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Growing up in the 70's

712 replies

morethanpotatoprints · 01/02/2014 21:34

I bet there's been one of these before but who remembers stuff about the 70's, looking back to me it was all a bit weird.

So some of my memories.

Mary Mungo and midge, the music in the lift. my orange space hopper, gridsy marbles and clackers.
Dehydrated potato, free milk you had to drink at school.
Playing out from after breakfast until dark or tea.

OP posts:
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Scarletohello · 03/02/2014 01:34

Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!

The Double Deckers with a young Peter Firth and a guy who went on to join Aswad

MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 03/02/2014 01:28

Ringing the speaking clock
Buzby
Tufty road safety
Bunty comic
Janet and John
Black daps and white plimsoles
Candlewick bedspreads
Having a weekly bath on a Sunday (shared with my younger brother)
The Waltons
Angels
The Liver Birds
The utter joy felt by the whole family when a Carry on Film was on tv Grin
Pot Black was also a favourite in our house

perfectstorm · 03/02/2014 00:56

I once trod in a huge pile of dog shit in jelly bean sandals. Oozed all through the holes. Boak.

I bought Angel Delight a few years back, all nostalgic and remembering it as delicious. It's horrible! Shock I couldn't believe it.

Scarletohello · 03/02/2014 00:53

Angel Delight. Yum!
Had a wigwam in the garden
Coloured vinyl records
Jelly beans ( plastic sandals)
Power cuts
Walking 3 miles to school ( in total)

perfectstorm · 03/02/2014 00:51

Being loaded up in the boot of an estate car - four small kids, including a toddler - like puppies. We loved it, too. Can you imagine, now? Someone would call the police on their mobiles within two minutes.

Free milk at school was minging as I never drank milk at all - was linked to eczema in my case so was never made to at home, but suddenly at school it was compulsory. They said I had to unless I could bring a note in to school to say otherwise, but never mentioned it had to be from my parents, and at 5 that wasn't obvious to me. So I handed a random visitor to the house (male friend of my mother's) a pink felt tip and got them to write "PerfectStorm does not drink milk" on the paper, folded it up and handed it to the teacher. Who astonishingly accepted this as sufficient. I never had to drink the rancid stuff again. I don't think that would be enough for the school office at DS' school, somehow.

I loved space dust, and all that edible jewellery. I remember the summers in the late 70s as really hot, and the winters very snowy - no idea if that's true. I also remember seeing The Empire Strikes Back when it first came out at Leicester Square because the grownups all wanted to go, and having no idea what it was about.

Mr Men Yoghurts. Can't remember the taste, but remember the pots with absolute clarity. Also remember Kickers shoes, Osh Kosh boiler suits (older brothers, everything I wore was theirs first) horrible pre-lycra tights that itched and sagged, and nylon static dresses for parties. I do think kids' clothes are light years more comfortable - I recently unearthed some old baby clothes and they were woollen. Itchy, scratchy and horrible. Soft cotton, lycra and fleeces mean baby clothes now are lovely against the skin. Cannot fathom how people put newborns in tight elastic and wool, like that.

I was trying to explain to DS that there were no mobile phones, no internet, no iPods or iPads, no computers even when I was a child. TV only had 3 channels and closed down half the day and all night, and we didn't have videos in any homes I knew of, either. He couldn't begin to get his head around it. Eventually asked if we had cars back then! Was reassured to hear that yes, we did, and planes and spaceships, too. But it made me realise what a long way away that world was.

Pan · 03/02/2014 00:35

it was all lame

People describe the 70s as the decade that taste forgot. Au contraire. It was massively stuffed with taste. Just not, well...the best.Smile

MardyBra · 03/02/2014 00:32

I've just skimmed the copycat 80s thread. Phillip and Gordon the Gopher are well lame IMO.

Adeleh · 03/02/2014 00:17

My friend had a picture of the Bay City Rollers on her knickers!

Lovesabadboy · 03/02/2014 00:08

This has been brilliant! Thank you for all the memories that came flooding back.

500 I remember going into Woolies just to stare at the Jacko monkey hanging up. I wanted one soooo badly!

I also remember pink shrimps - still about today, but taste nothing like the originals. For some reason we once got a huge box full and I was in heaven.

I remember having long white knee socks (sometimes with little flowers down the side) in winter but being allowed ankle socks in the summer. (often worn with sandles)
I always wanted knickers with pictures on and remember being so chuffed when I once got some with the wombles on!

