Items that have faded away

[I Am Nico]

An old friend of mine, whose parents drank a lot and also smoked their heads off used to go home from school to lard on a sandwich with a pinch of salt to give it flavour. Sounds disgusting to me, but I guess she and her many sisters were hungry so they just ate it and presumably thought themselves lucky. I can't eat anything remotely greasy, so if that had been me I would have been starving!

I used to have bread and lard for my tea at nan's with salt and pepper on, and bread and dripping, bread and treacle, banana and bread and butter.

 

[carolina]

Just watched BBC4 with Paul Carrack (fantastic voice and song writer) and he went into a sweet shop in Sheffield and in it they had lucky bags. I havent seen them in years.

 

[I Am Nico]

Just watched BBC4 with Paul Carrack (fantastic voice and song writer) and he went into a sweet shop in Sheffield and in it they had lucky bags. I havent seen them in years.

I watched him too. They still have them in France they are called surprises I think but they are about 2 feet tall like a rolled up cone shaped wrapper. Pink and blue for boys and girls.
I loved them, and jamboree bags. Ours were unisex I think.

 

[I Am Nico]

Whenever dad saw a woman with a hairnet he would say she's got her Ena Sharples on. Nan and lots of women her age had blue ir green ones.
Watched Wartime Farm again with Ruth having her hair done. She had the MArcel wavers on but they didn't call them that. I think the kids and the people look too smart to be on the farm

 

[rosie]

Nico, have a look at rowan's thread about J.R.L. Wave grip makers, I didn't know that was the proper name for them.
My Nan had fine hairnets with tiny beads on, "for best" and fine grey ones for everyday. I think they made them from real hair in those days. (Early 1950's).
Mum said she wore a "snood" during the War, it was like a hairnet but thicker and worn lower down the back of the head, for safety in the factory, and convenience in an air-raid I would think.
rosie.

 

[I Am Nico]

Nico, have a look at rowan's thread about J.R.L. Wave grip makers, I didn't know that was the proper name for them.
My Nan had fine hairnets with tiny beads on, "for best" and fine grey ones for everyday. I think they made them from real hair in those days. (Early 1950's).
Mum said she wore a "snood" during the War, it was like a hairnet but thicker and worn lower down the back of the head, for safety in the factory, and convenience in an air-raid I would think.
rosie.

I will look tomorrow Rosie. That's what Nan called them, mum hated to have to have her hair styled like nan wanted her to when she was at home. Short shaped and Marcel waved. They looked like aligator clips to me, and they were lethal. I use to play with them. I also remember curler papers, I think they were to protect your head either from the fluid or the hot curling irons. Mum had plastic mesh ones and some with spikey bits all over. Nan also had these clippers which looked like a mini lanmower crossed wityh a garlic press in stainless steel to do the back of her neck and her moustache not that she really had one. She always kept it in it's box, like she did with her iron and her mincer and every household tool. I think people were more ofderly then and looked after there things more.

 

[lindyloo]

Hi rosie and Nico,
You've just brought back some good memories of my Nans for me. I think I have one of those "alligator" clips somewhere, I will look when it's light..they were definitely lethal. I remember the "lawnmower" too. Here is a photo of a "Dinkie" clip that I happened to have close at hand, there is also a hat pin, they belonged to my Nan



If you google Dinkie hair clips you will find pictures of these and the wave clips.

