# Do you remember



## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

or did you have .. A Belling Bed Warmer, the ones that looked like a flying saucer.

We don't bother with a electric blanket anymore and last night when I got in bed it was a little cold and suddenly remembered having one when I was I kid.


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## Blackadder (Aug 25, 2014)

I remember some doughnut shaped thing that had a lightbulb in it that you put in the bed to warm it....is that it?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

No.

We had hot water bottles, then progressed to electric blankets.

We didn’t have central heating as kids and cotton sheets were freezing at first.


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

They were ornaments that hung on walls by the time I was aware of stuff like that. Great big shiny brass things with long ornate handles


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

No. But i'm not as old as you

Same as Lurcherlad - hot water bottles and cold cotton sheets. I remember first discovering flanelette sheets at a b&b we stayed in at Blackpool in the mid 70s. But we never had any cozy flanelette at our house.

We did have central heating put in in 1971 but it was oil fired and i think between strikes, bad weather causing the tanker not being able to get up our lane and the cost of it, it wasnt on as often as needed to keep a warm home.

It was changed over to gas in the late 70s but i cant remember our house ever being warm. I had an electric blanket as a teenager but it was a very dangerous one and i woke up one night with the blanket on fire!!!

Had kept it on overnight which it wasnt designed for. No harm done to me but blanket badly burned and had to go.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

rona said:


> They were ornaments that hung on walls by the time I was aware of stuff like that. Great big shiny brass things with long ornate handles


This is what I'm talking about and about and wouldn't what to hang one of these on the wall :Hilarious

https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/28024502711


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Blackadder said:


> I remember some doughnut shaped thing that had a lightbulb in it that you put in the bed to warm it....is that it?


That's the one.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Happy Paws2 said:


> This is what I'm talking about and about and wouldn't what to hang one of these on the wall :Hilarious
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/28024502711


I've never heard or see those before, what a revelation.

just hot water bottles for us. I hate electric blankets with a passion as I don't like feeling hot in bed. No heating in the bedroom either, radiator thermostat turned firmly to off, won't be long before the window will be kept open at night. Just as well OH feels the same. 
Does anyone remember those awful fluffy nylon sheets, can't recall the name for them. I hated those too, if you had a snaggy toe nail or rough skin on your feet they were always catching on those flipping sheets


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Bri-nylon?

We had some .... like a firework display in the dark with the amount of static they created!


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## Blackadder (Aug 25, 2014)

Siskin said:


> Does anyone remember those awful fluffy nylon sheets, can't recall the name for them. I hated those too, if you had a snaggy toe nail or rough skin on your feet they were always catching on those flipping sheets


Yep, brushed nylon I think it was called.


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## MilleD (Feb 15, 2016)

Lurcherlad said:


> We didn't have central heating as kids and cotton sheets were freezing at first.


Brr, the cold bed dance.

Neither hot water bottles or electric blankets in my house, just had to suck it up if we were cold.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Blackadder said:


> Yep, brushed nylon I think it was called.


Or was it called Bri-Nylon? From Brentford Nylons!

Brentford Nylons 1970's TV Adverts featuring Alan Freeman - YouTube


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Calvine said:


> Or was it called Bri-Nylon? From Brentford Nylons!
> 
> Brentford Nylons 1970's TV Adverts featuring Alan Freeman - YouTube


I remember them horrible things thinking back on them. We were given a bright orange set for a wedding present


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

We had bricks wrapped in towels and heated in the oven of the kitchen range, After that stone hot water bottles that were heavy to carry.

I was lucky because we had flannelette sheets and pyjamas and a feather eiderdown, so only your nose was cold.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

That's it, brushed nylon. Thanks all.
Like @Happy Paws2 we were given a set as wedding presents, my mum I think, no taste. They were lilac coloured, didn't stay that colour for very long, kind of went a muddy grey colour. We hated them but didn't have enough money to buy anything else for ages


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Magyarmum said:


> We had bricks wrapped in towels and heated in the oven of the kitchen range, After that stone hot water bottles that were heavy to carry.
> 
> I was lucky because we had flannelette sheets and pyjamas and a feather eiderdown, so only your nose was cold.


I remember my Nan one of those, it ended it's life as a door stop.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Happy Paws2 said:


> I remember my Nan one of those, it ended it's life as a door stop.


We have one as an ornament. Along with a selection of old bottles and irons that were heated on the range


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

I stayed in a (even for then) very old-fashioned hotel many years ago and got a real surprise when I got into bed and found this thing that looked like a huge cream coloured frisbee; and it was hot. Nice thought but I'm not sure it was worth the scare when my feet found it.


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## DolomiTTe (Jan 17, 2019)

OMG, yes we had one when I was a child in the 70's. It looked really old back then and it was affectionately known as 'The Sputnik'. It gave off a funny smell when it got hot, I'm surprised it didn't burn the house down!


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

rona said:


> They were ornaments that hung on walls by the time I was aware of stuff like that. Great big shiny brass things with long ornate handles


I can remember one of those on my wall growing up.

We just had regular hot water bottles. Also all the winter coats spread across the bed so you could barely move and 1 teeny electric fan heater that was moved from bedroom to bedroom depending on who was going to bed first!


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

tabelmabel said:


> I woke up one night with the blanket on fire!!!


You sometimes wonder how any of us are still alive! I remember buses which were open at the back and you could stand there a foot away from the exit. Some of the boys at school would hold the post and lean out while the bus was going like the clappers. Nobody gave them a second glance, and the conductor was upstairs so he or she didn't see them.


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

Calvine said:


> You sometimes wonder how any of us are still alive! I remember buses which were open at the back and you could stand there a foot away from the exit. Some of the boys at school would hold the post and lean out while the bus was going like the clappers. Nobody gave them a second glance, and the conductor was upstairs so he or she didn't see them.


And we used to go to school in the middle of winter in a short tunic and knee length socks. No tights or warm boots in those days and the school I went to you changed into summer uniform in March irrespective if it was snowing a blizzard!


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## Dave S (May 31, 2010)

Calvine said:


> Or was it called Bri-Nylon? From Brentford Nylons!
> 
> Brentford Nylons 1970's TV Adverts featuring Alan Freeman - YouTube


Now that's a name from the past. Never liked them and they were perhaps the first store to have a sale start immediately after one finished - every time - so much that there was a government inquiry into their trading.


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

Calvine said:


> You sometimes wonder how any of us are still alive! I remember buses which were open at the back and you could stand there a foot away from the exit. Some of the boys at school would hold the post and lean out while the bus was going like the clappers. Nobody gave them a second glance, and the conductor was upstairs so he or she didn't see them.


Haha. I remember those buses. In the morning, during the office rush, the bus was often full and wouldn't stop but because of the heavy traffic could sometimes only move at a crawl. Easy enough to hop on if there was a tiny space, and the conductor not around


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Calvine said:


> You sometimes wonder how any of us are still alive! I remember buses which were open at the back and you could stand there a foot away from the exit. Some of the boys at school would hold the post and lean out while the bus was going like the clappers. Nobody gave them a second glance, and the conductor was upstairs so he or she didn't see them.


I use to do that and jump off just before the bus stopped and I was old enough to know better.


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

Am slightly younger than most here.. So hot water bottles here. Though was very late getting central heating here.

Anyway were them nylon blankets, what we used to call army blankets? Really scratchy? Sort of cream though in colour with a line design detail. Horrible whatever those were.

Everyone's flannelette sheets round here were white with pastel mint and other colour stripes on them. I am sure of that.


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## Mrs Funkin (Mar 12, 2018)

Oh I wish I could have flannelette pastel striped sheets again....lovely they were!  

Mind you, I also wouldn't mind a candlewick bedspread...


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

Mrs Funkin said:


> Oh I wish I could have flannelette pastel striped sheets again....lovely they were!
> 
> Mind you, I also wouldn't mind a candlewick bedspread...


My sister took ours with hers, as in the family hand me downs because they were better made than newer flannelette ones. I was annoyed.

Although I bet OHs mum has hers.. Only got to fight 10 more brothers and sisters, plus their families to ask for them if they pass away.. Rather OHs mum keep the sheets and stays merry and bright with the father - in-law


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

Mrs Funkin said:


> Oh I wish I could have flannelette pastel striped sheets again....lovely they were!
> 
> Mind you, I also wouldn't mind a candlewick bedspread...


I plucked my candlewick bedspread and my Mum went mad at me I got into so much trouble  I also remember bri-nylon sheets my Nan had a luminous pink set that I ripped half a toe nail off on when it got snagged.

We only ever had hot water bottles as my mum was terrified of electric blankets going up in flames, we never had central heating growing up, just an open fire in the sitting room and a calor gas 3 bar heater in the kitchen that heated a six inch space about it but gave off heady fumes, my husband had never experience a cold house like ours when he first stayed over he used to wear more clothes to go to bed than he did to go to work, he couldn't get over the fact the bedroom window had ice on the inside :Hilarious His parents house had central heating and it was not a surprise that we stayed at his house more than mine


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

lullabydream said:


> Am slightly younger than most here.. So hot water bottles here. Though was very late getting central heating here.
> 
> Anyway were them nylon blankets, what we used to call army blankets? Really scratchy? Sort of cream though in colour with a line design detail. Horrible whatever those were.
> 
> Everyone's flannelette sheets round here were white with pastel mint and other colour stripes on them. I am sure of that.


Yep we had those flannelette stripe sheets.
I had long blonde hair growing up (wasn't allowed it cut until I was in secondary school).
My mum used to cut those sheets into thin strips & every night before bed I used to have to sit for ages...... while she put rags into my hair.
Had to sleep with them in, oh I hated that so much, they really hurt.
Then in the morning she'd take them out & I'd have my hair in ringlets.

I truly hated that so much but of all the photos of me as a kid those photos of me with ringlets are the nicest.


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## Nicola234 (Nov 10, 2020)

ebonycat said:


> Yep we had those flannelette stripe sheets.
> I had long blonde hair growing up (wasn't allowed it cut until I was in secondary school).
> My mum used to cut those sheets into thin strips & every night before bed I used to have to sit for ages...... while she put rags into my hair.
> Had to sleep with them in, oh I hated that so much, they really hurt.
> ...


lol my mum used to do this too! They were so painful and uncomfortable to sleep in but yeah the ringlets were pretty


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

Mrs Funkin said:


> Oh I wish I could have flannelette pastel striped sheets again....lovely they were!
> 
> Mind you, I also wouldn't mind a candlewick bedspread...


You can still buy those stripe flannelette sheets. 
It was a couple of years ago that I did a search of them & found them on Amazon & eBay!!


