Memorable stuff from your formative years

[ericferret]

I may have told this before. Early 70s before pulse dialling on a circular dial became tone dialling. I was shown how to tap dial. Dial each digit of the number you're calling, and as the dial spins back to its start position, tap the cradle as many times as the digit you dialled. One for 1, two for 2... ten for zero. Repeat for each number you dial in turn. Connected without money. Cheers easy.

In 1976, back from Omagh, I discovered that the phone box behind Bhurtpore, Tidworth (we were next door in Aliwal. The Aliwal NAAFI was on the boundary between them, and the phone box on Coronation Street essentially adjacent, but behind Bhurtpore) still had a pulse dial phone. So every week me mum got a free SitRep.

Went away to UNFICYP for six months. Shiny new phone in the box. Tap dial home. "Hello?"

"Hello, mum. I'm back from Cyprus."

"Who is this?"

"Er, is this not Whitburn 293088?"

"No, it bloody isn't. You've called an Andover number, you're in the call box in Tidworth and tap dialling doesn't work any more. Stop bloody calling me."

Búgger.

I doubt they were 60 mm then.

Probably more like 54 mm or 2.12598 inches as we used to say.
Actually I think it was big soldiers as opposed to little soldiers (Airfix HO/00).

 

[Northern_Biff]

Am I the only one that hears the Hovis ad music every time I click on to this thread?

 

[ericferret]

Am I the only one that hears the Hovis ad music every time I click on to this thread?

Maybe we all hear something different.

 

[kelvin_273]

These exact ones were fitted in all the Coal Board houses where I grew up. Everyone got free coke to burn in them.
You pulled/pushed the knob on the side with a special tool, to shake the ashes into the holder at the bottom.

"shake the ashes into the holder at the bottom".

Known as riddling if I recall.

 

[RedDinger]

"shake the ashes into the holder at the bottom".

Known as riddling if I recall.

Then carry a pan full of hot ashes through the house to dump in the ash bin. Us 6 year olds were tougher before they invented social workers

 

[Border_Reiver]

Then carry a pan full of hot ashes through the house to dump in the ash bin. Us 6 year olds were tougher before they invented social workers

.... taking care on windy days to ensure you did not re-enter the house burned and covered in grey / white ash ... happy days .

 

[Oops]

Then carry a pan full of hot ashes through the house to dump in the ash bin. Us 6 year olds were tougher before they invented social workers

Even the dustbbins were made of sterner stuff.
Funny how the old binmen always walked doubled over, even in their (brief) retirement though.

 

[WolvoExPunk]

Appointment? Back then you just all piled into the waiting room, late comers stood outside. And you had to remember who was ahead of you so you didn't miss your turn.

I can remember 3 or 4 doctors operated out of the same premises. When you turned up at the desk, the receptionist handed you a stick, coloured red, yellow, green or blue, for the doctor you were going to see. The stick had a number, to show what order you were in.

 

[WolvoExPunk]

Hiding behind the settee when the Daleks came on.

I can remember crying, and running out of the room in sheer terror, when Joe Cocker appeared on TOTP. My dad found me peeking through the keyhole, to see if it was safe to come back in.

 

[Wightsparker]

Saturday morning cinema. Wearing green and red "spectacles" to watch "3D" films. Kiora juice, circular ice-cream tubs which looked like they had a reasonable amount of filling but had a recess at the bottom which was a swindle, Mars bars which were really hard (unlike the mushy stuff today), Wagon Wheels which were huge, sweet cigarettes, sweet cigars, sweet tobacco, sweet matches.................

Good job I didn't like sweets.

 

[kelvin_273]

Then carry a pan full of hot ashes through the house to dump in the ash bin. Us 6 year olds were tougher before they invented social workers

Indeed. Luckily we had metal dustbins back then so they didn't catch fire.
The ash was very dusty too which lead to the term "on the dust" for binmen.

 

[soutie]

more of an Argus man myself.

Mrs S bought an iron there when we lived in England.

 

[Gardner6LXB]

Later years, Mom had a washing machine with an electric mangle on top. It "bit me" once when. I was trying to beat it

Bloody good job Ive got big elbow bones!

Got a clip round the ear (read left side of face) for that-with a wet hand.

My grandad lost most of his right index finger in a mangle when he was a child.
He had to use his middle as his trigger finger.

 

[soutie]

Indeed. Luckily we had metal dustbins back then so they didn't catch fire.
The ash was very dusty too which lead to the term "on the dust" for binmen.

And the word "dustbin".

 

[soutie]

My grandad lost most of his right index finger in a mangle when he was a child.
He had to use his middle as his trigger finger.

I got a nice big hole ground into my arm from the rollers. The mangle was set on Wide for bedsheets. I could "hide" an old thrupenny bit in the hole if I twisted my arm around. Got a few kisses and a even couple of peaks for that scar, still faintly there 60 years on.

 

[Chef]

There used to be loads of vending on the streets and in the underground.


I remember gum machines where when an arrow pointed down you got an extra packet of Beech Nut for your 2d. Plus the ones put in shop doorways for when they were shut.

 

[Gardner6LXB]

We all had .177 Gat guns or .22 rifles. Bought from the local hardware shop at around age 13/14. No questions asked. Imagine that today. We’d nick crates of empty milk bottles from the local dairy & shoot ‘em up in the park.

There was also a fad for darts. We’d put the dart board flat on the ground & throw the darts up in the air & try to get them in the board.
One kid, Ashley, stood a bit too close & a dart went straight into the top of his head. I remember it like yesterday. He just stood there in shock with a one strand Mohican. There were no words of compassion or comfort, just one kid shouting “ONE HUNDRED AND ASHLEEEEEY” & we all laughed.

The coppers would be knocking your door in today.

 

[Tedsson]

Wagon Wheels which were huge, sweet cigarettes, sweet cigars, sweet tobacco, sweet matches.................

Always had a Wagon Wheel and a mug of Bovril after swimming. I was very refayned.

WWs used to be massive when I was a kid. In fact they were nearly as big as a, ummm errrh, wagon wheel.

 

[Provost]

And this stuff, although there was a fair chance it would also remove all of your fillings . . . Which most kids had.
View attachment 553574

Proper toffee. A slab divided into squares, which you would never be able to break off in a million years (unless you dipped it in liquid nitrogen or something.) The only way to deal with it was to take off the greaseproof paper at one end and suck it. You'd be covered in your own sticky drool within seconds.

Stenhousemuir's only reason for existence. How the bloody hell did they manage to go out of business?

 

[gorillaguts981]

Always got a couple of boxes for emergencies,to go with the box of candles.

Sad I know but,it's a left over from the early 70's, when the power cuts were unpredictable !

Hurricane lamp in the shed lean-to, kero lamp on the mantelpiece and more candles than a monkey could laugh at. Toast and baked taters on the fire and a camping stove and gas bottle for more sophisticated dinners. Power cuts in rural Lincolnshire must have left a deep impression.