it used to be posh but now it ain't

Ticklemouse

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

Just touching on food again - why was it perfectly OK for restaurants to offer grapefruit juice or an egg with mayonnaise as a starter?

Because no-one went out to a proper restaurant, so no-one was used to starters, unless it was HM soup. I'd forgotten that I was 12 the first time we went to a 'real' restaurant, and my grandma ALWAYS embarrassed us by scarfing everyone's leftovers and wrapping them in a napkin and shoving them in her handbag for 'tomorrow's tea'

And Black Forest Gateau - the height of sophistication

Rave

I used to think we were poor when I was a child (I was born in 1979 for reference) but I now realise that while my parents weren't exactly minted, it was mainly that they didn't want to spoil us:). I can still remember when we ate with my aunt and uncle and being amazed when they left some of their dinner on the plate- that simply wasn't allowed in our house. Didn't stop me being a fussy eater mind:rolleyes:. We used to love it when our other aunt came to visit, because she'd hide a Finger of Fudge for each of us somewhere in the room and we'd spend a happy quarter of an hour searching for them with 'you're getting warm......colder....' type clues from her:D. I can't imagine many kids nowadays being so excited about a 15p bar of toffee.

I worry a bit for my kids (should I have them). I'd be equally determined not to spoil them and to teach them the true value of stuff- but I wonder if they'll get bullied at school for not having all the latest gear, latest fashions etc. when they want it- I did:(.

tr3mor

Rave wrote:

I worry a bit for my kids (should I have them). I'd be equally determined not to spoil them and to teach them the true value of stuff- but I wonder if they'll get bullied at school for not having all the latest gear, latest fashions etc. when they want it- I did:(.

Don't worry about it, it's character building. If you give them all the latest gear they'll think they always need it, then when they've flown the nest will get in credit card debt etc... You said you were bullied at school, it seems you've turned out alright!

calleyw

Downsizing__for_sanity wrote:

Olive oil!

Used to only come in little bottles from the chemist for cradle cap/cleaning ears! Now everyone uses extra virgin to cook with!

DFS

I am sure that you can still get those little bottles of olive oil in old fashion chemists.

Why I am not sure.

LOL!!!!!!!!

Yours

Calley

lellie

I'm too young for this thread really (I'm 19) but I can still think of things. broadband internet! (We still had dial up until a few weeks ago)
video player - we didn't have one til I was about 12 and even then it was an ancient one that wouldn't record properly handed down to our family!!! when dvd players were just starting to come out
TVs in bedroom - I was never allowed one at home..

rach83

lellie wrote:

I'm too young for this thread really (I'm 19) but I can still think of things. broadband internet! (We still had dial up until a few weeks ago)
video player - we didn't have one til I was about 12 and even then it was an ancient one that wouldn't record properly handed down to our family!!! when dvd players were just starting to come out
TVs in bedroom - I was never allowed one at home..

I am at little older than you at 21 but I remember when I was really small my dad having this Videostar video player which he brought when video players first came out in the very early 80's. He told me it cost him £500 which was a lot of money back then the funniest bit being that it was worth more than the car he brought it home in!! This video player was huge and when you ejected a tape it had like a top loading lid which would lift up so you could insert a tape - no front loading - you could see how it all worked and everything through the transparent lid. :rotfl: Sadly my dad got rid of it a few years ago - it would look prehistoric these days I bet a child of 10 would not know what it was!!

zodiac

Even going back a few (well a bit more than few ) years

Mobile phones (Brick and handcase job in my childhood)
DVD
Computer (We got our first when I was 11)
Playstation
Football shirt
High school ski trips

Alleycat

Ooh, this thread is really bringing back the memories!

Banana long boats - on the rare occasions we ate out (usually the greasy spoon up the road) my mum would have one of these.

Spam - ham in a tin - what a fab invention!!

Holidays that didn't involve a tent. Me and my sisters thought it was dead posh to go on holiday and stay in a cottage or even a caravan. We used to get the coach to Dorset (didn't have a car) and then the local bus to the camp site. When we were a bit older, my dad bought a camper van (VW Combi) and we all slept in there sometimes! Me and my dad would take turns in the front seat, my little sister would sleep in the boot and three in the back.

I'm sure there's more but my brain is a bit slow this morning. Still, been fun to reminisce!

Austin_Allegro

An excellent thread.

I thought I was fairly 'common' until I read these reminiscences!

My mother's side of the family were/are pretty much 'upper middle' (army officers, clergymen, colonial administrators, etc) and so I always thought of my granny as being quite posh when I was growing up in the 70s/80s.

Stuff she had/did I thought was particularly posh:

Holidays abroad to non-package destinations - South Africa, etc.
Having a 'daily' who called her 'Madam'
Pears Soap
A white telephone by the bed
A silver tray with soda syphon, whisky bottle, gin bottle etc
Going to the Albert Hall to see Richard STilgoe play the piano
Saying 'supper' for the evening meal instead of the common 'tea' or the social climber's 'dinner'

Actually I think all this is STILL pretty posh (except perhaps Mr Stilgoe)

But I think people are right in saying the general idea of expensive things as 'posh' has gone, because everybody can afford them. The only posh things left are things that are not dependant on money - so family connections, accent, cultural interests etc are the only 'markers'.

calleyw

I use to think my MIL was posh. She went to private school as a child. Father owned serveral cotton mills up north. Her grandfather was a chair man of manchester city football club. (mind you could be the other one though. LOL!)

Had a canteen of cutlery that we used everyday. And even had fish knives as we always had fish on a friday.

But she let the side down as she had milk bottle on the table and would let me take cans of cola to the table. Something that my working class mother would never allow.

Yours

Calley