Stuff that didn’t seem weird at the time but when you tell someone younger they think it’s nuts

[MildGreenDairyLiquid]

Just that really.

The other day I explained to my 11 year old niece that when I was at junior school we used to have a small bottle of milk with a straw every morning, and she looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

When texting first became available, we had to pay per text. Or we had limits on the number of texts per month.

I'm shocked your niece was surprised by the milk at school OP my kids primary school still does this, all the primary school in our area do.

I certainly remember ‘sweet cigarettes’. But I never used them for pretend smoking. They were just a type of sweet.

Late 80s

I think the difference was that Poly's were doing a lot of "non degree" courses which has left quite a vacuum once they converted to Unis and basically doing ONLY degrees.

Our county had a big Poly. Students (young and old) would travel from all over the county to it. Students didn't live there as there was no student accommodation and no facilities as such other than lunchtime canteens. I did some of my accountancy qualification lessons there on either evening class or day release basis - a very wide age range. That wasn't for an accounting degree, it was the professional level accountancy body exams. They also did lots of vocational courses, adult evening classes, etc.

Converting to a Poly meant the entire emphasis changed to 18-21 year old degree courses. Massive development in the student accommodation and facilities side of things - bars and evening entertainment venues built, etc. Completely turned their backs on professional, vocational and adult courses.

I ended up having to travel to the next county (90 minute drive) for lessons for my final accounting exams as the county Poly simply stopped providing them, and there was only the one College of FE in the next county doing lessons in our entire region!

What actually happened to him was much worse, tbf.

I used to get sweet cigarettes that actually had a red glowing tip when you sucked on them. I was too young to understand how they worked, but they were definitely for "pretend smoking" more than being a sweet!

My DD thinks it’s wild that there was a time there were only 4 TV channels and there was no option to pause, and that it was literally on at a set time and that was it, if you missed it you missed it

DS thought that the past actually was in black and white because all my childhood photos were.

Parents renting a video player and going to blockbusters on a Friday to rent videos.

Oh too many things to mention! Xx

We still have quite a number dotted through the house, but I couldn't tell you when one of us last used on in preference to googling.

In my village we have an unmanned manual crossing!

Whereas I find it mindblowing that if they have the misfortune to be involved in an accident they will be billed for the ambulance, the services of the paramedics and the Emergency Department and other staff who save their lives.

Being allowed to smoke on an airplane

I told my DC about dial up Internet when they were getting all frazzled about their wifi being slow and they just looked at me , like what dark ages was that!!!!!!!!!

I think this is the single best post on the thread for illustrating numerous huge differences!

Getting a lift in Dads van

We sat on the tool box in the back and hung on to anything we could to keep still

Queuing up in the library to photocopy journal articles pre internet

I taught these things to my DC as they were taught to me before I started school.

Regularly get a call on mobile from a random friend’s number as battery flat so useful even now.

To add, it was easier to learn 4 numbers than 11 but surprisingly possible to teach young DC

You could buy 10 Number 6 for 20p and a half of cider for 5p. 25p and I was a very happy (hic) bunny

And we also had a sixth form bar 🤪

Walking home from the pub or wherever, and phoning home from a public phone box and letting it ring only two or three times as a signal to your parents to say you were on the way home.

Burning CD'S and having to download music and put it on your ipod/mp3

Someone I used to work with told me when he was at university the Internet didn't exist. That blew my mind a bit.

I was a completely grown up adult before the internet existed.