My children were born 1986 to 1991. Henriettamaria with the first one I was told by the HV to start solids at 12 weeks or 12lbs, whichever came first. By the time DC2 was born only 18 mo later in 1987 the same HV told me not to start solids until 4 months or I'd damage his kidneys 
I was told to put them on their side to sleep, with a rolled-up blanket behind to stop them rolling over. My DM said we'd been put on our fronts, and was worried that if they rolled backwards they'd be sick, so the first 3 slept on their front. All 3 got head control early and learned to crawl before they sat up.
Then Anne Diamond's baby died, so DC4 born in 1991 slept on his back. He didn't sit up until 9 months and was a late crawler.
We used to all pick up from playgroup and drive to Tesco where we parked in a row in the new P&C spaces right by the windows. Then all the children were left in the cars while we shopped (only bits, not a whole week's shop).
I only stopped leaving them in the car the day I forgot to put the handbrake on, and the car rolled across the car park. The children demonstrated how "it went bump and we all went forward then backward, then it bumped again"
We smacked, as did all our peers. We also bought a super kingsize (6ft wide) bed because every morning we'd wake up with 4 little bodies squashed in around us.