Re: Are You Old Enough To Remember?
Ian N Ford (ian@FORD.DIRCON.CO.UK)
Sat, 21 Aug 1999 01:57:27 +0100
----- Original Message -----
From: Charles W. Pourciau <pourciau@EARTHLINK.NET>
To: <SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU>
Sent: Friday, August 20, 1999 6:32 PM
Subject: Are You Old Enough To Remember?
> Are You Old Enough To Remember?
> ..all soft drinks came in bottles and you could get a deposit back.
Bob a Job - taking the lemonade bottles back and getting three old pennies
for each one.
Using the buckle on my Scout belt to open Coca Cola bottles ...
> ..cars had no air conditioning.
Here most of 'em still don't ...
> ..there was "free air" at all service stations.
and a guy who pumped the gas ...
> ..there were S&H green stamps.
Green Shield stamps. The Welsh nationalists wrote " Free Wales " on the
motorway
bridges, and somewag added " with every four gallons - or double stamps. "
> ..you could go as a child and buy your dad a pack of cigarettes.
And get change from a ten bob note ( 80 cents)
> ..music was on vinyl records 45 rpm and albums were 78 rpm.
And tapes came on little reels ...
> ..there was one light (red) on top of police cars.
Here they were blue ... and the police cars had bells.
> ..there was only AM radio.
With valves ... and the case was made of Bakelite and had that smell when it
warmed up
> ..everyone took the bus to town.
Most of us still do. Have you ever tried to park in London ? But the buses
had open platforms so the kids
could jump on and off when the conductor was collecting fares ... and the
electric trolley buses with
overhead power cables ...
.
> ..gas was .26 a gal and ethyl was way too high at .30.
My dad complained when petrol went up to three shillings - about 50 cents.
But then
our gallons are 20% bigger than yours ...
> ..Typing Class was noisy.
What typing class ? Do you remember sit up and beg desks with ink wells that
you dipped
a pen into ? We had those in the '60s.
> ..you only had GM, Ford and Chrysler making cars in the US.
Citron 2CV , the Mini and the Volkwagen beetle. And the Reliant three
wheeler ...
> ..most of the change in your pocket was pure silver.
Ours went to cupro-nicket in 1947 to pay y'all for World War 2. But the
pennies were
an inch and a quarter in diameter, three weighed an ounce. And the three
penny bits
had twelve sides. Twelve pennies to a shilling and twenty shillings to a
pound. Sure
made arithmetic lessons fun.
> ..football helmets came without face guards.
football meant Bobby Charlton in baggy shorts and the '66 World Cup ...
> ..the Network News was only 15 minutes long.
And there was only the BBC.
.
> ..every house had a tall outside TV antennae.
Every house ?
> ..you could call a Doctor and he came to your house (the same day).
Now a deputising service sends a deputy in a car with a driver who looks
like
a night club bouncer.
> ..Atomic War was a real everyday thought.
Yes, " Protect and Survive " . Whitewash the windows and get in the cupboard
under the stairs.
Or ... in case of nuclear attack - put your head between your legs and kiss
yourself goodbye.
> ..men carried metal lunch boxes to work.
And schoolboys wore caps and carried their books to school in leather
satchels. And we filled our
fountain pens from bottles of ink.
But what about ...
* Being bitten by the baker's horse ?
* The ice cream man coming round on a pedal tricycle ?
* Half-day closing on Thursdays ?
* Pushing button B on the payphones in the hope a few pennies would fall out
?
* Teacher asking to borrow your penknife to sharpen a pencil ?
* Rose hip syrup ?
* Steam trains ?
Oh boy ... I MUST be getting old ...
Ian
