On 10/23/2025 at 3:50 PM, ChipButty said:

Who remembers when you was younger Woolworths Pick and Mix sweet counter? 

No wonder they went bust, it was like a free for all in the Clayton Street branch on a Saturday, kids just stuffed their pockets. The rest of the stuff Woolies sold was mainly tat, the Ali Express of the high street. 

https://www.picclickimg.com/Ft4AAOSwmKVlKB4w/Vintage-Caley-Tray-Chocolate-Advert-Original-1954.webp 

My favourite when going to the 'flicks' with Mum and Dad

On 10/25/2025 at 7:20 AM, ChipButty said:

Back in the 50's we had a outside toilet just like this, I remember my mum putting a paraffin lamp in the winter to stop the pipes freezing,

I can remember the same in the 40s. However, ours was much cleaner than the one shown. I also remember the oil heater we had in there in the winter months, the same type as the guy next door, put under the oil sump of his car in the garage.

On 10/25/2025 at 11:45 AM, billd766 said:

Bournemouth had the Pavilion Theatre and the Winter Gardens (mainly for "pop" stars) plus the Pier theatre.

 

I must have seen the Big Show of 1957 a dozen times as I was in love with all of the Beverly Sisters. I was 11 at the time.

 

 

The Gaumont Cinema in Westover Road was used for stage shows from time to time. I saw Cliff Richard there but can't remember the year. May have been 1958, as I left Bournemouth in 59 at the age of 18. 

Woolworths

 

Hot dog counter front of store, blue plate special at lunch counter down the south side of store.

Who remembers the Festival of Britain 1951? It was the first time I had seen an escalator and the first time I saw a TV. I was 10 at the time. I watched the 1952 Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 on a TV set up in a shop window, by pushing my self to the front. As everyone could see over me no one objected. Between then and taking the Pines express from Bournemouth to Manchester in 1957, there were a number of memorable highlights, which I won't enlighten you with. However, my trip to Manchester was to play the magnificent 4 Manual Wurlitzer at the Gaumont cinema Oxford Street. I didn't win the competition, but the experience will not be forgotten.  

Born in 1941, grew up in the 1950s, and then enjoyed the swinging '60s. In those days people were far more humerous and less sensitive than today. They were good times.

I remember learning judo aged 10. Very useful as when I had an accident on my motorbike many years later, I rolled instead of falling heavily and stood up without a scratch.

On 10/23/2025 at 3:50 PM, ChipButty said:

Who remembers when you was younger Woolworths Pick and Mix sweet counter? 

There were two old-fashioned sweet shops in my village. On the shelves behind the counters there were those big jars of sweets. Can someone remind me how did we buy them in the 60s and 70s: did we ask by weight or did we ask for something like tenpenneth?

I can clearly remember Laurie Lingo and the Dipsticks, backed by the Ladybirds singing Convoy GB (a spoof of Convoy by C W McCall

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d189uP-48sU

29 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

There were two old-fashioned sweet shops in my village. On the shelves behind the counters there were those big jars of sweets. Can someone remind me how did we buy them in the 60s and 70s: did we ask by weight or did we ask for something like tenpenneth?

Either as I remember. Although most of the shops, it was by weight, because you knew how much it would cost for 2/3/4 oz.

Born in 1946, I remember when I was 4yo trying to stay awake in Christmas night to see Santa Claus bringing the toys I had ordered on a letter I sent previously to him. But I always felt asleep and was so happy to find the next morning my toys under the Christmas tree... 

Take me back to the seventies any day.  Everything went downhill very quickly after the Internet and mobile phones were invented.

Can’t help but notice there are a few posters born in the 40’s , makes me ( at 64 ) feel positively young !!

 

Good luck and good health to those on here who have made it to their eighties !!

In my hometown there was a hut on wheels ( although the wheels have long since sunk into the tarmac footpath it sits on).

Rumour has it that it was set up to give guidance ( details of what benefits they were entitled to and how to seek help with any related problems, physical or mental ) to the returning soldiers from WW1.

 

To me it was always Robbo’s ( owner was called Robinson ) and was magical, had all those large glass jars round the room on shelves full of favourite sweets which we would order by the quarter, “ quarter of Lemon Bon Bon’s or quarter of midget gems !!” ).Also had the penny and ha’penny tray with flying saucers and the like as well as a rack filled with goodies like sherbet fountains etc.

 

As a typical youth hanging round the village of an evening we discovered that if you scrambled onto the roof you could put your arm in a small window and avail yourself of a jar or two of the delicacies !!

( not my proudest moment i have to admit ) !!

