50s/60s Britain and Now

[pH]

3 hours ago, 60021 Pen-y-Ghent said:

Anybody else remember (and miss, in my case) Creamola Foam?

 

Yes!!!

 

(Edit. Did you ever have opened tins that sat around for a while - and rapidly corroded!) 

Edited April 11, 2020 by pH

[pH]

I remember families, in general, being larger than now. I had 24 first cousins, and my wife had 32 (both our mums came from large families). Our sons have 9 cousins, and our grandchildren have 4 (though that could still change a bit, but not much).

[Philou]

Not sure about postwar @pH, I think we were about the biggest family in the street (I think the neighbours were really pleased when we moved). I was one of five kids and that was probably only due to the fact that contraception was a no-no for religious reasons. I only had four first cousins and my wife the same. Our parents were from small families however at grandparent levels (UK side), their families were mahoosive. On my French side, fairly small family - though they do go a lot for first, second and third cousins, plus all the once, twice and third removed ones. It never ends - perhaps that's why there's no tradition over here in sending birthday or Christmas cards. it'd be never ending and too expensive - the fall-out would be particularly bad if you accidentally forgot one of them!!!!

 

However, in terms of family sizes, it's not unheard of that there are some with more than 10 children. There was an interview only yesterday on French tv with a family of 8 kids cooped up in a small flat and nowhere to go.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

Just picking up on a point that The Johnster made yesterday regarding Carrefour. Did you know that it was the first 'Hypermarket' in the UK? It was the one in Pontygwyndy (Caerfili). Now gone too.

[Kickstart]

1 hour ago, pH said:

I remember families, in general, being larger than now. I had 24 first cousins, and my wife had 32 (both our mums came from large families). Our sons have 9 cousins, and our grandchildren have 4 (though that could still change a bit, but not much).

yep, do seem to have shrunk. My mother was 1 of 5, my father 1 of 4. I have 1 half brother and 2 half sisters, and despite the youngest being 34 no next generation yet

 

One thing I have seen for ages is Luncheon Voucher signs, which used to be everywhere.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[60021 Pen-y-Ghent]

2 hours ago, pH said:

 

Yes!!!

 

(Edit. Did you ever have opened tins that sat around for a while - and rapidly corroded!) 

 

No. My tins of Creamola Foam never laster that long!

[pH]

3 minutes ago, 60021 Pen-y-Ghent said:

 

No. My tins of Creamola Foam never laster that long!

"Lemon for me!"

"I'd rather have orange!"

"Raspberry's my flavour!"

"I like the foam!" (in what sounded like a London accent to someone from the west of Scotland)

 

 

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, Philou said:

Not sure about postwar @pH, I think we were about the biggest family in the street (I think the neighbours were really pleased when we moved). I was one of five kids and that was probably only due to the fact that contraception was a no-no for religious reasons. I only had four first cousins and my wife the same. Our parents were from small families however at grandparent levels (UK side), their families were mahoosive. On my French side, fairly small family - though they do go a lot for first, second and third cousins, plus all the once, twice and third removed ones. It never ends - perhaps that's why there's no tradition over here in sending birthday or Christmas cards. it'd be never ending and too expensive - the fall-out would be particularly bad if you accidentally forgot one of them!!!!

 

However, in terms of family sizes, it's not unheard of that there are some with more than 10 children. There was an interview only yesterday on French tv with a family of 8 kids cooped up in a small flat and nowhere to go.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

Just picking up on a point that The Johnster made yesterday regarding Carrefour. Did you know that it was the first 'Hypermarket' in the UK? It was the one in Pontygwyndy (Caerfili). Now gone too.

SNCF offer a special railcard for families with three or more children.

Regarding Carrefour; I believe they opened three 'Hypermarkets' in the UK at about the same time. Apart from the one in Caerphilly, there was one somewhere in Telford. No idea where the third one was. I have an inkling they were a joint venture with Asda, who were moving from being a dairy company into a mainstream retailer.

[Reorte]

2 hours ago, pH said:

I remember families, in general, being larger than now. I had 24 first cousins, and my wife had 32 (both our mums came from large families). Our sons have 9 cousins, and our grandchildren have 4 (though that could still change a bit, but not much).

 

I suppose it was baby boomer time.

[Philou]

@Fat Controller Ah, the 'Carte Familles Nombreuses'. You could get up to 60% off your ticket with that IIRC - at least SNCF did try to keep your custom.

