If you grew up in 70s/80s what things did you do which would be unimaginable these days.

[newlabelwriter]

Just thinking about this. When I was about 9 my friend and I used to go around knocking on our neighbours doors to see if we could pick dandelions (or something similar) for her pet rabbits. Seems such a random thing to do and obviously v v young to knocking on doors to go into their gardens!

No seatbelts in back of car.

On entering the village, my mum used to let my brother and I stand up on the back seat with our top halves sticking out the sun roof and waving our hands in the air.

Once drove back overnight from holiday in France and our parents packed the boot of the car so that my brother and I could lie flat on top of it and sleep on the way back.

Parents forgot to get my brother his own passport when he turned 16 and managed to blag their way through passport control.

Being out of the house all day from a young age and roaming the fields with friends. Parents had no idea where we were.

Being left in car while mum went shopping. A man tried to break in once not realising I was locked in there.

Parents leaving hospital with baby sister in carry cot on back parcel shelf of car.

Smash hits magazine with the song lyrics and the posters. Look in magazine.

Getting stuff from freeman's and waiting a month for it to arrive! I mean wtf were they going in that warehouse that took so long!

Regularly going to the pub aged 15 on a Friday/Saturday night.

Travelling!

In the mid 80s age 16 I train travelled inter-rail style round Germany with a friend of the same age. We stayed in youth hostels and the itinerary was only loosely planned nothing was booked and we'd turn up and queue for the hostel in the evening. One evening the hostel in the big city was full so we had to jump on the next bus to the next town. Minimal use of public phones and I'm sure my parents didn't hear from me more than once or twice.

The next year I travelled from Germany to the south of England to volunteer for a month (in my chosen field). We lived in shared housing this was not an organised youth activity. Everyone else was 18+ and spent a lot of time going to the pub. At the weekends I went off alone on trips, again staying in youth hostels. The year after I did the same but the journey was considerably longer, I had to get myself to Devon and meet someone outside a pub to be taken to the very rural site. Add to that that English is not my native language.
I can not imagine either of my teens negotiating several trains, ferries, buses, passport controls by themselves, they've just not had the chance to practice. Living (and working) with 15 total strangers in the most basic conditions. And all the while there was virtually no communication home bar the odd letter or call from a phonebox (not really as I had to call abroad).

Re: seatbelts: I remember my dad fitting them in every new car, front and back when they did not come as standard. We did however also travel in the boot when there was a crowd of kids for short trips.

More magazine being available in the school library so at 12 we could check out what 'position of the fortnight' was that week

Yes we're all getting quite the lecture, on what was a good thread.

There’s also a toy nostalgia thread if anyone fancies highjacking it? I’m sure they’d all appreciate a lecture on the dangerous health and safety standards of their favourite childhood toys.

And the corner shop near school selling single "fags" to schoolkids🤣 (70's)

Loads of this went on in the 90s and 2000's too and likely still does.

Just thought of a couple more:

Teachers going to the pub at lunchtime.

Teachers also had two staff rooms - smoking and non smoking. The stench as you walked past the smoking staff room was quite awful.

No seatbelts here either. I remember in the 70s my mum driving me to school in the snow in our real old banger (the only cars we ever owned) and pulling the gear stick out and us skidding across the road, we all thought it was hilarious, well my mum didn't but us kids did.

Waiting at the phone box for friends to call as we didn't have a landline until I was at secondary school.

Luncheon meat, faggots, tinned burgers! And I used to love them all - don't even want to imagine what was in them.

All very normal stuff - I suppose when our DC are older they'll look back at some of the stuff they're allowed to do now and be horrified too. Times have changed so much (and will continue to do so).

Oh yes and Just 17 - that was the best. I still largely do my make up with their tips in mind.

My Dad used to let me steer the car while he did the pedals when we were driving

At our school anyone in the top set of French had to do Spanish. Everyone else had to do typing. confused
I wanted to do typing but wasnt allowed because I was in the second to top class. I was really miffed!!

I was born in 1955 so remember more of the 60’s.

We had great freedom… get home from school, get changed and then out to play till dark. Going out on our bikes all day with picnic lunch - a la Famous 5.

We had adventures building dens, climbing trees, swimming. Games were skipping, hopscotch, two ball, tag, marbles.

I enjoyed reading Enid Blyton books.

I remember the thrill of the emerging colourful clothes and music. So different to the 50’s when things seemed drab.

School wasn’t a nice place. I remember a teacher calling a boy to the front of the class, taking a large plimsol out of a cubby hole and slapping him six times on his bare legs with it… we would have been 5 years old. I remember him trying to stifle his tears - dreadful.

Taking part in School Sports Days, and being thrilled if you won something and disappointed when you lost! But at least kids did win and lose, and it is a good life lesson.

Go to the off licence to buy sherry for my grandmother and cycle to her house with it.
I think I must have been 10 or 12 as she died when I was 14.

I remember so many of these - reading the thread there are some that I had forgotten. Stand outs for me include walking to catch the school bus from 6 /cycling to school on my own from 10, disappearing all day on my bike on my own and using local building site as my cycle track, travelling in the boot was seriously exciting and we so envied my cousins their Volvo estate and squabbled to be allowed to sit in it when we stayed with them, watching the B&W TV on the day colour TV was introduced and being convinced we could see colours appearing when the announcer said 'you should be able to see red now etc', my dad lighting fireworks with a cigar, at Christmas time the turkey/sausage rolls being left in the kitchen for hours on end at room temperature, put in the outhouse overnight and we ate it for about a week, houses that smelt of wee - particularly inhabited by old people or families with babies, waiting for my mum to light the fire so we could get dressed, running a bath and the hot water turning to steam when it hit the cold air, the metal bins full to overflowing and stinking in the summer as there were no plastic sacks so fish/meat etc was wrapped in newspaper

Oh forgot to mention parties when I would go out for the night on my bike, buy a bottle of cider as an entry ticket, plastered in makeup. I was 14 and my parents were quite content I was going to parties where there was a lot of drink and much older boys/men. I learned quickly how to talk my way out of rooms locked behind me and when I look back cannot believe I was so lucky when I took such risks.

@Annabelle69

Oh dear, these are brilliant!

Around the age of 10, waiting until a strange man was hanging around outside school, and doing handstands, while wearing a skirt, so our knickers were on display.

This is Disturbing rather than brilliant

Yes, I thought the same

@Mammyloveswine

80s baby so early 90s...but i used to go to work with my dad, a lorry driver, and sleep in the cab! He had bunk beds!

I loved it, going to the transport cafes.. all the truckers used to give me money or sweets!

Cant even imagine it now! A 5 year old spending mon-fri with her parent whilst he's lorry driving!

My dads old boss even made the effort to come see me on my wedding day they loved my dad so much and had watched me grow up!

Love this story @Mammyloveswine bet you had fun with your dad.

I definitely remember going in a car in the mid 90s that had no rear seatbelts. And my mum not being too happy about it when I told her! Despite the fact that when I was younger we had a 5 seater Lada for 7 people - 4 squashed in the back and one in the boot.

Taking empty pop bottles back to the shop and getting the tuppence deposit back which you promptly spent on sweets. Brilliant idea. Bring it back!

Knocked on peoples doors to use their phones when my car broke down

Smoked at my desk at work, we even had branded ash trays given to us

Spent all day outside with friends from about age 11

Gechik That was me as well, I was lucky I didn’t have any nasty experiences