The Oldies "I remember when" thread

[TimRam]

Discovering rock music and the bands around at the time. There was huge mystery surrounding them which was part of the appeal to me. Only information was in either 'Sounds' or 'Kerrang'. Listening to the Friday Rock Show. Seeing band logos appearing on kids school bags. AC/DC, Ozzy Osbournes Blizzard of Ozz, Motorhead, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Saxon and others.

[sage]

10 hours ago, Grimbeard said:

And now, a song. It's on You Tube but I've forgotten how to embed it on here.

 

EE WHEN I WERE A LAD
As sung by Keith Hancock on "This World We Live In" (1984)

CHORUS: Ee, when I were a lad, the times they were bad,
But not quite as bad as when me dad were a lad.
When me dad were a lad, it were nearly as bad
As when me dad's dad were a lad.

1. Oh, how often we say that the kids of today
Don't know what real hardship is!
Now when I were a lad, that's what I got from me dad,
And I'll bet that's what he got from his;
For in me dad's day, they were all on low pay.
His mother had nowt in her purse,
And when she were a lass, there were even less brass,
And things were a bloody sight worse.

2. In the days long gone by, all the summers were dry.
The kids ran around in bare feet,
And the sun got so hot all your cares were forgot,
And it melted the tar in the street.
Yes, the sun got so strong and the summers so long—
Twelve month it were all that we had—
But once more I'll say: you are lucky today,
'Cos, my, how the winters were bad!

3. Now, when I were quite small, we had no fears at all.
You could walk round the street late at night.
If you met someone else all alone like yourself,
You'd smile and you'd wish 'em goodnight.
It's not safe anymore; if you step through your door,
Then someone will kick in your brains.
When we were young, we had flair and we always fought fair
With flick knives and bicycle chains.

4. When me granddad were born, longer dresses were worn.
A girl had to cover her skin,
And an ankle or more no man ever saw,
'Cept the butler when his luck were in.
Now their chests are on view to me and to you
Every year when you walk on the beach.
In the warm open air, young girls everywhere
Show parts even lager can't reach.
 

 

[Eddie]

22 hours ago, maxjam said:

My parents bought me a ZX81 (and then a Spectrum 48k followed by a 128k) back in the day.  I can remember waiting for 15-20 mins for a game to load from tape only to have it fail right at the end - then tweaking the dials a fraction and trying again.

The Amiga 500 with games loading from disk was a huge advance!

I've still got an Amiga 500. Lemmings!!!

[maxjam]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

I've still got an Amiga 500. Lemmings!!!

Hehe nice, spent hours playing that.  

There were loads of great games on the Amiga - Sensible Soccer, Speedball 2, Monkey Island, Cannon Fodder, Theme Park, etc

Every now and again I'll be struck by the nostalgia bug and find a Spectrum or Amiga emulator online and give a few old games a whirl, unfortunately the memories of playing the games back in the day are far better than the actual games now I've grown accustomed to modern graphics/gameplay!

It was nice to be there at the beginning though and see things evolve.  I showed our 15yo a youtube video of a spectrum game loading and the awful screeching you had to sit through for 5-10 mins.  He muttered something about being able to download an entire game quicker than that these days and have it launch within seconds...  

I didn't tell him as a 15yo once myself before I could play the game I had to deliver a week or twos worth of papers, catch a bus into town, walk round several game shops to find a game I wanted then catch the bus back and hope the tape didn't get mangled up in the cassette player.

Actually, thinking about it nostalgia is crap ? 

[Elwood P Dowd]

14 minutes ago, maxjam said:

Hehe nice, spent hours playing that.  

There were loads of great games on the Amiga - Sensible Soccer, Speedball 2, Monkey Island, Cannon Fodder, Theme Park, etc

Every now and again I'll be struck by the nostalgia bug and find a Spectrum or Amiga emulator online and give a few old games a whirl, unfortunately the memories of playing the games back in the day are far better than the actual games now I've grown accustomed to modern graphics/gameplay!

It was nice to be there at the beginning though and see things evolve.  I showed our 15yo a youtube video of a spectrum game loading and the awful screeching you had to sit through for 5-10 mins.  He muttered something about being able to download an entire game quicker than that these days and have it launch within seconds...  

I didn't tell him as a 15yo once myself before I could play the game I had to deliver a week or twos worth of papers, catch a bus into town, walk round several game shops to find a game I wanted then catch the bus back and hope the tape didn't get mangled up in the cassette player.

Actually, thinking about it nostalgia is crap ? 

When you look back at the six week summer holidays, when you were young, you only remember the sunny days, the rainy days are completely forgotten.?

