when i was young

[Lou Barron]

I was often asked by my chidren when they was young what was it like when i was a kid .Did we have a car , telephone ,washing machine ,dish washer and several other household appliances.When i told them we had none of these things they was amazed .I told them only the rich people had cars and telephone .My mum had a dolly tub and peg and a scrubbing board with a hand mangle we managed alright . These days are a lot different but i think that us older people learnt to value things more so than the young ones of today

[Tony Wilding]

was the same for our family, my dad had an old ford 5cwt van for his business, had a scrubbing board and mangle, can remember a tin bath, a radio that needed charging, only coal for heating, made our own fun, think we were more contented then, could only read books about the big wide world, or if u was lucky a movie, think it made us adventurous, think i was about 14 when we got a tv, 1953, used to make rubber powered model planes, cost three shillings and 9 pennies for a balsa wood kit, no frozen food then, would not dream of cheeking your parents or anyone, got many a clout for being naughty, did no harm, was no vandalism then, worst we did was scrumping fruit from the orchards, played conkers and marbles, collected cigarette cards, roasted chestnuts we gathered in the woods, picked blackberries, mum made the pie, i really enjoyed my childhood.

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes that is just about how I remember it. Hot tub and Posser to do the washing then through the mangle and onto the line, that was the clothes dryer of the age. Roast on Sunday cold meat on Monday. My Grandfather in Sunderland still had the old Dutch Oven style cooker and Saturday night the rae became the bathroom when the tin bath was brought in from off the back door nail. First Tv about 1954, and th acr dad had was old. Made a bike from parts out of the local tip, Claude Butler frame. Did a paper round to get pocket money all of 12 shillings and 6 pence for 7 mornings per week. Made our own fun, bows and arrows, wooden swords, stayed out in the garden until it got dark, yes they were good times when we entertained our selves, something the younger generation appear to have a problem with.

[Doc Vernon]

Indeed times have changed!

Similar to the other Posts,i recall my Mum having the old hand Wringer to half dry the washing,and it was part of our tasks to assist of course!
An old Iron type Stove with large fire Oven was the call of the day,with lovely Soups being made by Mum,nice and thick and hearty,an old black Coffee Pot standing all day on the Stove,ready at anytime for a hot cuppa in the cold days and nights!

We had no bath at first and used to use a large Tub,water from the big Pot that was heated on the old black Fire Stove ,Mum used to only add a little hot water just to rake the icyness away,then in one at a time we would jump in!
Also had to most times share the Water in use,Sister first then the Boys!

No Council hooked up Water so to speak,as Dad had a very large Water Tank,that was filled by the old Windmill that just went round and round,it was just facinating to watch that old Windmill,with the Long Piston going up and down,making that constant noise and filling the tank !
When it got to the overflow line we of course had to then put the Windmills brake on,folding the Wind Cowles so that the wind couldnt catch them!
Dad ran his own Piping to the Farm House,and that was suffecient to get us water running out the Tap! Cold only though hahaa!

I recall that we did though have an old Radio,as Dad used to love to sit and listen to the news from the UK,we too sat at times listening!

Greg my dear Brother made us a lovely Crystal Set,and when we went to bed we used to tune into LM Radio,with a small earpiece each ! Also listened to Springbok Radio and all those lovely Serials!

Dad had an old 1948 Roundback Ford V8 with a Mercury Engine,(Bottle Green) and Boy did that one Zoom!
I remember that when Dad was coming back from working his shifts on the Gold Mines in Roodepoort, our lovely Ridgeback Dog (Dinkie) used to hear the Car a long ways off,and as soon as she started to give that excited Brak we knew Dad was almost home!
We would dash out if the Weather was permissable,and there a long way off we could see the huge trail of dust that the speeding old Ford was making!
Dad was a terrific driver,and we really looked forward to the days when he was at home so that we could get in the Ford and take a nice drive with him!

We had very few Toys but made our own fun,with making Cars from wire,wheels and all,and they really worked quite well!
Also used to run old Car Tyres around with a large piece of heavy wire shaped so that you could control the run of the tyre! Great fun!

The old Comics were the thing that we really loved,and each Month when Dad got paid,he used to bring us each a new Comic home,gosh those were good!