Who remembers the flip flops that didn't have the toe-post, just plastic criss-crossed across your toes?

I had a Carrie and Christopher doll and remember showing my friend Christopher's 'bits' in the back of the car! I also had their bath, potty and bed.

We had a Morris Minor Traveller which had zero suspension, I am sure, and I was always car sick on long journeys.My parents would both smoke in the front though and never open a window, so no wonder I would chuck up!
Also the seats that would burn the skin of your bare legs in the summer and freeze you in the winter.

After a visit to the dentist - which often resulted in an unneccesary filling as someone said upthread- my mum would take me to the Wimpy as a treat. I would have burger and chips with french mustard, and if I was really lucky, I could have a Brown Derby to follow!
Which reminds me - I always hankered after a knickerboker glory when we were on holiday in Highcliffe, Bournemouth and one day I was allowed one. I had to kneel up to reach it and then...I couldn't finish it, it was so big.

I could honestly go on for ever.
Great, hazy days!

Winterlight · 02/02/2014 23:26

Ponds face cream

Shang-a-lang

Kay's/Freeman's Marshall Ward/ catalogues

Seaside Special

Can't remember the names of these crazes;

one was a ball on a rope attached to a ring that you put around your ankle and swung and skipped over.

A tennis ball an an doubled up leg of old tights that you bounced on the wall.

A corrugated tube that you swung around your head and it made a weird noise

500internalerror · 02/02/2014 23:26

Rice creamola.
Ice magic.

Shoes from the co op, clothes from the market.

Jacko monkeys.

Woolworths caff.

Diagonally · 02/02/2014 23:12

Oh yes Romper Room!

I hated Sunday School. I loved my new baby sister who appeared about a year after we started going though Grin

AllMimsyWereTheBorogroves · 02/02/2014 23:12

I've asked for this to go into Classics.

Catherine1932 · 02/02/2014 23:01

Aqua manda

catadeli · 02/02/2014 22:37

Went to sunday school and played out round the village on bikes, bright orange ford, sitting in the boot of the car
Loved The Flumps

theporkofpie · 02/02/2014 22:30

can anyone remember Romper Room? The woman on it would look through a mirror and say the names of people she could see. We would wait with bated breath for our name to be called and think she had seen us when she did. Kids on it would walk around holding cardboard cars around their middles and drive them.

Oh happy days. I still feel the kids today are missing out. Our lives were so much simpler

Pan · 02/02/2014 22:26

ah. The 70's streakers, in cricket and footie, and in US games were mainly men. The streaker record was about 1976.
Cameras used to follow any invaders on pitches but no longer, as they didn't want to encourage them with nation-wide exposure.

NearTheWindmill · 02/02/2014 22:22

Erica Roe was 1981 wasn't she? Goes to google. No, it was 1982 Grin. I remember some colleagues going to the match and coming in on Monday talking about it. I remember precisely which colleagues they were too.

Pan · 02/02/2014 22:09

Streakers. Memorably Erica Roe? And the US country song celebrating them.

Darkesteyes · 02/02/2014 21:52

There was an outdoor swimming pool next to the allotments just down the road from my parents house. I remember seeing two blokes in swimming trunks sitting dangling their legs in the water. My dad had one of the allotments there.

Marcipex · 02/02/2014 20:56

I always tanned, but little sister is very fair, and always burnt badly. Our mother then put calamine lotion, which dries white, over the burnt red skin. No thought of prevention apparently, and our mum was a nurse!

No seat belts, we all wanted to be the one to travel in the boot with the dog.

Baby aspirin, it was a lovely orange flavour. We used to nick then for sweets.

awaynboilyurheid · 02/02/2014 20:32

More than , we always went got sent to Sunday school too !

awaynboilyurheid · 02/02/2014 20:26

great thread
lots of parties at our house my mum and dad loved a party, and they all drove home even the drunk ones
my brother and sister going in the hatchback of our estate car squashed up to the glass and as someone else said no seatbelts
playing big ropes at school when two or three joined in, loved that game
playing ball up against school walls when you got good smaller girls came to watch you great moment in your school career!
thinking I would be Mrs david cassidy
getting sunburn badly especially when my mum put olive oil and vinegar on us at the beach, she took a lovely tan we all took after my dad and burned badly my sister still remembers the blisters! happy days!

Coconutty · 02/02/2014 20:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SleepPleaseSleep · 02/02/2014 20:10

My dh nodding with delight! I don't remember, but then he is the old one (2 years in it!)