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

Nicola234 said:


> lol my mum used to do this too! They were so painful and uncomfortable to sleep in but yeah the ringlets were pretty


Oh the pain.
It was so hard to get comfortable & sleep with them in.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Mum had two candlewick covers, one green and one pink. I can remember using the green one to line a dogs bed, my Irish setter I think.

My parents bought their first house when I was about 8, I found the sales sheet when I cleared the house about 10 years ago, cost £2,950 for a 3 bed semi. They only just about had enough money for the mortgage each month and the bills, not much left over for anything else. A coal fire in the lounge and an immersion heater in the cupboard for hot water, I should imagine they thought it was all marvellous. We had ice on the inside of the bedroom windows every winter, it made beautiful patterns and was fun drawing in it. The winter of 1962/63 was dreadful as it was below freezing most days for 3 months.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Siskin said:


> I've never heard or see those before, what a revelation.
> 
> just hot water bottles for us. I hate electric blankets with a passion as I don't like feeling hot in bed. No heating in the bedroom either, radiator thermostat turned firmly to off, won't be long before the window will be kept open at night. Just as well OH feels the same.
> Does anyone remember those awful fluffy nylon sheets, can't recall the name for them. I hated those too, if you had a snaggy toe nail or rough skin on your feet they were always catching on those flipping sheets


I don't remember a bed warmer - like others, hot water bottle for us. Wow @Happy Paws2!

But I do recall nylon sheets. Ours were used for holidays as we used to go to Polzeath in Cornwall before it was hipstervillle in my dad's maxi via motorail and overnight sleeper. We had a 3 sets in red, orange and blue as they rolled up small, we had to take everything, my mum even took the pressure cooker. So love/hate - made my hair static, yes toenails but they remind me of holidays, the musty flats, sand everywhere and crossing the road to the beach.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Siskin said:


> Mum had two candlewick covers, one green and one pink. I can remember using the green one to line a dogs bed, my Irish setter I think.
> 
> My parents bought their first house when I was about 8, I found the sales sheet when I cleared the house about 10 years ago, cost £2,950 for a 3 bed semi. They only just about had enough money for the mortgage each month and the bills, not much left over for anything else. A coal fire in the lounge and an immersion heater in the cupboard for hot water, I should imagine they thought it was all marvellous. We had ice on the inside of the bedroom windows every winter, it made beautiful patterns and was fun drawing in it. The winter of 1962/63 was dreadful as it was below freezing most days for 3 months.


I wasn't born in 62/53 but I remember I my parents 1950s build home with its sparse heating and big icicles on the roof edge that used to wake us up when they melted and fell to the ground. We had a fire and a few bar heaters that alway smelt of burning dust!

The house I live in now was built in 1920s and we are the third owners. We had the original back boiler in the house set in the original fireplace when we moved in. The previous owner used to live in one room and heat her water with a very vocal immersion. Our boiler died on Monday and it was so cold but not really! It's fixed now but that first winter here damm, it was cold especially after moving from a terrace new build where the walls were so thin you could borrow the neighbors heat!


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## kimthecat (Aug 11, 2009)

Nicola234 said:


> lol my mum used to do this too! They were so painful and uncomfortable to sleep in but yeah the ringlets were pretty


 Me too! 



Calvine said:


> Or was it called Bri-Nylon? From Brentford Nylons!
> 
> Brentford Nylons 1970's TV Adverts featuring Alan Freeman - YouTube


I can still remember the adverts. !


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

MollySmith said:


> I don't remember a bed warmer - like others, hot water bottle for us. Wow @Happy Paws2!
> 
> But I do recall nylon sheets. Ours were used for holidays as we used to go to Polzeath in Cornwall before it was hipstervillle in my dad's maxi via motorail and overnight sleeper. We had a 3 sets in red, orange and blue as they rolled up small, we had to take everything, my mum even took the pressure cooker. So love/hate - made my hair static, yes toenails but they remind me of holidays, the musty flats, sand everywhere and crossing the road to the beach.


We used to go to Polzeath when it was a quiet little place. They used to hire wooden body boards at the beach, long and thin with a curved front, great fun. I think I was about 13 or 14 so about 1964/65.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Siskin said:


> We used to go to Polzeath when it was a quiet little place. They used to hire wooden body boards at the beach, long and thin with a curved front, great fun. I think I was about 13 or 14 so about 1964/65.


on my goodness! We went late 70s and stayed in the flats above the parades of shops opposite the beach. They might still have been a cafe when you went.


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

Siskin said:


> cost £2,950 for a 3 bed semi.


Lot of money back in the day. My parents bought our house in 1970 for 3k. Our house was a 3 bed semi too but quite big. Much bigger than where i live now.

My best friend was in a terraced house bought about the same time for exactly £1100.

I was having a neb at the place i grew up and see those same terraced houses are going for almost half a million now! (450 000)

Seems ridiculous but they have had loft conversions and are in a good area.

I think my childhood best friend's parents are still in that same house today so sitting on a little gold mine there.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Siskin said:


> We used to go to Polzeath when it was a quiet little place. They used to hire wooden body boards at the beach, long and thin with a curved front, great fun. I think I was about 13 or 14 so about 1964/65.


I went there with Mom and Dad in the late 50's I was about 8 I don't remember that much about it, just a few old photo's Mom use to have.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

My family home didn't have an inside toilet until 1970. The loo was up the yard next to the coal house. It had a paraffin heater in during the winter to stop the pipes from freezing. It was warmer than being in the house! I used to go in there with my torch and read my comics.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

margy said:


> My family home didn't have an inside toilet until 1970. The loo was up the yard next to the coal house. It had a paraffin heater in during the winter to stop the pipes from freezing. It was warmer than being in the house! I used to go in there with my torch and read my comics.


Crikey - that is really amazing, I assumed most people had indoor lavatories well before then. Or did it depend if you lived miles out in the country?


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Calvine said:


> Crikey - that is really amazing, I assumed most people had indoor lavatories well before then. Or did it depend if you lived miles out in the country?


We lived in the colliery rows.My dad was a miner and the house belonged to the NCB. When the mines closed my dad had retired and they bought it in 1986 for £4,000.They put in central heating run of their park ray fire as they still got free coal. I looked at it recently on right move and wouldn't know it was the same house, it's so different inside. Life moves on.


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

We had an indoor loo in our house but my Grandparents' house did not. My Granddad had been a blacksmith in Sunderland. It was an outside loo in a small yard with no loo roll at all - just newspaper!

The outside loo stayed there the whole time my Granddad was alive - til 1979!

My gran died 73.


Talking of loo roll - who remembers Izal medicated loo paper?! Omg we had that in our house til at least 77.

Totally useless, not even absorbant. What a weird concept - waterproof loo paper! We even had a plastic box dispenser next to our loo specially for izal loo paper. It wasnt on a roll. It was sheets. It doubled up as tracing paper very nicely though:Hilarious


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

Oh @margy - we had paraffin heaters too before we had C.H put in. One of my earliest memories was going to get parrafin with my Dad. The brand was pink something. Or is parrafin pink?

Anyway, i was a girlie girl and this pink colour was beautiful to me!


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## Blackadder (Aug 25, 2014)

We used to have Esso blue paraffin. There was an advert called "smoke gets in your eyes"


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

Blackadder said:


> New We used to have Esso blue paraffin.


That must have been the boys' version. Wouldnt be allowed these days


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

This is the logo i remember


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

tabelmabel said:


> We had an indoor loo in our house but my Grandparents' house did not. My Granddad had been a blacksmith in Sunderland. It was an outside loo in a small yard with no loo roll at all - just newspaper!
> 
> The outside loo stayed there the whole time my Granddad was alive - til 1979!
> 
> ...


My parents did for a while, but soon moved to softer papers as they came out, however my FIL's loo paper of choice was Izal. He used it for most of his life. 
Izal was also in all the loo's at work for years, people used to bring in their own softer paper rolls as it was so useless apart from being used as tracing paper.


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

tabelmabel said:


> We had an indoor loo in our house but my Grandparents' house did not. My Granddad had been a blacksmith in Sunderland. It was an outside loo in a small yard with no loo roll at all - just newspaper!
> 
> The outside loo stayed there the whole time my Granddad was alive - til 1979!
> 
> ...


Used to scrunch it up in an attempt to make it less non-absorbent. Never worked.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I remember izal in the school toilets. Awful stuff.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

Calvine said:


> Crikey - that is really amazing, I assumed most people had indoor lavatories well before then. Or did it depend if you lived miles out in the country?


My nan n grandad lived in plaistow, 
When they moved out of the house in 1986, ( my grandparents were in their 80s by then) it still had no bathroom, no heating other than paraffin heaters, which she also used to boil the kettle on too, and, an outside loo that had to be accessed by going through the basement flats kitchen, this was all with a private landlord 
When they were moved into a council ground floor flat, with double glazing, central heating and a proper complete bathroom, my nan didn't know what to use first, 
my aunt moved in with them for 6 months, just to make sure they were safe whilst using stuff

Does anyone remember collecting, or their parents collecting, green shield stamps?
I think I remember there being pink ones as well


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

mrs phas said:


> My nan n grandad lived in plaistow,
> When they moved out of the house in 1986, ( my grandparents were in their 80s by then) it still had no bathroom, no heating other than paraffin heaters, which she also used to boil the kettle on too, and, an outside loo that had to be accessed by going through the basement flats kitchen, this was all with a private landlord
> When they were moved into a council ground floor flat, with double glazing, central heating and a proper complete bathroom, my nan didn't know what to use first,
> my aunt moved in with them for 6 months, just to make sure they were safe whilst using stuff
> ...


The green shield stamps is another memory now that you mention it


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

mrs phas said:


> My nan n grandad lived in plaistow,
> When they moved out of the house in 1986, ( my grandparents were in their 80s by then) it still had no bathroom, no heating other than paraffin heaters, which she also used to boil the kettle on too, and, an outside loo that had to be accessed by going through the basement flats kitchen, this was all with a private landlord
> When they were moved into a council ground floor flat, with double glazing, central heating and a proper complete bathroom, my nan didn't know what to use first,
> my aunt moved in with them for 6 months, just to make sure they were safe whilst using stuff
> ...


We had a paraffin heater in the bathroom.

Green shield stamps, I remember them Dad use to get them when he got petrol.


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

mrs phas said:


> Does anyone remember collecting, or their parents collecting, green shield stamps?


Absolutely, yes! As it was my job to stick them all in. They came in 2 sizes and we had books for each. We never had much value even though we had loads of books. We did go to cash them in once and i think we got a lamp or something.

