Guess my age

[openthefrontdoor]

No this isn't going to be one of those threads where I post a photograph and ask you to say how old you think I look.

I just thought for a bit of fun for anyone who like me has too much time on their hands, I would post a few facts about myself and see if you can guess my age.

I will post odd random facts over the next day, then tell you my age tomorrow.

This is a new user name, in case I have mentioned my age in previous post.

Fact 1) My mother used to wear dresses made of crimplene.

Fact 2) My father used to ride a bike and wore cycle clips to stop his trousets from getting caught in the cycle chain.

Turning 60 this year

Well your parents were born early 1914 latest, so if they had you very late, eg 50, you'd have to be 62, but your clues suggest you're a little older. You were 18 in or after 1969 (voting age change) so born no earlier than 1951. I'm going for 74.

Yes, although some clues suggest younger as well.
I suppose everyone's experience is different, though. It'll depend on region and any cultural and religious expectations.

Having scanned through the thread since my first post I'm adding 10 years to my first guess, so I'm going for 68

Good morning everyone,

I'm 69.

I'm glad so many of you you enjoyed my idea for a thread.

I will try and clear up a few questions.

My mother was born in 1912, my father was born in 1908, so my mother was 45 when I was born and my father was 50. They met later in life and I was the only child.

Although I should probably remember the 3 day week, due to my age, I don't remember stuff like the shops only being open three days a week, but I do remember having no electricity and having to light candles. I don't recall the house being particularly cold, but that is probably because we didn't have central heating in the house, we had an open coal fire in the living room and had some paraffin heaters that could be used in other rooms. We had a gas stove, with a kettle that went on the hob, so would probably have had hot drinks and food as normal, as well as a hot water bottle in bed.

I don't remember JFK being assassinated. I would have been 6 at the time, so I expect if I had heard that someone called Kennedy had died, it would merely have been a random person in my mind and I wouldn't have understood the significance of it being the US president. Plus, I expect at that age, my parents probably shielded me from anything traumatic.

Congratulations to everyone who guessed my correct age. I will check back to see who gave the correct answer first in a minute, so that they can feel suitably smug and if anyone else wants to start a similar thread for us all to guess, I will happily have a guess myself. (Although I might change my name again soon, as I don't want anyone I know in real life to put two and two together to ut me).

It has been fun being nostalgic for the past.

Watch with mother, Aqua Manda and Jackie suggest same age as me so 72?

You posted at the same time as me. I'm 69.

Thanks OP. Enjoyed that! I was 6 years out and guessed 75. I think it was your parents ages which threw in the wildcard.

Initially I thought you were going to be my age (52) as crimplene, vivid wallpaper and Jackie magazine were all present in my childhood too. Your posts were really entertaining and compelling!

Congratulations @AnonyMumAuDHD you were the first person to suggest I was 69.

Great thread. I was 9 years off.

I now see I was way out, aging you by 10 years (sorry). I was intrigued by you being an only child, which would have been unusual at the time and wondered if it was due to your DPs meeting later in life, which would also have been unusual, many people coupled up in their late teens/early 20s.

Were your parents, especially your DM, doing anything interesting or unusual in the 1930s and 40s before they met and had you? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, just curious.

My DGM was an only child, born in 1925 to parents who were slightly older than yours, so she was unusual especially as her parents were much younger and we're a family who tend to have lots of DC (her DM, my DGGM was one of 11 and DGGF, who died a long time before I was born was from a similarly large family with the next generations having an average of 4 DC per family even to this day.

This was such a great thread OP and had me googling and researching since you started it.
I’ve learnt a lot

but one question that really had me stumped

Your Boots uniform I think may have been introduced in 1969 along with Boots rebranding and some fashion designer( forgot name ) buying into a perfume

Do you recall if this was a new uniform when you started there at 16

Ps
Well done @AnonyMumAuDHD
👏👏

Happy to answer your question. My father was in the army and travelled extensively to places like Palestine.

My mother like a lot of young people her age worked in service for a family in London. I can't remember if she was a parlour made or what exactly. But we used to watch Upstairs Downstairs on the tv and she told me that she was like the staff in that.

Both my mother and my father came from large families too. I can't recall exactly off the top of my head, but I think my mother was one of about 15 children, although some died in infancy and my father was one of about 8 or 10. I remember I counted up once and i had over 100 first cousins. (Some of whom I never met).

Thanks for the picture. That was exactly the uniform I wore. I don't recall when it was introduced.

I was so close yet so far!! One year out. I did guess you're mum had you at 45 though. Great thread OP, thanks so much.

Oh, interesting. I'm always interested in people who travelled when it wasn't as easy to do so and also to places that have changed a lot during our lifetimes due to political instability/changing borders. Imagine always living in the same geographical place, but it changing into different countries?

I keep meaning to research my family tree and find out more about my ancestors. Like you we have lots of older relatives that we've never met although DM has rekindled contact with some because a few years ago she was contacted by an heir hunter who was trying to trace the relatives of a great great aunt of hers who had died without any descendants. As well as inheriting a small sum (the value of a modest house and other assets shared between many people) she ended up meeting some new distant relatives and also met some second/'removed' cousins that she'd not seen for decades.

My mum was born in 1939 and I’m 45….

Ignore me, wrong world war! 😂

Interesting thread, thank you OP

I'd based my initial guess purely on the fact that you said your family first got a television when you were 5.
Given that a lot of people got their first TV for Elizabeth II's coronation, I guessed you were born 1946/47.
The Tressy thing threw me though!
Really interesting thread (now I've read it all through) - thank you 😊

Hm… I was going to say „60-ish“.

but now I’d update to at least 73 (looking at some of your updates I’d say probably a bit older).

„My father used to ride a bike and wore cycle clips to stop his trousets from getting caught in the cycle chain.“

I don’t see how that would be relevant to your age? Those still exist and are still worn by people cycling to work…

edit: uups, I missed where you actually wrote your age! Seems like I wasn’t far off. The hint about your mother’s date of birth combined with crimplene, when your family got a tv and not remembering rationing were very helpful imo.

Interesting thread! Thank you :)

Your Dad was the same age as both my grandfathers. Thanks to the Empire that generation did travel a lot, one of my grandfathers lived in Canada for a few years in the 30s (only came home because his father died relatively young and he had to take over the family business), and his brother emigrated to New Zealand and their third brother was in India during the war. My other grandfather lived in the UK but was all over the place during the war, and his brothers both lived abroad in Empire countries during part of their career (one was an engineer, not sure about the other), as did various members of my grandmother's family. Britain had net emigration for centuries until 1994.

Your dad was the same age as my dad, but I'm six years younger 😀

How interesting. I have watched the tv program 'heir hunters' and always find that fascinating, If you haven't seen it, you might like it.

Blimey - feel really chuffed!! I am an avid Picle player (In the Time - they post a picture and you have to guess the year and the location). I just love pieces together all the clues about a person.

Thank you for starting such a fun and uncontroversial thread. 🥰