What sounds and actions from the 1950s to. 1970s do you miss hearing or are glad are no more?

I have read all the above comments, some I remember well but I can honestly say I don’t miss any, who could miss white dog poo, hair rollers, dressing up for shopping. No I love our modern world our brains are meant to evolve. We can’t go back. The only thing I miss is the open fire but from the comfort we got from it I think of all the pollution.

Rag and bone man is often round here

Bottles of lovely thick orange juice from what my mother called 'The Welfare'. She also got bottles of cod liver oil from there.
School milk.
As a Catholic, having to fast for communion for Friday mass before school. Our mum used to give us cold toast to take to school for breakfast after mass and a paper bag with cocoa powder and sugar in it. We would tip it into a mug and the teacher would come round with a kettle and fill our mugs so we had hot cocoa.

Going to Brownies and later Girl Guides, and having to polish the brass tie badge. Church parade and bring picked to be the flag bearer sometimes and being afraid I'd drop the flag! Bob-a-job week (hated doing that), which was stopped because of dodgy behaviour towards one of the girls from presumably some dirty old man. Having to play the piano for Sunday school (also a relief to stop doing that).
Walking up the road to the off licence on a Sunday morning for a bottle of Cydrax (spelling?) - non-alcoholic cider, for us all to share with Sunday lunch. Taking the empties back later to get the deposit money back.
The hardware shop on the high street, going there with Dad to buy a few loose screws or nails - none of the multi packs we're stuck with now from the likes of B&Q!

What wonderful memories you have all shared. Thank you so much. You have brought many back to me. We could write a book of Gransnet Memories of a generation. Thank you again

Aged 8 when we went into the 50s. Living in a city far from the coast now, I miss the sounds of the waves and the swishy rattle as the tide pulled the pebbles down the beach. I even miss the screeching seagulls. I realise that this is not a lost sound to those who live or visit the seaside but it is for me.

What I don’t miss is the incessant singing of “God save the King/Queen”. I remember rebelling at the cinema and staying sitting at the end of a film and half expecting a clout round the ear for being so disrespectful. I was about 14 and no-one seemed to notice.

I don’t really miss anything, but remember green shield stamps, cigarette cards my Dad collected, ‘best’ china, a drinks cabinet, walking everywhere and Sunday school. I certainly don’t miss the cesspit lorry.

Shinamae

Bubbly bubbly pop

Injsed to love thwt. We didn't get ot in my home area. Only when we went to stay with relatives.

Tram cars.
Men standing up when a lady entered the room.
Ladies wearing headscarf’s.
Nylons with straight lines up the leg.
Suspenders belts.
Liberty bodices.
Petrol pump attendants.
Men wearing hats and raising them when passing a lady.
When ladies were ladies and not women.
Equal pay was unheard of.
Payment books for family allowance in Mothers names only.
The decent length of school uniforms.
The mini skirt.
Teachers wearing business clothes and academic gowns.
Children Standing up when teacher entered the classroom.
Public phones books.
240 pennies in a £
Pounds shillings and pence.
Dog licences.
Powerful unions.
When tradesmen were valued.
Free prescriptions.
When BBC was the only channel.
God Save the Queen at the end of tv programmes, & films in Picture Houses.
TIM to find the time.
When the world thought Britain was Great.
When everyone attended Church.

The rumble on the road of Charlie the ice cream man coming along with his horse pulling his ice cream cart.
The smell of tarmac from tge steaming mounds that poured from the tarmac laying machine.
The smell of linseed oil from the production of linoleum by several factories in the town.
The smell of washing boiling away in the wash house in the garden.
What I find really annoying nowadays is the number of digs barking throughout the day.

Workers’ Playtime on the radio

J52

Braziers that the road mending men melted the tar in. I loved the smell of tar. Gasworks and the town gas holders.

I miss the small of tar too, but more than that I miss men actually mending the road!! We are a nation with potholes instead these days.

Marching bands. The boys and girls life brigade was in our street and their band marched regularly in parades . I loved the drums and the time keeping steps right outside our house … oh, and the baton twirling ! Magic !

The fog-horns on the Thames during those 50s smogs.

Night watchmen. One saved my friend and when we were being followed by a creepy man. The watchman chased him away waving a shovel at him!

The sound of a train going over unfused rails. It is lovely and smooth going by train nowadays, but I miss the feeling of excitement of going somewhere with that dubbly-doo, dubbly- doo sound.

Auntieflo

Those plastic, folded rain hoods.

Once took the kids to a large wooden outdoor play park. I was sitting at a bench table and was joined by another women and her mum who was probably mid 70s.
It started to drizzle and, exactly as my mum would have done, granny started digging in her pocket. She spent ages getting a little packet open and proudly withdrew… a pair of plastic gloves! Her daughter thought it hilarious.. as did I. Just could not make eye contact 🤣

The steamrollers and smell of hot tar on the roads. Paraffin stoves where you had to go to the local shop with a container to get the fuel. Toasting forks, coal fires and of course the London peasoupers. I once got lost on my way back from school it was so thick- I would have been about 9 years old.

Just one
My dad whistling as he cycled home from work

The shipping forecast. I’m sure it must still be played somewhere. I had no idea what it meant, it was just very soothing.

Blondiescot

On the smell of tar - does anyone else remember popping the tar bubbles on the road in the summer (then getting a row from your mum for getting tar on your shoes or sandals)?

Yes and finding an old lolly stick and writing your name in melted tar on the curb stones giving your identity away and mother using butter to get the tar off.
The daring put their sandals in and made footprints. They used to hire old men !!!! my age now to sit in a canvas tent with a brazier to stop us from doing it.I was such a good little girl,more tomboy.

The shop bell in my Grandma's sweet shop. Just as you had got warm in front of the living room fire the wretched bell would go and summon you back to the freezing cold shop.

FannyCornforth

White dog poo
Doing PE in your vest and pants
Jim’ll Fix It
IRA bomb scares at school

(70s childhood)

You make me feel old Fanny. I was a new mum with a basket full of shopping and a toddler in the seat the bomb scare siren went off in M&S. We all had to wait to retrieve our buggies behind the barriers.

I miss the ships hooters on New Years Eve coming from the docks

Miss:
The Corona Pop Man delivering once a week (we just had a couple of glass bottles of dandelion & Burdock, limeade or cherryade but really looked forward to it.
Home grown fruit & vegetables from my dad & grandads gardens (don’t miss the caterpillars)
The excitement of getting a comic delivered once a week.
All the kids skipping in the street for hours with an old washing line or French skipping with elastic.
Don’t miss:
The old b&w telly that we had to hit on top to stop the lines across the screen
Awful school dinners
School milk yuk!!
People smoking everywhere