For those amongst us who remember:- "When I was a boy"!

[steve836]

The only school uniform we had was a cap and tie.

OMG! That evinces a scary image


We had caps in winter and boaters in summer, a nice little earner, you could sell one to American tourists for a fiver, then nip round to the school outfitters and get a new one for £2.10s 0d

[Malc]

They were long and wide, the ties. Coming from the North East, we had it hard.

[Newportnobby]

They were long and wide, the ties. Coming from the North East, we had it hard.

I say! Steady on!
Family forum and all that, Malc

[Bealman]

I went to grammar school in the NE too, and talking about hard, they'd always put me in goal 'cos I was so bad, and it was hell diving for the ball and landing on the permafrost ground in January.

[joe cassidy]

Moving to Africa was a bit of a culture shock at the age of eight because I loved living in London.

The culture shock was worse for me - we moved from Reading (Berkshire) to Tamworth (Staffordshire).

Best regards,


Joe

[longbridge]

I used to go to Turves Green Secondary Modern school, like Malc a Cap and Tie was our uniform, talk about culture shock  we moved to Australia in 1957, I was just 13,
I was sent to one of the worst schools in Melbourne, so many different nationalities and languages to contend with, sadly any English boys (pommy Bs) were at the bottom of the pecking order, it was pure hell, anyhow myself and another English mate got into trouble and thankfully got expelled.

[joe cassidy]

Do any of you lads still have Fag Cards ?.

Not fag cards but PG Tips cards. I had a great collection - "Transport through the ages", "Wildlife in Danger" etc. - but I swapped them all for a load of Superman comics.

Best regards,


Joe

[daveg]

Moving to Africa was a bit of a culture shock at the age of eight because I loved living in London.

The culture shock was worse for me - we moved from Reading (Berkshire) to Tamworth (Staffordshire).

Best regards,


Joe

At age 7 we moved from Welwyn Garden City to Londonderry. A totally different world and language. Then at 9 years old we moved again. This time to west Cornwall.

I'm amazed I got any education at all - some say I didn't! 

Dave G

[colpatben]

How about your first Saturday job?

When my stepfather stopped driving buses, yes the same route No.7 that my mum was a clippie on, he drove a paraffin delivery lorry of 1000 gallons capacity and his round was Ladbroke Grove to Westbourne Grove (London W11), and at age 11-12 I was a Saturday boy at 10 shilling a day plus tips.
Paraffin at that time 1955-1960, was the principle heating and cooking fuel for many families in West London.
The work was not at all pleasant. You collected the one, two or five gallon empty cans from the doorstep and filled then from the lorry nozzles, when the paraffin splashed on your bare hands and trouser legs it evaporated and you got very cold. You returned the filled and now heavy cans to the customer for payment.

A piece of social history from the 1950s.

[port perran]

Do any of you lads still have Fag Cards ?.

Not fag cards but PG Tips cards. I had a great collection - "Transport through the ages", "Wildlife in Danger" etc. - but I swapped them all for a load of Superman comics.

Best regards,
Joe

I had some good collections of PG cards inc Trees of Britain, British Birds, Butterflies of Britain and others which I can't remember.
Do you remember those Esso coins with all the England 1966 World Cup players on ?

[talisman56]

Do you remember those Esso coins with all the England 1966 World Cup players on ?

Yes! My dad was a VRC Maintenance Engineer so had to drive all over the place - he collected for us enough coins to make 2 sets up, bar a second Geoff Hurst, which I managed to get by swapping one of the many Bobby Moore coins we had with friend. I don't know where the sets are now but I know he didn't get rid of them - they should be worth a mint now...

[Bealman]

Moving to Africa was a bit of a culture shock at the age of eight because I loved living in London.

Did -laughing:


The culture shock was worse for me - we moved from Reading (Berkshire) to Tamworth (Staffordshire).

Best regards,


Joe

At age 7 we moved from Welwyn Garden City to Londonderry. A totally different world and language. Then at 9 years old we moved again. This time to west Cornwall.

I'm amazed I got any education at all - some say I didn't! 

Dave G

I didn't say that. 

Amazing the stuff that's coming up on this thread. We'll be hearing Deep Purple soon!

[Bealman]

And yes, I remember those coins, but I question if they would be worth a mint.

[MikeDunn]

Oh, I dunno ... I'd offer a Polo for a set ... and no, not the car or game 

[Bealman]

Ya know what? I've been in Australia for so long, and even with two trips back there in less than 12 months, I REALLY had to think about that!

Polo! Mints!

Over here they're a shirt!