 

[Astonian]

the products of yester years for me is the old heavvy cast iron for irioning your shirts and clothes
put them on the fire or on top of the old gas fire to get hot and start to iron your clothes with brown paper for that extra sharp crease
and to starch the shirt collar and cuffs which i still do tody only with a moderen day iron ;
but i also have a collection of the old heavy duty cast iron that i have collected and still collect them in different sizes and weights ; large and small ones
even mini ones i have stored away and one or two for door stops [ [ summer time only of course ]
havea nne day everybody best wishes astonian;;; alan;;

 

[lindyloo]

I have my Nans old mini travel iron which is in its own tin, its really heavy..it would take up most of the baggage weight allowance in a suitcase !! just a thought...you wouldnt like to come and do my ironing for me would you ?? I tried using starch and made a right mess of it

 

[Astonian]

Good Morning Lindyloo
I,m fraid that will not do the job ; if i came around and done your ironing even thou i enjoy doing tjhe ironing
i would have to bring on of my specials as you need the weight thous travel are not much good i,m afraid
but you can forget your starch ; just get a large piece of brown paper and cover the item of clothining and press away and iron ;
i learnt this way way back in my teen age years i have dne it for my lads many times over the years
they smile and are amazed ; oh yes i would be more than happy to come around and do your ironing any day of the week ; Ha;
have a nice best wishes aslways your old friend alan ;; astonian;;

 

[lindyloo]

I have used brown paper and the iron in the past to try and remove grease marks from clothes, but I havent used it as a general ironing aid..I may give it a try for ironing all the white shirts for the wedding though Many thanks for your kind offer ..I may take you up on that one of these fine days !!!
Have a great day yourself Astonian..take care...x

 

[lindyloo]

thanks for the pic of the dinkie clip lindy i remember those...look forward to seeing the lethal alligator clip..nice that you have them...

lyn

I'm really disappointed the clip wasnt where I thought it was !! but I will keep looking..in the meantime I thought I would post these..they all belonged to my Nan (not that I'm a hoarder or anything..lol ) There are modern equivalents for some of course.

 

[lindyloo]

Just a couple more...



The last one is a photo of my Grandad who sadly passed away before I was born, but I love the brooch

 

[Wendy]

I have some old cigarette tins, the mention of Players cigarettes reminded me, my Dad left Albert Road school in Aston in 1925 and his first job was a window dresser for Players cigarettes. I remember he made lovely roses out of crepe paper at Christmas. I assume this is something he did that would be used in window decoration. Later he made and set up neon sign's for Players thats something we don't have today.

 

[lindyloo]

I'm pleased that you all liked the photos, those items and many more are very special to me..
Rosie..do you think that the item in the first lot of photos (forth pic) is a buttonhook ? it is not a very big item and it also folds..I thought maybe it was a boot lace puller ?....

I too like pianolas, we had one at home when I was a child, it was my stunning, in black wood..but mom sold it because the miserable neighbour kept complaining about me playing it
I found an old (empty) packet of "20 Wild Woodbine Cigarettes" in the loft when we were clearing out Moms loft when she moved recently..I must take a photo of it and post it...Mom also gave me a lovely framed picture of cigarette cards showing all different roses..it is really pretty.

Wendy, those roses sounded lovely a lot of the old skills have disappeared.. My Pops used to make little bunches of flowers out of wire and embroidery thread, just like his Dad did, I saved all of the bits he had collected when he passed away and I intend to have a go myself at some point..again I will take a photo and post on here..

 

[Astoness]

lindy you want to see my brothers place..every room is like a living museum..he has been collecting very old things for many years now but they are now taking over and he is de cluttering a bit....hoping a few bits may come my way lol.....do you remember the display cases that the pubs had that held cigars and ciggies...well hes got one of those complete with original cigars in...came out of a pub in aston prob 20 years back...wouldnt mind having that..also a very heavy cigarette lighter from the board room of joseph lucas GKS..must see if i can get round him ..
lyn

 

[lindyloo]

Hi lyn, your brothers place sounds amazing..a proper Aladdin's Cave !! I would imagine there are plenty of "Products that have faded away" in there....might make for a fascinating book !!! I think I remember the cases you mentioned..I reckon the contents may be passed their "Best Before Date" now though !!!

 

[Astoness]

morning lindy oh yes well past their sell by...cant even begin to list the stuff our marks got...hes been skip diving for about 40 years now and you would be suprised at the things he has saved..