Co op did stamps too but my mum used to pop them in the charity box in the shop.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Did anyone have a Co-op dividend number. I remember Mom having one and when I got married I had one but when asked for it I always gave Mom's number which I still remember today, I have no idea what mine was.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I remember the Co OP stamps. I got some crystal wine glasses with them that still come out at Christmas when we all sit at the table for our Christmas dinner.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

mrs phas said:


> she used to boil the kettle on too,


That sounds absolutely lethal! My neighbour told me that she had a sister whose two children had died years before in a house fire caused when they shouted down from their bedroom that they were cold and mum tripped while going upstairs with the paraffin heater and set fire to the stairs and landing.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I'm amazed there wasn't more fires to be honest. I remember when my parents were out, must have been a teenager trying to get our coal fire going. It wouldn't light so soaked a rag in paraffin and put it under the coal. It went whoosh when I lit it and set the chimney on fire. I ran to our neighbour who wasn't fussed. He came and dampened down the fire then told me it would just burn itself out. How the house didn't go up I don't know. It did go out and I didn't let on to my parents.


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## HarlequinCat (Nov 29, 2012)

I remember izal type toilet paper in the public toilets in North Wales in the 90s. Horrible stuff!


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

margy said:


> I remember the Co OP stamps


And some sort of tea gave one little stamp on their box; might have been Brooke Bond?


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

I can remember a paraffin heater being lit in my bedroom at night when I was young, it’s the patterns it made on the ceiling I really remember and the smell.
An elderly neighbour was telling me how her mother used to shove a whole load of newspapers up into the chimney as far as she could reach then set fire to it so that the chimney caught fire. This was, apparently, to clean it to save getting the sweep in.

Ah, yes, Green shield stamps, used to save those religiously and very occasionally bought a saucepan or something. Also used to save some kind of token from the petrol station to get glasses mainly.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

tabelmabel said:


> We never had much value even though we had loads of books


They were worth sweet f*** all weren't they!


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

margy said:


> I remember when my parents were out, must have been a teenager trying to get our coal fire going.


I remember my mum showing me how to light our gas fire with a match when i was about 7. I was a bit scared and she told me not to be ridiculous - she used to come home from school when she was 5 and set and light the coal fire so the house was warm!!

She was a good mum in fact, just very no nonsense. I cant remember when i managed to light the gas fire but i always managed safely.

Im sure if i had burned myself, i just would have got 'well, what do you expect if you stick your hand too close to the flame!'

My brother set fire to me in bed once

He was only 4. Early morning, all in bed and he decides to look for our cat under my bed with a candle:Hilarious

Of course it caught the underside of the bed which was that woven fabric and up it went.

I got out and we both cried loudly outside my parents' room to attract attention. Handily, we had a fire extinguisher just waiting for this kind of incident.

We both got a smack from my Dad for that. So unjust!!


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

tabelmabel said:


> We both got a smack from my Dad for that. So unjust!!


Does anyone remember scholl shoes? Sort of like the ones they call sliders today, but with wooden bit for sole and leather strap over your toes (think ONJ at end of Grease, but flat)
Well I wound my mum up, one day, to the point she took of her shoe and threw it at me 
Not being daft I moved 
Said shoe went straight through the ultra modern floor to ceiling panelled glass wall, thankfully though, only one panel was smashed (where was H&S in the 70s?)
Guess who got a walloping from her dad because....
"If I hadnt moved, the glass panel wouldn't have been smashed!"

Re cold beds 
My mum used to put a blanket under the bottom sheet to keep the cold out, and, we were all allowed to take hot ribena to bed


----------



## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

mrs phas said:


> Does anyone remember scholl shoes? Sort of like the ones they call sliders today, but with wooden bit for sole and leather strap over your toes (think ONJ at end of Grease, but flat)
> Well I wound my mum up, one day, to the point she took of her shoe and threw it at me
> Not being daft I moved
> Said shoe went straight through the ultra modern floor to ceiling panelled glass wall, thankfully though, only one panel was smashed (where was H&S in the 70s?)
> ...


I remember Scholls and liked them, had a couple of pairs I think. Still wear clog type shoes a lot


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Siskin said:


> I remember Scholls and liked them, had a couple of pairs I think. Still wear clog type shoes a lot


I had a pair of those, it really hurt if one slipped forward and you put your instep on the back edge of one.


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

I remember scholls too - i think my mum had a pair



mrs phas said:


> we were all allowed to take hot ribena to bed


Never had Ribena at ours - it was that horrid Co op orange juice (Quosh) but we did have a nice selection of milky bedtime drinks - Horlicks, Ovaltine and Bornvita. I loved crunching bornvita granules right from the tin.

When kia ora was invented, my Aunt kept that for us at her house and, omg, it was sooooo nice compared to Quosh.

Does anyone remember that really horrid juice powder that came in sachets? Mix with water. Sun rise maybe? That was so bad.

Rise and shine!!!! That was it! Barf


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I loved Dream topping or Banana Angel delight. I remember eating it on a Sunday tea time while watching Captain Scarlett.Funny how food and smells can take you back in time.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

margy said:


> I loved Dream topping or Banana Angel delight. I remember eating it on a Sunday tea time while watching Captain Scarlett.Funny how food and smells can take you back in time.


Am I the only one who did, and still does, love butterscotch angel delight?


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

What a coincidence! Izal paper was mentioned in tonight's QI


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

My dad used to work shifts at the railway so when he was on lates we had tea in our laps from front of the telly watching Newsround and Blue Peter. We used to have bread and jam, a slice of homemade cake and Angel delight or tinned fruit with top of the milk. Luckily every other week dad was at home for tea which saved us from an E number high and scurvy. 

If I wasn’t that I have mostly removed sugar from my diet, I would try out Angel Delight for the memories. Oh and Dream Topping. 

Green’s (?) cheesecake mixes? I remember mum buying them in Sainsbury’s and it was always a ‘special tea’ if we had them. I think you can get them still.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

mrs phas said:


> Am I the only one who did, and still does, love butterscotch angel delight?


I did too in fact we both did, it was a cheapo tea for us when we were young and newly married with a great big mortgage payment to find. Wait for it................£36 per month:Hilarious


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

I still buy butterscotch angel delight now and again:Hilarious

I preferred instant whip as it made more - especially the chocolate flavour but i dont think you can get it now.

During the first lockdown back last March, i went all nostalgic and bought a Birds trifle. The one with dream topping on top. Loved it as a kid but omg it tastes soooo artificial now.

Edible. But not the eating heaven i remembered:Hilarious


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## Nicola234 (Nov 10, 2020)

tabelmabel said:


> Does anyone remember that really horrid juice powder that came in sachets? Mix with water. Sun rise maybe? That was so bad.


We had creamola foam, the powder stuff you mixed water was it like that?

I still love angel delight and dream topping


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

I never really liked Angel Delight. My favourite was blancmange, caramel flavour was yummy. .

We used to have evaporated milk on our tinned fruit but when I went to my school friends house for tea, her mum always put condensed milk on tinned fruit. 

I can eat condensed milk by the spoonful still and love evaporated milk in my tea.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Mmm me too I always sneak a teaspoonful of condensed milk when I'm making caramel shortbread. We must have been quite poor but knew no better because I can remember having sugar sandwiches or tomato ketchup sandwiches. Always on that horrible white bread that stuck to the roof of your mouth. Just the thought now makes me feel ill.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

mrs phas said:


> Am I the only one who did, and still does, love butterscotch angel delight?


I still buy butterscotch Angel Delight


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

Oh yes condensed milk yum yum!

Like @Magyarmum, we always had evaporated milk on tinned fruit but im not keen on evap now.

I have packet blancmange in my kitchen just now! A box of various flavour sachets. Made one a while back but no one liked it.

Sugar sandwiches used to love those but couldnt even contemplate them now:Yuck

An early memory for me is those Green's caramel mix things. You know the ones you can still buy and come in the same box to this day. Like a creme caramel?

You boiled up the big sachet with milk, cooled it, set it in a mould and a little caramel sachet of dark brown caramel went in the bottom of the mould so when it turned out, that was on top.

We used a bowl as we had no fancy moulds. My mum used to pop it on a chair so i could watch it setting. I cant imagine that was too exciting but i remember watching it so i must have had some patience back then. Probs for a short while til it was cool enough for the fridge.


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

On the subject of sandwiches I loved spreading condensed milk on bread topped with a generous sprinkling of Ovaltine
I also ate a spoonful of Ovaltine neat


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I always had ovaltine when I stayed with my great aunt and slept on feather mattresses. The rag and bone man with his horse in the back alley shouting “any old rags, bone, bottles”
Slept under an eiderdown with a bolster under my pillow and crispy cotton sheets, later bri nylon.
Paraffin heaters, greenshield and co-op stamps. Vague memory of Brooke bond ones.
Sunday morning a big spoonful of malt extract.
Doorsteps of bread with clotted cream and moist dk brown sugar.
My brother had bread crusts to chew on when he was teething.
Huge garden full of fruit and veg. Didn’t buy any in those days.
Robertson’s jam ornaments and badges from saving labels. 
The Tufty(squirrel I think)Club. Sunny stories comic
Wore scholls most summers and cheesecloth tops.
In laws introduced me to bread and dripping - yuk


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Mum2Heidi said:


> I always had ovaltine when I stayed with my great aunt and slept on feather mattresses. The rag and bone man with his horse in the back alley shouting "any old rags, bone, bottles" *That's how I got my first Goldfish*
> Slept under an eiderdown with a bolster under my pillow and crispy cotton sheets, later bri nylon. *Boisters I hated them.*
> Paraffin heaters, greenshield and co-op stamps. Vague memory of Brooke bond ones. *Had paraffin heaters and Greenshield stamps*
> Sunday morning a big spoonful of malt extract. I* had a spoon for that every day in the winter before going to school.*
> ...



*And to add, the cream of the top of the fresh milk delivered every morning.*


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

What a lovely nostalgic thread 
Outside loo and Izal paper when I was young - newspaper at my grandparents' house  Hot water bottle in bed and waking up to ice on the inside windows. We got dressed in the kitchen with clothes warmed by the oven.
Then in 1962, when I was 9, my parents bought a brand new bungalow with oil fired central heating. I'm not sure that I really understood the luxury at the time  I did have an electric blanket then too - I remember having a row with my brother and throwing a bottle of Devon violets perfume at him - it hit the blanket plug on my bed and smashed, soaking my bed 
I never did like evaporated milk or condensed milk on my tinned fruit - something horrible about the way it separates with the juice. We never had it home but my grandmother would give it to us on a Saturday tea time as a treat. She also made us have a round of bread and butter with it too - the thought of it still makes me queasy


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

lymorelynn said:


> What a lovely nostalgic thread
> I never did like evaporated milk or condensed milk on my tinned fruit - something horrible about the way it separates with the juice. We never had it home but my grandmother would give it to us on a Saturday tea time as a treat. She also made us have a round of bread and butter with it too - the thought of it still makes me queasy


That was what we use to have for Sunday Tea, bread and butter then tinned fruit and carnation cream :Yuck


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Never had evap or condensed milk at home. I hate milk anyway so many of those milk type puddings leave me cold. When I got married I discovered that my new husband adored evap milk in his coffee, it smells awful to me, I really don’t know how anyone can drink it.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Rice pudding with the skin just starting to go dark brown. We use to give the dish to Chippie our Jack Russell who use to lick the dish moving it all round the kitchen trying to get any burnt bits of the side.