I do wonder if good memories are made permanent by going through the memories over time, I suppose the same could be said about very bad memories. We probably remember both ends of the memory scale, good and bad, and lose the bits in the middle. 

[Grimbeard]

12 hours ago, TimRam said:

Discovering rock music and the bands around at the time. There was huge mystery surrounding them which was part of the appeal to me. Only information was in either 'Sounds' or 'Kerrang'. Listening to the Friday Rock Show. Seeing band logos appearing on kids school bags. AC/DC, Ozzy Osbournes Blizzard of Ozz, Motorhead, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Saxon and others.

I was watching 'Iron Maiden in Rio' on telly the other week, the audience was an estimated 350,000. 

I can remember seeing them at the Assembly Rooms in front of an audience of about 1500. Now we haven't got anywhere even that big.

 

[Elwood P Dowd]

Does anyone remember the forerunner of the Ice cream van, the guy who used to have a three wheeler bike with a big insulated box on the front, see the link below. There wasn't any of this soft whipped ice cream just solid rectangles of ice cream "bricks" that fitted into rectangular shaped wafers. 

https://www.reevesdesign.co.uk/stop-buy-one/

There was also a guy who went around the houses sharpening knives he had the grind stone powered by the bikes crank.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Elwood P Dowd

[Ram-Alf]

55 minutes ago, Elwood P Dowd said:

Does anyone remember the forerunner of the Ice cream van, the guy who used to have a three wheeler bike with a big insulated box on the front, see the link below. There wasn't any of this soft whipped ice cream just solid rectangles of ice cream "bricks" that fitted into rectangular shaped wafers. 

https://www.reevesdesign.co.uk/stop-buy-one/

There was also a guy who went around the houses sharpening knives he had the grind stone powered by the bikes crank.

Ice cream on trikes never came round our way if there were around in the early 60s, The knife sharpening guy did on his bike, Also we'd have a lorry that was a mobile shop and an open lorry that sold fruit and veg, Always on half day closing...Wednesday and a Sunday, The pig swill guy who collected all your food waste, Davenports beer at home, Alpine pop man.

[Mucker1884]

On 16/08/2022 at 16:22, Miggins said:

Brains on toast for tea.

Mum loving pig trotter as a treat.

Toast and dripping with salt for tea.

Lard sandwiches for tea.

Having to eat a tin of fruit cocktail with bread and butter.

Never having a car.

Not seeing the sea until I was 15.

Driving lessons £1.50 for an hour.

Mum's grocery bill coming to no more than £3.

Watch with Mother - The Woodentops, Andy Pandy, Rag, Tag and Bobtail, Picture Book, Bill and Ben.

Frost on the inside of the windows.

National saving stamps at school. 6d. and 2/6

Roast Beef on Sunday, Beef cold cuts with mash and piccalli on Monday, Beef mince for Cottage Pie on Tuesday. Gosh, we made that beef go a long way!

White cabbage boiled to death until it had the consistency of papier mache, having to ask to leave the table and being told to first eat everything on my plate. Which I did until I heaved! My parents had lived through the war and rationing. It sounds a bit harsh but - different times!!

Love this thread!!

 

 

Assuming "Brains" refers to faggots?  I quite like a faggot every so often, but never tried them on toast... and not sure I want to!
Love(d) dripping on toast, with oodles of salt.  I'd still enjoy that today... If only Muckerette would allow it!
We too, never had a car.  Dad could (apparently) drive a tank, but never passed his driving test.  (I seriously doubt he was ever in a position to afford a car anyway!).
We too had to eat up, and ask to leave the table.  (I went one step further than heaving on one ocassion... and dad never forced me to eat another sprout, which I never have to this day!
No fridges on holiday (Caistor caravan at best) so it was cornflakes with evaporated milk for brekky.  Disgusting!

 

Other random memories:

