Pecora Nera

Lego I did have load of lego, I could sit for hours building planes, houses, etc with it when it was rainy.

My best friend and I used to cycle to Castleton and back, a 36 mile round trip we were only 14 or 15 at the time. I am not sure my mum actually believed we went there.

I would make some sandwiches and take some pop. She would say were are you off to. Cycling with Chris we are going to Castleton.

Be in before it is dark she would say.

I remember we each had a 2p stuck under our bike saddles in case we needed to phone anyone in an emergency. No mobiles

We also played 3 sticks with a tennis ball and 3 pegs or kick the can a game of hide and seek.

The big difference now seems to be childrens fun is provided for them by the internet or electronic games / mobile phones. They don't have to be creative and try to make bow and arrows to play indians.

Mind you we used to have pen knives and bowie knives so that we could make dens and bows and arrows. kids can't carry them now.

ononno

OMG - 2 pence pieces and 10 pence pieces being bandied around here.
I never did get my head around them - only remember pennies and ha'pennies and thre'penny bits, and tanners and bobs. Never actually managed to own a florin or half a crown until I bought a set of 'old' £sd coins to hang in my study.
Lego - never heard of it - we had Meccano if we were lucky.
I promise, I'll put me coat on and go now. I won't say another word on the subject.
ciao for now,
'o nonno

Pica

As a 12 year old Girl Guide myself and one friend were sent off on a Saturday morning for a 12 mile-ish walk over the desolate Minera mountains to Llangollen in order to achieve a badge of some long forgotten title. On the way we had to build a fire and heat up a can of Heinz tomato soup (our choice of menu) for our lunch.
We had an old baccy tin with 4 matches dipped in candlewax (in case we fell in water), 4 old pennies for the phone / busfare back from Llangollen, needle and thread (in case our knicker elastic gave up) and safety pins (in case we couldn't sew) We did it though!
I wouldn't allow my grandchildren to do it these days

Lorna at Vicenza

Please O'Nonno, don't go. Do tell us more. You're a bit like our Granddad that we loved and spent time with but never knew what exactly he did until it was too late. Now that we are all more grown up and interested, poor old Granddad is dead. Sod's bloddy law.

Just when I got interested in Granddad's life and discovered that his poor brother was shot by the Japs for trying to escape from the famous railway.... none of the other brothers were still alive. A couple of sisters were but somewhere along the line between Ireland and England, it got a bit broken. I'm still looking for the pieces.

My own Granddad lived until he was 86. I was 16 when he died. I remember he turned his litlte shed into a repair/tool shed and there wasn't anything he could not fix. Bicycles, school leather satchels, shoes, soles, umbrellas, bike tyres and so much more. He had tools and patches for everything and an old Singer foot pedal machine.

I loved my Granny and Granddad xxx

ononno

Thanks for a lovely post Lorna. I know what you mean, but when nostalgia kicks in I can bore even myself to tears.
Like when we were snowed in for six weeks in the 1947 blizzards, and my dad lost a flock of 600 sheep. Or the Festival of Britain; with the Skylon, and the Dome of Discovery, and the magnificent steam locomotive the William Shakespeare, with a boiler so big I could stand up in it. Then there was the Coronation Pageant, when we all sang 'we are all New Elizabethans, for a new Elizabethan age'.
ciao for now,
'o nonno

malcesine99

Totally agree. O'nonno, my Grandad told some amazing stories(sometimes the same one over and over) but as a teenager I was always too busy to listen. He was the kindest most gentle man ever and I very rarely took the time sit down and really get to know him. I was abroad most of 20s and early 30s and was 34 when he passed away. I love a bit of nostalgia, keep telling your stories

K in Modena

We're certainly not bored!
My mum was born during those blizzards. And I have a Festival of Britain commemoration coin in a leather-bound box that I inherited from my grandad.

Domino

have you noticed that for a period - about 15-20 years - the weather was absolutely appalling, I also was born then, but remember the whiteout of 1963/4
nowadays if there is snow it comes 2-3m later and isnt really as bad as we experienced - or is it just our memory's are better than the truth ?

Engliano

Hilarious post and what makes it even more amusing is its true !

Lorna at Vicenza

600 sheep! That must have been a massive loss.

MarkRD

.. and I was born then.

".. in a shoebox in't middle o't road.." (cit. Month Python)


We used to have swimming lessons in an outdoor pool....in the middle of winter!!

Lorna at Vicenza

Bloody hell. I thought hockey was bad enough !
Mind you, the indoor pool where we did swimming lessons was never that warm. It certainly took your breath away when you had to jump in, dive for the disc or try and float with a pyjama top !

MarkRD

Yes, I shall never forget it .. left me traumatised..put me off swimming and I hate cold water!


float with a pyjama top .. hahaha! .. I never got that far!

Lorna at Vicenza

I'm still not a very strong swimmer but I could fill up my pyjama top with air.

You should have seen the poor girl who came in mixed wool/flanelette pyjamas. She completely defeated the object of the exercise and promptly sank !

Domino

that was part of my RN swimming test - 2 lengths in pj's - problem was they were used, wet, cold, not a good start!! But did pass

saw some strong swimmers fail because they insisted on using crawl, when breast or sidestroke were more practical wearing water sodden clothing - the purpose of the exercise.

.