Yes there were many things in those days that we will never again see or experience,but like the MNavy we had it all then,and sadly it has now gone and past us !
But as the saying goes!
Thats Life!!
Cheers and thanks for this Thread Louis ,i am sure there will be many more replies!
Cheers

[John Pruden]

my old granny made her own bread in the stove built into the fire place and her own jams even now the smell of fresh baked bread takes me back to my childhood days.john

[Dennis McGuckin]

Taks me back to years of b***y work.
Den [ex baker]

[Colin Pook]

Portsmouth 1940. Laying in my cot, hearing the air-raid sirens sounding, being grabbed and taken to the nearest air-raid shelter. Having to eat in a communal centre as gas was cut off. Bread and dripping for tea. No sugar, had to use syrup in cup of tea. No Xmas or birthday pressies. Streets dark and frightening. Loud bangs and explosions even more frightening. Father serving in army out east, only family maternal grandparents to visit.
1945, war ended. Us kids going daft in the street. One night street lights were lit. 2300 hours 'old lamp lighter with his long stick extinguishing gas flame. Fruit and goodies appearing in shops. Ration books for most items. Milk being delivered by horse and cart. Coal also delivered by horse and cart. Giving the horse a drycrust of bread. Gas main repaired and home cooking.
kids playing 'kick the can' and hide and seek in peoples fore-courts, knocking on doors and running away. Going to the station at the end of our road to see the trains.
Late 1945, knock on front door, strange man in army uniform. My dad. First time I ever saw him.
Starting school. Bottle of milk at play-time. Listening to house-wives choice and archers on grandads wireless. Went to visit dads parents in Gosport, (they gave me half a crown when we left).
Cars began to appear in our street-one neighbour had a Lagonda. Street parties-allsorts of goodies we never see before.
Began making friends, and forming gangs. Went to the pictures,-the Gaumont at the junction.
From then on life escalated at a furious rate-something new every day. Mum doing the washing in the sink using a bar of yellow soap, ironing with a gas iron. Cleaning my teeth with a tin of 'gibbs tooth powder, and proper toilet paper intead of the Daily Sketch.
Yes, I loved my early years, but sadly a few years later everything fell apart. Nd now, into my seventies narrating stories to my great grand-kids.
Main thought today---WHERE THE HELL HAS IT ALL GONE?
Colin.

[happy daze john in oz]

Somethin Vernon said about comics. Do you remember the Beano, Dandy, Eagle, Rover, School Friends etc. Something the young of today may never see. Are there still any in publication?

[John Pruden]

comics as a kid of the 50s mam and dads best friends were both on the Cunard run to new york every trip they would bring me a pile of DC comics all pristine condition i would say between 750/1000 then the nightmare we had a house fire i remember the firemen throwing them out of the bedroom window in the rain and walking on them that was a very low point as a kid. looking back they would have been worth a small fortune nowadays. the things that take you back? john

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Colin,

Have just read your precis of life as a babe/ little boy experiencing WWII and it's immediate aftermath. I thought it was brilliant, Colin.

As a tot born in July, 1940, I relate to much of what you write and your words brought so many memories rushing back. In my own case, for much of the war I lived with my grandparents at Cheshunt, Herts. It was but a stones throw from Enfield, well-known to 'Jerry' as a place where tanks, the famous Bren-gun, and other goodies were manufactured. On the nights when 'jerry' came over in his nasty bombers with their unsynchronised engines, thrum- thrum-thrum (do you remember that, Colin ?), I would be thrust in a cupboard under the stairs with several cousins. The recollection of my nocturnal existence at that time, particularly 1943-44, centres around a much older female cousin who I adored, but who was a bossy-boots and in charge of the torch with which we were expected to look at Lucy Attwell books (strictly for girls) and dog-eared copies of assorted books and comics which we had read so many times before. Something to distract us from what was happening above and in the near vicinity I suppose. It must have worked because I don't remember ever feeling really scared. As a background to all this I see my grandfather standing in the open kitchen doorway, silhouetted against the glow of angling searchlights behind him. A veteran of the 'Buffs' in WWI, he had been severely wounded in early 1918 and had little love for the Germans. His shouted advice to the British aircrew in the sky above, gave us, his grandchildren, great belief that no matter what all would be alright in the end - Grandad was with us. Strangely, he allowed my Grandmother to give a little food or tea to German P.O.W's who, under guard, were working in fields adjacent to my Grandparents property. This happened on more than one occasion. Often, we kids would sit amongst the P.O.W's during their brief lunch-break. Whilst I have little distinct memory of that period, I do recall some of the Germans patting me gently on the head and smiling down at me. I've since been told, many times, that the affection shown by those P.O.W's was probably due to the mass of blonde curls adorning my head at the time, the epitome of a German child I suppose (and there was I thinking it was because of my sweet nature). One abiding memory, probably late summer 1945. The war in Europe had not long been over when I sank my teeth into a piece of velvet covered sweetness. For a little boy who during the war had, occasionally, been fortunate to sample the taste of apple, pear, redcurrant, blackcurrant and at Xmas 1944, an orange, this furry delight was a revelation - it was, as you may have guessed, a PEACH. Of course, like most of us old blokes, I have many memories of that time, but think that Colin's mini-discourse is excellent - it really says it all.