Bring back any memories?

[KBs PensNmore]

Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite 'fast food' when you were growing up?'
'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him.
'All the food was slow.'
'C'mon, seriously.. Where did you eat?'
'It was a place called 'home,'' I explained. !
'Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate, I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.'


By this time, the lad was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table.


But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I'd figured his system could have handled it:


Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore jeans, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card.


My parents never drove me to school... I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed (slow).


We didn't have a television in our house until I was 10.
It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at 10 PM, after playing the national anthem and epilogue; it came back on the air at about 6 am.
And there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people....


Pizzas were not delivered to our home... But milk was.


All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers --My brother delivered a newspaper, seven days a week.
He had to get up at 6 every morning.


Film stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the films There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or almost anything offensive.


If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren, just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?


MEMORIES from a friend:
My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old lemonade bottle.
In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea..
She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with because we didn't have steam irons. Man, I am old.


How many do you remember?
Headlight dip-switches on the floor of the car.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Trouser leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heated on a gas burner.
Using hand signals for cars without turn indicators.


Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about.. Ratings at the bottom


1. Sweet cigarettes
2. Coffee shops with juke boxes
3 Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4. Party lines on the telephone
5. Newsreels before the movie
6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning.
(There were only 2 channels [if you were fortunate])
7. Peashooters
8. 33 rpm records
9. 45 RPM records
10. Hi-fi's
11. Metal ice trays with levers
12. Blue flashbulb
13. Cork popguns
14. Wash tub wringers


If you remembered 0-3 = You're still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age
If you remembered 11-14 = You're positively ancient!


I must be 'positively ancient' but those memories are some of the best parts of my life.


Don't forget to pass this along!
Especially to all your really OLD friends.....I just did!


(PS. I used a large type face so you could read it easily)

[Dareen]

Thanks KBs, Brings back great memories. So glad I have lived through all those times. Cheers, Fred

[Handyjack]

You left out these:

78 RPM records,
Camera's that used film that you left at the chemist and a week later you got the negatives and one set of prints.
Service Stations where you got service that included putting fuel in your car, Standard or Super (or BP supermix) and had your tyres and oil checked.
Supermarkets where your groceries were put in large brown paper bags.

Trains where you had to manually open and close the doors or travel with them open in the warmer months.
Trams with conductors who not only collected the fare but helped you on and off if you had a pram or gave you directions if you were unfamiliar with the area.

When doing jobs around the home you used hand tools including a screwdriver and the screws had slots in them.

Sorry I must be ancient.

[A Duke]

Hi,
I must be even older, I remember heating soldering irons with a blowlamp before gas bottles and I was already an apprentice.
Regards

[Fuzzie]

How about grocery stores where they served you everything across the counter?
Bread delivered by the man in a van pulled by a horse? Same as the milk delivery, but the Milko didn't have to drive his, the horse and cart trotted along without him on board - what's so new about driver less cars?

[Handyjack]

Perhaps I should add that in Victoria, Australian Rules football, then the VFL played the whole round, six games on a Saturday afternoon. Replays of parts of some games in the evening. The VFA played their games on the Sunday. A live broadcast of one match was on a commercial TV station.
Rugby and soccer was hardly heard about.

No doubt it was a similar situation in other states.

Newspapers, The Sun and The Age in the morning (and before my time The Argus as well) and the Herald in the evening (and briefly there was another afternoon paper in the 60's). Monday to Saturday.
There was not really a newspaper on Sunday.

The Age was quiet thick on Saturday, full of Ads, now it is a shadow of its former self.

If the paper was delivered, it came unwrapped and was put in a paper holder. Often children were employed to deliver the newspaper.

[rrich]

Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite 'fast food' when you were growing up?'
'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him.
'All the food was slow.'
'C'mon, seriously.. Where did you eat?'
'It was a place called 'home,'' I explained. !
'Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate, I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.'
Or Dad would say, "Eat it or you'll wear it for a hat".


Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore jeans, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card.

We moved from Brooklyn, NY to North San Diego County, California in 1958. My parents never had a checking account until then. To their horror The Bank of America sent them a 'BankAmericard'. To them it was a card to get cash. Later it became Visa. The card, was never used but it followed them around the country for the next 15 years or so. Finally, B of A sent a letter explaining the law had changed and for my parents to keep the card they had to sign an application for the card.

