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For those born before 1940.

derekm

By derekm

19 comments


Hi everyone, I’ve just been going through some old papers, while sorting things out, and came upon this, I hope you like it.
WE ARE THE SURVIVORS.
We were born before television was in every room of the house, before penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods xerox, contact lenses, videos, frisbies and the pill.
We lived before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ball point pens, before dishwashers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip dry clothes, and before man walked on the moon.
We got married first and then lived together, how quaint can you be ?.
We thought fast food was what you ate in Lent, a big mac was an oversized raincoat, and crumpet was what we had for tea.
We existed before house husbands, computer dating, dual careers, when a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins, and sheltered accommmodation was where you waited for a bus.
We were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies, we had never heard of FM radio. tape dcks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yoghurt, and men wearing earrings, for us time sharing meant togethernes, a chip was a piece of wood or a fried potato, hardware meant nuts and bolts, and software was not a word.
Before 1940 made in Japan meant junk, the term making out referred to how you did in your exams, a stud was something that fastened a collar to a shirt, and going all the way meant staying on a bus until it reached the depot, pizza, McDonalds and instant coffee were unheard of.
In our day cigarette smoking was fashionable, grass was mown, coke was kept in a coal house, a joint was a piece of meat you had on Sunday, and pot was something you cooked it in, rock music was a grandmothers lullaby, El Dorado was an ice cream, a gay person was the life and soul of the party.
There were 4 grades of toilet paper, Radio times, daily despatch, daily herald, and Manchester evening chronicle. a money box was called a penny gas meter, people had the toilet outside the home, and ate their meals inside the home, transportable lightweight baths could be used in any room of the home, a porn sshop was a pawn shop, a handkerchief was a coat sleeve, footwear was constructed of wood, iron and leather, a disc jockey was a national hunt rider with a back injury, the recycling unit was known as the rag and bone man, an alarm was known as a knocker upper, the N H S was known as the Doctors bill 6d a week, debt and illegitamacy were secrets, McDonald only had a farm, cntral heating was an oven plate or a fire brick wrapped in a blanket, a duvet was your dad’s overcoat, a kitchen unit was known as a slopstone, the top ten used to be the ten commandments.

We who were born before 1940 must be a hardy bunch, when you think of the ways in which the world has changed, and the adjustments we have had to make, no wonder we are so confused and there is a generation gap, but by the grace of God, we have survived, Hallelujah.

Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed this small look back in time, Derek

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Comments

 

I was born 1949 Andrew but know exactly what you mean.

1 Feb, 2018

 

Brilliant and very true. They were the good days when everybody helped each other. I have loved being a child of that era.

1 Feb, 2018

 

I was born in 1966 so all the changes had started. Loved reading this. ?

1 Feb, 2018

 

Oh,what a trip down memory lane,Derek..I was a 1940 baby,so I can vouch for all these things..some, I had forgotten about,so thanks for posting this,I loved reading it..the only item that was different in my case was,The Manchester Evening news...with me being a Yorkshire lass,but the equivalent served the same purpose !Lol...We were certainly built to last in that era..:o)

1 Feb, 2018

 

I was born in 1940 too. It was often my job to cut the Radio times into four and fasten the pieces together will wool threaded in a darning needle. A glass of water left overnight on the chest of drawers had ice on it in the morning. But worst of all was the coal shortage. We had one fireplace but hardly any coal and I clearly remember balls of damp newspaper left to smoulder in the fireplace as a substitute. And no, it didn't work...

1 Feb, 2018

 

Oh derekm ,I loved your blog,how funny,I really enjoyed a look back in time,how did we get to this age with no health and safety!!!!!!

1 Feb, 2018

 

......and I still have my original mouse-coloured hair and MY OWN TEETH!! :O)

2 Feb, 2018

 

I was born in 1958 but I remember most of that and my parents born 1916 always told us. we didn't get a fridge until late 70's as we had a meat plate on a marble slab in the pantry.
frost patterns inside my bedroom window was a given in winter
in 1963 our gold fish died as their water froze.
All the floors had lino and a rag rug. wall to wall carpets weren't an option.

