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

[Dorsetmike]

That Horace Batchelor was a big swindle, he'd have a massive large permutation and send out different blocks  of it to different punters so usually at least one or two would get a win and he'd take his percentage.

[steve836]

It was produced, I believe, at the Frys Keynsham plant from 1902 to 1976, Martin.

!

Who was that chap on, I think, Radio Luxembourg who advertised that he had a system for the pools--- he came from" Keynsham nr.Bristol Spelt---- "

Horace Batchelor was the man

I use to listen to Radio Luxembourg under the covers in bed and his name was always popping up

Thats the fellow!
We used to do the same at school.

[austinbob]

That Horace Batchelor was a big swindle, he'd have a massive large permutation and send out different blocks  of it to different punters so usually at least one or two would get a win and he'd take his percentage.

Hi Mike

I must admit, listening to all the music under the covers was my priority. Horace Batchelor was a serious interruption to my music. I didn't understand what Pools were at the time - I just wished he would go away. Sounds like anyone who invested in his pools scam felt the same way!!

[Agrippa]

As the saying goes , the past is a foreign country.

In the small ads in the papers there were always ads for trusses and Charles Atlas
with a jessie getting sand kicked in his face by a big bully, until he took up a
bodybuilding course and turned the tables on the bully and got the girl.

I also remember a teach yourself ballroom dancing course to do in your
own home. It was like a roll of wallpaper with footprints on it showing
where to put your feet for certain dances.

BTW , I think Horace Batchelor is one of the band in "The Intro and the Outro" by
the Bonzos.

[austinbob]

As the saying goes , the past is a foreign country.

In the small ads in the papers there were always ads for trusses and Charles Atlas
with a jessie getting sand kicked in his face by a big bully, until he took up a
bodybuilding course and turned the tables on the bully and got the girl.

I also remember a teach yourself ballroom dancing course to do in your
own home. It was like a roll of wallpaper with footprints on it showing
where to put your feet for certain dances.

BTW , I think Horace Batchelor is one of the band in "The Intro and the Outro" by
the Bonzos.

I think you're right about Horace Batchelor in that band - https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/3108578136/

[steve836]

That Horace Batchelor was a big swindle, he'd have a massive large permutation and send out different blocks  of it to different punters so usually at least one or two would get a win and he'd take his percentage.

Hi Mike

I must admit, listening to all the music under the covers was my priority. Horace Batchelor was a serious interruption to my music. I didn't understand what Pools were at the time - I just wished he would go away. Sounds like anyone who invested in his pools scam felt the same way!!

He had much the same effect on me! I always thought it must be some sort of scam -- If his system was that good why didn't he just do the pools himself!

[longbridge]

One thing I really miss is a bag of Smiths Crisps with the little bag of salt, here in Australia we never got the little bag of salt and they call Crisps "Potato Chips", they put so much salt on them that they are a Cardiologists nightmare so I don't eat them these days.

I used to look forward to a Sunday outing with the family and a stop at the pub in Worcester for a packet of Crisps and a bottle of Pop.

[steve836]

How about the music? My all time favourite is "Stranger on the Shore" by Akka Bilk - Lousy soap but great tune. One of my favourite artists still is Tom Lehrer

[Tdm]

How about the music? My all time favourite is "Stranger on the Shore" by Akka Bilk - Lousy soap but great tune. One of my favourite artists still is Tom Lehrer

First 2 records I ever bought were 78s, "Diana" by Paul Anka, and "Last Train to San Fernando" by Johnny Duncan and the Blue Grass boys, and the 1st LP was one I won by having a letter published in "Disc" magazine and it was the 1st Everly Brothers LP.

Used to like instrumentals in those days and bought and still have several Johnny & the Hurricanes 45s and Duane Eddy 45s. Still got a couple of EPs too which might be worth something now - the Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Shadows to the Fore".

Also still got quite a number of LPs including a couple of Led Zeppelin ones, and quite a few Beatles, as well as Bob Dylan's "Free Wheelin" etc.

[Trainfish]

One thing I really miss is a bag of Smiths Crisps with the little bag of salt, here in Australia we never got the little bag of salt and they call Crisps "Potato Chips", they put so much salt on them that they are a Cardiologists nightmare so I don't eat them these days.

I used to look forward to a Sunday outing with the family and a stop at the pub in Worcester for a packet of Crisps and a bottle of Pop.

I learnt very quickly never to buy those crisps at the cinema. You couldn't see the blue bag in the dark and usually ended up with 1 very chewy salty 'crisp' 

[joe cassidy]

Was still at school when I first started drinking beer (although under age). It was at a Saturday night dance during the interval when we would sneak out to a nearby off license and buy bottles of Youngers No. 3 which we quickly gulped down before heading back to the dance.

Me and my mates started drinking beer at the Tamworth Football Club Social Club disco nights on Wednesdays and Fridays. The entry-level drink was "Macky & Vimto", and as we didn't have much money the trick was to make 3 pints last all night. If you didn't like beer there was rum & black. The thing to avoid at all costs was girls who drank brandy & Babycham - that could wipe out a whole night's beer money in one go.

Best regards,


Joe

[joe cassidy]

Collecting really gruesome pics of the American Civil War from bubble gum packs

I  still remember the taste of that bubble gum. You used to get facsimile confederate banknotes in the packet too. The other bubble gum cards we used to collect were the 'Man from Uncle' ones. The backs were printed with parts of a giant jigsaw. Never did finish that jigsaw !

Best regards,


Joe

[Newportnobby]

Collecting really gruesome pics of the American Civil War from bubble gum packs

I  still remember the taste of that bubble gum. You used to get facsimile confederate banknotes in the packet too. The other bubble gum cards we used to collect were the 'Man from Uncle' ones. The backs were printed with parts of a giant jigsaw. Never did finish that jigsaw !

Best regards,


Joe

Ah yes - black & white pics of Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin.
I also collected all the Beatles signed cards but, again, they mysteriously vanished in a house move

[Komata]

Them wos the days weren't they (and we were somewhat younger too..)

One word which might jog some  memories: 'Telstar' (no, not Ford's product; the first comms. satellite), and the tune forever associated with it?

Which leads nicely into the matter of cereal packet toys; specifically the 'space craft' series which were in Kornies (I think)  packets, and also the clip together flexible open plastic squares which could be used to make all manner of things...

And, especially for (the former, now possibly 'reformed' ) proto-anarchists in our midst,  who can remember (and complete) a certain phrase which began 'I am not a number...?

Patrick McGoohan's 'The Prisoner'; was VERY influential and it is STILL one of my personal favourites.

The phrase is still very, very relevant (possibly even more so than when it was first uttered).

[joe cassidy]

One of the things I hated as a kid at school in England in the sixties was "games". We had to play rugby and football in winter (from September to April for those overseas) and cricket in summer. The "teachers" used to let the two best kids pick teams, which involved them choosing the best players one by one until only the duffers were left. I was one of the duffers, and I have to say that this was the most humiliating experience in my life. Since then I have always hated sport. I wonder if this system of picking teams was something that was taught in teacher training college, or whether one individual sadist invented it ?

Best regards,


Joe