fraser

According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were
kids in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived,
because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based
paint which was promptly chewed and licked. We had no childproof lids
on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to
play
with pans.

When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip-flops and
fluorescent 'spokey dokey's' on our wheels.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags -
riding in the passenger seat was a treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted
the same.

We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with sugar
in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside
playing.

We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and
no-one actually died from this.

We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went
topspeed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.

After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve
the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as
we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one
minded.

We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99
channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile
phones, no personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chat rooms.

We had friends - we went outside and found them.

We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt!

We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones but there were no law
suits.

We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other
parents.

We played chap-the-door-run-away and were actually afraid of the owners
catching us.

We walked to friends' homes.

We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we didn't rely on mummy
or daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls. We rode bikes in packs
of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard
of...They actually sided with the law.

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem
solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion
of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how
to deal with it all.

wmoore

Old but good.

[rant]
I'm just glad you removed the 'now forward thie email to 10 friends and you will receive a surprise in the mail within a week ....'
[/rant]

fraser

So true though mate, sums up my youth

wmoore

Yeah me too

FluffyTheCampfireSlayer

Excellent post Fraser!!
A couple of the points brought back some fond memories!

Now, whatever happened to Spokey Dokeys and who used to attach playing cards to their forks with a clothes peg and ride around annoying the crap out of the neighbours!!!???

hilary6

OOOOh check out your number of posts 14,999
I think congrats are nearly in order

Rooksie

and me

Buzzy--Bee

Mrs B, as a baby growing up in New Zealand, apparently was driven around in the car lying in the baby bath, as car seats for babies weren't available in NZ in the 1970's.

(probably still aren't - they have just about got roads )

Cheers

Buzzy

Cheetah7

I remember all the kids programmes as well, 'Mary Mungo and Midge' 'Top Cat'

I also remember having one of those 'Golliwog' dolls, I loved him.

The kids programmes dont seem as much fun and the toys are far more complex.

Suppose that's what they call 'progress'.

But you're right fraser, things were more fun in those days.

YoSemite

have been known to run about edinburgh city centre of a night doing my very best batman impression by wearing my winter coat like this!

if you want to make a reallll really good cape turn the jacket inside, put on head, put hands in pockets and RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNN

best fun ever!! hehehehe

232Bar

Friends kids go to a 'non-competetive' school where they don't have sports day etc so no-one can come first or last - what the f*** does that teach todays kids about life? - Don't bother your arse and make an effort and everything will just be given toyou? I think someones kids are in for a big wake up call when they enter the real world!! Just emphasises the comments in the original post.

Clippy

I just needed to come in and say that every time I see the title of this thread I start singing Supertramp........

Buzzy--Bee

err that was "When I was young", not "we".

Pedant's corner and all.

Cheers

Buzzy

Clippy

I KNEW someone was gonna say that.

Yes I do know the wording isn't exact, but my brain has converted it. Can't get the song out my head now.

Mind you, it's a good song so I don't mind

Buzzy--Bee

I can get the song out of your head if you want..........

Ready...........???


Show me the way to Amarillo
Every night I've been hugging my pillow
Dreaming dreams of Amarillo
and sweet Marie who waits for me


There. Now The Logical Song is no longer in your head.

Cheers

Buzzy