The Old Cocoa Tin

[Di.Poppitt]

'If you can't pay for it you can't have it ' I always told myself. But in the early years of the last Century there was no question of 'tic'. No money and you were hungry.

I imagine that was when the savings clubs were started. My own family payed into shoe clubs and clothes clubs. The clothes club was run by the village drapers, kept by two elderly ladies. One of my aunts ran the shoe club, and my shoes better not pinch before it was mom's turn to take some money from it.

There was also a sick club, which an uncle paid into. I think you took your chance on that one, because I rmember him saying he was wasting his money as he was never 'bad'.

Mom put money away each week for different bills. The electric, gas, coal. The money went into an old cadbury's cocoa tin which sat on the kitchen shelf. In the 1970's she had a visitor in the middle of the night, he took all the money from my sister's hand bag, her family allowance book, and mom's purse, but missed the cocoa tin. Mom gave it a bit of thought and decided that she would find a new place for her tin - the oven. All went well for a time, until one Sunday with the beef roasting she remembered the tin was still in the oven. The money was well singed, but the numbers on the notes were still readable and so the bank replaced it.

The old tin was by this time about forty years old. Better be safe than sorry said mom. The tin for ever after was kept in the fridge.

 

[Peter Walker]

Two cocoa tins

As a nipper I did what the other lads were doing, made a hole in the bottom of two old tins by hammering a nail through the metal, and then threaded a long piece of string through the holes, tying knots at the ends so that they wouldn't come out through the holes.
We then moistened the string, pulled it taut and then tried to use it as a telephone. I can't honestly say I ever heard a thing, but we kept at it.
Peter

 

[Pomgolian]

Peter, Kids today still love doing just that too, if shown how to by an adult . They know that the string only vibrates but carry on talking just as we did (Girls did it too :!: )
They also like tinned stilts - A hole either side of the tin bottom and a long piece of string to hold once you get your balance on the upside down tin bottoms. 8)

Chris

 

[Oisin]

Get an old paint tin, drop in some tar, attach a long string handle, light tar and swing the tin around. When at the desired angle let go. There you have a fire can!

Good fun, eh?

Btw, Di, I've seen novelty money safes In the guise of an Heinze baked beans can with a false bottom to store your cash in.

Don't risk a tea caddy or biscuit tin. My "copper" daughter tells me that's where the scallies expect to find your spare cash. 8)

And my grandsons have bought! tin can stilts. :roll:

 

[Jerry]

When I was a nipper, I suppose about the mid 1950s, I remember our dad getting a strong metal savings box from a local bank. can't remember which bank but I'm guessing it was the Birmingham Municipal. anyway the idea was you could save any spare coins or notes in this money box and when it was full you took it to the bank and they put the money in your account.
It had a slot for coins and a small round hole for notes, you had to roll the note up to about the size of a cigarette and push it through the hole and into the box
Well those boxes were very strong, they were miniature safes really and of course you didn't have a key to open it.
Well one weekend, when the bank was closed, dad must have needed some money pretty desperately because I remember walking into the house and seeing him attacking the money box with a hammer and chisel!
After totally demolishing the money box he finally managed to get his dosh back out.
I dunno how he explained it to the bank :?

 

[Oisin]

My father used a much stronger box than that which it was impossible to retreive the money from - the till of the Railway Inn. :?

 

[Jerry]

Your dad too eh :wink:
Our dad had a deposit account at the Nelson in Small Heath
Come to think of it as soon as I was old enough so did I!

 

[Oisin]

...and shares in M&B that he paid dividends on. :roll: