Off Topic Things that you take for granted

[FulwellBri]

Growing up a kid in Fulwell in 1950's and 1960's we never had a phone. When we got one ( 1966 or 1967 ) it was ( what was called ) a party line. This being 2 houses having to share 1 line . It wasnt really an inconvenience as not many people we knew had a phone so it was a case of looking at it waiting for it to ring.
My ganny was scared stiff of it ( unsurprising as she was born in late19th century ).
The phone now would be a museum piece and I doubt anyone under 16 would know what it was.
Similarly a car.The first car I remember was a ford prefect or popular. It did 0-60 in 25 minutes it seemed. We drove from the lake district back to fulwell after a 2 week caravan holiday in keswick. The day we drove back was the 1966 world cup final day.
It never seemed a big deal. You either had them or you didnt.

 

[clockstander]

Television, Queens coronation, the whole street assembled outside a neighbours to watch the miracle thro the open window, neighbours were neighbours them days .

 

[Draig]

Our first phone was a party line too - bright red and with a colourless button on the top to press to let the other party know you wanted them to come off the phone. I think this was about 1971. Never did find out who e shared the line with.

I don't think having a party line was just based on cost, I think it had to do with the limited number of lines available at the local exchanges because we went from a four to a six digit phone number and from a town to a new, area name for the exchange

 

[marcusblackcat]

I grew up in the 80s - born in 75. Our phones were the ones you literally had to dial! Those were the days that a million quid would see you earn >£100k a year in interest - but on the other side of that, you paid massive interest on a mortgage!! Crazy

We had an Escort (mk 1), Then fiesta, cortina, escort again - my dad worked for Ford!!

I took my mates for granted! That's the one thing that's for certain! We all did in the 80s though!! So much so that there's only 3 of them I'm still mates with now - despite us playing 18-20 a side every weekend in the park!!

 

[Teessidemackem]

Growing up a kid in Fulwell in 1950's and 1960's we never had a phone. When we got one ( 1966 or 1967 ) it was ( what was called ) a party line. This being 2 houses having to share 1 line . It wasnt really an inconvenience as not many people we knew had a phone so it was a case of looking at it waiting for it to ring.
My ganny was scared stiff of it ( unsurprising as she was born in late19th century ).
The phone now would be a museum piece and I doubt anyone under 16 would know what it was.
Similarly a car.The first car I remember was a ford prefect or popular. It did 0-60 in 25 minutes it seemed. We drove from the lake district back to fulwell after a 2 week caravan holiday in keswick. The day we drove back was the 1966 world cup final day.
It never seemed a big deal. You either had them or you didnt.

How good this forum was before you came on.

 

[Saf]

How good this forum was before you came on.

This. He’s a beast, mate. I didn’t realise he’d been sent to Australia, mind. They all seem to get moved to over there.

 

[Number 1 Jasper]

FA cup Final Day .

Used to be a REAL event . Tv crews following the teams from getting up at the hotel , all the way through the day . Walking on the pitch before the game .

Now it's just another Game to the press .

 

[Evil Jimmy Krankie]

That someone who plays a trumpet is a trumpeter and not a trumpetist, yet someone who plays a trombone is a trombonist and not a tromboner. Just one of the many things I’ve taken for granted over the years and never questioned.

 

[monty987]

getting a video player top loader ! about 1981 wow they were about £250 lol but great tech. Me dad had a vauxhall vx490 (randell & Hopkirk) but ours was green We had no toilet in our house or hot water and used to use a galvanised boiler from the "larder" and cart the hot water up stairs in buckets to get a bath. in 1968 we had the large tin bath in front of the fire, just like what the miners used. Kids today have it easy. Talking anbout the wind our kitchen wall blew in in Selbourne street about 1967 !

 

[Makemstine Roger]

NHS.... living abroad you don't appreciate how good it is till you miss it

 

[Toddius]

I grew up in the 80s - born in 75. Our phones were the ones you literally had to dial! Those were the days that a million quid would see you earn >£100k a year in interest - but on the other side of that, you paid massive interest on a mortgage!! Crazy

We had an Escort (mk 1), Then fiesta, cortina, escort again - my dad worked for Ford!!

I took my mates for granted! That's the one thing that's for certain! We all did in the 80s though!! So much so that there's only 3 of them I'm still mates with now - despite us playing 18-20 a side every weekend in the park!!

Was born in the same year, can still see the old rotary phone we had. Remember being blown away when we got a push button phone, and then a cordless one!! Thought we were living in the future! Also remember answering the phone by reciting your home number.

 

[marcusblackcat]

Was born in the same year, can still see the old rotary phone we had. Remember being blown away when we got a push button phone, and then a cordless one!! Thought we were living in the future! Also remember answering the phone by reciting your home number.

“47520”... like yesterday!!!
Imagine that now “07855333474” (that’s not my number! They’d hang up before you’d finished the number

 

[Toddius]

“47520”... like yesterday!!!
Imagine that now “07855333474” (that’s not my number! They’d hang up before you’d finished the number

Exactly what I was thinking!

"5847911" - it's seared into my brain.

 

[marcusblackcat]

Exactly what I was thinking!

"5847911" - it's seared into my brain.

See we only had 5 numbers on ours and we never put the”38” in front of it!! Grandparents were the same only it was the last 4 of theirs!!

 

[Toddius]

See we only had 5 numbers on ours and we never put the”38” in front of it!! Grandparents were the same only it was the last 4 of theirs!!

I remember it being 6 digits, then BT added the 5 at the start to extend the range.

 

[marcusblackcat]

I remember it being 6 digits, then BT added the 5 at the start to extend the range.

Same in Durham only it was 3 instead if 5! My Durham number now starts with a 9!!

 

[Makemstine Roger]

our first phone was nice, a dial up one and came in a nice red box to keep the rain off............

 

[Evil Jimmy Krankie]

Same in Durham only it was 3 instead if 5! My Durham number now starts with a 9!!

Yep. Still remember our old Durham number. 62639. There was also a code to dial that made the phone ring. Hilarious dialling it then watching one of the parents answer. Simple things pleased me back then. It was also as if it was a legal obligation back then to answer the phone as well.

 

[Evil Jimmy Krankie]

I remember it being 6 digits, then BT added the 5 at the start to extend the range.

I remember that as well. Still remember our Sunderland number.

 

[Toddius]

I remember that as well. Still remember our Sunderland number.

Weird the things you remember. I'll never forget those numbers, or the phones themselves, I can still picture the rotary one and the two funky eighties touch pad ones we got. We had a phone in the hall and in the lounge! Git posh us!