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## HarlequinCat (Nov 29, 2012)

Does anyone remember 'Secrets' chocolate bars. I loved them as a kid. It was like a tube of chocolate that was sort of nest like and had a whipped gooey vanilla type filling. It had a little cardboard sleeve inside the wrapper to prevent it crumbling.

It was soo nice


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Devon violets, Aqua Manda. Hartnell’s In Love. Tweed, Coty and Lentheric perfumes.
Miners make up from woolies. Cake mascara, rouge. My gran used Ponds Vanishing cream and I loved the smell - can still smell it now.
Lovely nostalgic thread


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## HarlequinCat (Nov 29, 2012)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Devon violets, Aqua Manda. Hartnell's In Love. Tweed, Coty and Lentheric perfumes.
> Miners make up from woolies. Cake mascara, rouge. My gran used Ponds Vanishing cream and I loved the smell - can still smell it now.
> Lovely nostalgic thread


My mum used to love tweed perfumes. I cannot remember the last time she wore it but whenever she wears it it reminds me of summer holidays in Wales


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Happy Paws2 said:


> Rice pudding with the skin just starting to go dark brown. We use to give the dish to Chippie our Jack Russell who use to lick the dish moving it all round the kitchen trying to get any burnt bits of the side.


My mam made the best rice pudding just as you describe. Lovely when I was little I used to love scraping the dish out when everyone had been served. She also made huge puffed up yorkshire puddings.


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

I used to love stirring strawberry jam into my rice pudding and making it all go pink!

I dont remember the secrets chocolate @HarlequinCat but my Mum also wore tweed perfume.


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## Blackadder (Aug 25, 2014)

Corona & Alpine fizzy pop home deliveries anyone?
Came in glass bottles that you gave back the next delivery! Ultimate recycling.


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

margy said:


> My mam made the best rice pudding just as you describe. Lovely when I was little I used to love scraping the dish out when everyone had been served. She also made huge puffed up yorkshire puddings.


My grandmother used to make wonderful rice puddings but the thing I remember best were her egg custard tarts which she made in a roasting tin so the custard was about 3 inches deep. She always used goose eggs and sprinkled the top of the custard with a liberal dusting of nutmeg.

And Sunday winter evenings sitting in front of the fire toasting pikelets and eating them dripping with butter or toast and dripping from the Sunday roast..... mmm


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

Happy Paws2 said:


> *And to add, the cream of the top of the fresh milk delivered every morning.*


Only if you got to it before the blue tits 
And 
In winter it rising out of the top of the bottle like the best mini milk ever


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## Nicola234 (Nov 10, 2020)

HarlequinCat said:


> Does anyone remember 'Secrets' chocolate bars. I loved them as a kid. It was like a tube of chocolate that was sort of nest like and had a whipped gooey vanilla type filling. It had a little cardboard sleeve inside the wrapper to prevent it crumbling.
> 
> It was soo nice


I loved them, I was gutted when they were discontinued.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Blackadder said:


> Corona & Alpine fizzy pop home deliveries anyone?
> Came in glass bottles that you gave back the next delivery! Ultimate recycling.


Cream soda with ice cream in.


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## Blackadder (Aug 25, 2014)

Happy Paws2 said:


> Cream soda with ice cream in.


Oh Yessss


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## Nicola234 (Nov 10, 2020)

Happy Paws2 said:


> Cream soda with ice cream in.


Love it! Still have it sometimes, mostly with cola or lemonade now


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## Blackadder (Aug 25, 2014)

This thread makes me smile just because I was having a conversation with my youngest (25yo) a few weeks ago. He's grown up with 500 channels on Sky Tv, the internet, mobile phones, nearly everyone owning a car, HD tv etc etc etc
He really couldn't get his head round what it was like not that long ago! Bless him


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Happy Paws2 said:


> *And to add, the cream of the top of the fresh milk delivered every morning.*


I remember if you left the milk out for too long, the birds (bluetits) pecked through the milk bottle tops to get to the cream, and when they had got what they wanted the cat would have some too.
Sorry, just saw @mrs phas posted similar. Wonder why it was always bluetits . . . were they the only ones bright enough or did the others not like it?


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

My gran used to scald the milk so it kept longer. She used to put a glass weight in the bottom of the pan to stop it boiling over. Anyone remember them?
Afterwards she skimmed the cream off the top to go on that evening’s fruit pie.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Blackadder said:


> Corona & Alpine fizzy pop home deliveries anyone?
> Came in glass bottles that you gave back the next delivery! Ultimate recycling.


Yes, we used to have a lorry deliver it in crates like milk.

Reminds me of Cresta soft drink. "It's frothy man!" Think a polar bear used to advertise it.

Oh and totally off topic the Esso Tiger "put a tiger in your tank"


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

Mum2Heidi said:


> My gran used to scald the milk so it kept longer. She used to put a glass weight in the bottom of the pan to stop it boiling over. Anyone remember them?
> Afterwards she skimmed the cream off the top to go on that evening's fruit pie.


No i dont remember that at all. We grew up on green top milk straight from the cow and unpasteurised. Does that really stop milk going over - a glass weight?! I need to try that!

We didnt have soft drink delivery but i remember the coal man coming round with the coal for our bunker.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

We had a grocery van who used to come around selling all sorts. I could understand that out in the country but there were shops not too far away.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Yes, we used to have a lorry deliver it in crates like milk.
> 
> Reminds me of Cresta soft drink. "It's frothy man!" Think a polar bear used to advertise it.
> 
> Oh and totally off topic the Esso Tiger "put a tiger in your tank"


I remember the frothy man polar bear an the tiger in your tank, I also can just about remember on bank holidays the milkman use to use a horse and cart and instead of his milk float and for May Day the horse was all done up with ribbons.


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

margy said:


> We had a grocery van who used to come around selling all sorts. I could understand that out in the country but there were shops not too far away.


My great aunt, who passed away many years ago now, lived in a high rise in Sunderland town centre right in the heart of the shops. The Ringtons tea man came round for years to her with tea and biscuits, bits and bobs.

It was only later she realised he had been stealing money from her

Anyone remember the 'bar 6' vending machines attached to the walls of corner shops?!

Was brilliant to have that vending machine option when the shop was closed. With the drawer to pull out and your choc sat there.

Bar 6 were nothing special though, were they!


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Calvine said:


> I remember if you left the milk out for too long, the birds (bluetits) pecked through the milk bottle tops to get to the cream, and when they had got what they wanted the cat would have some too.
> Sorry, just saw @mrs phas posted similar. Wonder why it was always bluetits . . . were they the only ones bright enough or did the others not like it?


There was something on recently about why blue tits exploited milk bottles but other birds didn't. It's thought it's due to blue tits being a bird that catches on to things quickly and are always exploring for new foods. Put a new bird feeder up and it's often the blue tits that are there first. They seem to be a brave tough little bird that have a good survival instinct. 
I remember watching a bird ringer giving a talk and showing the birds that had been caught in a net earlier. The birds are put into little cloth bags which they remain quiet and relaxed in as it's dark. The chap giving the talk was showing how the birds were ringed and giving a short talk about each type. He peered into the next bag and said that here was the most vicious bird of the lot that everyone is afraid to handle. Out came a blue tit which was cross rather then frightened and it immediately latched onto that tender bit of skin at the side of the mans nail and hung on like a little terrier even when it was released.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

tabelmabel said:


> My great aunt, who passed away many years ago now, lived in a high rise in Sunderland town centre right in the heart of the shops. The Ringtons tea man came round for years to her with tea and biscuits, bits and bobs.
> 
> It was only later she realised he had been stealing money from her
> 
> ...


I'm sorry to hear about your aunt that's despicable.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

tabelmabel said:


> No i dont remember that at all. We grew up on green top milk straight from the cow and unpasteurised. Does that really stop milk going over - a glass weight?! I need to try that!
> 
> We didnt have soft drink delivery but i remember the coal man coming round with the coal for our bunker.


It was specifically for the job. Think she bought it from "the betterware" man. Not sure any chunk of glass will work. Like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/METALTEX-G...=stop+milk+boiling+over&qid=1616354204&sr=8-1

We had the coal man. Our coal had it's own room opposite the outside toilet part of a very large outhouse, Gran used to call it the wash house. The copper boiler and wringer lived there. It was where she did the washing every Monday


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

@Happy Paws2 - what a fabulous thread, thank you so much for starting it.



tabelmabel said:


> who remembers Izal medicated loo paper?


When I started work in the late 70's, our civil service offices still had this.



Mum2Heidi said:


> Hartnell's In Love.


I remember getting a gift set for Christmas with perfume, body lotion and talc!



Mum2Heidi said:


> Tweed,


My mum wore it to.



Happy Paws2 said:


> Cream soda with ice cream in.


Oh yes! Gorgeous!


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

So many memories been brought back to mind.


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

Cremola Foam???

Came in a tin, you put a teaspoon or two into water and it made a fizzy drink.


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Linda Weasel said:


> Cremola Foam???


Yes - didn't someone find a tin recently and clever people managed to recreate the formula?


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Remember those Tupperware parties used to be held in people's homes? Very popular in the 70's 80's.I've still got a sewing box I bought at a neighbours house.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Yes, we used to have a lorry deliver it in crates like milk.


Who can finish this advert. .........

Watch out, watch out, there's a...........


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Burglar about?


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

margy said:


> Remember those Tupperware parties used to be held in people's homes? Very popular in the 70's 80's.I've still got a sewing box I bought at a neighbours house.


Yes. My mum had them, and went to some. I still have her sewing box! Then it was stainless steel (I have my mum's salt and pepper set) then Pippa Dee?


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

margy said:


> Burglar about?


Nope

Clue:
Straws marching across the bottom of your TV screen


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

JoanneF said:


> Yes - didn't someone find a tin recently and clever people managed to recreate the formula?


I'd buy it. We loved that stuff as kids.
God knows what was in it.


----------



## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

mrs phas said:


> Who can finish this advert. .........
> 
> Watch out, watch out, there's a...........


