Old Finances (back in the day)

Ida_Notion

maganan wrote: »

Ah lovely pic, bet that could be any number of us posting here similar clothes, hair cuts, home furnishings etc

Our clothes were probably similar, but our furnishings were probably best described as 'unique' . My friend over the road had a front room a lot like that, but because we virtually only had half a house we had my mum and dad's bed in the front room, with a big curtain slung over the top of it because it looked tidier than the bedding beneath, and a huge mahogany Victorian sideboard that my dad instantly devalued by chopping about a foot out of the ornate carved legs (because it was so tall that it blocked the light from the window behind it).

Most memorable of all was the big white formica-topped 'coffee' table that sat in front of the metal-framed studio couch that we'd had forever. The alleged coffee table was actually an old, long refectory table that had had it's legs cut down, bought cheaply by my dad when he'd been buying scrap from the local university. It still had a big round hole in the middle with a metal ring round it through which leftovers were once scraped into a bin beneath. We didn't have room for another table and so would have to eat round it while sitting on the floor, as would any friends who came round to tea.

Some would take the P about the hole in the table, and some would tactfully try to ignore it. This was easier said than done if you were politely chewing on a jam sandwich, only to jump out of your skin when a big furry cat's tail suddenly shot out from the middle of the tabletop in front of you because it was walking under the table hoping someone would drop something

Chickenopolis

This thread is such fun:) The orange and brown furniture, and swirly patterned carpets ... highly flammable dressing gowns and nighties. We were always told to keep 3 ft away from the gas fire. The cat always managed to singe his tail in it somehow though.

At school we were made to watch documentaries about "strangers" which scared me to death. Particularly as I always walked to and from school sometimes on my own.I had visions of some bloke in an Allegro who pull up beside me and say would you like to "come and see my puppies" or kittens. I do remember men around like that , not nice.. That "gut feeling" was never wrong.

I also liked the animated awareness adverts on tv- "Charlie says....." never play with matches etc. My brother would impersonate Charlie the cat and still does if he lights a match.

I was allowed to stay up and watch my sisters make up a dance routine to Top of the Pops (on a school night)which they would perform in a synchronised fashion at the local disco. They said that everyone else used to try and copy them because the were so "cool" . I have my doubts about this .. as they were rubbish:rotfl:

taplady

My DH told me this memory of his childhood. Every Sunday the ice cream van would come and the children would go out with a bowl and get a bowl full of icecream which they would share with some tinned fruit for Sunday Tea. They could never afford to have an ice cream cone each. He said every house in the Close they lived in did the same.

There was also only one phone in the Close that was in a neighbours house and was used as a communal phone with people putting money in the box if they wanted to use it.
I remember putting 2p pieces in public telephones and also paying a penny to use the public toilets!

ceridwen

...and a little film of memories from one particular community that peeps might be interested in:

http://transitionculture.org/2011/07/25/totnes-what-the-past-can-teach-us-about-the-future/

Ida_Notion

Talking about the cat and the table with a hole in it made me think of how my dad would supplement the cat's food once a week or so with coley because cat food was 'disgusting' and because coley was 'cheap'. Times have definitely changed there. He hated the idea of cats and dogs as pets, but kept this one because the street had a rat problem and she happened to be very good at dealing with it - he thought she was awesome because of it. And she was. I can remember once when she had huge fight with a massive rat in the middle of the street and it pulled a lot of her claws out as she was dispensing with it. She also killed a pigeon once and ran home and under my bed with it. My mum took less than two minutes to fetch a dustpan and brush but by the time she returned the cat was languishing under the bed with a contented expression and just one feather left in front of her.

She left home in disgust shortly after we were given a council house on a housing estate where there were no rats, only the odd field mouse. Eventually we got a half-siamese who my dad did not like much (she still got coley!), partly because she disdainfully made it clear from the start that she was no working moggy, and partly because she would demand to be let in by taking a running jump up the garden path and swinging on the knocker that was three foot up the door. It could get a bit much at times, and after one very trying afternoon of answering the door every half hour, there came another knock. My dad was losing his temper by this time, and as I opened the door he yelled from inside 'Fork and Ale (or something that sounded not unlike it ), will you just bleepin' well get in!'. I jumped back as a startled bloke amost leapt in over the doorstep and said timidly 'I've come about... the advert... car for sale?'. I can't remember if my dad managed to sell the car on that occasion, but the blight of his life still continued to get her weekly coley out of him

scaredy_cat

do you remember getting a rectangle of ice cream in rectangle cone? what were they called

jackieb

Gigervamp wrote: »

Orange and brown.



That's me on the right!

Orange and brown nylon bedding.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=39539962&postcount=32

Chickenopolis

Ida_Notion wrote: »

Talking about the cat and the table with a hole in it made me think of how my dad would supplement the cat's food once a week or so with coley because cat food was 'disgusting' and because coley was 'cheap'. Times have definitely changed there. He hated the idea of cats and dogs as pets, but kept this one because the street had a rat problem and she happened to be very good at dealing with it - he thought she was awesome because of it. And she was. I can remember once when she had huge fight with a massive rat in the middle of the street and it pulled a lot of her claws out as she was dispensing with it. She also killed a pigeon once and ran home and under my bed with it. My mum took less than two minutes to fetch a dustpan and brush but by the time she returned the cat was languishing under the bed with a contented expression and just one feather left in front of her.

She left home in disgust shortly after we were given a council house on a housing estate where there were no rats, only the odd field mouse. Eventually we got a half-siamese who my dad did not like much (she still got coley!), partly because she disdainfully made it clear from the start that she was no working moggy, and partly because she would demand to be let in by taking a running jump up the garden path and swinging on the knocker that was three foot up the door. It could get a bit much at times, and after one very trying afternoon of answering the door every half hour, there came another knock. My dad was losing his temper by this time, and as I opened the door he yelled from inside 'Fork and Ale (or something that sounded not unlike it ), will you just bleepin' well get in!'. I jumped back as a startled bloke amost leapt in over the doorstep and said timidly 'I've come about... the advert... car for sale?'. I can't remember if my dad managed to sell the car on that occasion, but the blight of his life still continued to get her weekly coley out of him

Ida Notion-you should write a book because this is so funny , OH is wondering why I am laughing my head off:rotfl:I can just picture the startled bloke..:rotfl:

chocolate_buttons_2

mum2one wrote: »

I remember being in 3rd yr at secondary school, *1984/85 , must been 13/14, and then we were split into groups according to your caability, how I will never know I was in the top group of 6 groups, and when it came to options only the top group where allowed to choose computer studies.

At my school only the boys were allowed to take Computer Studies. :eek:

Girls were deemed too emotional to understand it. (Mr Seinfeld was an arrogant ignorant sexist) Luckily my Dad was v. techie minded and taught me basic programming in the evenings This would have been 1984-ish

jackieb

scaredy_cat wrote: »

do you remember getting a rectangle of ice cream in rectangle cone? what were they called

A slice off a block of ice-cream fitted right into the square cones as well.