Memories of the 1950's

quietbloke

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In 1951,I was born in Willesden,UK,on May 1st. I lived in a crowded flat,over a shop with my parents and older brother. He was four years older than me. The toilet was in the backyard and we used a tin bath in the garden to have a bath. What do you remember from the 1950's?
 
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Anthony2019

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In 1951,I was born in Willesden,UK,on May 1st. I lived in a crowded flat,over a shop with my parents and older brother. He was four years older than me. The toilet was in the backyard and we used a tin bath in the garden to have a bath. What do you remember from 1951?
I don't remember very much unfortunately! :-(
 
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~Zao~

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I’m 5 days older than you. We lived in Cowichen in the showhouse on the lake. Fear of a tsunami moved us to Surrey where living was much more expensive. I didn’t have the outhouse and tin bath over the fire pit until my twenties. :)
 
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quietbloke

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I’m 5 days older than you. We lived in Cowichen in the showhouse on the lake. Fear of a tsunami moved us to Surrey where living was much more expensive. I didn’t have the outhouse and tin bath over the fire pit until my twenties. :)
Hi Lorene. Pleased to meet you. George V1 was our UK King. He opened the Festival of Britain that year,which was a national exhibition and fair,which,of course I do not remember,but my parents enjoyed it! Clement Atlee was the Prime Minister until the October General Elections and the great Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in October
 
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Anthony2019

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I'm 23 years younger.
In the 1970's, some of our TVs had colour and others black and white and were only able to pick up three channels (BBC1, BBC2 and ITV Westward). Doctor Who was a big favourite, starring Tom Baker.
Half pennies were still in circulation. Red phone boxes were at end of each street, where you had to push in a coin when the person answered the phone.
The nearest thing we got to a tablet computer was the Merlin computer game which was a red handset with a small selection of games such as tic-tac-toe and Simon Says. There was a tennis game we played on the TV using two consoles and a white line on each side of the screen representing the tennis racket and a small blob as the ball which bounced across from side to side.
Music was bought and played on record players and gradually became available on cassette tapes. Abba, Blondie and the Buggles were some of our favourites.
Trains seemed much bigger and longer, pulled by gigantic Class 47 and Class 55 locomotives - you could hear the sounds of the engines miles away.
Everything, including decor and clothes, looked brighter and oranger!
 
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quietbloke

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I'm 23 years younger.
In the 1970's, some of our TVs had colour and others black and white and were only able to pick up three channels (BBC1, BB2 and ITV Westward). Doctor Who was a big favourite, starring Tom Baker.
Half pennies were still in circulation. Red phone boxes were at end of each street, where you had to push in a coin when the person answered the phone.
The nearest thing we got to a tablet computer was the Merlin computer game which was a red handset with a small selection of games such as tic-tac-toe and Simon Says. There was a tennis game we played on the TV using two consoles and a white line on each side of the screen representing the tennis racket and a small blob as the ball which bounced across from side to side.
Music was bought and played on record players and gradually became available on cassette tapes. Abba, Blondie and the Buggles were some of our favourites.
Trains seemed much bigger and longer, pulled by gigantic Class 47 and Class 55 locomotives - you could hear the sounds of the engines miles away.
Everything, including decor and clothes, looked brighter and oranger!
That's really interesting Anthony. Thankyou for sharing
 
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Anthony2019

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That's really interesting Anthony. Thankyou for sharing
I'm so sorry - I realised the thread was about the 1950's - I started responding and I got completely carried away! :)
 
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quietbloke

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I'm so sorry - I realised the thread was about the 1950's - I started responding and I got completely carried away! :)
No problem. I always enjoy your posts!
 
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quietbloke

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1953 was the Coronation Day of our glorious Queen Elizabeth the second. I love looking back at the photos. Soon after our family moved from London to the New Town of Hemel Hempstead,Herts Our brand new three bedroomed Council house as just opposite fields and woods. My younger sister was born there a few years later.
 
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musicalpilgrim

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Get this... my phone number in the 50's was 8602K and it was a shared 'party' line.

The ring came through in morse code so our ring was dah dit dah !!!
I remember it well, we had a telephone and my dad kept it in the cupboard! I never found out why, :)
 
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Anthony2019

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I remember it well, we had a telephone and my dad kept it in the cupboard! I never found out why, :)
The earliest telephone I remember was the one with a proper dial! The only numbers I knew as a youngster was 999 for the emergency services and 000 for the tooth fairy.
 
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musicalpilgrim

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Hi Lorene. Pleased to meet you. George V1 was our UK King. He opened the Festival of Britain that year,which was a national exhibition and fair,which,of course I do not remember,but my parents enjoyed it! Clement Atlee was the Prime Minister until the October General Elections and the great Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in October
I went to the festival of Britain, all I remember, I think I was 7 or 8 years old, was a hot day and a very interesting clock, picture found on the web...

dads photo.jpg
 
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quietbloke

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We had a red telephone box outside our house. We got a landline later. We had a black and white television. I remember 'Watch with mother' with 'Bill and Ben the flowerpot men',the 'Wooden Tops','Andy Pandy',Muriel Young and Wally Whyton and Cat William. Noddy and Big Ears
 
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Carl Emerson

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In the 50's my grand dad had a rural phone, an Erikson with no dial, just a ringer that you wound on the side, the operator would answer and ask who you wanted to talk to and plug you in. They payed a little extra for a second earpiece so two could listen at once...
 
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Anthony2019

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My 'real' Dad was born in the 1950s. From what I know, he was a talented pianist and used to play at different events. I'm sure he loved some of the songs of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Sadly he passed away in the 70's when I was only 4 following diagnosis of a brain tumour.
 
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Carl Emerson

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We has street gas and my dad rigged up a pipe in the kitchen with an open flame which served as a light.

I was a radio enthusiast and remember the day I first heard Moscow on the MW band from NZ on 1251 Khz.
 
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musicalpilgrim

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I went to a radio relay of a Billy Graham meeting in the '50s I went forward but wasn't sure what it was all about, but I was quite sure about going forward,

I found this photo on the web, Billy Graham was a good friend of our queen

queen-billy.jpg
 
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Anthony2019

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We has street gas and my dad rigged up a pipe in the kitchen with an open flame which served as a light.

I was a radio enthusiast and remember the day I first heard Moscow on the MW band from NZ on 1251 Khz.
I think it's a shame we can get just about every radio station available in the world on the internet via streaming. There was something fun about having a portable radio set. I was always intrigued with what stations I could pick up around the world.
 
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