Humphrey?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

mrs phas said:


> Am I the only one who did, and still does, love butterscotch angel delight?


We used to as kids.

OH got a fancy for it yesterday so I bought him 2 sachets each of strawberry and butterscotch


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

HarlequinCat said:


> My mum used to love tweed perfumes. I cannot remember the last time she wore it but whenever she wears it it reminds me of summer holidays in Wales


My mum bought some Tweed perfume - we all thought it smelled like cat wee! 

Her favourite was L'air du Temp.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Lurcherlad said:


> My mum bought some Tweed perfume - we all thought it smelled like cat wee!
> 
> Her favourite was L'air du Temp.


I loathed Estée Lauder Youth Dew and it was everywhere!!


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Mum2Heidi said:


> I loathed Estée Lauder Youth Dew and it was everywhere!!


The woman who sat behind in the office wore the horrible stuff, she kept putting more on every break and lunch time, by the time it was home time I could hardly breath and felt sick from the overpowering smell.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Mum2Heidi said:


> I loathed Estée Lauder Youth Dew and it was everywhere!!


Oh my word yes, the dreaded Youth Dew, it was so strong. 
I did like it at first, so my mum kept buying it for me every birthday and Christmas even though I told her I didn't want anymore. I ended up giving it to jumble sale collections and charity shops


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Does anyone remember Royal Chiffon dessert? And more importantly does anyone know where I can get it?


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Happy Paws2 said:


> The woman who sat behind in the office wore the horrible stuff, she kept putting more on every break and lunch time, by the time it was home time I could hardly breath and felt sick from the overpowering smell.





Siskin said:


> Oh my word yes, the dreaded Youth Dew, it was so strong.
> I did like it at first, so my mum kept buying it for me every birthday and Christmas even though I told her I didn't want anymore. I ended up giving it to jumble sale collections and charity shops


I'm glad it wasn't just me. I liked it at first but you only needed the smallest amount people overdid it and it became unbearable. It certainly put Estée Lauder to the forefront.
Calvin Kline Obsession was just as heady but I liked it. Probably because it wasn't so popular.


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

I hated Youth Dew too. I still wear Arpège though, it's an old, old perfume.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

I've been wearing Blue Grass for ages, since I used the last bottle of perfume I got in France and haven't been able to find it over here and now I've forgot what it was called.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

tabelmabel said:


> 'bar 6' vending machines


And cigarette machines.


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Happy Paws2 said:


> I've been wearing Blue Grass for ages, since I used the last bottle of perfume I got in France and haven't been able to find it over here and now I've forgot what it was called.


If you find out tell me and I'll look for it the next time we are over - that may not be this year though


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I loathed Poison,it was very strong and seemed everyone was wearing it. My late MIL bought me L'air du Temp for Christmas in 1980. I used it but kept the pretty bottle which I still have as a reminder of her. Brut after shave reminds me of my brother. He used to drench himself in it!


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## Mrs Funkin (Mar 12, 2018)

HarlequinCat said:


> Does anyone remember 'Secrets' chocolate bars. I loved them as a kid. It was like a tube of chocolate that was sort of nest like and had a whipped gooey vanilla type filling. It had a little cardboard sleeve inside the wrapper to prevent it crumbling.
> 
> It was soo nice


I remember going to a Uni open day in 1989, to the north east, where they were trialling Secret bars. They hadn't hit Derbyshire at that point...I always thought it was like chocolate shredded wheat.


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## Mrs Funkin (Mar 12, 2018)

@mrs phas @Mum2Heidi I'm chuckling as husband is a cereal addict and still has his Humphrey bowl. It gets used most days for his second or third bowl of cereal - it's actually called "a Humphrey" here, as though it's a quantifiable amount of cereal.

Here it is on the side, from this mornings "Humphrey"


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

margy said:


> Brut after shave reminds me of my brother. He used to drench himself in it!


and Old Spice everyone seemed to be using it.

Has Evening in Paris been mentioned.


----------



## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

My dad used Old Spice and Brylcream, it used to leave marks on his armchair.


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Devon violets, Aqua Manda. Hartnell's In Love. Tweed, Coty and Lentheric perfumes.
> Miners make up from woolies. Cake mascara, rouge. My gran used Ponds Vanishing cream and I loved the smell - can still smell it now.
> Lovely nostalgic thread


Coty do many celebrity perfumes I think Sarah Jessica Parker and Britney Spears.

I had never heard of miners cosmetics, I don't know 10 years ago possibly or a bit less some Youtubers were raving about some lip sticks they did which I picked up on Amazon. I don't have them still because they are rubbish. Never be influenced


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

margy said:


> My dad used Old Spice and Brylcream, it used to leave marks on his armchair.


Planes and trains used to have an antimacassar on the headrest of the seat to stop it getting greasy!


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

I remember Luncheon Vouchers. Some food shops, sandwich bars etc would have a sticker with LV on the door/window. Maybe some still do?


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I still remember the smell of the original Palm olive soap, Camay too. The ring of confidence advert for Colgate toothpaste.
A lot if the adverts were funny not like now, they seem to go on forever.


----------



## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

Happy Paws2 said:


> Cream soda with ice cream in.


Oh my gosh.... I loved this when I was a kid & still do


----------



## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

My favourite granddad & nan (my mums parents both died still fairly young, I was in secondary school).
They both were just so lovely.

Every Christmas all my granddad asked for from me & my two older brothers was Fox’s glacier mints.
Anytime I see them when I’m doing my food shopping I think of him.
I still miss him after all this time 
He taught me so many card games, Every Saturday I used to go round there with our family dog Judy & me & him used to walk Judy to the ‘reck’ (a sport field, football, had tennis courts, bowling, cricket) & we’d watch the men play bowls. Nan was back at their home cooking our Saturday dinner.
Then after dinner me & him would play a game of draughts.

My Nan used to have a tiny sherry glass of Harvey’s Bristol Cream every evening.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

When I was young I remember we had a Seafood van come round every Sunday afternoon.
Oh how I hated looking at the seafood.
One Sunday after so much grief from both mum, dad & my two older brothers to try some. I might like it, they said!!!
So gave in & tried some cockles, I didn’t try many. Didn’t think much of them, can’t really remember now but I don’t think they tasted of anything, not horrid but not nice either. Gritty & looked just awful, not like a ‘food’ at all.
Went to bed ok, but I think a little traumatised from eating something that looked revolting to me.
Well the next morning me & my brothers got into the back seat of our mums car, she drove us to our junior school, I just about managed to get out of the car before I had no choice but to be sick in the gutter of the road.........
[email protected]@dy cockles.
I never had them ever again.


We used to have the Corona pop bottles delivered to our house & if you gave the empty bottles back you’d get money for them!!

We had a SodaStream machine, oh my mum used to hate it.
Think she was silently scared of it blowing up!


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

ebonycat said:


> We had a SodaStream machine, oh my mum used to hate it.


Everyone I know tried fizzy milk. Plus it was quite expensive to actual to use, I think it was the 'gas' they used to say so it was a special treat. Same as and fizzy type drink. Not like now, many children are brought up on lots of pop. You never got loads from the corona van, we got pop from the milkman too.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

Every Christmas when I was a kid I asked for a ‘Mr Frosty’.
Mum said it was a complete waste of money & it wouldn’t be any good.
I didn’t believe her. 
I still wanted one.

I never got one :Arghh

It was years later I actually saw one in ‘real life’ (as opposed to in the Argos book). Yes every Christmas me & my brothers would look through the Argos book & write our Christmas wish lists. We didn’t get everything on our lists, one main present each & a few little presents.
We’d also get a ‘family’ present. 
Anyone remember the Commodore 64!! 

Well regarding ‘Mr Frosty’....... 
hated to say it but mum was right :Arghh
It was a complete let down, I was devastated as Mr Frosty was my dream toy & my dream got shattered.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I used to give my two children the Argos catalogue and they chose what they wanted for Christmas. Then me and OH went and got their presents took them to my mams to hide until Christmas day. One year my daughter wanted Barbie's caravan and we couldn't get it. I wrote to relatives all over the country to see if they could get it with no luck. So I gave her a letter from Santa saying sorry but the Elves couldn't keep up with all the toys and they had made a surprise just for her. I got her a kitchen in it's place. Luckily she was thrilled with it.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

We used to have the seafood man come round the pub on a Friday night cockles, whelks, winkles, prawns and these big faux prawn things, looked like badly blown popcorn, painted pink and white, and tasted nothing like prawns at all

Talking of pubs, anyone remember snakebites, having a pickled egg in your bag of ready salted crisps, getting peanuts to float up and down in your lager (a la lava lamp) and the salvation army coming round with a collection tin and copies of the war cry?
(Promise I was only drinking lime and soda guv!)

Edit for spelling


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

margy said:


> I used to give my two children the Argos catalogue and they chose what they wanted for Christmas. Then me and OH went and got their presents took them to my mams to hide until Christmas day. One year my daughter wanted Barbie's caravan and we couldn't get it. I wrote to relatives all over the country to see if they could get it with no luck. So I gave her a letter from Santa saying sorry but the Elves couldn't keep up with all the toys and they had made a surprise just for her. I got her a kitchen in it's place. Luckily she was thrilled with it.


Aww writing a letter from Santa was great thinking 

As kids the Argos catalogue at Christmas was a big thing in our house. I was the youngest so I always looked last 

We each had a white pillow case as our sacks, it had a Santa & our name printed on it.
I always thought it was HUGE...... but finding them in mums airing cupboard years later, they weren't very big at all.

Every year at the bottom of our sacks we'd each get a satsuma & a handful of nuts in shells.


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## HarlequinCat (Nov 29, 2012)

margy said:


> I used to give my two children the Argos catalogue and they chose what they wanted for Christmas. Then me and OH went and got their presents took them to my mams to hide until Christmas day. One year my daughter wanted Barbie's caravan and we couldn't get it. I wrote to relatives all over the country to see if they could get it with no luck. So I gave her a letter from Santa saying sorry but the Elves couldn't keep up with all the toys and they had made a surprise just for her. I got her a kitchen in it's place. Luckily she was thrilled with it.


Oh, I remember my mum used to get us to look through argos and empire catalogues when we were kids. Then write lists with page numbers and order numbers, and to put stars next to things we really liked. I used to enjoy it, mainly because I liked the smell of them as you thumbed along all the pages .
It wouldn't have been the same if we had to look online


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

mrs phas said:


> We used to have the seafood nan come round the pub on a Friday night cockles, whelks, winkles, prawns and these⅖ big faux prawn things, looked like badly blown popcorn, painted pink and white, and tasted nothing like prawns at all
> 
> Talking if pubs, anyone remember snakebites, having a pickled egg in your bag of ready salted crisps, getting peanuts to float up and down in your lager (a la lava lamp) and the salvation army coming round with a collection tin and copies of the war cry?
> (Promise I was only drinking lime and soda guv!)


