Do you remember ............

[micmak]

What it was like to have nothing. To be waiting for pay day when you could have a pint or a smoke. When only the posh people owned their house. When school uniforms for the kids had to be saved for. When credit cards didn't exist.

[Buenchico]

Sorry for the delay, Micmak. I've been elsewhere on the web.

I'm 57.

[micmak]

Not that much difference in our ages then. How were your early days?

[Buenchico]

Another apology for the delay (I've been posting in 'Motoring')

As a child you probably regard whatever goes on in your house, or in your neighbourhood, as 'normal'. I just assumed that everyone had cereal for breakfast, some form of meat for dinner (usually based upon whatever was left over from the Sunday roast) and jam sandwiches and cakes for tea. I was amazed when I later found out that some people actually had anything savoury at tea time!
(Incidentally, I originally typed 'lunch' but I replaced it with 'dinner' because that's what I would have called it in my childhood).

I knew that many (possibly most) other families went away on holidays in the summer time (but, with the exception of one friend who once went to France, always within the UK). I dreaded going back to school after the summer holidays because we were usually asked to write about where we'd been and I always had to say that we'd only been on day trips (which usually actually meant a single visit to Felixstowe,12 miles away). Every year my father would spend hours studying brochures, working out where the best place to go on holiday would be. Every year he'd procrastinate over booking. Every year he'd wait until July and then spend a fruitless hour or two in the phone box across the road trying to find somewhere cheap that wasn't fully booked. The first time we actually got to go anywhere was when I was 15. (Real excitement! It was 'overseas'. i.e. the Isle of Wight!)

[rowanwitch]

Grew up in a house with no bathroom, an outside toilet and only two working electrical sockets and we still had a gas light and at first a proper blackleaded range in the kitchen when it rained water came in through the light fittings and blew the fuses....and as my great grandmother,grandparents mother sister and I shared the house with a dog and cat it wasn't exactly pleasant...certainly couldn't invite children from school to come round..so never got asked to parties etc. there was always decent food in the house as there was a large market nearby and I think the butcher had athing for my nan...., and we had trips out etc as my family had very cheap travel because my dad worked for london transport when he died ( I was 2 1/2 and my sister 6 wks old) but I only remember a couple of holidays....
School uniform for me was issued from a special supplies depot....as mum didn't get uniform voucers because she had a little shop job which meant we hardly saw her except on sundays.....free school meals,,,,sounds like the dark ages but I'm only 53

[ummmm]

I don't remember ever struggling but I think I was raised a bit naive. Although we didn't have much money I wasn't aware of it. Having a wealthy Grandad meant we got to go on all the school trips so as far as we were concerned we were quite rich..

[TheOtherHalf]

Im one of 13 Mrs O. Can you imagine what that was like. Im the youngest girl so had all my sisters cast offs. The only thing I got new was my school uniform when I went to grammar school cos I was the first one to get to Gram School. When we were kids we shared a double bed like sardines. Top at bottom. Fought over bath nights.
My first paypacket of £5 was heaven. I treated myself to a new skirt.
We still had it tough later, when our first child was born as my OH job went down to 3 day week. Christmas that year was awful. Scrimping with everything. We couldnt even afford a bottle of wine with our Xmas dinner.
Then we put our son through Uni and 10 years later am only just getting back on our feet. Have only just got credit card. Mobile phone only last year PAYG for emergencies only. Only got our first computer about 5 years ago.
Kids today dont know what it is to struggle do they.

[sara3]

I remember... ice on the inside of my bedroom window!

[ummmm]

So do I....and having a bath on Sunday night and Mum having our pj's in front of the fire. Surprised they didn't burst into flames...lol

[piggynose]

i remember the late 60´s very well, as thats when i´d wake up to a coal fire, my mom(who was never very well) wud struggle to carry the coal in from our coal shed to get the fire going. it must ´ve been hellish for her in the winter mornings. oh and not having a fridge, but having a pantry instead

[mightyWBA]

This thread reminds me of something.........Lol!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

I've lived the opposite, used to be well off but am becoming increasingly poorer due to a number of reasons!
Plenty worse off though ,so mustn't grumble :-)

[mightyWBA]

Like the picture Piggy...Laurie Cunningham,great player.

[Jemisa]

Mighty, - That sketch brought back soo many memories, My son & his mates at about 12 years old knew this off by heart and would entertain us many a time by performing it, it was soo funny coming from them.
Even now if I say "In my day" I get a full rendering - - - -
Thanks again Mighty.
PS, . . .(Micmak - A lady doesn't reveal her age)