General Chat

THIS WILL MAKE YOU ALL SMILE- REMEMBER THESE DAYS… Just for a minute, forget everything stressful and read this, Close your eyes ( metaphorically speaking) and go back in time… Before the Internet or the Apple Mac, Before semi-automatics, joyriders and crack, Before SEGA or Super Nintendo, Way back, I’m talking about Hide and Seek in the park. The corner shop, Hopscotch and Butterscotch Skipping, handstands, Football with an old can, Beano, Dandy, Buster, Twinkle and Dennis the menace. Roly Poly, Hula Hoops, jumping the stream, building dams. The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass. Bazooka Joe bubble g An ice cream cone on a warm night from the van that plays a tune, Chocalate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe Neapolitan or perhaps a screwball, Wait, watching Saturday morning cartoons, short commercials, The Double Deckers, Road Runner, He-Man, Zeebedee Tiswas or Swapshop, and Why Don’t You Or staying up for Doctor Who. When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere. Earwigs, wasps, stinging nettles and bee stings. Sticky fingers. Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians and Zorro. Climbing trees, Building igloos out of snow banks, Walking to school, no matter what the weather. Running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard that your stomach hurt. Jumping on the bed, pillow fights, spinning around getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggle. Being tired from playing…remember that? The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team. Water balloons were the ultimate weapon, Football cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle. Choppers and Grifters I’m not finish yet… Eating raw jelly, orange squash ice pops. Remember when, There were two types of trainers – girls and boys and Dunlop Green flash, And the only time you wore them at school was for PE. You knew everyone in your street – and so did your parents. It wasn’t odd to have two or three “best friends. You didn’t sleep a wink on Christmas eve When nobody owned a pure-bred dog. When 25p was decent pocket money, When you’d reach into a muddy gutter for a penny. When nearly everyone ‘s mum was at home for when the kids got home. IT was magic when dad would “remove” his thumb. When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents. When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use them to carry The shopping and nobody, not even the kid though a thing of it. When being sent to head’s office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. Basically we were in fear for our lives but it wasn’t because of drive-by shooting, drugs, gangs, etc. parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat-and some Of us are still afraid of them. Didn’t that feel good? Just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that! Remember when… Decisions were made by going “Ip dip dog shit” Race issue’ meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money issue were handle by whoever was the banker in Monopoly. The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs. And the worst thing in your life was having to sit next to one. It was unbelievable that British Bulldog 123 wasn’t an Olympic event. Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a catapult. Nobody was prettier than Mum. Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better. Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable aspirin. Ice cream was considered a basic food group, Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors. If you can remember these then you really have lived...

Those were the days! lol

Thanks Lisa, I remember and its made me cry!! I can't believe how much we have all lost through progress. Lynda

Wonderful!! Lisa, well put. I tried reading it.in one breath........but sadly, thats a thing of the past as well.......... Bob

Remember all that and more!! Think there are two key words to sum it up Respect and Discipline. Primarily taught in the home but now sadly lacking these days. Kathleen

So made me smile!!

Im now 21 and i did all of those things as did my younger brother (he's 16) i think its too easy to think that none of these things still exists in modern times, without wanting to sound rude, it is easy to become out of touch, believe everything you see on the news, and blame the younger generations for everything when in fact not that much has changed(fundamentally at least)

I remember those days well..... playing house under a tree in the garden, playing rounders in the street. Dressing up, Dolls tea parties, eating pomegranets with a needle, Cats Cradle, making pom-poms with two card board discs and some wool, Queenio-co-co whos' got the ball. Skipping... sea shells cockle shells... Tressy doll, Tippy Tumbles, Andy Pandy, The Wooden Tops, Bizzy Lizzy and Little Mo, Short information films after playschool when BBC 2 first came on TV. Mum baking in the kitchen, Dad rolling up silver foil cigarette slips into little balls so that I had treasure. Watching the Andy Williams show with Cookie bear. Mum in long dresses to go out to dinner dances and Dad in a dinnersuit - they were so grand! , The Black and White Minstrell Show. I used to stay up on a Saturday night watching Forsythe Saga (the first one). Going to bed with sheets and blankets and an eiderdown. I was named Gaynor so that it could be shortened to "Gay" because that meant "Happy" They were cosy safe days. G xxx

I think Hayley it's just nice to remember your childhood, no matter how long ago it was :-) G xxx

i can relate to alot of this....made me smile , thank you -x- Just re read it again, Twinkle!!! I was in that magazine!!!!! xx

of course its nice to remember your childhood, its just as someone 'younger' it gets quite wearing to hear the underlying tone of diapproval of everyone born after a certain date.

Haley, im coming up to 19, and yes i hear it alot, but this thread was just a reminder of when we were all younger, yes i was brought up very well and im sure you were too, but when i was a kid i wouldnt have dreamed of shouting my mouth off to someone 2 years older than me, let alone a much older person, and recently things have turned that way. My sister is 9 and she respects people and things as much as anyone i know, but some of her friends are horrible... you must admit that it never used to be like that. -x-x-x-

ooooh I remember huge orange space hoppers with funny faces on. Full fat food (everything cept salad) clackers>>> 2 balls on string bashed together skates which you fitted over your shoes, which had ballbearings in. used to go triangular with wear! Nothing open on sunday, cept the newsagent in the morning & the offie for 2 hours from 6pm . seatbelts when they were a mere strap which wouldnt have saved a fly.... Watch with mother>> mary mungo & midge>>>.Trumpton>>> chigley... long summer of 1976 playing out till dark & not worrying about getting abducted or killed... nitty norah at school Elaine x

Thanks for that - deep sigh! lol My memory lane a lot longer but I really enjoyed the trip down yours. Magsx

Steph, i think they're has always been good parents bad parents, good kids bad kids. Kids may be cheekier now, but they used to put young pregnant girls in mental asylums etc. I for one am so glad we've moved on.

oh yeah of course, good changes have been made and bad changes.... My nan used to always tell me about when she was younger and was evacuated to be with family in Bristol during the war...i loved those stories!! -x-

Tell us some of your childhood stories Hayley I bet you have some nice memories :-) G xxx

Hayley and Steph As is usually the case the majority spoil it for the rest, hence you get tarred with the same brush. Both of you sound as though you've had a good up bringing, all credit to your parents. Fortunately there are still some 'old school' parents around. When you think about it, it must be my generation that's to blame (I'm just old enough to be your Mum Hayley!). We're the ones rearing the youngsters of today. And if we don't teach our children respect for others then nobody can. Jeanette x

i know what you mean, but dont think 'you all' are to blame...there are just different people and different standards....i live on a council estate and its not very nice...i am definatley no prude and not very posh but have great respect for people and i know what is right and wrong....sometimes i think people in authority are to blame...i.e the Council..for letting these places get in such a state...xxx

Awwwww Steph thanks I don't feel so bad now! lol I hope I'm doing a good job of brining my girls up but it's not an easy task. And it must be even more difficult if you're a one parent family. I think it depends on how much effort you're prepared to put in. And sadly it seems a lot of poeple can't be bothered. I agree with what your saying there about Councils doing more. If they made a concerted effort to get rid of those that make the estates into a bad place to live, they will only be left with decent poeple. Only problem is the bad ones have to live somewhere so they could turn up in anyones street. Our ancestors had it right when they transported them to a far away land! lol Jeanette x