I'm still living in my hometown (well the next town along).
I can't remember when the seafood van stopped coming round, but it had stopped before I left secondary school.

The Salvation Army drives round our town every Christmas (a couple of weeks before I think).
They have a flat trailer with Santa & his sleigh on top, he rings his bell, waves & shouts Merry Christmas.
I'm 44 at the end of March & I remember they did this when I was very young, so I don't know how long they've actually been doing it.
I have a little supermarket opposite my house & it has enough room just outside their front entrance, on the pavement (to the side a bit) for The Salvation Army, Santa & his sleigh to park there & wish everyone a Merry Christmas as they walk by.
They've been doing that for years as well.

I've heard of a snakebite drink but never tried it. It's larger & blackcurrant, isn't it??
I never liked beer, larger or cider, well I did try drinking cider (diamond white, I think it was called) when I was just a teenager. 
Thankfully that 'faze' didn't last long.
Never really took to drinking anything alcoholic, really didn't like it at all.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

HarlequinCat said:


> Oh, I remember my mum used to get us to look through argos and empire catalogues when we were kids. Then write lists with page numbers and order numbers, and to put stars next to things we really liked. I used to enjoy it, mainly because I liked the smell of them as you thumbed along all the pages .
> It wouldn't have been the same if we had to look online


I loved all that.

No it certainly wouldn't have been the same as looking online.
I look back & we were so happy with every gift.
We wasn't poor but we wasn't rich either, we were taught the value of everything.

I have a picture of me holding up a Pound Puppy to the camera, it was a extra special Christmas present from my oldest brother.
I don't have no toys left from my childhood, only kept the cuddly toys, Care Bears, a fairly large cuddly Ewok and I still have that Pound Puppy!!


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

ebonycat said:


> My Nan used to have a tiny sherry glass of *Harvey's Bristol Cream* every evening.


After my Dad died Mom used to have a small glass before going bed to help her sleep.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

"My Nan used to have a tiny sherry glass of *Harvey's Bristol Cream* every evening.
After my Dad died Mom used to have a small glass before going bed to help her sleep"

It was a Christmas treat for my gran and grandad had Cockburn port. When I was older I was allowed a v small tipple. Didn't like the port.
I was reminiscing earlier in the year and this Christmas my daughter in law gave me a bottle. I'd forgotten how lovely it is. Don't know what Gran would say to keeping it in the fridge and the label turning blue


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Mum2Heidi said:


> It was a Christmas treat for my gran and grandad had Cockburn port. When I was older I was allowed a v small tipple. Didn't like the port.
> I was reminiscing earlier in the year and this Christmas my daughter in law gave me a bottle. I'd forgotten how lovely it is. Don't know what Gran would say to keeping it in the fridge and the label turning blue


I used to like a Port and Lemonade, I but rarely drink now so it's not worth buying a bottle.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

ebonycat said:


> I loved all that.
> 
> No it certainly wouldn't have been the same as looking online.
> I look back & we were so happy with every gift.
> ...


My daughter still has a lot of her childhood toys including a care bear and a pound puppy. As well as a little dog on the end of a lead called Scamps. I passed a lot of her toys on but wish I'd kept them for the grandchildren, especially her big yellow tea pot,her little girl would love that.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

margy said:


> My daughter still has a lot of her childhood toys including a care bear and a pound puppy. As well as a little dog on the end of a lead called Scamps. I passed a lot of her toys on but wish I'd kept them for the grandchildren, especially her big yellow tea pot,her little girl would love that.


Oh my gosh, did your daughter's Big Yellow Teapot have two doors, one at the front & one at the back?
With a family of little figures (& I think with a little dog or cat) & some furniture??
If so, I had the exact same one


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

ebonycat said:


> Oh my gosh, did your daughter's Big Yellow Teapot have two doors, one at the front & one at the back?
> With a family of little figures (& I think with a little dog or cat) & some furniture??
> If so, I had the exact same one


Yes it did. She loved playing with it but I gave it away when she got bigger. Sounds like you are around the same age, she was born in 1985.
Here she is in 1990 with Scamps


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

margy said:


> Yes it did. She loved playing with it but I gave it away when she got bigger. Sounds like you are around the same age, she was born in 1985.
> Here she is in 1990 with Scamps
> View attachment 464874


I was born in 1977.

As I had two older brothers we also had all the original Star Wars toys.
I had all the Care Bear little figure's, a lot of the three different sizes of cuddly Care Bears, a cabbage patch doll, Sindy, Barbie dolls & their houses etc. I also had an early 1980's Silver Cross dolls pram, that my Nan & Granddad (mums mum & dad) brought me.
I kept a lot of it for many years, but it just wasn't practical to hold on to it all.
Mums loft was packed with it all.
We passed it all onto either kids in the family & a children's home charity.

I do wish I had kept hold of a few more things but you can't keep it forever & the way I always 'try' & see these's things is 'the toy/ etc might be gone, but the memories in my head won't go'.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

My son was born in 1979 and he had all the star wars toys, a lot of them are worth a lot of money now. We wish we had kept those!


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

margy said:


> My son was born in 1979 and he had all the star wars toys, a lot of them are worth a lot of money now. We wish we had kept those!


Yep, us too :Bawling


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

margy said:


> My son was born in 1979 and he had all the star wars toys, a lot of them are worth a lot of money now. We wish we had kept those!


My son was born in 1981 and he had all the star war toys as well including the millennium falcon


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

margy said:


> My son was born in 1979 and he had all the star wars toys, a lot of them are worth a lot of money now. We wish we had kept those!





Siskin said:


> My son was born in 1981 and he had all the star war toys as well including the millennium falcon


My sons were born 79 (year of the child) he had all Star Wars bedding. Younger brother born 83 had the falcon and lots of other bits and bobs between them. Last I heard the duvet cover was a dog's bed.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

It's been lovely taking a trip down memory lane thankyou @Happy Paws2 for starting this thread.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

margy said:


> My son was born in 1979 and he had all the star wars toys, a lot of them are worth a lot of money now. We wish we had kept those!





Siskin said:


> My son was born in 1981 and he had all the star war toys as well including the millennium falcon





Mum2Heidi said:


> My sons were born 79 (year of the child) he had all Star Wars bedding. Younger brother born 83 had the falcon and lots of other bits and bobs between them. Last I heard the duvet cover was a dog's bed.


As I had two older brothers & they certainly wouldn't have played with Care Bears :Arghh
If I wanted to be apart of their gang I had to play like a boy.
So it was Star Wars, Action Man, Scalextric, Meccano, He-Man, although I did have She-Ra & if I remember rightly He-Man was She-Ra's twin??? They were definitely brother & sister, my brothers would let me bring She-Ra into their game, sometimes....
Because they were my brothers & because I really looked up to them I did everything I could to fit in.
I did LOVE the Scalextric though, oh & Hornby train set.
Dad completely boarded out our loft, he then laid down two huge train tracks, fake grass, model houses, trees, stations etc.
I even had my very own girlie Polly train.

I loved the Star Wars films.

One thing I didn't like, actually I hated them & still do.
Porcelain dolls :Bawling:Bawling
Those 'things' freaked me out so much. So much so that when my mum, thinking I might like it, brought me one :Bawling
I didn't tell her for at least a few weeks because I didn't want her to think I was ungrateful, but every night before I went to bed I 'had' to turn her box round so that she was facing the wall instead of me & my bed... it was/ is their eyes, it feels like they are looking into your soul.... bbbbbrrrrrr shivers down my spine.

Anyone remember the Pierrot clown doll, now that one I sort of liked (not sure why, maybe because it didn't look as 'life like' as the other dolls) I even had the bedcover set.
It was years later when mum actually admitted that she 'hated' that one..


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

margy said:


> It's been lovely taking a trip down memory lane thankyou @Happy Paws2 for starting this thread.


Yes I agree, Lovely thread idea @Happy Paws2


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

margy said:


> My daughter still has a lot of her childhood toys including a care bear and a pound puppy. As well as a little dog on the end of a lead called Scamps. I passed a lot of her toys on but wish I'd kept them for the grandchildren, especially her big yellow tea pot,her little girl would love that.


I had a Scamps! I remember falling in love with it from the TV adverts and saving up all my Christmas money and pocket money until I had enough. Then finally getting it and being disappointed because I'd thought it would 'really' walk, when it was actually just a push-along toy! But I pretended to love it because I was too proud to admit it to my parents...

I was born in 1984 but didn't have many of the 'trendy' toys from the 80s and 90s because they were too expensive. I remember my dad making the home-made Blue Peter Tracy Island for my brother, though - does anyone remember that?

I also remember Isal Medicated - the school I went to for sixth form was really old-fashioned and still had it in the year 2000!


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

NaomiM said:


> I remember my dad making the home-made Blue Peter Tracy Island for my brother, though - does anyone remember that?


Yes - but only because they show that Blue Peter one for laughs sometimes on tv shows today. I think it was about 1992 there was the shortage of tracy islands for Christmas. I was grown up by then but didnt yet have my own kids so the 80s to early 90s were a toyless zone to me!

My own toys were mainly 70s. Things like spirograph, haunted house board game, skateboards, roller skates, sindy doll, baby alive doll, a potters wheel.

Elastics at school. Loved that. Leapfrog. Rubiks cubes

My brother had a chopper bike. Action man. Hornby trains. Mamod steam toys. Skalectrix. Matchbox cars that did loop the loop.

For my own kids pokemon, teletubbies my mind is blank already!!!!! Fidgit spinners. Those electronic pet things you had to feed and look after.

We tended to get our boys into the wooden brio trains and the girls into playmobil and build on that for christmas and birthdays - neatly avoiding having too many different crazes in the house that make more clutter.

Though my youngest daughter got into collecting schleich horses big style and she had loads and loads. She wont part with them!


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## Dave S (May 31, 2010)

The song;

"There are two men in my life
To one I am a mother
To the other I'm a wife
And I give them both the best
I give them Shredded Wheat"

Also the "Nimble Bread" girl sailing away under a hot air balloon; there was an accident filming that advert and she broke both ankles, she lived quite nicely on the compensation.

And Terry Scott dressed as a schoolboy and advertising Curly Whirlies.

The "Shake and Vac" advert and that awful song and the woman wiggling her butt as she vacuumed. If my wife did that I would think she had piles!

Remember the toothpaste advert that said it contained "ZCT" quite a few times and even had it come up in a star?
I went into the supermarket to look at what "ZCT" actually is. It is about 15 letters long, totally unproduceable and does not say what it does, but, rest assured we ended up with a gob-full of it.