• Cornflakes with warm blancmange* for school pudding.  (*Not fully set, more the consistency of thick custard).  Delicious!
• Casey Jones on telly... and later "The Tommorow People".
• Banana & sugar sandwhiches.
• Mum starting her Saturday evening shift on the mobile chippy van (Our street being first stop), and me escorting her to work... and coming back with an armful of mad-hot chips, just as dad took the warm "Take & Bake" out the oven, and big sis switched on the telly, all with perfect timing to sit down for Sale of the Century ... "From Norwich... It's the quiz of the week"!  I just loved those Saturday evenings!
• Taking 17 mins to cycle to school (Via Mansfield Road where The Paddock now stands, and up by The Rocket), and less than 3 mins to cycle home, bike shed to front gate. (Downhill all the way, via Scarborough Rise)!
• Mum thinking it hilarious to interrupt our footy game, to force me to give her a kiss when she headed off for (yet another) evening job.  All whilst my mates pointed and laughed.  Banter back then.  Child abuse nowadays!  ?
• Having a VIP-Executive-Box style view of the whole show from my very own bedroom window, as they blew up the bridge (Breadsall Viaduct, or "Seven Arches" as we called it) pretty much where The Paddock pub now stands. The front row of houses (Whitby Avenue) were evacuated just in case, leaving 16 year old me with the best view of all, and everyone else stood gathered in front of our house.  Dad was sensible enough to open all our windows, to give them room to shake when the blast came.  Many other houses around us suffered smashed windows.  Lots of 'em!  As it was a Sunday, (23rd September 1979) they were hastily but temporarily boarded up, and the glass was replaced the following day.  Respectfully... and with my eternal gratitude... every single one of those glazers stopped work, downed tools, and stood with heads bowed, at the kerbside, as mum returned home for the last time, before we followed her back out of the street, and off to the crem to say our goodbyes.  
  They don't make weekends like that anymore!
  xxx 

[Mucker1884]

1 hour ago, Elwood P Dowd said:

Does anyone remember the forerunner of the Ice cream van, the guy who used to have a three wheeler bike with a big insulated box on the front, see the link below. There wasn't any of this soft whipped ice cream just solid rectangles of ice cream "bricks" that fitted into rectangular shaped wafers. 

Muckerette used to do that as just one of many parts of her "Catering Assistant" job!  
She's not that old though... This was Skeggy Butlins mid 80's!   ?

[Miggins]

1 hour ago, Mucker1884 said:

Assuming "Brains" refers to faggots?  I quite like a faggot every so often, but never tried them on toast... and not sure I want to!
Love(d) dripping on toast, with oodles of salt.  I'd still enjoy that today... If only Muckerette would allow it!
We too, never had a car.  Dad could (apparently) drive a tank, but never passed his driving test.  (I seriously doubt he was ever in a position to afford a car anyway!).
We too had to eat up, and ask to leave the table.  (I went one step further than heaving on one ocassion... and dad never forced me to eat another sprout, which I never have to this day!
No fridges on holiday (Caistor caravan at best) so it was cornflakes with evaporated milk for brekky.  Disgusting!

 

Other random memories:

• Cornflakes with warm blancmange* for school pudding.  (*Not fully set, more the consistency of thick custard).  Delicious!
• Casey Jones on telly... and later "The Tommorow People".
• Banana & sugar sandwhiches.
• Mum starting her Saturday evening shift on the mobile chippy van (Our street being first stop), and me escorting her to work... and coming back with an armful of mad-hot chips, just as dad took the warm "Take & Bake" out the oven, and big sis switched on the telly, all with perfect timing to sit down for Sale of the Century ... "From Norwich... It's the quiz of the week"!  I just loved those Saturday evenings!
• Taking 17 mins to cycle to school (Via Mansfield Road where The Paddock now stands, and up by The Rocket), and less than 3 mins to cycle home, bike shed to front gate. (Downhill all the way, via Scarborough Rise)!
• Mum thinking it hilarious to interrupt our footy game, to force me to give her a kiss when she headed off for (yet another) evening job.  All whilst my mates pointed and laughed.  Banter back then.  Child abuse nowadays!  ?
• Having a VIP-Executive-Box style view of the whole show from my very own bedroom window, as they blew up the bridge (Breadsall Viaduct, or "Seven Arches" as we called it) pretty much where The Paddock pub now stands. The front row of houses (Whitby Avenue) were evacuated just in case, leaving 16 year old me with the best view of all, and everyone else stood gathered in front of our house.  Dad was sensible enough to open all our windows, to give them room to shake when the blast came.  Many other houses around us suffered smashed windows.  Lots of 'em!  As it was a Sunday, (23rd September 1979) they were hastily but temporarily boarded up, and the glass was replaced the following day.  Respectfully... and with my eternal gratitude... every single one of those glazers stopped work, downed tools, and stood with heads bowed, at the kerbside, as mum returned home for the last time, before we followed her back out of the street, and off to the crem to say our goodbyes.  
  They don't make weekends like that anymore!
  xxx 

Sorry, Mucker, but brains on toast were exactly that. Grey, spongey, mushy. |I can't remember having them after about 1962. Thank goodness. Sorry you lost your mum too soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mucker1884]

10 minutes ago, Miggins said:

Sorry, Mucker, but brains on toast were exactly that. Grey, spongey, mushy. |I can't remember having them after about 1962. Thank goodness. Sorry you lost your mum too soon.

