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

[Agrippa]

So far no one has mentioned Action Man.

When I was young we were poor and didn't get much for Xmas, one year
I was given an empty box, the label said "Action Man Deserter".

[Malc]

Do you remember Bazooka Joe bubble gum? I seem to remember it came with a bit of a still from a motion picture film. Usually cut across the middle.

[MalcolmInN]

I was given an empty box,

When I was young we were so poor that my Dublo train set did not come with a platform, I had to use an empty cardboard box !

This thought was triggered by P-D's review of the Seaside Excursion set that comes from Farish  with no platform.
I agree with him that it should be -1 point for that, I mean boys ( and honorary boys (hiya girls !) *) of all ages expect a platform in a passenger set do they not ?

EDIT I mean
* boys of both sexes and all ages

that's better !!

[Tdm]

When I was young I remember Harold McMillan saying "we never had it so good", so I took him at his word and started really enjoying myself. You know I think he was right as things have never been quite the same since.

My first venture into model railways was when I bought a 3-rail "Duchess of Montrose" train set which ran on a track laid out on the Living Room floor.

Around the same time I had a Meccano set and a Mammoth steam engine and several Dinky toys which would be worth a fortune now if I had kept them.

I also owned an Air Rifle that I used to shoot at bottles & cans on our garden fence with, and wore winkle picture shoes and drainpipe trousers with a fleck spotted black shirt and accompanying white tie when I went out dancing at a nearby Dance Hall.

Spangles, Sherbert dips, and liquorish sticks were popular sweet treats, and I used to read Eagle comics and Wizzard magazines (wasn't the hero a man called Wilson in those), but on a Saturday morning it was always a visit to the local Cinema to watch the latest episode of "Flash Gordon".

Before I learned to drive my mode of transport was a Raleigh "Blue Streak" bycycle with 10 derailier gears, and my fathers car was a Ford Popular saloon with just 3 forward gears.

A little later on at the Pub I would drink pints of beer followed by Rum and Black (currant)
chasers, and most of the places I went to had either a Juke Box in them, or an up and coming Rock Group performing on a Weekend.

A ten bob note was all the money you needed for a good night out, and would buy you several pints of beer, a packet of crisps, and 10 woodbines.

For once a politician got it right in my opinion and told the truth, and we really were living in good times (as far as I was concerned anyway).

[MalcolmInN]

When I was young I remember Harold McMillan saying "we never had it so good",

Yep, I remember that as well but dont forget that it led to the patrician class annointing Sir Alec as the next 'leader' (when Harold got the frit) up with which the public would not put.
Led directly to Wilson and Callahan and just look at the mess they made !

I think we may get Moded if we carry on with this !

3-rail "Duchess of Montrose" train set which ran on a track laid out on the Living Room floor.

I remember it well, still have it in the attic

Mammoth steam engine

Nice one, a  DNA clone needed there, oh I see, you mean a Mammod !

[Bealman]

Yep, let's not start getting political.... stick with Bazooka Joe bubble gum. At least I remember that. 

[MalcolmInN]

Yep, let's not start getting political
,,,
gum.

Agreed,
although I often wonder if forums had a 'sand box' where willing adults could go on the basis that they 'could not be offended' only that they 'could chose to be offended' may have merit ? !

Anyway, yes, gum, uck!! Now ther shoud be a law if ever I saw one !

[Bealman]

Yeah.... even though I remember that bubble gum, something else I remember is that it was horrible!! 

[MalcolmInN]

that it was horrible!!

Moi aussi !
One of those rebellions of youf ? When one realises that the cause is not worth it.

But you neatly side-stepped my proposition of how (in this world) one must needs avoid _giving_ offence.
Whereas I propose one can only take offence > sand box ahoy 

[Pengi]

Can understand the rationale having a sand-box which would imply that 'anything goes' for members that choose to post there. My view is that we are a family friendly forum and that the sand-box could end up containing stuff that we would not want children to read

So a sand-box would have to be a separate group with access granted on request. The issues here are the effort involved in both setting it up and monitoring it to see that it did not get out of hand - e.g. so that it did not contain really obnoxious or unsafe material.

I think if you want political debate or adult only jokes or are looking for a 'verbal punch-up' then it is probably best to post this sort of stuff on other forums as our main focus is model railways.

[GerryB]

Can understand the rationale having a sand-box which would imply that 'anything goes' for members that choose to post there. My view is that we are a family friendly forum and that the sand-box could end up containing stuff that we would not want children to read

So a sand-box would have to be a separate group with access granted on request. The issues here are the effort involved in both setting it up and monitoring it to see that it did not get out of hand - e.g. so that it did not contain really obnoxious or unsafe material.

I think if you want political debate or adult only jokes or are looking for a 'verbal punch-up' then it is probably best to post this sort of stuff on other forums as our main focus is model railways.

Well said, Pengi, spot on in my opinion.

Gerry

[Bob Tidbury]

I agree with Pengi and GerryB while it's nice to have a variety of posts on the Forum we must keep it mainly N gauge modelling there are plenty of other Forums out there for politics and other topics .
And I might as well say a
          MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL
                         
Bob

[MalcolmInN]

sand-box could end up containing stuff that we would not want children to read

Good point !
I'll go stand on the naughty step

[Agrippa]

Drifting away from trains as usual..............

[Agrippa]

If you're a cat owner sand box would contain more than rants....