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Triggered memories

(64 Posts)
annsixty Thu 27-Aug-20 09:52:06

How I love the fact that threads started on any manner of things trigger memories long forgotten.
In the 80’s we had a family living next door but one who had two young daughters, the elder loved coming into our house and garden to chat and follow both H and I around “helping”
One day she came to me and said “Mrs B I need to have a wee and I can’t go by myself as I have clots, will you help me?”

My blood ran cold, how to deal with this medical condition?
I suggested she went home for her mummy to help her.
“ oh no you can help me if I show you”
She lifted up her top to reveal culottes which were very fashionable then and my heart resumed beating normally.

Both she and her sister grew into lovely young women and are both now Drs.

Funnygran Fri 28-Aug-20 16:33:55

janeainsworth when we were young my sister used to tell our mum that when she had her own house she would buy yellow dusters instead of the old knickers that were used in our house ?

janeainsworth Fri 28-Aug-20 16:05:12

Mum used to use his old cotton pants as dusters
Haha *growing old*grin some of us still do blush

annodomini Fri 28-Aug-20 15:59:10

My grandpa, who died aged 84 in 1948, memorably wore spats. I don't really know why, except that they must have been de rigeur early in the century. When he died, we inherited lots of pure silk handkerchiefs which were lovely and soft for sore noses. He was a lovely gentleman in every sense of the word and delighted in showing me the camellia in his little greenhouse.

Musicgirl Fri 28-Aug-20 15:03:05

Both my grandfathers wore those elasticated bands on their arms, occasionally bicycle clips. They were both short, round men and shirt sleeves were always too long otherwise.

midgey Fri 28-Aug-20 14:26:02

My small nephews told their father they were going to see dinosaur bones he replied who is she! Still makes me laugh.

blueberry1 Fri 28-Aug-20 14:18:38

I also had to wear liberty bodices as a small child- they were so uncomfortable with rubber buttons. I think us girls had to wear them to keep our bodies in the right shape ready for when we developed breasts.

Sandrahill Fri 28-Aug-20 14:02:26

AJAX now that brought back a memory right there !

Witzend Fri 28-Aug-20 14:00:58

Who else remembers Liberty bodices? I must have been very small, I don’t remember having them after starting school.
Were they just an extra layer for warmth? Probably needed them then, in the freezing house we lived in until I was 6.

Notinthemanual Fri 28-Aug-20 13:51:04

What a cracking thread. Thank you Annsixty

allule Fri 28-Aug-20 13:44:41

When my OH started losing dexterity, I used to clip garters round his knees before he went to the loo, so that his trousers would stay within reach...I think they were sold for Scottish dancing.
My father used celluloid collar stiffeners, and his favourite trick was to put one in the mouth of the sailor on his Senior Service cigarette packet, and when he lit the end, it puffed. Probably giving off some sort of poisonous fumes!

GrandmasueUK Fri 28-Aug-20 13:28:39

My grandad used to wear metal sleeve garters. He was a pipe-smoking, flat-cap wearing miner, so these were only worn at weekends when he was wearing his best shirt! Obviously, he looked like this grin

It's also just reminded me of making him a tin covered in sticky-backed plastic for his spills (courtesy of Blue Peter).

kangaroo73 Fri 28-Aug-20 13:27:30

In the 70’s my son, who was about about three at the time - he’s now 50 - was holding his ear looking very sad. He said “mummy I’ve got diet ear” - he had an earache but had obviously heard the word diarrhoea and got a bit confused ?

Petalpop Fri 28-Aug-20 13:22:09

Years ago my SIL was telling us that she had bought her DD a new recorder as, she was having lessons at school. My BIL said 'descant' and she replied - no I paid full price. This triggers a happy memory in our family as unfortunately SIL died a few years back but we still have a chuckle.

tanith Fri 28-Aug-20 12:08:43

I’m loving all these memories I must remember to mention sock suspenders to my GC as that memory will die with me unless I tell someone.

Kim19 Fri 28-Aug-20 11:59:54

Sleeve garters.

HiPpyChick57 Fri 28-Aug-20 11:56:09

Why is there not a like button on gransnet.
Some of these memories are hilarious. ?

grandtanteJE65 Fri 28-Aug-20 11:49:38

Grandpa wore those elastic bracelets too, to keep his shirt sleeves where he wanted them.

Can anyone remember what those things were called?

GrandmaCornwall Fri 28-Aug-20 11:44:57

My mum used to dunk her biscuits in her tea. She knew I always disliked the habit so she took herself off into the study to enjoy her tea as she saw fit. My 3 year old daughter would say “I know where Grandma is, she is hiding in the study dumping her biscuits.” ?

00mam00 Fri 28-Aug-20 11:33:36

Funnygran, I wear those arm bands doing the washing up.

I remember telling my son when he was a boy, to leave me in peace, he said can I have a piece?

EllanVannin Fri 28-Aug-20 11:28:44

I can remember mum cutting off the frayed collars on dad's shirts and replacing them with the separate stiff collars. His hankies were boiled in the gas boiler which was in the kitchen.
No wonder things became threadbare with all the boiling grin

Funnygran Fri 28-Aug-20 11:19:40

My Dad had sock suspenders too, he had been in the army. He also wore something like elastic bracelets over his shirt sleeves just below the elbow in the days when he wore a suit to work. He used to say it kept his sleeves from showing under his jacket sleeves. Anyone else remember those?

inishowen Fri 28-Aug-20 10:51:05

My grandson (3) said the other day he would sleep in the up bed, and his sister could sleep on the down bed. Bunks of course.

narrowboatnan Fri 28-Aug-20 10:47:44

HiPpyChick57

Talking of soggy toast, my Nan used to dip her toast in her tea. ?

My cousin used to do that too when we were children. Funny how one memory can trigger another because I can remember him also having one of those punch ball things on a tall, flexible stand that he would punch seven bells out of when his sister upset him.

Nanachoochoo Fri 28-Aug-20 10:43:35

My dad wore detachable plastic shirt collars. He thought they were a great invention, used to scrub them with Ajax each night and leave them on the drainer. Drove my poor mother mad, she had to move them and scrub the drainer before doing the washing up.

Growing0ldDisgracefully Fri 28-Aug-20 10:26:24

Jan51, that brought back memories of my Dad's cotton handkerchiefs, but not because of his washing them, but because to my Mum's despair, he used to use them to clean his oily hands (and possibly parts of the car engine) on them when he was working on the car!

Possibly in retaliation, or maybe as recycling, Mum used to use his old cotton pants as dusters. Waste nut, want not.