Skoda car adverts - how many ways you say Skoda depends on which advertising agency does it.
One was Skod a, another Skowda, same as Hyundai, pronounced Hi Un Di, or Shaun Dai, again different ad agencies.


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## Dave S (May 31, 2010)

And then there was "Eden Vale Yogurt is a young idea" with the good looking guy smiling.
I think it was sung by Eden Kane also known as Richard Sarstedt, elder brother of Peter and Robin.


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## Dave S (May 31, 2010)

Do you remember the 1960's Mods and Rockers.
Planned riots at Brighton and Southend sea fronts.

Mods had scooters, either Lambrettas or Vespas. (Posh ones had the Lambo's). Loads of mirrors hanging from them as well as Esso petrol "Tiger tails" and whip aerials.
The Rockers had Aerial Square 4, BSA Goldstars and Triumph Daytona and Bonneville motor bikes - 500cc upwards,(no Jap Crap then) leather jackets with fringes and tried to look menacing.
Police joined in for good measure.
Just found this link https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140515-when-two-tribes-went-to-war

Also, for the Londoner amongst us - the big traffic light junction of the Edgeware Road/North Circular at Staples Corner.
Bikers used to wait just a little up the road on the North Circular and wait until the lights had just turned from green to amber and "race" them to get over before the red.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

I was a bit later than that, around '78
Had a 125 BSA, I was a tiny thing when I was 17 and dropped anything heavier
Not quite the mods n rockers of my childhood,
but
still went to Clacton and Southend for BH meets, the parking down the seafront, at Southend, looked fantastic with bikes in a double row from top to bottom
Did a few rocking toy runs, which were great fun, hundred or more bikers delivering toys to hospitals
A devoted rocker here, ended up marrying a mod, all Pringle jumpers, button down shirts and ties, plus the ever present ubiquitous fishtail Parka

You can't help who you fall in love with

Now?
Well I'm a bit of a hypocrite, Ross (youngest) picks up his bike, as soon as lockdown finishes and the place opens up again (april 12?)
And
This mummy is dreading it (he's 26)
I've finally turned into a helicopter mum


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

I was always a mod. Nice looking boy down the road was a mod with a scooter covered in headlights. He occasionally gave me a lift to school which I was thrilled about. OH on the other hand was into motorbikes although not really a rocker


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Happy Paws2 said:


> I used to like a Port and Lemonade, I but rarely drink now so it's not worth buying a bottle.


We were allowed a very weak port & lemon as teenagers at family occasions 

I'm not really a drinker ... bought myself a bottle of Prosecco for Mother's Day and it's still in the fridge unopened.

The cupcakes on the other hand were demolished by lunchtime!


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## Dave S (May 31, 2010)

mrs phas - you rebel you...…………

BSA Bantem, bet it had all the fairings.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

Dave S said:


> mrs phas - you rebel you...…………
> 
> BSA Bantem, bet it had all the fairings.


I admit to still having my original honda p50 in my shed, needs doing up though
That little bike has travelled with me wherever I've moved to, it's like an old tatty teddy from ones childhood, never again to be played with,
but 
holds memories that you never want to lose


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## Jim40 (Apr 2, 2020)

Has anybody mentioned Creamola FOAM. Also Spangles. Those were the days.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Lurcherlad said:


> We were allowed a very weak port & lemon as teenagers at family occasions


My first drink in a pub was Cinzano and lemonade. Dubonnet was popular as well


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

When on holiday with my parents I was allowed a shandy or snowball. At new years eve I could have a Babycham. I was about 14.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

I used to be allowed a Snowball at Christmas when I was about that age.

I remember Cherry B as well.


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Jim40 said:


> New Has anybody mentioned Creamola FOAM


They found an old tin a few years ago and have been able to recreate the recipe, which had been lost until then.

But - Royal Chiffon dessert? Does NOBODY remember it? I'm starting to doubt myself.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I remember getting a feather cut hairstyle in the seventies. I wasn't a skin head but friends wore stay press trousers and crombie coats.


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## jelena2020 (Mar 29, 2021)

ebonycat said:


> As I had two older brothers & they certainly wouldn't have played with Care Bears :Arghh
> If I wanted to be apart of their gang I had to play like a boy.
> So it was Star Wars, Action Man, Scalextric, Meccano, He-Man, although I did have She-Ra & if I remember rightly He-Man was She-Ra's twin??? They were definitely brother & sister, my brothers would let me bring She-Ra into their game, sometimes....
> Because they were my brothers & because I really looked up to them I did everything I could to fit in.
> ...


I was never a fan of the movies, but the toys...man I loved them!


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

ebonycat said:


> Dad completely boarded out our loft, he then laid down two huge train tracks, fake grass, model houses, trees, stations etc.


I would have loved that. I was always a tomboy and it was my dream to own a train set. My parents had friends with kids a similar age to me and my brother, and their son had a bunk bed the bottom bunk of which was converted into a big battery-powered train set layout. I was so envious but I was never allowed to play with it - I had to play Barbies with their daughter instead... :Arghh


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

margy said:


> I remember getting a* feather cut hairstyle in the seventies*. I wasn't a skin head but friends wore stay press trousers and crombie coats.


Was that the one with cut shortish on top and long into the neck, if so I had one of those but can't remember what they were called.

And I wore a mini, mini skirt been tall I could wear them shorter than most girls.:Jawdrop


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Happy Paws2 said:


> Was that the one with cut shortish on top and long into the neck, if so I had one of those but can't remember what they were called.
> 
> And I wore a mini, mini skirt been tall I could wear them shorter than most girls.:Jawdrop


Yes that's right. I wore really short mini skirts too early seventies, and hot pants. Along with high platform shoes and white boots.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

margy said:


> Yes that's right. I wore really short mini skirts too early seventies, and hot pants. *Along with high platform shoes and white boots.*


I had white boots, but I was to tall for platform shoes.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

posted twice


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

During the 60’s I had a pair of long dove pink suede platform heeled boots, they were just gorgeous and I wore them constantly until they fell apart. I still remember them with a great deal of fondness.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Platform shoes, high waisted flares. Cut my old jeans to the knee and inserted contrast panels to make them flared.
Hot pants, tartan mini skirts (Bay City Rollers). Black patent lace to the knee boots. Feather cut hair with a concave fringe like Dave Hill (Slade)


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Platform shoes, high waisted flares. Cut my old jeans to the knee and inserted contrast panels to make them flared.
> Hot pants, tartan mini skirts (Bay City Rollers). Black patent lace to the knee boots. Feather cut hair with a concave fringe like Dave Hill (Slade)


I remember seeing those 2 tone trousers in my Jackie magazine. I had some Oxford bags, I remember a lovely suede patchwork mini skirt I got to wear to the school disco. Happy times.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

When short skirts were just coming out I remember buying a dress which was about 5 inches above my knee, Mom said Dad your wouldn't let you go out in that, so a couple of days later she told me to put it on and show Dad, she said to him that I'd brought this dress a few days before but it was to short so she'd let the hem down, he looked at me said it was lovely. 

The shortest skirt I ever wore was 9 inches above my knee it was a black and white kilt, I wore it with a pink top and white boots.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I think we remember certain clothes because we didn't often get new clothes. I got a rig out spring and winter. Clothes had to last there wasn't cheap clothes like primark where you buy something cheap wear it a few times and throw it away. Any new outfit was treasured and kept for best. Even now I have old clothes I wear around the house and best clothes I wear if I'm going somewhere.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

margy said:


> I remember seeing those 2 tone trousers in my Jackie magazine. I had some Oxford bags, I remember a lovely suede patchwork mini skirt I got to wear to the school disco. Happy times.


I used to have Jackie mag. Bet that's where I got the jean idea. I also had a patchwork suede skirt - you've reminded me. Poppers up the front.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

NaomiM said:


> I would have loved that. I was always a tomboy and it was my dream to own a train set. My parents had friends with kids a similar age to me and my brother, and their son had a bunk bed the bottom bunk of which was converted into a big battery-powered train set layout. I was so envious but I was never allowed to play with it - I had to play Barbies with their daughter instead... :Arghh


I did have lots of Sindy, Barbie dolls, about three larger dolls, that could be carried around & put in a pram, one toddler size doll (my Nan & Granddad brought me her, she had a short curly hair), & one new born cabbage patch doll......... 
I did play with them sometimes but my brothers toys seemed so much more fun.
Meccano was so cool, Lego, Dinky cars.

Both brothers are older than me & they were into everything...
Every Saturday mum took me to a riding school, I loved being around the horses.
But every Sunday dad, mum, both brothers & me would go to the local outside dirt race track & brothers would race their 125cc Scrambler motor bikes.
Oh man I so wanted to do what they were doing. Seriously.... I did ask a few times but got told motor bikes were too dangerous for girls!!!
Even though mum had a motor bike when she was at secondary school.
Dad was hugely into cars, motor bikes & speed boats.
I spent so many hours sitting in the garage watching him & my eldest brother strip down cars & bikes, then rebuild.

I love our train tracks in the loft.
It was pure joy.

I just loved being with my brothers & getting into stuff. Camping in a tent in our garden, eating cold beans out of the can, going to the stream round the corner & catching frogs, toads & newts & bringing them home & putting them in our pond.
Catching slow worms. 
Because we had a huge field at the bottom of our garden we had a few weekly visits from mice so I'd help my brothers set up humane mouse traps & put them in our sheds & our garage.
Then I'd take the traps to the field & release the mice, for it all to happen again the following week.

I wasn't at all good at climbing trees though.


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## Psygon (Apr 24, 2013)

ebonycat said:


> As I had two older brothers & they certainly wouldn't have played with Care Bears :Arghh
> If I wanted to be apart of their gang I had to play like a boy.
> So it was Star Wars, Action Man, Scalextric, Meccano, He-Man, although I did have She-Ra & if I remember rightly He-Man was She-Ra's twin??? They were definitely brother & sister, my brothers would let me bring She-Ra into their game, sometimes....
> Because they were my brothers & because I really looked up to them I did everything I could to fit in.
> ...


I had a lot of the She-Ra action figures when I was little. And I think some figures that were called golden girls. They were like warrior girl action figures. I remember they had horses and that was the bit I liked best.

My sister recently dug out some old photos from Christmas in the mid 80s where I was clutching a cuddly Ewok. I had totally forgotten that I even liked Ewoks and Star Wars till I saw that heh


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

I had a rah - rah skirt !!