2 Feb, 2018

 

I think most didn't have a fridge until the 70's, Sbg..my mum didn't,but we had local shops,where she bought fresh on a daily basis...a cold cellar,with a stone slab,and a meat safe,as it was known,which was a box with a mesh front ,to keep flies etc out :o) and none of us ever had food poisoning ! Oh ,those rag rugs..! I remember helping to make those at my Grandma's.I've still got the hook ..then in the 50's/60's we progressed to those half moon ones with a flower design ,which came in a kit with all the instructions and materials..'Readicut' I think they was called ? very nice ,till a log spitted on the fire,and left a burn mark,or a hole..and didn't it stink,with it being wool ? ...The good old days ??? yes,mostly :o)

2 Feb, 2018

 

I read this to hubby and he was saying that he feels that before we started relying on computers to work out everything for us, people were more inventive and used their brains for more and so bigger changes where now people just ask their computers. We where both born in the 60s and feel that we have seen less big changes then those born earlier.

3 Feb, 2018

 

Sandra that took me back again. When there was a heatwave my Dad used to go down to an ice supplier in town and bring back a huge lump that just fitted in the dolly tub. Mum used to put the butter and milk on top of it. It lasted abut 3 days.
I still have the hooks for Readicut rugs somewhere.

3 Feb, 2018

 

Sue,I have visions of butter and milk forgotten about,in the bottom,when your mum started filling the Dolly tub with water....:o)..did she have a " Posser" as it's known here,to bash 7 bells out of the washing ?? Ha ha..

3 Feb, 2018

 

A walk down memory lane, thanks Derek I really enjoyed going back in time, I was born in '47 so after the war but all you have talked about was my life as a child, its good to look back but wouldn't want those days returning, I've gone soft in my old age, need my appliances and my central heating, lol....Oh and of course my laptop, it would be very lonely without all my gardening friends...

3 Feb, 2018

 

I still have my Readicut half moon rug beside my bed.
The important thing about those days was we kept ourselves occupied with hobbies, or reading, in the evenings. Liibraries were an important part of every community. Not struggling to survive as they are now.

3 Feb, 2018

 

Thank you all for reading my blog, and the lovely comments, although I wasn't born until 1948, just 1 week before the N H S was born, and I was the first born of twins, so my parents had to pay the Dr double, and the midwife 1 and a half times the normal, [she wasn't exactly a midwife, she was good at it, but couldn't pass the exams], and being a bit out in the sticks, not much had changed from 1940, or before that even, although penicillin had been discovered, but coal was still on ration for quite a few years later into the 50s.
It was nice reading some of your recollections of the time, thanks again, Derek.

3 Feb, 2018

 

thanks for this, Derek, i'm the oldest here, born in 1932...lived with my Ganny in Hoylake until we moved to Canada in 1938..i have many fond early memories..Ganny making scouse..being safe and free to run everywhere...later in Canada, Mum a single parent..first Christmas tree, no ornaments, lights, just home made paper chains we thought were lovely..butter rationing during the war..sad letters from the war office..i cleaned the Post Office, saw many tears..you bet we're tough!..i still rely on hobbies...

9 Jul, 2018

 

Hi Odaatpat, thank you for reading my blog, my late wife, who died on Christmas day last year, was also born in 1932, [I was her toy boy 😊😊😊 ], Derek.

9 Jul, 2018

 

So sorry for your loss, Derek...i've never actually met a toy boy before..we make all sorts of discoveries here on GOY, don't we? LOL..not sure i can find that species around here... .))

9 Jul, 2018

 

Hi Odaatpat, I'm sure there's 1 around somewhere, many thanks for your condolences, Derek.

10 Jul, 2018

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