Does anyone remember

[Schutzengel]

Liberty Bodices. They were supposed to protect children's chests in the winter.

[pips1]

I remember ALL these things, the liberty bodices, dolly tubs, mangles, Virol and Radiomalt - everything! We lived right out in the country, I was 8 years old before we had electric and we had a well in the garden for the water. We had gas lamps and we too had a parafin heater in the outside toilet. My mum washed the clothes in a copper in the kitchen which had to have a fire lit under it and she cooked on a triplex grate in the living room. The ice on the inside of the windows used to run down and we had to put towels on the window sills. Everything was delivered each week by van, we had a hardware man once a week, a butcher and a baker and the pop man with Corona pop with wire tops on and crisps tasted wonderful. Happy days!

[mrs.chappie]

Has anyone mentioned wiping their bum on squares of newsprint?

We never had proper toilet paper - had to make do with old newspaper. Mam used to tear it up into squares and hang it by a string on the back of the door.

[chinadog]

Oh yes mrs c, we mentioned the bum paper. Ours was cut into squares then hung on a hook,we used to read with one eye..lol

[chinadog]

Snap! the same as you mrs.c. Corona pop and saspirella off the pop man. Happy days eh pip?

[BettM]

I've just read all 104 posts and it has taken me right back to my childhood. Would we cope with all that now I wonder.
I too started school at the age of 4 - something that happened in those days. Cod liver oil and malt was my hate - I dropped a jar in my aunts kitchen [re tiles] and she made me clean it all up - I hated it after that, couldn't stand the smell. Memories, what would we do without them

[Mamyalynne]

we`d be sunk hasn`t it been fun, a tear or two in the eye but all good stuff.

[chinadog]

Its strange, I cant recall any bad times only mam and dad having a barney..lol

[Naomicorlett]

Thank you all so much. This thread has brightened my weekend.

[Schutzengel]

Hi Sqad. You're a star. It looks like you're the only man on this thread. I see you recovered from that kiss in the air-raid shelter incident enough to get around to giving Mrs. Sqad a kiss or two and marrying her. I agree that a smack or two would solve some of today's problems. The house I lived in as a child is still there in the next village to me, but it has had new windows and a bathroom put in. About starting school at four, my birthday is in April, that year it fell before Easter, and at the time if a child was 4 at Easter, then they started school at Easter, which right through school meant that I was the youngest in the class. A bit of a disadvantage, but I didn't do too badly after all. I can just imagine you trying to walk on the dolly peg, did you fall off it very often. Schutz.

Shaneystar. Wouldn't our mums have loved a washing machine and a fridge, and none of the hard work with Robin Starch and dolly blue. Were you ever a school Milk Monitor, I was and hated it. At my grandad's farm there was one of those outdoor toilets with 2 buckets and wooden lid. Ugh!! At our house my dad used to whitewash the lav and the wash-house. Thank goodness for the progress on the domestic scene. Coffee bar, Beatles, and 5 Woodbines, didn't we think we were grown-up, although my friends thought they were quite posh with 5 Park Drive. Schutz.

Ethandron, I had to smile at your story about your winceyette nightie and the fire in the bathroom. Health & Safety would have kittens if we did things like that these days. I loved Cod Liver Oil and Malt, still do, and buy it every winter. Do you remember threading new elastic into knickers with a safety pin? Hope you enjoy your break, the way things are going I think we'll probably still be here when you get back. Schutz.

Beatrice35. Hope you enjoy reading about the lives of the children of earlier times. Best wishes. Schutz




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[Schutzengel]

Craft. I'll bet you thought you were the bees knees riding on your grandad's coal cart. Lovely!!! We had a posser for the washing, it was like an upturned copper bowl with a wooden handle. I remember being sent to the shop for replacement gas mantles for the gas-lights, they looked as if they were made from stiffened white net. It's intriguing what Cadburys use the shire horses for, I'll try to find out. Near where I live there's a shire horse stud and visitor centre, also lots of other animals. We often visit. The shires are magnificent with their huge fluffy feet, love them. Pobs seems to be the name used for bread and milk here in Cheshire, and in surrounding rural districts. When we were little pobs were the cure-all for whatever ailed us. I still love a bowl of pobs if I'm feeling out of sorts, but I have mine with a pinch of salt, not sugar, it must be my Scottish ancestry coming out. Happy memories. Cheers. Schutz.

[grasscarp]

pips1 - I have all the same memories. For some reason me and my sister had to wear 2 pairs of pants. White and then regulation school navy over the top! Were we alone in this?

[Schutzengel]

Robinia. Oh! boy, didn't teachers know how to embarrass children in our day. I hated having to tuck our summer frocks into our navy-blue interlock knickers to go outside into the school yard for p.e. Oh! the shame of it. What a great adventure it was having a clothes horse tent in the garden, and snoozing in the sun. What blissful childhood times we had. I don't think today's children have half as much fun. Take care. Schutz.

mrs.chappie. Had to smile at your mum putting you and the other two children in the dolly tub for a bath. Waste not want not, eh! What a nice lady you had at the shop, to let you buy one cigarette for your mum. How hard-up those days were, it makes you want to cry thinking about the struggle our mums had to take care of us children. It really makes us appreciate what we have now, doesn't it. Cheers. Schutz.

[Schutzengel]

mamyalynne. Oh! poor grandad, he must have been scared when he thought he'd had a stroke, after washing his face in the bowl of starch. Thank goodness that's all it was. Fancy you keeping the drainer top mangle, it's classic memorabilia now. What a lovely image it conjurers up, of you and the little ones washing dolls clothes. Our doorsteps at front and back were donkey-stoned, red cardinal was a bit too posh for us. :-) I remember stamping on tar bubbles to make them pop, the only trouble was, I was doing it wearing white buckskin sandals, so you can imagine the trouble I was in when I got home. Another thing I remember is a big tar barrel, boiling over a brazier, at the end of our street, when the workmen were repairing pot-holes in the road, and we children were sent to go and smell the fumes, as it was supposed to prevent chest colds. To get tar of our legs, mum first used butter, and then Ajax, so sore afterwards. But nevertheless, very happy days. Take care. Schutz.

[Mamyalynne]

Yes i still love the smell of tar, anyway off for a swig of gripe water ,oops i mean a bowl of scrambly eggs.

Later Mamya x

[Schutzengel]

woff63. It's good that you are too young to remember most of this. Your childhood hopefully wasn't as deprived as some of the posters on here, but as you see from reading through the posts, we didn't realise that life could have been any different, and without exception we were happy. Did the rag and bone man who visited your street, give goldfish or balloons in exchange for rags. Ours did. And I had a goldfish from the rag and bone man that lived for a very long time. It must be a throw back from when I was small, as I now have 5 goldfish, but these days they are in a posh tank, with all mod-cons, and not in a bowl. In most rural villages jumble sales are still going stong, and I think will become even more popular as the credit crunch bites. Hope you and the pets are well. Schutz.

[Schutzengel]

notafish. You asked where the army greatcoats were from. Well most of the men at the time were in the Home Guard, and so were issued with the greatcoats. Schutz.

[sqad617]

Schutz........2 things:

1) How you have taken the time to answer each contributor..........much appreciated.

2) Yours has been the longest and most entertaining thread for many a year.

Congratulations.

[Schutzengel]

ladyalex. I did laugh at your description of the ice-cream man's horse, and you waiting for it to wee. How mean were your school mates who wouldn't share their 'posh ink with you. I remember that I badly wanted some of the Stephens Radiant Blue ink, but I did eventually get som, much later, for a birthday present together with a lovely fountain pen. I don't know if Ox-Blood shoe polish is still available, but it was all the rage with the teddy-boys of the time. Cheers. Schutz.

[Schutzengel]

Hi Sqad. Thank you for the congratulations. Isn't it fun. At the rate it's going, I think we'll be here for quite some time yet, as everyone who has joined in seems to be enjoying it. Doesn't it make a welcome change from some of the nonsense we see in other categories.

As for how I found the time to respond to each contributor, I read through all the messages early this morning and made a note of the individual comments, even when they were in separate posts. Some asked questions, some shared precious memories, and it's a pleasure to be able to get back to them when they have been kind enough to respond to my original question. Nearly there, only 5 more to do.

Got to pop off for half-an-hour now, to cut my husband's hair for him. He has lovely wavy hair and won't let anybody cut it except me, since he last visited a hairdresser and they made a right mess of it.
As I said earlier, Sqad, in my book you're a star and a gentleman. Please give my best wishes to Mrs. Sqad.
Be back later. Schutz.

[sqad617]

Schutz.......you have stimulated another thread on CB by Jenna1978, which I know you will contribute to.

Mr Schutz......lucky man, it wouldn't take you long to cut my hair.LOL