We didn't have a television in our house until I was 10.
It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at 10 PM, after playing the national anthem and epilogue; it came back on the air at about 6 am.
And there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people....
We got our first Television November 1, 1950. Something to do with taxes in New York. I wasn't allowed to touch the Television for a couple of years. Then my parents realized that I could be the remote control.


Pizzas were not delivered to our home... But milk was.
And the milk man was invited to Grandma's beach house and family events.


All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers --My brother delivered a newspaper, seven days a week.
He had to get up at 6 every morning.
I delivered newspapers for about 3 years. The New York World Telegram and Sun was an afternoon paper and did not have a Sunday edition.


MEMORIES from a friend:
My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old lemonade bottle.
In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea..
She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with because we didn't have steam irons. Man, I am old.
My Mom used a ginger ale bottle.

How many do you remember?
Headlight dip-switches on the floor of the car. Yes
Ignition switches on the dashboard. Yes
Trouser leg clips for bicycles without chain guards. Yes
Soldering irons you heated on a gas burner. I have seen them but never used one.
Using hand signals for cars without turn indicators. Yes and I'll still use them today when making a turn at an unexpected place. The advantage is that the car behind is doing a What's That Fool doing.


Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about.. Ratings at the bottom


1. Sweet cigarettes
2. Coffee shops with juke boxes
3 Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4. Party lines on the telephone
5. Newsreels before the movie
6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning.
(There were only 2 channels [if you were fortunate])
7. Peashooters Plastic ones or aluminum ones made from a Television antenna.
8. 33 rpm records
9. 45 RPM records
10. Hi-fi's
11. Metal ice trays with levers
12. Blue flashbulb
13. Cork popguns
14. Wash tub wringers


If you remembered 0-3 = You're still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age
If you remembered 11-14 = You're positively ancient! Only missed the 'Sweet Cigarettes',

[nine fingers]

I was brought up on a dairy farm,during WW2 I attended a small school, a bike ride of 4 miles, as, rubber was needed for war time effort ,no new tubes for the bike were available, Dad stuffed the tyres with straw.
Our neighbours were share farmers , little income , could't afford shoes for the kids, they ran to school across the paddocks . Dads old Chev had a gas producer, as petrol was rationed..
People complain today about living conditions , get a life. Worked bloody hard all my life , now enjoying a nice holiday in Qld, with compliments to our son who owns the unit over looking the beach. John.

[Tonyz]

How many do you remember?
Headlight dip-switches on the floor of the car. Think I have converted about 10 cars to work like this, getting rid of this was one of lives big mistakes.
Ignition switches on the dashboard. Comming back into fashion/trend abit its a button too thats even earlier.
Trouser leg clips for bicycles without chain guards. When is the last time you saw bloke riding a bike wearing trousers, all they wear now hold the tackle in place

Soldering irons you heated on a gas burner. you had a gas burner, when I was a lad we were lucky to warm our hands on the neighbours fire....if the wind was in the right direction.



Using hand signals for cars without turn indicators.

[cava]

I remember the horse drawn rag-and-bone man calling out for recyclable rubbish in our street.

Also a group from the Salvation Army singing on front of our house looking for donations at Easter/Christmas.

Local Council trimming the naturestrip of our property with a tractor - this was inner Sydney.

[cava]

I also remember street names embedded in coloured concrete at the corner of every street intersection. The colours were vibrant and sparkled in vivid green and red.

[ian]

Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite 'fast food' when you were growing up?'
'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him.
If you had lived in Sydney, KFC (then called Kentucky Fried Chicken) was available from 1968, when you would have been about 16.

Soldering irons you heated on a gas burner.
gas burner
gas burner? a modern contraption. I remember my dad heating a copper soldering iron on a kerosene fueled blow torch

[Allan at Wallan]

I am starting to feel ancient too as I remember 99% of these already discussed.
However I must recall candles and kerosene lamps as our town did not get electricity
until I was 14 years old.
Electric blankets were unheard of, we went to bed with a flat iron, heated in front of
the open fire, then wrapped in a blanket and placed in the bed.
And with all the comments previously I am surprised no one has mentioned the
"night man" - no push button toilets in those days.

[AlexS]

However I must recall candles and kerosene lamps as our town did not get electricity
until I was 14 years old.
I can remember when we went from carbide lamps to electricity. I remember my excitement when they blasted to put in the power lines.