 

It still exists but has been modified slightly, this is how i always remember it:

 

On 10/23/2025 at 3:50 PM, ChipButty said:

Who remembers when you was younger Woolworths Pick and Mix sweet counter? 

I was brought up in Morayshire and a trip on the bus to Woolies in Elgin was an exciting day out.

On 10/25/2025 at 7:20 AM, ChipButty said:

Back in the 50's we had a outside toilet just like this, I remember my mum putting a paraffin lamp in the winter to stop the pipes freezing,

 

And a newspaper torn-up in to squares, hanging up on a string, to wipe your arsenal. My grandparents used the News of the World. Then they went posh and got Izal toilet paper. 

 

On 10/25/2025 at 9:25 AM, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Also at the age of 9, my first concert was Adam Faith at the Arcadia theatre in Skegness in June 1965.

 

After that I saw many 'end of the pier' shows.

Budgie! 

On 10/31/2025 at 7:33 AM, ChipButty said:

 

Brings back memories. I got my first hard on sliding down one of those.

 

 

Stuck up neighbors car 

 

 

 

 

On 10/26/2025 at 4:15 PM, ChipButty said:

Always have a Chippy Tea on a Friday, 

 

In my village there was a steelworks, Crown Wallpaper and one chippy. Dreaded my mum sending me to the chippy at lunchtime, because if I timed it wrong, i'd be in the queue behind a dozen workers, each one wanting something like:

"10 fish and chips, 4 pie and chips, 2 steak pudding and chips" for them and their work mates.

 

On 10/26/2025 at 4:41 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Filey, Brid, Scarborough or Whitby closest for us …… that is what happens when you are the right side of the Pennines !!

Never been to any of them, but have been to Blackpool, Southport, Morecambe, etc., on the left side of the Pennines.

19 minutes ago, trucking said:

 

 

Stuck up neighbors car 

 

 

 

 

Where was that? thats left hand drive and that number plate is not from the UK, 

6 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

 

In my village there was a steelworks, Crown Wallpaper and one chippy. Dreaded my mum sending me to the chippy at lunchtime, because if I timed it wrong, i'd be in the queue behind a dozen workers, each one wanting something like:

"10 fish and chips, 4 pie and chips, 2 steak pudding and chips" for them and their work mates.

 

When I first started work as an apprentice that was one of my jobs going for the dinners, I didnt mind I got mine for Free, and charged everyone a penny more, 

On 10/30/2025 at 6:37 PM, ChipButty said:

As kids growing up in Manchester we had Belle Vue fun park, in the photo you can see the "Bobs" as we called them was also home to the "Aces" the speedway stadium, we used to save up and go watch the speedway and then go in the fair ground, that was in the early 60's, 

I used to get the train to Belle Vue, then the 53 to Maine Road (walk back to Belle Vue from Maine Raod sometimes). Used to be a great train station at BV with coal fires (great on the way back from a cold winter's match), now it's just the platforms.

 

Belle Vue itself was great.

 

Saw a couple of 50 pence concerts there including Status Quo (free ticket of my mate).

 

Had a period of going to the 10 pin bowling before going to Maine Road. 

 

Then there was the mighty Belle Vue Aces...Ivan Mauger, Peter Collins, etc.

 

Now there's not much of interest in the Belle Vue area.

 

Anyone remember camping with those big old green ex army canvas tents with a central ridge pole? Took two people to erect them...

We used drive to  Abersoch, Wales in the Austin 7 Ruby and Uncles Morris 8 All the way from Sheffield

 

Before Dad bought the fish and chip shop, he worked for British Rail on the train ferries from Harwich to Zeebrugge. One of the perks was a railway pass which gave reduced price for the family.

I was about 10 when me and a couple of mates took off to London on the train for the day. Got off at Liverpool Street and walked to Fenchurch Street to get the train to Tilbury docks to look at the ships on the Thames. Walked around the docks occassionally. Did this many times. The only caveat from Dad was not to get the ferry to Gravesend as it had a very bad reputation back then.

Some people were in to train spotting, we were in to ship spotting

It was wonderful to see the ships going and coming from what we thought were exotic places.

In those days there were many Liberty ships from WW2 still in service as cargo ships.

Container ships didn't exist.

Imagine a 10 year old doing that these days.

Times seemed so much easier back then.

4 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

Anyone remember camping with those big old green ex army canvas tents with a central ridge pole? Took two people to erect them...

We used drive to  Abersoch, Wales in the Austin 7 Ruby and Uncles Morris 8 All the way from Sheffield

 

I was in the Army cadets so I remember them

Rolling Stones seen here performing in concert at the Belle Vue theatre, Manchester. August 11, 1964 

Juke Box Jury with David Jacobs