almost every home had mistletoe hanging up in the living room and in the 1950’s people recited: 'Pick a berry off the mistletoe, For every kiss that's given. When the berries have all gone. There's an end to the kissing.'

I remember that we helped our parents select the most appropriate Christmas card for the right relative or friend. For us, Christmas was the ideal time to make an additional effort to get in touch with relatives who lived away and who we had not seen for some time, no telephones in our houses! The annual Christmas card was the only regular contact that kept our long distance friendships alive.

Part of the magic of Christmas was going to the front door to see what cards had been delivered by the postman. It was always a delight when the postman came with the post. There was a morning and afternoon delivery and it was not until I worked for a week in the pre-Christmas period as a postman that I realised how much activity there is in a post office. Not only did I have to do two rounds in the cold using the post office bicycle but the letters and parcels had to be sorted by 5.30 in the morning.

The cards we received were displayed around the house, traditional motifs included candles, winter landscapes holly and snowmen were common, only a few people sent humorous cards in those days and not many cards were sold to raise money for charities.

In the 1950’s who would come to the door at about tea time? The carol singers. They went from house to house singing and as a child it was exciting when the carol singers came. It was considered to bring bad luck to send carollers away empty-handed so we always gave them some coins and offered them a mince pie.

On the subject of music I remember my Aunt frequently playing “White Christmas” on her 78 rpm gramophone record player so often that the needle had to be changed so often and I was glad when she ran out of new needles.

There were several kinds of visitors in the 1950’s and 1960’s. There were the salesmen would came to each door trying to sell books such as dictionaries and bibles to housewives maintaining that these were ideal Christmas presents for their children.They came nearly every year, so some of us therefore received identical Christmas presents. Then there was the man who sold Whitaker’s Almanac which many families considered to be essential as it containing information on keeping abreast with current affairs. My grandmother loved reading this almanac for its astronomical data, for the sun rising and setting, moon phases and the position of the
Elderly ladies collecting for charities in the pre-Christmas period will always remain in my mind. Dressed in warm clothes, a scarf around their neck and a woollen hat, they went from door to door asking for a few pence for charity. We always put a few pence in the small round tin. The door collectors went as quickly as they came this was just part of the Christmas season. I also remember that the Jehovah’s Witneses went from door to door in the pre-Christmas period. I remember the Sunday School teacher explaining to us at a very young age that the Jehovah’s Witnesses did not celebrate Christmas because they do not believe that Jesus Christ and they considered Christmas to be a pagan festival.

It was amazing how much noise the rubbish collectors made in mid-December when they collected the rubbish. The milkman also took his time to collect the weekly money wishing each housewife a happy Christmas until she understood the reason why. It was customary at Christmas to give the rubbish collectors, postman, baker and milkman a small tip for their services throughout the year.

World War Two had finished only five years before the start of the 1950’s and many things were still rationed until about 1953. Despite this, Christmas was still enjoyed at its utmost although presents were modest. Commercial television did not exist until late in the 1950’s so there was no pressure for our parents to have to buy the latest toy or game.

At a time when most people did not have vehicles busses were the order of the day. A visit to the city in December was a big adventure. Frantic shopping and last-minute present buying also existed in the 1950’s and, with more money available in the 1960’s, people started saying that they were spending far too much money at Christmas. The highlight of the trip was a visit to see Father Christmas in one of the big stores.

As with many customs associated with British Christmas, the tradition of Father Christmas remained, when the religious elements were lost. He became a benevolent, jovial character, synonymous with the goodwill of Christmas, but his saintly attributes were gradually disappearing. I do not recall the Father Christmas ever asking me questions about my prayers, my reading, writing and arithmetic but only about whether I had been a naughty boy.

Walking around town on any Saturday in December you would always see the Salvation Army singing Christmas carols on a street corner trying to attract the attention of passers-by to help fill their collection tins. Many stopped to admire their dark blue uniforms and to listen to their singing.

Our parents seemed to spend ages going from shop to shop. In particular they spent a lot of time in Woolworths and Marks and Spencers, the main two stores for shopping in the 1950’s. As we walked around the bags got heavier and heavier and I was told in certain shops to look the other way. We usually had a drink in Woolworths and a well deserved rest before spending a penny (which did actually cost a penny in those days) and continuing with the shopping before returning back home on the bus.

At primary school we made Christmas decorations which were put up in the classroom or taken home. We also made Christmas cards for our parents by either drawing festive motives or cutting out pictures from Christmas cards we had saved from previous years. We rehearsed for the annual Christmas concert and we always had an enjoyable Christmas party with lots of food, drink and games, it took place on the last Friday before Christmas. Nativity plays are one of the traditions of Christmas as four year old who was a shepherd in the Nativity Play I was a witness to this. At that young age it was an adventure to dress up and remain standing for about 20 minutes in front of a full school hall.

Christmas was the busiest time of the year for mothers, in December they started talking about the baking and cooking for Christmas. I remember that this was the main topic of conversation with my mother, wherever she was. There was always the fear that the local shops would run out of ingredients to make the Christmas cake, plum pudding and mince pies.

Next week, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year

Stay in touch

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com

You Write:

Steve writes:

Hi Peter, after reading your blog on bizarre pop titles I remembered this one that also ranks alongside those and possibly the longest title then. Regards Steve.
"The Anaheim, Azusa, and Cucomonga Sewing Circle Book Review And Timing Association"
By Jan & Dean.

News and Views:

Melv points out that there was an obituary in the News for John Ray born 1947 attended Court Lane and Manor Court.


Joan Baez was taken to Stanford University Medical Center Wednesday (November 17) after falling while climbing down from a treehouse at her Woodside, California home. The 69 year-old's injuries were only minor and she is resting at home. She reportedly sleeps in the treehouse all Summer to be close to nature

On this day 5th December 1960-1965

On 05/12/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Armchair Theatre (ABC) 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 05/12/1961 the number one single was Little Sister/His Latest Flame - Elvis Presley. 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. The big news story of the day was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV)".

On 05/12/1962 the number one single was Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield and the number one album was On Stage with the Black & White Minstrels - George Mitchell Minstrels. 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. The big news story of the day was Heavy smog kills 55 in London.

On 05/12/1963 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 05/12/1964 the number one single was Little Red Rooster - Rolling Stones 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 05/12/1965 the number one single was The Carnival is Over - Seekers 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.