[onetrack]

I can remember, as dairy farmers, we were so poor, that when the neighbours put their rubbish bins out - we took them in! :D

[Allan at Wallan]

I can remember, as dairy farmers, we were so poor, that when the neighbours put their rubbish bins out - we took them in! :D


That's rubbish. (lol).

[Chief Tiff]

I can remember when we went from carbide lamps to electricity. I remember my excitement when they blasted to put in the power lines.

I remember in Adelaide before there were carbide lamps and kerosene lanterns they used to use something called "electricity"...:rolleyes:

[ubeaut]

What about cracker night..... Guy Fawkes, Queens Birthday, New Years Eve all had to be celebrated with fireworks that you could buy at most milkbars, newsagents and department stores. These were set of at the closest bonfire which was usually on a vacant suburban block of land.

Spuds in the coals of the bonfire.

The hunt for fizzers the next morning and the burned fingers from setting them off.

Cracker guns: water-pipe, penny bunger and a ball bearing or marble. Aim at the fence and hope it didn't backfire.

Hop Harrigan, Biggles, Superman, Dad n Dave and all the other serials on the radio before there was telly.

Saturday matinee at the movies for kids with serials, cartoons, newsreel, etc before the main feature.

Police who didn't wear guns and didn't need them to keep the peace.

We had an ice-chest long before we had a fridge. A one-fire stove before the gas early cooker. A copper, washboard and hand cranked mangle before we had a washing machine.

Chicken was a luxury not an every day fast-food meal.

Fastfood was fish n chips and a potato cake on Friday night.

Short back n sides haircuts..... Coming back into fashion again for hipsters, always in fashion for soldiers, sailors and crims.

Rock n Roll music on the radio real rock n roll you could dance to not the drug stuffed garbage that came later.

Getting a free ticket to the circus for helping put up the tent.

Side shows with the half man half woman, tattood lady bearded lady and other no longer politically correct stuff. Jimmy Sharman's boxing troop.

OK that's enough from me.

Cheers - Neil :U

[onetrack]

I can remember when Jesus Christ wore short pants, and played halfback for the Jerusalem under-14's! :D

[Oldgreybeard]

Hell I'm getting old, I remember all these as well.
Bob

[Chesand]

I can remember when Jesus Christ wore short pants, and played halfback for the Jerusalem under-14's! :D

I don't remember that :D but I do remember all the other things mentioned.
Even unpasteurised milk as my grandfather had a small dairy and the milk was passed over a cooler consisting of a row of horizontal metal pipes. His sons (my uncles) used to deliver the milk and then have to collect the money once a week. The cows were milked by hand and my grandfather was able to squirt you in the eye with milk straight from the cow. Family history research has shown that he was taken to court by the milk inspector for watering down his milk.
My father delivered bread before the war and later delivered firewood in the winter and ice in the summer.

[onetrack]

Yep, a mate reckons, "you've never known true poverty, until you've been a dairy farmer!"

As a kid in the '50's, we lived on the dairy farm only 11 miles (18kms) out of the Perth CBD - yet we had no running water, no power, and an unsealed limestone road ran past the farm.
Dad built the house there between about 1948 and 1951, using a hand-operated concrete brick maker, because the brick supply after WW2 was pathetic, and you couldn't afford them, anyway.
When he first started building the house, the road was actually just two hand-dug wheel tracks through the sand, filled with limestone.

We used Aladdin and Tllley kerosine lanterns for light, a Metter No. 2 wood stove was the cooking and heat source, Mum used a washboard and mangle for washing clothes - and in Winter, because we were too poor to buy extra blankets, we sewed wheat bags together to make up primitive doonas.
I never saw or used an electric power switch or 240V power, until I was 13.
Our water came from a rainwater tank and a bore that produced endless volumes of superb-quality water from just 16 feet down (5M) - and the nearby Gnangara Lake was a stunning, always-full lake, averaging 12 feet deep, with water so clear, you could still see the bottom, 100 feet (33M) out from the shoreline.
Today, Gnangara Lake has virtually ceased to exist, development has filled what is left of the Lake with dirty brown swamp water, when it does get a small amount of water in it.

