jonny777 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I'm obsessed with eras in which not everybody had a car; cell phones didn't exist; daytime television hadn't yet been invented; you couldn't get a standard burger or cup of coffee on virtually any street in the world; nor had the internet even been concieved yet..... I mean, I find it so incomprehensible that we've never had it so good, yet we have such a yearning for the past. Or maybe it's just me that's odd I find this quote by the OP very revealing. These factors would appear to part of never having it so good.... Not having a car was not a problem 50 years ago, you just got the pushbike out and cycled where you wanted to go. Managing without a mobile phone was no hardship, in fact most people managed without a home telephone. The secret was, you wrote a letter. If it was more important you walked to the phone box, or if it was really urgent you sent a telegram. Daytime television? Please dont make me laugh. I can survive quite satisfactorily without a burger bar or coffee shop on any street corner, let alone every one. Finally, whilst I will concede that the internet has provided me with hours of pleasure looking at photographs and videos from the past, I would not have needed it 50 years ago as I could step outside my house and see it for myself. Those were the days when I could spend a few hours on Peterborough station and see 30 different classes of locomotive without too much trouble. If someone had gone up to the average trainspotter in 1958 and said that every BR steam locomotive would be withdrawn in 10 years time (including the ones that had not been built yet) he would have been dismissed as being an idiot. That is why I am nostalgic for the past, because it all changed so quickly and seems to have been replaced by stuff that is not really necessary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam 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...) F Summat like this one ( this one is x2 full size !?) I managed to save,but this for 5/- was a bit later than yours, and yes, it was 9.30 ( on the back) on Mondays to Fridays during August, all day Saturdays & Sundays, and Bank Holidays. For all LT trains, but not north of Rickmansworth, and all central buse routes 1 - 299. It went with me to all the remaining steam sheds in the area covered by this ticket. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Yes, Summat like that... (I'm contemporary with the date of that ticket, so it was 5 bob I "acquired" from my doting Aunt...) I had some great experiences thanks to that ticket, not only enjoyed seeing the various London museums that appeal to a young lad (before they were wrecked by being made "relevant"), but experiencing now long lost parts of the Underground network (the open platform between two lines at Angel, Islington, Aldwych, Charing Cross [old], the most amazing interchanges between Gloucester Rd and Hight St Kensington, and between Aldgate and Liverpool St [on the old stock, in the 1960s, sometimes at junctions the lights would go out in the carriage allowing for a quick glimpse into the gloom beyond]) Maybe I'll bite the bullet and model something LT??? F Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Must say I'm not nostalgic for all the old days. Growing up in the 1940's was magical but I suppose we all enjoy our formative years. The 1950s gave me bags more freedom to explore the railways and time seemed to pass very slowly. Even though I was changing, I niavely assumed everything would remain the same but it didnt. Comformity swept all before it courtest of Television, and my grandparents got older. The rush to replace the old with plastic facings in pastel shades summed up the tackiness that was pervading Britain. By 1962 I was only twenty and was already nostalgic for the earlier years! Nostalgia is nothing new for me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I was a big customer of Twin Rover tickets in the sixties. Great entertainment for 5 bob! As a 14 year old I like the Women's underwear ads on the escalators...the lovely smell of the old LT tube stock I remember, too. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 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...) I miss the one day London bus (and tram) passes which were only withdrawn a couple of years ago. Although I'm not nostalgic about them, the lack of them is very inconvenient and the alternative very expensive. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Connor Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Many, many years ago, Mum, Dad and myself were standing at Haywards Heath station waiting for a train up to London. Suddenly, lights appeared beyond the country end of the platforms and Dad said "This must be ours". There was no sign of the train slowing and as the lights rocked towards us it became obvious that it was not a third-rail electric! Suddenly, the last Brighton Atlantic, 'Beachy Head' roared through the station, with her whistle screaming the full length of the platforms. For an impressionable 8 year old the sight was both breathtaking and unforgetable! This was the railway I fell in love with. I've never been able to summon up enthusiasm for 'modern traction'. Yes, I know it's efficient and I would not 'knock' its devotees, but for me it does absolutely nothing. I don't think this has anything to do with age, because as a teenager I only took the vaguest interest in diesels. Even then, the sheer aesthetics of a steam locomotive outweighed everything else. Added to this, I grew up in an area which was undergoing wholesale redevelopment and many of the old familiar buildings would disappear for ever. The East End of London had been badly blitzed during the Second World War and parts of it had been in the throes of slum clearance even earlier. As somebody who has always had an interest in art, I came to modelling because I saw it as a way of painting pictures in 3D. I felt this would portray a vanishing era far better than I could had I just used a camera or canvas. I suppose my approach can be described as 'nostalgic', but to me it's preservation, albeit on a very small scale! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 21, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2012 I miss the one day London bus (and tram) passes which were only withdrawn a couple of years ago. Although I'm not nostalgic about them, the lack of them is very inconvenient and the alternative very expensive. G. The One Day Travelcard is still available in effect by using an Oystercard set for 'one day anytime' or one day off peak' - I'm not at all sure how it's set up (mine being 'anytime all the time') but apparently it can be used all over Zones 1-9 and the charge made against it will cut-off at and not exceed the equivalent One Day Travelcard cost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 As if to re-enforce the ever present yearning for all things nostalgic, I nipped up Dudley way yesterday in the Rover to visit a mate who has a similar affliction. Although not a railway enthusuast, he's around the same age as me and has a very strong connection to the old industrial heyday of the West Midlands and we spent the best part of three hours tooling round looking at old factory buildings, boarded up pubs and bits of wasteground where once upon a time thousands of skilled people churned out anything you can think of that was made of steel, iron, aluminium and glass.... it was very sobering to see just how much has changed or vanished forever, which in itself only makes the yearnings that much stronger. After stopping off at a few factory sites to bag some photos we came across a boozer that used to be his local, it had been empty for a couple of years but had only been boarded up a week or two ago, just behind it is a high brick wall holding back the canal beyond and the whole area looks like a time capsule from the past, it really was quite a shock to the eyeballs, so much so, nieither of us took any photos..... no doubt the next time we pass it'll all have been demolished. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 The layout I'm building is a fictitious location based a few miles north of Dudley ( well, GJR, Bescot/ Bushbury area), as I have fond memories of family/living/ working in that area. I will soon need info on non-railway buildings as were in the 50's/60's for a diorama (?) at each end of the scenic part of the layout ( roundy-roundy), one townscene, the other industrial. Perhaps a good excuse for another trip to the 'Black Country Museum'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lochnagar Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Because it's better than the uninspiring flotsam that graces our rail network today! In a nutshell. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
45157 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 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". My last bike was a BSA A10 Road Rocket (wanted a Bonny but not possible on an apprentice's wage) and only wore a helmet (open face) when it was raining or seriously cold. I had a shot on a friends Honda 750 4 a few years ago and was stunned at the difference in performance to my old Rocket, todays bikes are from another planet altogether. I doubt I would be safe on a current big bike, but, I keep looking at the current Bonny though I have a long way to go before convincing the authorities it would be a great retirement present and a good investment. regards Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Trevellan Posted January 25, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2012 A schoolmate of mine was bike-mad and his father let him use a 250cc Ariel Arrow as soon as he was old enough. It scares the hell out of me now to think that on several occasions I rode pillion on that lovely machine at speeds of up to 85mph without a helmet . I can still recall the mixed feelings of terror and exhilaration, so not exactly nostalgia... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigglesof266 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I mean, I find it so incomprehensible that we've never had it so good, yet we have such a yearning for the past. Or maybe it's just me that's odd No it's not just you. Primarily, it's a form of escapism enhanced by the selective filter that the mind is wont to be. But that said, what we yearn for are the things we remember as good from the past. Materially we may never have had it so good, but socially, society is ill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I mean, I find it so incomprehensible that we've never had it so good, yet we have such a yearning for the past. Or maybe it's just me that's odd When I read this it came as a shock. Why is Britain best now than its ever been? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 The One Day Travelcard is still available in effect by using an Oystercard set for 'one day anytime' or one day off peak' - I'm not at all sure how it's set up (mine being 'anytime all the time') but apparently it can be used all over Zones 1-9 and the charge made against it will cut-off at and not exceed the equivalent One Day Travelcard cost. Snag is that they (travelcards) cost nearly three times the price of a one day bus pass and there's very little underground in South London to take advantage of. I only need it for buses and trams around Croydon. G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 When I read this it came as a shock. Why is Britain best now than its ever been? Me too! Shades of SuperMac! My latest theory is that it happens when you realize that you have way more years in your memory than are left in front of you - and frankly I'm glad I'm not immortal (and that's another thing you get used to. mortality). Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 When I read this it came as a shock. Why is Britain best now than its ever been? Ah but dont forget, in present day Britain the rich are getting richer, so if you hear the term, 'you never had it so good', today then you know who's o.k. for a quid or two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Nostalgia can't be just about the mechanical things we miss from past years, although I can't help thinking that things would be a thousand percent more interesting outdoors if 2012 was like 1952. But It is a fact of life that for many people old age isn't much fun. Take away our daily medication, pacemakers, heart byepasses, monthly clinics for this and clinics for that, cosy double glazed/central heated homes and we would quite simply have faded away years ago. And so we also look back to our youthful days as well. The outside toilet, tin bath, no hot water on-tap, ice on the insides of windows, cold winters in factories, cold open-platform buses and much else held no fears for us. The majority of folk knew nothing better. But compensation came in many forms. We were little englanders with a common tradition, proud of this little bit of land that had been faught so hard for. We knew where we stood and we could speak as we felt. And for lovers of road and rail transport, Britain was a living museum. Since leaving school we older types have adapted to things that young folk will never have to. We are perhaps less happy with multiculturalsm, polical correctness, street cameras, lack of local bobbies and the flourishing greed and selfishness that pervades in all walks of life, but that is the price of long life. I don't suppose anyone is obsessed with nostalgia. But the nature of this forum is modelling railways past and present and so it is innevitable the the past will feature strongly in our discussions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukedog Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Nostalgia can't be just about the mechanical things we miss from past years, although I can't help thinking that things would be a thousand percent more interesting outdoors if 2012 was like 1952. But It is a fact of life that for many people old age isn't much fun. Take away our daily medication, pacemakers, heart byepasses, monthly clinics for this and clinics for that, cosy double glazed/central heated homes and we would quite simple have faded away years ago. And so we also look back to our youthful days as well. The outside toilet, tin bath, no hot water on-tap, ice on the insides of windows, cold winters in factories, cold open-platform buses and much else held no fears for us. The majority of folk knew nothing better. But compensation came in many forms. We were little englanders with a common tradition, proud of this little bit of land that had been faught so hard for. We knew where we stood and we could speak as we felt. And for lovers of road and rail transport, Britain was a living museum. Since leaving school we older types have adapted to things that young folk will never have to. We are perhaps less happy with multiculturalsm, polical correctness, street cameras, lack of local bobbies and the flourishing greed and selfishness that pervades in all walks of life, but that is the price of long life. I don't suppose anyone is obsessed with nostalgia. But the nature of this forum is modelling railways past and present and so it is innevitable the the past will feature strongly in our discussions. Whilst I've been struggling for words to let you know my feelings on the subject Coach has hit the nail on the head. My sentiments exactly! When I think back, and compare today with life in the 50s and 60's I often think where did it all go wrong? Or has it always been like this and we were just too naive to know? Cheers! Frank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Nostalgia can't be just about the mechanical things we miss from past years, although I can't help thinking that things would be a thousand percent more interesting outdoors if 2012 was like 1952. But It is a fact of life that for many people old age isn't much fun. Take away our daily medication, pacemakers, heart byepasses, monthly clinics for this and clinics for that, cosy double glazed/central heated homes and we would quite simple have faded away years ago. And so we also look back to our youthful days as well. The outside toilet, tin bath, no hot water on-tap, ice on the insides of windows, cold winters in factories, cold open-platform buses and much else held no fears for us. The majority of folk knew nothing better. But compensation came in many forms. We were little englanders with a common tradition, proud of this little bit of land that had been faught so hard for. We knew where we stood and we could speak as we felt. And for lovers of road and rail transport, Britain was a living museum. Since leaving school we older types have adapted to things that young folk will never have to. We are perhaps less happy with multiculturalsm, polical correctness, street cameras, lack of local bobbies and the flourishing greed and selfishness that pervades in all walks of life, but that is the price of long life. I don't suppose anyone is obsessed with nostalgia. But the nature of this forum is modelling railways past and present and so it is innevitable the the past will feature strongly in our discussions. I'm sure that all we non-englander Britons would like to be associated with Coach's sentiments! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold grandadbob Posted January 28, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 28, 2012 Purely from a railway point of view it's things like this that make me nostalgic! ( And,as he says, turn up the sound!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lSYDbYrXIo Regards Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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