Growing up in U.K. in the 50s/60s

maltrab

Administrator
Staff member
Back in the days of tanners and bobs,
When Mothers had patience and Fathers had jobs.
When football team families wore hand me down shoes,
And T.V gave only two channels to choose.

Back in the days of three penny bits,
when schools employed nurses to search for your nits.
When snowballs were harmless; ice slides were permitted
and all of your jumpers were warm and hand knitted.

Back in the days of hot ginger beers,
when children remained so for more than six years.
When children respected what older folks said,
and pot was a thing you kept under your bed.

Back in the days of Listen with Mother,
when neighbours were friendly and talked to each other.
When cars were so rare you could play in the street.
When Doctors made house calls and Police walked the beat.

Back in the days of Milligan's Goons,
when butter was butter and songs all had tunes.
It was dumplings for dinner and trifle for tea,
and your annual break was a day by the sea.

Back in the days of Dixon's Dock Green,
Crackerjack pens and Lyons ice cream.
When children could freely wear National Health glasses,
and teachers all stood at the FRONT of their classes.

Back in the days of rocking and reeling,
when mobiles were things that you hung from the ceiling. When woodwork and pottery got taught in schools,
and everyone dreamed of a win on the pools.
Back in the days when I was a lad,
I can't help but smile for the fun that I had.
Hopscotch and roller skates; snowballs to lob.
Back in the days of tanners and bobs.
 
Ahhhh.........Memories.........................:)

Those days were still there when I was a lad, late 50's into the early '60s (mixing apostrophe usage)
I don't remember too many Tanners and Bobs being available in my neighbourhood but the old multisided yellow/green Thrupence I remember well from Xmas puddings carefully wrapped in the silver foil from cigarette packets so they didn't spoil the pud when baking.
 
Great poem Terry yours?? Evokes wonderful memories and captures the era wonderfully . I can vividly remember BBC2 coming to air and watching all the test transmission programmes which were really good sadly somewhat better than some of the shows they aired when it went on air for good . Goons of course with the brilliant messrs Milligan,Sellers, Secombe and Bentine were a must on Radio but also the animated series the Telegoons on BBC found a really grainy episode on You Tube.

 
Very good poem.

Someone told me that the so called 'nit nurse' doesn't attend schools now. I gather schools are now rife with nits, and it's getting controllable.

Do teachers no longer remain at the front of the class then?
 
Ahhhh.........Memories.........................:)

Those days were still there when I was a lad, late 50's into the early '60s (mixing apostrophe usage)
I don't remember too many Tanners and Bobs being available in my neighbourhood but the old multisided yellow/green Thrupence I remember well from Xmas puddings carefully wrapped in the silver foil from cigarette packets so they didn't spoil the pud when baking.
We must have been rich in those days, my mum insisted on using the same half dozen silver thrupenny pieces in every Christmas pud she made. There was hell to pay if we did not give them to her so she could use them again. After she gave us the equivalent number of copper coins.
 
Very good poem.

Someone told me that the so called 'nit nurse' doesn't attend schools now. I gather schools are now rife with nits, and it's getting controllable.

Do teachers no longer remain at the front of the class then?
My daughter is a grade 1 Teaching Assistant (4 years of exams ) and has to be on her guard against nits. There always seems to be one or another in her classes she has to send letters/reminders to the parents.:39::eyesroll:
 
Also growing up in the '50s prior to September of '53 — the excitement of the Saturday visit to the corner shop to spend your weekly sweets ration. Not my personal experience, but the well-remembered one of a friend of my age who grew up in Halifax and who now lives in Wakefield.

Rationing ended here in the States in 1946, when I was only two years old, so I have no memory of it at all. I know only what I learned as a college history major and from an online article that I just used to verify my recollection of that long-ago college course.
 
I remember only having two public TV channels. Then a private company set up a third but we had to travel to a relatives house in the big smoke to see it as it didn't transmit to our area for quite a while.
And I'm not that old, thank you. :08:;)
 
We must have been rich in those days, my mum insisted on using the same half dozen silver thrupenny pieces in every Christmas pud she made. There was hell to pay if we did not give them to her so she could use them again. After she gave us the equivalent number of copper coins

Half a Dozen thrupennys in a Christmas Pud?????????????? You guys were Millionaires!!:12: We usually only managed ONE! If we found two we REALLY thought Christmas had Come!:18:
 
We must have been rich in those days, my mum insisted on using the same half dozen silver thrupenny pieces in every Christmas pud she made. There was hell to pay if we did not give them to her so she could use them again. After she gave us the equivalent number of copper coins.


Yes silver thrupenny bits had ceased to be minted and modern 'silver' coinage had a nickel content which is not too good for cooking! Which is why foil (probably aluminium) would be used to cover anything else such as the newer thrupenny bits with twelve sides as they had quite a high nickel content.
 
Back
Top