 

Did you also know that you could get a 'Billet de Concubinage' too? This was for your mistress who would be travelling elsewhere on the same train (I kid you not). Naughty SNCF. (I am led to believe that this latter ticket is STILL available!)

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Philou]

I should have added to the cousin thread, that despite not being a big family, my children and those of my siblings means that they're 17 first cousins all grouped together.

[TheQ]

If you go back to the early 1800s one couple in my ancestry had 26 surviving children,  not bad for a miner and his wife. 

I'm 1 of 4, dad 1of 5 and 5 children seems to go on for a couple more generations. 

However between us 4 there are just 7 children , and so far the next generation has produced  just 1 who's now skiving off secondary school. So possibly not long till the next generation. 

It does get slightly confusing as the great niece is older than her uncle once removed. 

[Devo63]

On 11/04/2020 at 03:31, Nearholmer said:

About time this thread had a graph.

 

Doubtless I can find a few more to put figures to our nostalgia.

 

 

It seems that my family have nearly always owned cars and other motor vehicles. My Great Grandfather John Rich started his commercial life in Cardiff around 1902, at the age of 14, with a bicycle hire business in a back lane behind City Road. Before the start of the Great War he was already running a hire car and taxi service around Cardiff progressing to a bus service in 1920. At first he had a route from Kings Way to Rhiwbina and later added another to Whitchurch which was in competiton to the Cardiff Tramways Company (CTC was later taken over by the Cardiff Corporation) but dropped that route after only a couple of years. He was involved in a quite fierce battle with the Corporation for the Rhiwbina route until he finally sold his business to them in 1927 and retired at the age of about 40. He lived at 35 Richs Rd on the corner of Birchgrove Rd. Next to the house was a small shop he set up for his wife and the bus depot was next to that where he also built a lot of the bodies for the buses. During this time all four of his sons had become motor mechanics (my Grandfather, Cyril, did his apprenticeship with Morris Garages better know as MG). The old bus depot was still standing in Birchgrove Road in July last year but was for sale at that time in a very poor state of repair. With the proceeds of the sale John bought a large place known as Porthkerry House where he lived until his early death in 1940. The house was taken over by the WD and was used by American soldiers until the end of WWII and was effectively ruined in that time. I have no idea if the house still exists. Every two years from when he sold the bus run he would buy himself a new car, usually a Rover but at least one Daimler.

The bus depot had been let to Typhoo Tea from the late 1920's as a delivery base providing John with a bit of rental income. After the war the depot was opened for a while as Rich Brothers Motors with at one time all four of them working there before the usual family arguements got in the way. All of them had owned cars from an early age with Cyril buying his first car in the early 1930's. He also competed in various forms of motorcycle racing. I don't know what type of racing it was but we do have a photo of him somewhere with long spikes on the tyres of his bike.

My Great Grandmother was another early driver starting before WWI. We have a photo of her at the wheel of a car (possibly one of the taxis on a Pierce Arrow chassis) with a number of family members on board. Her own personal car was a De Dion-Bouton which she owned until her death.      

[Philou]

@Devo63 I remember the garage as I used to visit my grandparents regularly who lived in Coronation Road (not Street) just around he corner from Birchgrove Road. The No.24 bus would take me past.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

[Hroth]

36 minutes ago, Philou said:

Coronation Road (not Street)

 

Just think, if Granada had gone with the original name for the programme, "Florizel Street"*, you wouldn't have to make the distinction and the programme might have been dropped after the planned six episodes!

 

* Because an executive thought it sounded like a brand of disinfectant....

[alastairq]

When did casualty become 'accident & emergency?'' [A&E]

[The Johnster]

21 hours ago, pH said:

I remember families, in general, being larger than now. I had 24 first cousins, and my wife had 32 (both our mums came from large families). Our sons have 9 cousins, and our grandchildren have 4 (though that could still change a bit, but not much).

There was a period between the improvement in child mortality rates, one of the reasons for having large families, and the introduction of a universal state pension, the other reason for having large families so that there would be someone to look after you in your dotage, ideally more than one to share the load, during which large families of surviving children became common, ended by the availability of safe and effective oral contraception.  It was normal for several generations of a family to live in the same house; we had 3 in ours. 

[Jules]

19 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

SNCF offer a special railcard for families with three or more children.

Regarding Carrefour; I believe they opened three 'Hypermarkets' in the UK at about the same time. Apart from the one in Caerphilly, there was one somewhere in Telford. No idea where the third one was. I have an inkling they were a joint venture with Asda, who were moving from being a dairy company into a mainstream retailer.

