trisonic Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 55 years ago teenagers were using the ex GWR branchline to travel to the seaside town I lived in to cause mayhem. I wonder if those 70 year olds are nostalgic for the days when they could travel to the seaside and knock policemen over. Knock rockers over surely? Or Vice versa. Further back Teddy Boys vs, well, anyone, really. Some nasty mass punch ups in West London and even Brentwood (rioting was the description but it was Teddy Boys vs Squadies in the High Street circa 1952ish). After the Mods vs Rockers thing then it was the descent of Skinheads on Seaside towns from about 1967 onwards. The word "teenager" goes back farther than fifty years, Merriem-Webster put down 1921 as the answer - at least when the word first went into print (with the same meaning that we use today). Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 You can often tell when an older man had his teenage years by his hairstyle. Bald-headed 60-odd year olds with sideburns and bald headed 50-odd year olds with pony tails.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 You can often tell when an older man had his teenage years by his hairstyle. Bald-headed 60-odd year olds with sideburns and bald headed 50-odd year olds with pony tails.... These old timers often go out and buy a 'rice rocket' and try and recreate the excitement of their younger years and unfortunately it often ends tragically. The term 'suicycle' is probably apt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 No, Lloyd - my Wife put a stop to that (the bike thing)! I have the sensible 60 year old hairstyle for aging rock guitarists, French Crop (no bald patches, receding a little but I have more hair than some 20 year olds). Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 All I can say is that at the age of 12, with innocent enjoyment, I was wandering around parts of London, along with other likeminded lads, bunking steam sheds not a care in the world, no responsibilities, no money worries, that today I wouldn't let a kid of 12 go anywhere near those areas. Such was the world then. Kid of 12? I don't think I'd go back now to some of those places we went then, even in daylight! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 No, Lloyd - my Wife put a stop to that (the bike thing)! I have the sensible 60 year old hairstyle for aging rock guitarists, French Crop (no bald patches, receding a little but I have more hair than some 20 year olds). Best, Pete. I would imagine you would have bought a Triumph Trident and tried to zoom up to Kilburn at 100mph. Trident-sonic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I alway, always wanted a Triton! Cafe Racers are becoming very popular over here (even with aging Lawyers and Accountants let alone Musicians)... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I owned two {at seperate times} Nortons, an ES2 featherbed and a 600 Dom, and honestly could NEVER understand where they got their legendary handling/cornering reputation from - I didn't keep either for more than 6 months, I wouldn't have had a Triton if you'd given me one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Things always look better from afar, Jack! I saw an original mid-sixties Bonneville parked in Manhattan, recently. What staggered me was just how petite it looked alongside the overblown new Japanese sportbikes.... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted January 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2012 I had a nostalgic moment when we went round the motorcycle exhibition held at Shelburne Museum in Vermont. Only the British bikes had drip trays underneath to protect the museum floor. My friend said when he had a Triton after a couple of failed attempts at theft from his place of work, he used to get his wife to ride pillion and she then used to ride it back home and then collect him in the evening. He now has a couple of Harley's (though he only rides one at a time!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted January 16, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2012 Things always look better from afar, Is this another definition of nostagia? Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 These old timers often go out and buy a 'rice rocket' and try and recreate the excitement of their younger years and unfortunately it often ends tragically. The term 'suicycle' is probably apt. I used to ride a bike (helmetless) way back when, but nowadays I rarely have the nerve to disobey the notice saying: "Please remain seated until the bus comes to a complete stop". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The nostalgia thing seems to come on in waves of varying degrees but certainly shows no sign of stopping as the days, weeks, months and years pass by. It's not limited to the railway interests either... I seem to be stuck in an endlessly joyfull / melancholic loop of self indulgence with classic cars, TV, films and music which gets stronger all the time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhBBob Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Some of you need to be careful! Writing things like that about modern railways can upset folk........ But that was another thread and it is all water under the bridge now. The strange thing with me is that I started to get involved with my dad's model railway activities at a very young age (I remember pushing Hornby Dublo carriages along a track aged about 3 in 1963). At the time, the carriages were in BR maroon and looked just like the ones out there on the real railway. It was, I suppose, modern image, bang up to date modelling! As the years have gone by, my modelling period has gone back, firstly to the 1930s then to pre WW1. Give it another 5 years and I will be modelling the Stockton & Darlington then horse drawn stage coaches. Is it really nostalgia if you model something that you are too young to have ever seen? Or can you be nostalgic for something you only know from photographs and books? Nope - it's just that fifty plus years ago you would have been unable to model the 1930s unless you liked LNER or LMS mainline expresses or an N2 in four liveries. Over the past many years, we have become accustomed to reviewing 'new' models of locos and rolling stock liveried from that era, and before and since. Now you just have to fathom out why that happened; start with the prototype ! Or as my exhibitions mate usually says to the punters, 'the next train is tomorrow'. A single-coach DMU - should that be DU ? - is rather limiting for a modern-image layout......... Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted January 17, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2012 Or as my exhibitions mate usually says to the punters, 'the next train is tomorrow'. And in the early 1960's on many branch lines, "there isn't a next train"....................... Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Why are railway modellers obsessed with nostalgia? Because if we weren't, we'd presumably have to be using "prototypes" from the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I have great memories now, of when this thread started all those days ago XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I would imagine you would have bought a Triumph Trident and tried to zoom up to Kilburn at 100mph. Trident-sonic. I can confirm it is a bit difficult to hit 10mph through Kilburn now, never mind 100mph.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I can confirm it is a bit difficult to hit 10mph through Kilburn now, never mind 100mph.... I pinched that little gem from a Derek & Clive recording about when Clive (Peter Cook) gets a motorcycle mixed up with a pair of sunglasses and tries to rev up on a pair of Polaroids. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 I honestly wasn't expecting so many people to get into this discussion, so I have been plesently surprised by your thoughts and comments, whcih I've just finished reading though. Very interesting stuff. whats gone can never come back Mark, thanks so much. This sums it up perfectly for me! I hadn't come to this conclussion but you're just so right. Personally I think I must be nostalgic because I guess I know the past is lost and I think I find that kind of frightening in a way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC Jack Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 What I really miss from the older days was the hustle and bustle of the large stations with the mail, parcels, newspapers pidgeons and general clutter on the platforms. The railway was at the heart of the community then. Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 19, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2012 What I really miss from the older days was the hustle and bustle of the large stations with the mail, parcels, newspapers pidgeons and general clutter on the platforms. The railway was at the heart of the community then. Jack Yes - a sad loss of place I always think. Even smaller stations had much going for them with the Postman coming round with the mail and collecting some, a parcels office with folk coming and going, people calling in to pay bills or just for a chat, some pigeons to release and all the panoply of 'old railway' and 'long established goings on'. All part of a different, less hurried and worried, world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted January 20, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20, 2012 What I really miss from the older days was the hustle and bustle of the large stations with the mail, parcels, newspapers pidgeons and general clutter on the platforms. The railway was at the heart of the community then. Jack I miss cheap excursions to faraway places. Living in Bristol in the 70s I was able to go on day trips to Brighton, Clacton, Southport, Llandudno, Aberystwyth, Tywyn etc. for a fare of less than £2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 One thing I do miss from days gone by is the good old London Transport Double-Rover (unlimited underground and bus travel after 9am [or was it 9:30am?]). I used to acquire half-a-crown from my great Aunt, take the bus to the local LT garage buy the Double-Rover and head up to London on the bus and underground. I spent many a happy summer-holiday day travelling all over the LT network (I know that you can more or less do the same nowadays with the Oyster card - but it's not the same...) Anyway, such halcyon days have left me with the desire to model both the London Underground and BR (ER) Liverpool St-Shenfield/Clacton lines (and upon that note, I am convinced that I saw a Class 309 shoot through Gidea Park Station in BR Green - although m'learned friends are trying to convince me that my memory is failing and what I actually remember is a Class 308) Additionally, my childhood West Country holidays have inculcated in me a liking for the WR (and alas, from that it is but a short step to the GWR....) F Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
45157 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 For me anyway, it's not so much nostalga but genuine pleasure from railway journeys as a child, especially the holiday trips from Glasgow Central and arriving at the station early enough to be taken to the front of the train to watch the locomotive backing on to the train. The sight of a reasonably clean big Stainer Pacific close enough to feel the heat, and being helped up into the cab for a look by a friendly driver, is something I will never forget. On arrival at the destination we (and most other passengers) always thanked the driver for a safe journey. As I model in 0 Gauge I can't afford (space or cost) a fleet of Pacifics but I still enjoy playing trains with what I have and remembering time past, although as a born and bred "lowlander" I have no idea where my interest in the GNoSR comes from. regards Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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