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Original poster

I got told today I really live in the 1950s..

24 replies

pradavprimark · 13/12/2009 20:54

I live in a rather nice little old town along the coast.
We have butchers, backers and greengrocers.(no candletick makers im afraid)

I buy most my meat from the butchers, fresh bread from the backery, and fruit and veg from the fruit anf veg shops or local farms.
I also get my milk and orange juice delivered from the milkman..AND have a 'potato man'..

But i do stick go to regular supermarkets etc..for other products and will buy all of the above there too at times. personally due to the small nature of the town and everything close by, its just easier.

Am i really living in the past by shopping locally? where do you buy yours from?

OP posts:

IMoveTheStarsForNoOne · 13/12/2009 20:56

Yes, you are, but I think you are lucky to have all of this on your doorstep. I wish we had a greengrocers near us - loved it when we went on holiday and could just pop down the road to get lovely fresh veg (that wasn't from tesco)

if I could, I would do the same as you.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 14/12/2009 07:22

I could live like this, but tend to go to France to buy a freezer full of meat due to the cost and quality of Swiss meat. I do use the baker, farmer and cheese shop though.

DecorHate · 14/12/2009 07:33

I think it does depend on what sort of meals you cook -probably easier to shop as you do if it's mainly lumps of meat with veg or casseroles. It's all this exotic world cuisine stuff that needs supermarket trips! So I suppose it is quite 1950's...

kreecherlivesupstairs · 14/12/2009 12:39

I tend to cook a mixture of trad english stuff, shepherds pie, sausage and mash, stews etc and some more exotic food. The exotic causes the problems, Swiss people aren't well known for their love of spicy food and I've seem someone sweating over a plain poppadom. Sourcing the ingredients can be tiresome, I don't have time to drive or train it to Zurich to visit the 'ethnic' shop, nor do I have space to store everything I would like to. I have become like a Swiss hausfrau, shopping every day due to the size of our fridge.

Othersideofthechannel · 14/12/2009 12:56

OP I think you are ahead of your time.
(Future oil shortages and all that)

I shop like you do but get my milk from the supermarket. No milkmen/women in France.

Adair · 14/12/2009 12:58

meltedmincepies · 14/12/2009 14:56

To live like the '50's you need to grow your own veg.

Do you have an allotment?

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 14/12/2009 14:58

I live in the 50s too. I do actually know a public toilet that takes old pennies (but a new 10p works as well).
We have no baker round there though, so have to use a bread machine which is very un50s.

Original poster

pradavprimark · 14/12/2009 18:37

thanks adair for the gold star :D

tbh i havent really thought about it, my parents always did the same and i continued.
(i was born in the late 80s so hardly ancient.)

meltedmincepies - no i dont have an alloment, but grow the odd thing like herbs, ppeppers and chillis in pots in the garden..im a hopeless gardener and everything else dies.

I actually do cook quite a lot of 'non traditional dishes', but most are based on veg or meat so can get the key fresh ingredients.i do shop in supermarkets also.

kreecher - i wish we had a cheese shop!! was ist mit leute in osterich und deutschland, und taglich einkaufen? fuer nudeln zum beispiel auch!

i also like the idea of local products, with fuel prices and fairer pay having to be give abroad, maybe local will be a lot cheaper. although veg/fruit fromt he farm is always cheaper.

imovethestars and kaathy - im shoked at no greengrocers and no bakery!!! we must have at leat 3 greengrocers, and prob 6 bakeries!!

OP posts:

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 14/12/2009 18:44

actually come to think of it I'm just being a food snob - we have 2 bakeries but they're just crappy chain ones and not as nice as I can make myself.

ABetaDad · 14/12/2009 19:41

Thank goodness someone has started this thread!

After a long man to man chat with my FIL during the summer over a pint down the pub I have been dwelling on the idea that the 1950s were in fact better in so many ways than today. Not just food, which was really locally produced back then except in big cities.

People did not rely on the car. Fashion was much better, far more elegant and better made. Relationships between men and women were more restrained, respectful and formal. Children were better behaved. Family life did not revolve around the TV.

There were some not so good things about the 1950s of curse but there was a lot of good too.

I came across this fantastic I am a Vintage Housewife blog from an Amercian housewife who loves the 1950s (do scroll down) and have a smile. I challenge you not to agree with at least some of it and especially the comments.

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 15/12/2009 11:20

not sure about the conical bras though....

meltedmincepies · 15/12/2009 14:11

I definately don't want to go back to the 1950's attitude to women re education and work!

CMOTdibbler · 15/12/2009 14:19

I live in a small town and we have a bakers, butchers, fishmongers, cheese shop and deli - plus an indoor market a few days a week with more of these.

We try and buy our food from these as much as possible, plus the very local farm shops. I don't use a milk man though as I like to go to the farm shop and get local milk

Bonsoir · 15/12/2009 14:26

I live like this, in central Paris. I have ordered my Christmas capon from my butcher, and my Christmas Eve plateau de fruits de mer from my fishmonger, and am about to place an order with my pâtissier for Christmas desserts. We buy fresh bread from our baker over the road every day. I have a regular greengrocer. Etc etc.

I internet shop for the boring stuff, and use the supermarket for poultry and dairy.

Bonsoir · 15/12/2009 14:27

I do all my shopping on foot with a shopping trolley and I do the "school run" on foot or on the bus. We constantly bump into people we know locally and the local shopkeepers know everything about everyone .

Very 1950s chez nous.

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 15/12/2009 14:29

Bonsoir have you seen this thread? I think you would be very welcome there....

Bonsoir · 15/12/2009 14:31

LOL Kathy, I'll post on it when I am back from the school run and other errands!

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 15/12/2009 14:39

Bonsoir

ABetaDad · 15/12/2009 15:06

"I make sure that dinner is on the table every night when the hubs comes home, the bed is ALWAYS made and so am I!!!!!!!!!!"

I know I am not supposed to but I do really like it when I come home and DW is wearing a nice dress, fresh make up on, the kids have been given their tea, quietly doing their homework and the house is tidy.

Bonsoir · 15/12/2009 16:54

BrianGiggs · 15/12/2009 16:57

i havent got time to dick about brown nosing greengrocers to get the best fruit

give me the egalitarian environment of a supermarket any time

Othersideofthechannel · 16/12/2009 06:29

I suppose it depends where you live/work. I find it difficult to find time to go the supermarket but I can pop into a local shop on my way home from work.

Bonsoir · 16/12/2009 08:33

I have a baker, butcher, greengrocer and dairy literally just over the road (and two pharmacies, one this side and one the other side of the road, all of 30 seconds from my front door) so it really is easy and quick to shop there!

Because I am very fussy and like variety, I also go to proper market streets where there is more choice, and a (fabulous) fishmonger. But my first port of call for a quick emergency shop will never be the supermarket.

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