When shoes used to be soled and heeled when they got worn? Nowadays, of course, shoes get thrown away and cobblers have long since disappeared from their little shops down the back alleys of the city.
When green grapes had pips and we used to debate whether you could eat them or were they poisonous?
When the Co-op gave stamps towards their ‘divi’.
When we had to have our daily spoonful of the foul tasting cod-liver oil.
The black and white Pathe News reel between the short film and the feature film at the cinema.
Free orange juice for young children to help them get their Vitamin C.
Free milk for young children – distributed at school break time – to build healthy young bones and teeth.
Black jacks, fruit salads, bulls’ eyes, toasted coconut teacakes, white chocolate mice, sherbert dips, parma violets, mint humbugs.
Silly putty, slinkies, dinky toys, meccano, train sets, Mr Potato Head, hula hoops, duzzy felt and play-doh.
Farthings and threepenny bits.
Family games like beetle; card games like Newmarket and Rummy; and board games like Monopoly.
Cream soda and sarsaparilla.
Ice cream in cones or wafers.
When nostalgia was something old people indulged in!
What other sweets, games and toys do you recall from your childhood?
Rob says, Meccano. I think he still regrets giving his to a nephew before he emigrated -- the nephew sold it at a car boot sale!
ReplyDeleteFor me -- Silver sixpences. A friend gave me one to put in my shoe for luck the day Rob and I married. Must have worked - we'll celebrate our 46th anniversary this July.
For my daughter -- hedgehog flavoured crisps. I think they were actually some sort of bovril flavouring, but the name intrigued her.
Thanks for a fun list. TTFN, Canadian Chickadee
- Actually like cod liver oil.
ReplyDeleteTurkish Delight.
Crokinole.
View-Master.
may I suggest that "When nostalgia was something old people indulged in!" is still a healthy past time - this post is an example.
ReplyDeleteIn Brasil you can still take you shoes, purses, backpacks to a 'cobbler' for new parts or repairs. My old shoes I take in for repairs then give them to charity....
some things on your list must be specific to the UK... cause am surely old enough (maybe too old) to remember
Oh, I could have a whale of a time with this one:
ReplyDeleteI still get my shoes soled and heeled in Stornoway. Althogh Smith's Show Shop and Cobblers closed a few years ago a youngster now does them. Alternatively for the price equivilent to a small car one can get them done at Hoggs of Fife!
You mean to say grapes don't have pips any more. I'd better start eating grapes then. Loved them but could never be bothered with pips.
But do you remember the sweets (lollies in NZ speak) ducks, green peas and sweet potatoes?
Monopoly is as popular as ever. Catriona and Fraser where here with me the other morning and they spent an hour or more playing Monopoly (and then Scrabble).
I have ice cream cones in the cupboard and the Croquet Club sells wafers! Does this say something about New Zealand?
I suspect that old people have always indulged in nostalgia. And no bad thing either.
We used to play marbles, of course and jacks - both of which are still available in the shops here although I have no idea if the youngsters buy them or just we oldies who think youngsters will enjoy them!
On Saturday, I went to an open house at the school I used to attend -- it's being remodeled and parts will be torn down. One thing which struck me was the sign on every classroom door: "Please turn off your cell phones and switch off your IPODs!"
ReplyDeleteNow that didn't exist when I went to school there!
Canadian Chickadee
On Saturday, I went to an open house at the school I used to attend -- it's being remodeled and parts will be torn down. One thing which struck me was the sign on every classroom door: "Please turn off your cell phones and switch off your IPODs!"
ReplyDeleteNow that didn't exist when I went to school there!
Canadian Chickadee