General Chat

I think one of the main differences is CARS. I was a child in the 60s and lived in a close. Nobody had a car. I think there were 2 motorbikes and some pedal bikes and that was it. We played in the street and if you had a problem went to the nearest back door. Similarly, any mum (nobody's mum worked then) would sort you out if you were up to something! When I go home now I am staggered at the amount of cars - sometimes its really hard to park outside my mum's own house. And the main road I walked to school on is like the M25 only faster-moving. First there was nothing outside my school. Then a lollipop lady. Then a zebra crossing. Now there's a staggered pelican crossing. The noise and fumes astound me - the only regular traffic on that road when I was a girl were the buses, where my dad worked as a conductor. nell

What a fantastic thread. I was also a 50s kid, but an Ozzie kid. Just reading through this thread i realised that kids from all over did similiar things. We also sat on the roads and popped the hot tar, as it made bubbles. We played Cherry bobs, with pips from cherrys, and we played marbles, while the girls used to put Tennis ball in a stocking and bounce it on a brick wall around there bodies. The Ice man would come on his horse drawn wagon, he would put a hessian bag on his shoulder, and carry the ice into the house. Us kids would wait until he was out of sight, and on a very hot day we would break chunks of ice of the wagon, and then run like the devil.We built our own billy carts, and used ball bearing racers as wheels,( and did they move.) sliding around the corners. We swam in the rivers, and used inner tubes to float down the Yarra river in Melbourne. We put crackers in Jam tins and lit them, as we knocked on someones door, then run like hell. We walked 4 miles to school and home again. As we passed the Green Grocers we always asked if he had any "Specks" ( Freebies ) and he would throw us an apple or an orange. We left our back doors unlocked all day and night, and freindly neighbours would drop in to say hello, and have a yarn. At Christmas the whole street would come out and my dad would play his Guitar on the front Verandah, and everyone would sing beautiful Christmas carols. We would walk along the Railway lines and collect bottles for someone, and they would give us a penny. When we made threepence, we could go to the "Flicks" ( Picture theatre) on a Saturday afternoon. We were grottie little kids, but we were happy little kids. Thanks for the memories. Tony Oz.

Thanks for the memories Len . Being born in the early thirties I would agree with all that has been said .The spanking I got when 7 having the local Mr Plod out looking for me on his bike! Inever forgot that and 20 years later when we were living (like so many ) with my parents I always made apoint of saying "going soand so back about so and so " Times may have been hard but they were very very good times. Rupert Bear.

I was born in the late 50's, and have great memories. I remember sitting in the middle of our street, in the summer, popping the tar bubbles that emerged as the day got hotter. Then tasting the liquid! We didn't have to worry about getting run over, as hardly anyone had a car in those days. Walking down to the Pier Head and spending all day on a Sunday going back and forth on the ferry between Liverpool and New Brighton. By the way, if anyone want's to try this out, hide in the toilets before the ship berths. Its safe to come out when she is on her way again! We thought that we were the cats meow getting away with it. The conducter obviously turned a blind eye, but to us we were the smart ones. All this without adult supervision. The kids in the street not only feared their own Mothers, but everyone elses too. We showed respect to our elders. Did anyone else have the old biddies who told you to go and play in front of your own door? Ahh the memories.

Len, Hi,,, I have read many of your msgs in the past and I was always amazed and interested in what you had to say. I am not on the boards all the time, and I dont think you have been either, But I would just like to say that I find you extremely interesting. By the way I was born in the late late 50s.... best wishes karen

To Len and fellow Oldtimers. Your summary of times past sum up my feelings brilliantly. From the time I was a child in the early 50's I never kept a diary and so just recently I have started to jot down a sort of Autobiography so that I can record all the events of my life before my memory fails completely like my poor old Dads' has recently done. I have already typed up 70 Pages of recollections. You are all absolutely right, those were brilliant days. I feel sorry for the current gerneration who did not have the experiences we had. I am glad to be a child of the 50's and I hate the 21st century very much. Keep those memories coming. They are just great!!! Melvyn

Hi Len I'm a 50's child. Those were the days. Lived beside a lovely park in Glasgow. It's still there but a bit smaller now, had a banstand and a fossil grove. So many happy memories. We were never bored. The imagination and how we kept ourselves amused was unbelievable. Saturday morning pictures. Brilliant. Had a police station and library beside us too. PC Plod would give the cheeky ones a clip round the ear. Loved the library. Probably where I got my love of books from. Everyone looked out for everyone else. We were all Angels with Dirty Faces. My house backs on to a lovely park. Open the back gate. Take the sarnies, drink, ball, bike, kite, swords, whatever and we are off, me and grandson, he's 4. Granddaughter too young yet. What fun we have. Too old for climbing trees myself but sling him up there. Conker fights, rolling in the leaves. I'm Shrek, no your Peter Pan. On guard nanny. Come home a mucky pair of pups. Quick lick with the sponge. Change clothes. Sit watching Cbeebies when parents call to collect him. Daughter doesn't say anything just giggles. I've been rumbled. Who cares. Aileen

MY Mum was better thn YOUR mum, she could make ANYTHING, out of nothing, so there!!!!!!!!!

We managed to scrounge some old Ball races from a factory, and make Scooters with a couple of planks some screw eyes, a bolt and the races for wheels.............God were they noisey on the pavements...........Bottle of cold tea, and the day spent at the local Lido........

Yes Len, I am definitely one of them and I'm glad of it. I don't care what people say, they were great times. What I remember quite clearly too, is that all the young lads got their call-up papers and 2 years later miraculously appeared as proper gents (even the right little horrors) and the majority of them never looked back. Jan

Thanks Linda, I'm certainly getting my education on here, learn something new every day. Christine

My mum used to red our doorstep every two weeks and low betide anyone walking on it within two hours as the red would follow in your footsteps

I can remember going down the tip to make a go-cart with every one from our Estate plank of wood pram wheels bit of string and we would play for ages, Saturday Minors at the pitchures and in the summer the out door swimming pool a bag of sarnies and we were there all day, Sunday nights mum shouting you in from the playing field for a bath those were the days LOL Debs.

Linda you have to tell me....what is a donkey stone??? When our rag man came we got to choose a 'diamond' ring or a bracelet from his suitcase! Christine

len, dont forget the blackberry picking,fill up a basket,and that night,you would have a beautiful home made pie! luvly jubbly...bryan.

we also often had to walk several miles to school and home again

TO THOSE WHO SURVIVED the 30's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, bread and butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live in us forever. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little league had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!