 

Thanks, Miggers.  ?
 

I've definitely had them since 1962... as I wasn't born until the first month of '63!  ?
And yeah, your "Grey, spongey, mushy" description sounds exactly how I imagined it!
I'll stick to having them once in a blue moon, but also stick to keeping them well away from toast!  Far too much "gravy" for me to even consider it!  ?

?
  

[Miggins]

Just now, Mucker1884 said:

Thanks, Miggers.  ?
 

I've definitely had them since 1962... as I wasn't born until the first month of '63!  ?
And yeah, your "Grey, spongey, mushy" description sounds exactly how I imagined it!
I'll stick to having them once in a blue moon, but also stick to keeping them well away from toast!  Far too much "gravy" for me to even consider it!  ?

?
  

In my defence, I have to say that I don't think I knew what they were at the time. They were literally animal brains on toast. Grey and mushy. Probably lamb? I've been a vegetarian for the last 40 years - no surprise there!!!

[mozza]

Glad i've just eaten, don't think I could face owt right now..

[Miggins]

1 minute ago, mozza said:

Glad i've just eaten, don't think I could face owt right now..

In the 1950's/60's offal was an acceptable part of the diet of the working class. Our parents grew up on a very limited budget and rationing was still in place after the war. But I do know know what you mean!! I have some old cook books from those times and many recipes contained offal or cheap cuts of meat. Our parents grew up with this food and cooked it for us as well! ?

[Reggie Greenwood]

1 hour ago, Mucker1884 said:

(I went one step further than heaving on one ocassion... and dad never forced me to eat another sprout, which I never have to this day! 
 

Sprouts ?? my Dad tried to force feed them to me as well. Child cruelty never ever eaten one since never will . 
 

[Elwood P Dowd]

2 hours ago, Miggins said:

Sorry, Mucker, but brains on toast were exactly that. Grey, spongey, mushy. |I can't remember having them after about 1962.

There are many fried chicken and burger outlets but I bet the brains on toast outlets are few and far between. ????????

Edited August 18, 2022 by Elwood P Dowd

[Ram-Alf]

16 hours ago, Miggins said:

In the 1950's/60's offal was an acceptable part of the diet of the working class. Our parents grew up on a very limited budget and rationing was still in place after the war. But I do know know what you mean!! I have some old cook books from those times and many recipes contained offal or cheap cuts of meat. Our parents grew up with this food and cooked it for us as well! ?

My Mum was Austrian, Towards the end of 1944-45 if it was alive and moved it was killed and eaten, My Uncle Herbert at the time stole a Cow, He took it to the local butcher who did the business, Slaughtered it, Cut it up and kept half, Uncle and family and friends shared the other half, If he'd have been caught he'd had been shot by the Germans, He was 16 years old.

When Mum came over here and buying a fresh chicken you used to get all the offal and neck in a plastic bag inside the chicken, My Mum would eat the lot, Dad would never eat offal...ever. How she made the weekly shop go around 8 people beggars belief, Small portions but all of us were fed 3 meal a day ?

[Miggins]

6 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

My Mum was Austrian, Towards the end of 1944-45 if it was alive and moved it was killed and eaten, My Uncle Herbert at the time stole a Cow, He took it to the local butcher who did the business, Slaughtered it, Cut it up and kept half, Uncle and family and friends shared the other half, If he'd have been caught he'd had been shot by the Germans, He was 16 years old.

When Mum came over here and buying a fresh chicken you used to get all the offal and neck in a plastic bag inside the chicken, My Mum would eat the lot, Dad would never eat offal...ever. How she made the weekly shop go around 8 people beggars belief, Small portions but all of us were fed 3 meal a day ?

My Great Grandad Charles worked as a gardener on the Wychnor estate between Lichfield and Burton-on-Trent. My mum says that during the war and subsequent rationing afterwards the owners of the estate gave him plenty of pigeons and rabbits to take home to the family to supplement their rations. Great Grandad came home after a hard days work on the estate to tend his own garden and allotment to provide good food for the family. His skills were passed down through the family who were also skilled gardeners. Sadly, the skills seem to have stopped with me. I blame the hot weather and global warming. ?No matter how hard I try I cannot emulate the success of my ancestors!

[FindernRam]

Spot the ball competition in almost all papers. Remember my Dad doing it almost without fail. Never won though!

Golden goal tickets at the match

Throwing bog rolls onto the pitch-never by me I hasten to add- much safer than flares.

From earlier; "Brains" made faggots and I know we referred to them that way just as "hoover" is every vacuum cleaner.

Did anybody else make faggots and did Brains make anything else?