 

[lindyloo]

I found an old (empty) packet of "20 Wild Woodbine Cigarettes" when we were clearing out Moms loft when she moved recently..I must take a photo of it and post it...
.. My Pops used to make little bunches of flowers out of wire and embroidery thread, just like his Dad did, I saved all of the bits he had collected when he passed away and I intend to have a go myself at some point..

 

[I Am Nico]

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Your dad could have been a florist. Very impressive. My unlce was a gardner and wired wreaths and did wedding bouquets. I have one of my grandfather's ration books. Nan used to have a little tin with quickies in to freshen her up. On the Players tin I can just make out Navy Cut, Gold LEaf and Nottinghamshire Castle Registerd. Wish I knew how to post pictures I asked the site and I got a blank black screen.

 

[lindyloo]

Nico, Pops always amazed me by doing those tiny flowers, with all the intricate little wound wires and petals ....because his hands were like bunches of bananas!! I would love to see your photos...I have sent you a PM..hope it helps

 

[rosie]

lindyloo, In my Shire Book of "Ladies' Dress Accessories" there's a picture of glove and dress buttonhooks including a small folding one, they just say underneath that it's a small folding hook. You've got me wondering now!!
We've got a metal shop sign for Woodbines, (our house was a shop). My husband says his father used to cut up a packet front and make a little jigsaw, it was quite difficult to do apparently!!
Best Wishes,
rosie.

 

[lindyloo]

Thanks rosie, I have just found a picture on the net

So buttonhook it is

 

[maypolebaz]

Good Morning Lindyloo
I,m fraid that will not do the job ; if i came around and done your ironing even thou i enjoy doing tjhe ironing
i would have to bring on of my specials as you need the weight thous travel are not much good i,m afraid
but you can forget your starch ; just get a large piece of brown paper and cover the item of clothining and press away and iron ;
i learnt this way way back in my teen age years i have dne it for my lads many times over the years
they smile and are amazed ; oh yes i would be more than happy to come around and do your ironing any day of the week ; Ha;
have a nice best wishes aslways your old friend alan ;; astonian;;

When I first joined the army we had to iron our kit using brown paper, a mug of water and a shaving brush to wet the paper was also required.

 

[brenda barr]

Lindyloo, what an education on buttonhooks, never knew there could be so many...l have my moms buttonhook its not as fancy as some seen on that site its about 9inches long and has a wooden handle... she used it for many things in her later years like zipping up zippers on suitcases etc, now that l have it l use it for many things on my later years.....Brenda

 

[lindyloo]

When I first joined the army we had to iron our kit using brown paper, a mug of water and a shaving brush to wet the paper was also required.

Hi maypolebaz, is that a method that you still use now (or would recommend using now) or have modern day steam irons done away with the need for it ?

 

[lindyloo]

rosie and brenda barr, As well as the folding one, I have one with a bone (?) handle which Nan used to keep with her sewing stuff...I always thought it was something to do with rag rug making..not sure why ? ..and as I was typing that a picture came into my head of a wooden handled "thing" which had a chrome "thing" with a small piece of metal that moved up and down..was that to do with rag rugs...I have to investigate that now or it will bug the life out of me...lol..
I think these have probably been mentioned on this thread before...but I also have Nans collection of Darning Mushrooms complete with darning wool on little cards..still in the lovely tin with an embossed design of two Dutch children in clogs on..that she kept them in..

 

[maypolebaz]

Hi maypolebaz, is that a method that you still use now (or would recommend using now) or have modern day steam irons done away with the need for it ?

No, nowadays I use a steam iron but find I need a tea towel or handkerchief on the cloth to stop the iron marking things.
Brown paper seems to be a "product that is fading away" !

 

[jimbo]

When I was in the Army Cadets I used to run a bar of soap down the inside of the crease before using brown paper (shiny side up) and an old gas iron.
jimbo

 

[I Am Nico]

My gran had five half fingers and she did fine needlework, made dresses and baby clothes she lost them in a machine in a factory.