Dad owned 134 acres (54 Ha) here, and he was only the 3rd owner of the land title since the colony of W.A. was founded in 1829.
The property was originally gifted as a land grant to the W.A. Governor, William C. F. Robinson, who later became Governor of Victoria.
Dad acquired the property in 1934, as payment for working for a Station owner all through the Great Depression (1929-1933), when he worked for 4 years for the Station owner without pay.
The Station owner was a complete gentleman and paid Dad up in full at the end of the Depression, and he became a lifelong friend of Dads.
Dad was conned into selling the property during a fit of gloom and overwork, in 1957, for 10,000 pounds ($20,000), and within 5 years, the property was resold for 50,000 pounds ($100,000).
Today, our old dairy-farming property is the suburb of Landsdale, and if we still owned that 54Ha, it would be probably be worth upwards of $300M!!

Despite the hardships, I still think I had a pretty good childhood. I had thousands of hectares to play in, never had to worry about thugs or hoods or bullies, and never had to watch out for traffic.
I learnt lots about wild animals (including tiger snakes! - nasty buggers, they are!), learnt lots about farm animals (including the fact that I never want to see or ever ride a horse again!).

I never got a bike until I was 10, and I went to a school where we still used inkwells in the desktop, and the teachers were tyrants who belted you with sticks and canes at every opportunity.
I reckon they would probably be charged with child abuse today - but we survived and actually learnt enough to survive in the tough big world!
I never got any trophies or awards at school for anything - today you get a trophy just for participation. My, how things have changed! :)

[rrich]

I just remembered this one.

In Brooklyn, New York we lived with my Grandmother. It was on a very quiet street and would be called a Town House today. We had two common walls with neighbors. My Grandparents purchased the house, new in 1914.

When the house was purchased it was considered "Rural". While the house initially used gas for lighting, one of the 'Features' of the house was that it was WIRED for electricity, should electricity ever get out that far into rural Brooklyn. LOL!

[Bushmiller]

Perhaps you are not really old until last year you could remember all those things, but this year you can't :( .

:)

Regards
Paul

[Oldgreybeard]

Perhaps you are not really old until last year you could remember all those things, but this year you can't :( .

:)

Regards
Paul

I've always wondered how you know what you do not know or what you can't remember:no:

[Bushmiller]

OGB

There's usually plenty of people around to remind of your failings. Myself, I remain firmly in denial.

Regards
Paul

[ubeaut]

I've suffered from "Oldtimers Disease" since I was in my teens. :youcrazy:

But what can you do? :dunno:

Have a cuppa tea... https://www.dawgshed.com/images/smilies/smileys-coffee-810335.gif

[rustynail]

I can remember when Jesus Christ wore short pants, and played halfback for the Jerusalem under-14's! :D
Far too pugnacious for a halfback.

[Bushmiller]

Listening to Radio National yesterday it occurred to me that there were no longer any radio plays. I grew up listening to those. One of my first memories of life in Australia was in 1980 listening to a dramatised version of "Lord of the Rings." It was broadcast over many weeks on a Sunday morning and I remember we would stop building the shed for half an hour to listen. As you may gather, I was a slow builder.

Regards
Paul

[onetrack]

Oooh, it wasn't called the radio when I was young, Bushmiller! It was the WIRELESS - and it came in a Bakelite housing with a big rotary selector, with all these fantastic radio call signs on the dial, containing combinations of letters and numbers!

Blue Hills! - utterly gripping, and you couldn't wait for the next episode!
The Country Hour! - all the information you could possibly want, from the news to the weather, to the grain and sheep prices!

Even used to knock off work in the 70's and listen to Sunday repeats on the ABC, of the audio soundtrack from Steptoe and Son!
Couldn't help but roll around listening to Harold whining about Albert totally buggering up his romantic trysts - or just being a "grubby ol' man", taking a bath in the kitchen sink! :D

[rrich]

Paul,
. . . and the pictures were always better on radio.

Afternoons were filled with 'Sargent Preston of the Yukon', 'Sky King', 'Straight Arrow', 'Roy Rodgers', 'Tom Mix' and many others. Radio created my first career desire, a sound effects man. A really great career choice that was gone before I started high school.

[Chief Tiff]

Black and white re-runs; Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin. Serials such as Champion the Wonder horse, Zorro, Flash gordon & Buck Rogers; the Tarzan movies featuring Johnny Weismuller.

Growing up in Wollongong in the early 70's it wasn't until about 1976 before we got a colour TV, and half the programmes were still in B&W anyway.

Later, in the UK during the 6 week school summer holidays Yorkshire Television didn't start transmitting till about 0600 in the morning and the first hour was dedicated to kids programmes like The Banana Splits; Hanna Barbara cartoons and at least two of the B&W shows previously mentioned.