I remember begging my mum to let me have a ‘corkscrew’ perm in the early 90’s......
My hair was right down my back, touching my bum, I had it tied into a plait & the hairdresser cut the plait clean off.
Mum was weird, she kept that chunk of hair for YEARS!!! I’m not kidding.
She told me I’d regret cutting it all off.
She was so right, I hated that perm & to top it all the hairdresser burnt my scalp.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

Psygon said:


> I had a lot of the She-Ra action figures when I was little. And I think some figures that were called golden girls. They were like warrior girl action figures. I remember they had horses and that was the bit I liked best.
> 
> My sister recently dug out some old photos from Christmas in the mid 80s where I was clutching a cuddly Ewok. I had totally forgotten that I even liked Ewoks and Star Wars till I saw that heh


I still have my large cuddly Ewok, he even has a little cloak on that has a tiny Velcro patch to hold it on.
I even remember dad had taken mum to Birmingham for the night to see Cliff Richard in concert, she was a huge Cliff fan.
They brought the Ewok while they were there,

I think I had a few flower fairies as well.
I remember a few books I LOVED when I was a kid, not sure if anyone else remembers them??
'What - a - mess, he was an Afghan Hound. I absolutely loved those books.
And also a rhythm book called 'the giant jam sandwich'.
Mum still has that book.


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

Happy Paws2 said:


> When short skirts were just coming out I remember buying a dress which was about 5 inches above my knee, Mom said Dad your wouldn't let you go out in that, so a couple of days later she told me to put it on and show Dad, she said to him that I'd brought this dress a few days before but it was to short so she'd let the hem down, he looked at me said it was lovely.
> 
> The shortest skirt I ever wore was 9 inches above my knee it was a black and white kilt, I wore it with a pink top and white boots.


Ha ha I had a little kilt that I worn for the first time when we traveled up to London for a night out in the West End, Joesph & the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Jason Donovan was Joesph.
The skirt was very short!!


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

ebonycat said:


> I remember a few books I LOVED when I was a kid, not sure if anyone else remembers them??
> 'What - a - mess, he was an Afghan Hound. I absolutely loved those books.
> And also a rhythm book called 'the giant jam sandwich'.
> Mum still has that book.


I remember What-A-Mess, but on TV! I think he briefly had his own series. My parents-in-law have _The Giant Jam Sandwich_ and used to read it to my hubby and his sister when they were little. Now all my kids love it! "One hot summer in Itching Down, four million wasps flew into town!"


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## ebonycat (May 15, 2016)

NaomiM said:


> I remember What-A-Mess, but on TV! I think he briefly had his own series. My parents-in-law have _The Giant Jam Sandwich_ and used to read it to my hubby and his sister when they were little. Now all my kids love it! "One hot summer in Itching Down, four million wasps flew into town!"


Hahaha
Sometimes I'll be talking to my mum just normally & then all of a sudden she'll just come out & start telling the story. I love it, makes me smile so much.

Yes I remember What-a-Mess on tv as well. He had a little duck on his head


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## Psygon (Apr 24, 2013)

ebonycat said:


> I still have my large cuddly Ewok, he even has a little cloak on that has a tiny Velcro patch to hold it on.
> I even remember dad had taken mum to Birmingham for the night to see Cliff Richard in concert, she was a huge Cliff fan.
> They brought the Ewok while they were there,
> 
> ...












Don't think I still have mine anywhere! This was my Ewoks first Christmas :-D


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## Psygon (Apr 24, 2013)

ebonycat said:


> I still have my large cuddly Ewok, he even has a little cloak on that has a tiny Velcro patch to hold it on.
> I even remember dad had taken mum to Birmingham for the night to see Cliff Richard in concert, she was a huge Cliff fan.
> They brought the Ewok while they were there,
> 
> ...


I also remember what a mess! Loved that dog!


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Mum2Heidi said:


> I used to have *Jackie mag*. Bet leanghthat's where I got the jean idea. I also had a patchwork suede skirt - you've reminded me. Poppers up the front.


I remember the having the Bunty as well



ebonycat said:


> She was so right, I hated that* perm *& to top it all the hairdresser burnt my scalp.


 I use to have a perm, I keep it for years, at the time I loved it, no hassle shoulder length hair just get up wet it and leave to dry (it's now called now frizzy):Hilarious


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I loved the Bunty and Judy comics too.
My parents bought my son a Fisher Price cassette player,when he was a toddler and a favourite story he loved which was a cassette and a book was called Noodle the poodle and the scallywag gang. It was about a gang of naughty dogs. Unfortunately when we moved it got lost or given to charity. I have looked online to try to find that story but it's no longer in print. Another thing my dad did for my son was record story books onto a cassette ,tinkling a little bell when my son had to turn the page. How I wish I still had that tape of dads voice, I wish I'd put it somewhere safe to keep, especially as he died before my daughter was born so she never knew him.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

I used to have The Bunty for years as a child. I used to be given 6d each week pocket money (two and a half pee decimal) which I think bought me the Bunty and a few penny sweets. Every now and again I would look at a Mars bar which I think was 6d and yearn to have one, but that would mean giving up the Bunty and those penny sweets that week. Basic economics I guess


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

JoanneF said:


> They found an old tin a few years ago and have been able to recreate the recipe, which had been lost until then.
> 
> But - Royal Chiffon dessert? Does NOBODY remember it? I'm starting to doubt myself.









Was it this? Found this (believe it or not) on eBay. Think it might be past it's sell-by date. @JoanneF


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## JoanneF (Feb 1, 2016)

Linda Weasel said:


> View attachment 465500
> Was it this? Found this (believe it or not) on eBay. Think it might be past it's sell-by date. @JoanneF


I wonder if that was it! Thank you @Linda Weasel

I used to love it.


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

@ebonycat I love you talking about all your childhood as I remember all those things too..

Yay for whatamess! Loved him was gutted that I must have read the book so many times that it got so tatty. I had one book and I can't remember now what he did in it.. Mum kept loads of my books and my children read and enjoyed many but sadly no what a mess!


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Flared trousers....

Men wearing kipper ties or matching flower patterned shirts and ties.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I love watching old reruns of Bullseye, purely for the fashion. White shoes for the woman blousy dresses with huge shoulder pads, very Dynasty! And the men with their coloured jacket sleeves rolled up. I often laugh at eighties fashion and think did we really wear that?


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

Can anyone remember soap on a rope? I don't even know if you can still buy bars of soap. I'll have to look next time I'm in Morrisons.


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

margy said:


> Can anyone remember soap on a rope? I don't even know if you can still buy bars of soap. I'll have to look next time I'm in Morrisons.


I do. You used it in the shower.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

margy said:


> Can anyone remember soap on a rope? I don't even know if you can still buy bars of soap. I'll have to look next time I'm in Morrisons.


I only buy bars of soap now to save on all the plastic with liquid soap and shower gel.

To save on the slimy soap dish scenario, I use a natty device at the kitchen and bathroom sinks that hangs the soap using magnets.


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## margy (Dec 9, 2018)

I know this is an old thread but there's a smell in my house at the moment that reminds me of Ajax. Anyone remember it? It was a powder that you cleaned baths with, before jiff liquid became popular and then later sprays.


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

margy said:


> I know this is an old thread but there's a smell in my house at the moment that reminds me of Ajax. Anyone remember it? It was a powder that you cleaned baths with, before jiff liquid became popular and then later sprays.


Yes, I remember Ajax


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

SbanR said:


> Yes, I remember Ajax


And Vim


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## SbanR (Jun 16, 2017)

lymorelynn said:


> And Vim


Oh yes


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

margy said:


> I know this is an old thread but there's a smell in my house at the moment that reminds me of Ajax. Anyone remember it? It was a powder that you cleaned baths with, before jiff liquid became popular and then later sprays.


You can still buy here. I use it for the really stubborn stains on saucepans that nothing else will get rid of.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

lymorelynn said:


> And Vim


You can still buy it and Ajax

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vim-Origin...ocphy=1007136&hvtargid=pla-698636621253&psc=1


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I remember Vim. My gran used to clean the kitchen floor with it(amongst other things). Round metal silver twist top with holes on cardboard container?
I liked the idea of sprinkling powder on the floor. At a very young age when she was rescuing washing from a shower I couldn’t get the top open so used her washing powder instead. “Sprinkled” it everywhere. She wasn’t best pleased. don’t remember the punishment just the feeling of euphoria whilst I was doing it.

I still have my afro comb from 70’s afro perm. Been using it on my wet hair in the shower ever since.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Mum2Heidi said:


> I still have my afro comb from 70's afro perm. Been using it on my wet hair in the shower ever since.


I've still got mine, when we had Dillon I sometimes used it to comb though his long hair.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

mrs phas said:


> Am I the only one who did, and still does, love butterscotch angel delight?


Loved butterscotch angel delight (as well as other flavours) as a child.

Mum sometimes made a special desert which was a biscuit base and angel delight on the top.



NaomiM said:


> I had a Scamps! I remember falling in love with it from the TV adverts and saving up all my Christmas money and pocket money until I had enough. Then finally getting it and being disappointed because I'd thought it would 'really' walk, when it was actually just a push-along toy! But I pretended to love it because I was too proud to admit it to my parents...
> 
> I was born in 1984 but didn't have many of the 'trendy' toys from the 80s and 90s because they were too expensive. I remember my dad making the home-made Blue Peter Tracy Island for my brother, though - does anyone remember that?
> 
> I also remember Isal Medicated - the school I went to for sixth form was really old-fashioned and still had it in the year 2000!


I remember watching the Tracy Island build.



ebonycat said:


> I still have my large cuddly Ewok, he even has a little cloak on that has a tiny Velcro patch to hold it on.
> I even remember dad had taken mum to Birmingham for the night to see Cliff Richard in concert, she was a huge Cliff fan.
> They brought the Ewok while they were there,
> 
> ...


I still have my What-A-Mess book.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

ForestWomble said:


> Loved *butterscotch angel delight* (as well as other flavours) as a child.
> 
> .


Butterscotch was my favourite as well. I still buy it from Sainsbury's it makes a quick pud. when I've got some milk to spare.


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## Jim40 (Apr 2, 2020)

Just been watching an old 'bidding room' on TV. Featured was a Victorian goffering iron. So moving forward in time to the thread title. Does anyone remember ' Robin Starch '. In my younger day before I left school I worked for a man who supplied all his staff with their shirts and blouses for the women. All our shirts had removable collars which had to starched. Those were the days.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Jim40 said:


> Just been watching an old 'bidding room' on TV. Featured was a Victorian goffering iron. So moving forward in time to the thread title. Does anyone remember ' Robin Starch '. In my younger day before I left school I worked for a man who supplied all his staff with their shirts and blouses for the women. All our shirts had removable collars which had to starched. Those were the days.


I remember Mom starching Dad's collars with Robin Starch.


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