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I Remember When.....

It's history Stitch. Manufacturing areas are required to build Empires but are always in the back yard somewhere, maybe...possibly tolerated on the journey out of neccessity...but not in the parlour car.
 
Hi Stitcher,

whilst agreeing with your sentiments in your last post, I will always remember a story my grandma used to tell:

During the Blitz the sirens went off, and she and the rest of the family headed for the Anderson shelter. When the all-clear sounded, they emerged to discover that some kind soul had been in their house (in Bevington Road, Aston) and from the front room had nicked all their best linen. As Grandma used to say, she could've understood it had the old man's stashed-away bottle of Scotch gone, but a table-cloth...??

One thing I must say about our modern 21st century society - it may not be perfect, but at least (so far) we haven't returned to the stage where Western European nations rain bombs on one another, and invade each other's countries. Hope we never do, too.

Big Gee
 
charlie your memories made me chuckle. The youngsters I work with don't believe me when i tell them that we had no central heating and in winter woke up to ice on the inside of the bedroom windows. we had an outside loo and an old twin tub washing machine - big improvement on handwashing clothes and having to turn the handle on the mangle!!
 
maggs, I was born Jan. 1940, my family were not rich but as far back as I can remember we were taught and encouraged to enjoy every waking minute. My dad enjoyed most weekends fishing and he wished the winter away while he was waiting to start on the veggie patch in the spring. Mom took a pride in the house, and we had freshly cooked food every day, apart from the days when we had bubble and squeak with yesterdays leftovers. At this time of year mom would have all the ingredients for about six Christmas puds. The puds were cooked in rather large basins using the boiler in the bathroom. We all had a stir of the mixture, then mom put it into the basins. Then a piece of white cloth put over the top of the mixture and tied down with a piece of string. The boiler was filled and heated then the puds were placed in the water and left to cook for what seemed like ages. The cake would have been made several weeks ago and would have had whiskey poured over it each week. For about thirty doors each way and over the road, everyone knew everyone, the streets were clean and everyone of all ages was polite, helpful and courteous. Under close scrutiny, life has never been perfect but in my opinion, society and community spirit were by far superior than today. We all know that if we had a night of bombing now, a lot more than the linen would be stolen.
 
Playing marbles on the way to school, seeing the "City of Birmingham Punishment book"as our teacher used to do the dirty deed,The joy of making a working push bike from bits that were found,making "dens", the smell of steam trains and the start of some new music....I think it was called Rock & Roll!:cool:
 
Having been born after the war as an adult all I seem to remember is a boom or bust economy. All the standards and morals taught to me as a child seem irrelevant in today's society.
I am glad that as a child I could roam free, with the only warning of dont speak to strangers, but strangers were more likely to help a child in distress without a second thought back then. Its the small things I remember with most pleasure such as sweets, toys and days out.The kids of today appear not to have that innocence .Why should young children be taught the problems of this world before secondary school.But then you have parents dressing young children as little versions of celebrities. I had short trousers,"S" hook elasticated belt,a woolly jumper and sensible shoes with toe caps. Hardly a style icon but suitable for climbing trees, scrumping and exploring places you were not supposed to be.Haircut was a short back and sides done by yer dad with hand operated clippers.Nobody laughed at you because thats what the other kids had to suffer.
 
Yesterday my wife and I were in B & Q looking at different things. While we were standing by the wallpaper adhesives, we started chatting to a member from B & Q about wall paper. and I mentioned that my father used to use flour and water to paste onto wallpaper to hang it.

This young lady looked at me as if I was demented.

I suppose that, to young people, it is as ridiculous as not living with TV's or I pads.

Eddie
 
norfolk brummie said:
Yesterday my wife and I were in B & Q looking at different things. While we were standing by the wallpaper adhesives, we started chatting to a member from B & Q about wall paper. and I mentioned that my father used to use flour and water to paste onto wallpaper to hang it.

This young lady looked at me as if I was demented.

I suppose that, to young people, it is as ridiculous as not living with TV's or I pads.

Eddie
Click to expand...

And what about those football size blocks of distemper (?) we used for doing the walls & ceilings. And then those horrible polystyrene tiles for the ceilings. Yuk! PS, do people still use wallpaper?
 
norfolk brummie said:
Yesterday my wife and I were in B & Q looking at different things. While we were standing by the wallpaper adhesives, we started chatting to a member from B & Q about wall paper. and I mentioned that my father used to use flour and water to paste onto wallpaper to hang it.

This young lady looked at me as if I was demented.

I suppose that, to young people, it is as ridiculous as not living with TV's or I pads.

Eddie
Click to expand...

We still use flour paste here in the library for light repairs to book bindings.

Simon
 
Stitcher said:
It's alright saying I should learn Urdu and respect others. We have people who have lived here for years and they can't or won't learn English. Why should it be a one way system??? Many of these people do not want to adapt and live amongst us. They want us to adapt and live amongst them. As for learning Urdu I was up to a few years ago quite fluent in Urdu because I took lessons so I would be able to converse with these people in connection with my work, but like everything else if it is not kept up it diminishes and nowadays I do understand what is being said but I am not so good at quick replies. In my opinion, life in Birmingham was so much better than it is now and I was invited to lunch with The Lord Mayor at The Council House so he could thank me for my work in causing what he called 'Togetherness'. I also have a letter thanking me for the way I sold the image of Birmingham to foreign businessmen, this letter originated because a man from Norway wrote to the then leader of the City Council telling him that my enthusiasm for Birmingham had convinced him to return and do more business here. I did for quite some years work in the City as a bouncer, a tourist guide and a Taxi Driver and I believe that my ideals and principals have always maintained a level, as has my integrity. It is with all these things in mind that I can say "I prefer the Birmingham of a few years ago"
Click to expand...
 
I totally agree with you Stitcher. They should learn our language language not us theirs ! So much is spent on interpitors for people that have been here for years. When in Rome do as the Romans do. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
 
Dancing Queen 15 said:
I totally agree with you Stitcher. They should learn our language language not us theirs ! So much is spent on interpitors for people that have been here for years. When in Rome do as the Romans do. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
Click to expand...
I was in hospital recently, & on a wall was a poster about leaflets in different languages, 50 to be precise! Having said that, i know folk who have lived in spain for many years & can just about manage please & thank you. We Brits seem to think everyone should speak English ( & so they should :-}
 
We have a similar poster here in Cheshire too Smudge, however there are amendments.
Amdt 1. Geordie
Amdt 2. Scouser
Amdt 3. Glaswegian.
 
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