[onetrack]

Who remembers the Childrens Session on the ABC? Ending with the song ...

A jolly good night to you, and you, and you, and you, and you
The time has come to finish, and the session now is through
The thought is old, is old, is old, but the wish tonight is new
A jolly good night to every one
A jolly good night to every one
A jolly good night to all, especially you, and you, and you, and you ... and you!

And who was an Argonaut, and did you ever win the Order of the Golden Fleece?!
I can't even recall my Argonaut name - and I certainly have no idea where my Argonaut badge went!?

The closing song for the Argonauts - sung by the ABC Wireless band!

Fifty mighty Argonauts, bending to the oars,Today will go adventuring, to yet uncharted shores.
Fifty young adventurers, today set forth and so
We cry with Jason, "Man the boats, and Row! Row! Row!"

Row! Row! Merry oarsmen, Row!
That dangers lie ahead we know, we know.
But bend with all your might
As you sail into the night
And wrong will bow to right, "Jason" cry,
Adventure know,
Argonauts Row! Row! Row!

[Handyjack]

The Golden Fleece that I remember were on the petrol pumps when service stations gave both service to pump petrol and serviced and repaired motor vehicles. There was always one and often two hoists to lift cars up and it took less than 15 minutes to do an oil change.

Black boards were black and chalk was used.
To watch a film the lights were turned down and a projector was used.
The only phones we used was the one (only one) at home or pay phones out on the street for 5 cents or less.
To make a phone call overseas was a big deal as you needed to use an operator.

All school work was hand written, typing was only done in typing class.
Instead of calculators, pen and paper or four figured tables. If you were lucky a slide rule.

An electric drill, was an electric drill - corded, metal body, one speed and one direction with a key for the chuck. A power saw was an option for the electric drill.
The cordless drill never had a battery to go flat, you just turned the crank handle.
A fast way to do up screws was with a ratchet or Yankee screwdriver.

Gee we have it easy today.

[Oldgreybeard]

Instead of calculators, pen and paper or four figured tables. If you were lucky a slide rule.


Still have 3 in the desk drawer. Use them maybe once or twice a year. Just mental gymnastics to ward off dementia.

[Chesand]

Never used a slide rule but used logarithms

[A Duke]

Hi,
I can remember paying six pence for a Mars bar, the last one I bought cost two dollars forty yesterday.
Progress?

[cava]

Many years ago I worked out at Cobar NSW.

In order to make a telephone call to Sydney, you had to ask all the people talking on the circa 100 klm party line that you wanted to make a call, and they would get off. Then you had to turn the ringer several times to ring the desired number.

[popawisky]

learnt to drive in a dodge 108and a,studebaker truck with an arm in the centre of the dash for indicator

[Old-Biker-UK]

snip..we were so poor..snip
Poor? My Dad had to go on night shift so I could wear the boots to school..:q

Milk round for me, 5 in the morning to wake up the horse.
BTW I remember all 14 and then some, especially playing marbles along the gutter.
My old man had the only car in the street, such a rarity that he used to put a lighted hurricane lamp by it at night so people wouldn't walk into it...
Mark

[Handyjack]

How many of you can remember the "ding ding" when you drove into the service station.
The cry of "Fares please" on the tram or bus from the conductor, or the ticket machine as the bus driver wound the handle to give you a ticket.
Movies with a short before intermission and the main feature film.
When banks provided a service, and the tellers had a face. I have not been inside a bank for years, and my local suburban branch quietly closed down.

Milk was milk and really only came in one pint bottles, although if you are older it was probably ladled into a milk can.

[Chief Tiff]

Poor? My Dad had to go on night shift so I could wear the boots to school..:q

My parents were so poor I couldn't leave the house because they couldn't afford to buy me clothes. For my 12th birthday they got me a hat so I could at least look out of a window... :fisch:

[cava]

I remember butcher shops that wood shavings on the floor in both the customers and work sections.

[cava]

I remember, prior to public libraries, small private libraries operating where you paid a small amount to borrow books.

[ian]

I remember, prior to public libraries, small private libraries operating where you paid a small amount to borrow books.
you can't be that old

[ian]

I remember butcher shops that wood shavings on the floor in both the customers and work sections.
and I remember why they no longer do

[cava]

you can't be that old
Thank you. :rolleyes: Sad but true.