There was one at Patchway, or what is now Cribbs Causeway north of Bristol.  Don't know if that was the third one, or came later

[Rugd1022]

3 hours ago, alastairq said:

When did casualty become 'accident & emergency?'' [A&E]

 

Round about the time it moved from BBC Bristol to Elstree I'd say 

[jcm@gwr]

1 hour ago, The Johnster said:

There was a period between the improvement in child mortality rates, one of the reasons for having large families, and the introduction of a universal state pension, the other reason for having large families so that there would be someone to look after you in your dotage, ideally more than one to share the load, during which large families of surviving children became common, ended by the availability of safe and effective oral contraception.  It was normal for several generations of a family to live in the same house; we had 3 in ours. 

 

I was 1 of 4, both parents were 1 of 3, and they each had 3, so we had 12 first cousins.

My parents ended up selling the 3 bed semi, and my paternal grandparents 3 bed terrace,

to buy a big 5 bed detached house to take those grand parents in.

Later, after my fathers parents had passed on, my maternal grandmother paid for a rear

extension (granny flat) and moved in.

Then my sister moved back after her husband's NHS contract (at Penmaenmawr) had ended,

with her first 2, so for a few years in the eighties, we were 4 generations of the same family

all living under 1 roof. Mind you, with the various extensions and modifications we'd had done,

it was up to 7 beds by then!

[Kickstart]

1 hour ago, Jules said:

There was one at Patchway, or what is now Cribbs Causeway north of Bristol.  Don't know if that was the third one, or came later

First Carrefour I remember was Chandlers Ford, , which is still there but niw an Asda I think

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Reorte]

3 hours ago, Kickstart said:

First Carrefour I remember was Chandlers Ford, , which is still there but niw an Asda I think

 

Interesting, didn't know they were ever in the UK (big in France of course).

[F-UnitMad]

28 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Interesting, didn't know they were ever in the UK (big in France of course).

There was a Carrefour at Minworth, north-east of Birmingham, in the 1980s. Became an Asda, still there AFAIK.

[Platform 1]

12 hours ago, Devo63 said:

Porthkerry House where he lived until his early death in 1940. The house was taken over by the WD and was used by American soldiers until the end of WWII and was effectively ruined in that time. I have no idea if the house still exists.

 

It seems it does: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Porthkerry+House%2C+Porthkerry%2C+Barry&ia=web&iaxm=maps [And also explore the airfield just to the west-north-west - 10 Red Arrows and BoB flight!]

 

I was interested because I lived for some months at Sully near Barry in the '70s.

 

Anyone else remember those ghastly 'Lucky bags' in the '60s?  Two toffees, a lolly, some chalk things that I was never sure whether you could eat or not, and a toy - all for 3d.  And nice ice-cream: Lyons Maid, Walls, Neilson and Eldorado were the national makers - only Walls survives today.  Was it Lyons Maid that made the neopolitan with the green stripe instead of chocolate?  Always preferred proper Cornish though!

 

Those LT twin rovers for 5/- (under-16 fare) were fab when we moved to the London area in the 60's - but I was always disappointed that they excluded lines beyond Rickmansworth, hence I never went to Amersham or Aylesbury.  Nobody even blinked when I disappeared for the day with a box of sarnies and the previously mentioned individual fruit pie (strawberry and apple - yum!).  Why did food taste better back then?

 

Until just a few years ago, the Isle of Wight always felt like the 50s and 60s.  But even there, the modern world is encroaching: traffic queues, supermarkets, noise, light pollution, giant ferries, retail parks and so-on have all diminished its special feel.

 

Nostalgia ain't what it was!

 

[The Johnster]

And it never will be.  
 

You should have gone on holiday

to Ireland in the 60s; outside Dublin that was like visiting the middle ages.  Not that the medieval period was a bad place for a 12 year old. 

[Andy Reichert]

The women cleaning the Jazz Quint Arts resting in the carriage sidings. They each had little short ladders that only reached to the carriage floors (no platforms). Dressed similarly in a sort of informal uniform of faded blue coveralls and individual headscarves tying up their hair.  Almost all slight variants of the "Rosie the Riveter" poster. And a crew of about a dozen would be climbing ladders, sweeping out the floors of each compartment at the same time, then moving down the rake. The memory is vague now, but I think they also cleaned the windows from ground level with a bucket and squeegee on a long pole. 

 

A Stationmaster, porters, a signal box and signal man at every station. The guard with a whistle, red and green flags and lantern at night. When the platorm gas lamps would be lit, and quietly hissed.