General Chat

Muffin the mule

How about Andy Pandy, The Woodentops-who could ever forget the two children dancing and prancing around singing 'Peas for dinner ! Peas for dinner !'

Marilyn

You have taken me right back Lynn, we used to go to the local pond and collect frog spawn.......and again, that is what we used to call the school tapioca.......couldn't eat it then, or now......

I remember us bringing it home in a jar and putting it in the bath with a big stone in the middle because we were told when the spawn hatched into tadpoles and then baby frogs they would need to come out of the water........this lasted all of two hours till Mum and Dad got home from work.......then the spawn went into the old tin bath in the garden......and we had the pleasure of watching the tadpoles hatch, but then Dad got fed up with us digging and chopping worms, that he told us to put it back in the pond......so we never got our frogs........although we were allowed 2 terrapins in a tank later on......

Oh Marion, another memory......Listen with Mother......that would be at 1.45 followed by Womans Hour......and Mum would put me to bed for a nap.....

Went to school when I was 4 1/2 and the teacher asked Mum why I always put my head on the desk and went to sleep at 2 pm.....so she told them ........ I still get really tired at 2 pm....

......I remember Toytown and Mr. Mayor, and Larry the Lamb.......and Journey Into Space with Jocelyn......that was when I was older....

I used to take frog spawn from my pond to playgroup for the children to see at the differant stages the brave ones used to put there hands in then before you knew it they would all have ago.
My middle child loved Noddy and search high and low for a toy one found one in the end and she still has it

Pew pew barley magrew cuthbert dibble and grub or something like that. and windy miller

Lynn was only thinking the other day about when we went down to the local brook and caught newts (kids over here wouldn't know what I was on about pmsl)

Sal xx

I think my parents were the original Greenies, but then most people were make do and mend because of the war....

Dad had an allotment, and a greenhouse, made his home made beer and wine, and always making things.....

His wine making was always fun......we used to go sloe picking and blackberries and scrumping to make the jams.......which he still made up until he died.......whisky and lime marmalade.....jars of it in the cupboard......always the inventor with food my Dad.....

.....one time my 9 y.o. sister went out to the back shed to clean her bike on a hot Sunday afternoon......she had been in there for ages, and when Dad went to find her, she had been drinking his wine, and was sloshed......later found out she drank it because she was hot and thirsty......and drunk.....

......another time the corks all shot out of the bottles because they got too hot......

What memories this brings back -
The rose petals in the water, we really thought we were making perfume.
Catching tiddlers with a net in the streams.
The sherbet dabs..Sugar sandwiches. Condense milk on bread.
Having to have the backs and toes cut out of your canvas shoes, so they would fit one more time. We thought we were smart because of the fashion for sling backs and no toe shoes.
Having concerts in each others gardens. Those that were learning tap dancing showing us all how to do it.
And the ultimate treat, a ride on the Motor Boat on Barking Park lake.
I thought this boat was really big, I have just bought a book of old photos of Barking, and when I saw this boat on the lake in one of the photos, I realized it was really tiny.

Too many memories for me to remember now, but we had such happy days with next to nothing to spend.

What was that thing.... There's a Humphrey about?

And Shush Secret Squirrel!!!!!!!!!!!!

hello Sal xxxx been ages since we spoke

just found this about Humphrey, will add more later, a little busy right now,
good thread eh, all the memories of our childhoods



During the mid 1970's the Unigate Dairy came up with an amazing advertising campaign to promote their range of milk. It was based on an army of red and white striped straws that turned up when you weren't looking and stole your milk. An imaginative slogan "Watch out..Watch out there's a Humphrey about" became an overnight catchphrase. Several television adverts were produced, usually featuring semi-famous people of the era such as Arthur Mullard.

Unigate also saw fit to produce merchandise for the public to purchase. These ranged from clothing and bags to glasses, mugs and stickers. All of which could be bought from your milkman or via mail away promotions. Also produced was a set of three sealed Humphrey straws containing powdered milkshake which you threw in a glass and mixed with milk.


xxLynnxx

Eating out was unheard of.Once in a blue moon our mother used to take us to a local department store cafeteria for ice cream & a wafer in those aluminum
bowls with stems, but only it would only on a Friday
(Pay Day) !!
Marilyn

As a treat Marilyn we used to go to Pickadish in Hammonds, I can still remember that feeling when we used to go there. Also we use to have cocoa and sugar mixed in a cup and eat it with a spoon sat on the front door step.

Anne
PS I think I'm going to go and have some cocoa and sugar now to try it again!!

Dozza's Mum,I used to have Cocoa & Sugar Sandwiches,and also for breakfast when the money was running out,had Bread Slops with sugar & warm milk.
(Gosh I,m getting boring now ! )

Marilyn

Anyone remember the 1penny waffer like the pink panther ones they do today but huge.

What about the Liberty bodices,the buttons were so difficult for any child hands to do up, especially in winter when your fingers were frozen stiff,can't think why we wore them.!

Marilyn

Marion did you have those huge bottle green bloomers with a pocket on the front right-hand side.? I think they were ment for a hankie ,But I never used it .

Marilyn

The Liberty Bodices had buttons each side at the bottom,and you attached suspenders from them to keep up your black wool stockings. Think they were supposed to keep your back warm.

I used to have a disc with my name and address sewn on it. This was during the war, and I realise now, that it was to identify me in case I was killed during an air raid. I was told it was in case I got lost. How can you tell an 8 year old it was in case they got killed.

Oh Teddy I cant remember the suspenders being attached ,but I do remember the suspender belt ( little button ) to keep up your nylons stockings, if they broke one off you had to put a Threepenny-bit in to keep them up!

Marilyn

Does anyone remember when schools used to give you a small book containing orphan children pictures from around the world? You then had to sell go and sell them one by one. I think it was called something like Sunny Smiles......