Sundays in the "olden days"

I can remember all of these thing described by previous posters about childhood Sundays.
After we had been to church on Sunday mornings (my parents never went to church but insisted we did) we would take turns to go to our grandparents' which was only a short walk away.
This often consisted of being taken with them to visit relatives of which my grandparents had loads, or relatives visiting them.We had to be on our best behaviour always.If not visiting or being visited, our grandfather would go to bed after Sunday dinner for a couple of hours while grandmother took us into ''the room''.This was her front room which was always kept immaculate and only used on Sundays or special occasions.She would sit by the window with a cup of tea and watch her neighbours walking past dressed in their best clothes having their Sunday stroll.We would sit on the floor playing games until tea time
When we got home it was hair wash and bath night ready for school in the morning. I hated this Sunday hair wash ritual because our mother would always inspect our hair for head lice, putting on the nit lotion before the bath then after rinsing it off would use the fine tooth comb while we had to bend over a sheet of white paper so she could see if all the nits were combed out.I can still feel that comb being scraped on my scalp now and I am 78.
Sundays ae certainly different now for my children grandchildren and great grandchildren.Thank goodness.

biglouis, everton valley grammar, paddys market, fishing for tiddlers at newsham park. Holiday work at British american tobacco. I loved coopers. Went to st johns market on the bus to buy salt herrings which were wrapped in newpaper and stunk out the bus. Astoria pictures on saturday 6d, full of smoke. Studying at the picton library.

I never knew any rich people but was so lucky, and what a fulfilling time that was, surrounded by people who really were and are, the salt of the earth

In the 50s, liverpool anfield, all the family to church in our sunday best, bath night was saturday. I had 2 dresses. Then out to spend the afternoon in stanley park or rarely on the bus to otterspool and even rarer, across the mersey to new brighton. Poor but united, all nine of us

I too was born in Liverpool and can rmember all those places. We used to call Otterspool the "cast iron shore" because it was just rocks, no sand. It was a big day when we went to Southport and around the fun fair. As a child I loved fairs - what child doesnt?

My family were not in the least religious. My mother was C of E and my father came from a Catholic family so they married (during the war) in a registry office. I went to sunday school with my friend because it was the only day she was allowed any freedom from helecopter parents. It was a mile walk there and back and of course we dawdled and played in the park. Every so often we skipped going and just played.

I never had an real religious feelings. I enjoyed the hymns, the stories and collecting text cards.

Esspee mentioning television reminded me of the Forsyte Saga which we never missed, always sat down to watch it together. Every Sunday evening for what seemed like years!

I well recall the restrictions regarding which toys we could play with and which were banned and really there was no logic to it. Books were allowed and so were jigsaws and colouring books, but no board games or mechanical toys. No playing outside. The worst time was when Christmas Day was a Sunday as some of our presents could not be played with.

We were a church going family, which was fine as there was always something special for the children.
When I left home to go to university, church was a place to meet people and then go for coffee afterwards in large groups. Hundreds of students went to the same big church. There I heard a great sermon about Sunday. The vicar said, make Sunday a special day when you do something different, more relaxing than the busy week days. No rules or restrictions, as long as it was different.

Such fond memories biglouis!

I’m in the US, and on Sundays it was always up early for breakfast and church when we visited my Grandparents in Kansas for the summer. Then home for dinner which was usually excitement for all the female relatives in the kitchen. Or, our dinner was often served in my grandparents “garden”. I remember the good food and playing games with my cousins while the adults visited. Usually my Grandfather would saddle up the Shetland ponies or hook them up to the pony cart after dinner and we would go for a ride. My cousins and I, and often other children that were guests, would tear around and play games, there might be a bond fire later. I wasn’t raised on a Kansas farm so exploration to the hen house or the barn was very entertaining! Finding kittens -

We moved to Denver and our Sundays changed to church on Sunday, dinner and a drive to the mountains or visiting with the neighbors. I do remember homemade ice cream on occasion :-)

Napping in the afternoon -

The neighborhood quick shop, 7-11 was open, nothing else!

In my teens, with a couple of other friends, I joined the Ramblers Association and rarely spent a Sunday at home after that. Train from our pre-Beeching functioning local station out into the Peak District, plenty of company and free as a bird.

In the 50's we listened to "Two-way family favourites", to see if anyone was mentioned that we knew, they never were. Somehow it never occurred to anyone to send in a request.
Dinner at 12 , beef that you could not chew dad's rant about it. "Chines Wedding cake", with jam.
Best clothes on for two hours of Fire and Brimstone at chapel with cousins, not parents.
The big treat, we caught a bus{Until we had a car} to my grandparents in the country.
Shear bliss mischievous gran who bought you cheap tat from Woolworths, a half-pound bag of Dolly mixtures and Princess comic. Grandads stories about WW1.
On lucky days an uncle with a car took us to the seaside, we sat and ate ice cream and listened to "Sing something simple".
Back at home happy after playing in his garden and being in what we called the pigeon hull[shed].
Then I went to Grammar school and Sundays were spoiled with homework.

When was Children’s Favourites? On a Saturday? I do remember enjoying that. Some years ago, when we still had a cassette player, I found a cassette of CFs - Nellie the Elephant, I’m a pink toothbrush, Little White Bull, the Typewriter tune - I’m now tempted to go and find some of them on YouTube - instead of the batch-cooking session I’d intended.

I hated Sundays as a child, I did not like roast dinner, which we had every Sunday. We had an afternoon drive when I always suffered from travel sickness so saw the roast again. Then my hair was washed and my mother was very rough getting tangles out of my hair. Bed was after Sing Something Simple, earlier than other days, I loathed that theme tune. Thinking about it is making me feel awful.

I am ok with Sundays now, to me they are no different from the rest of the week.

I used to love walking home from church, 11.00 am service which lasted a good hour if not more if the sermon went on, and smelling the Sunday dinners cooking in the houses yes even the cabbage, which at that time I hated to eat ? and I can remember going to the beach for the afternoon in the summer and taking sandwiches and pop to eat with my mum with a visit to the fair on the way home I loved the penny push machine although I was only given one of two pennies to have a go very occasionally I would be able to have an ice cream or hotdog to eat. When we were new parents in the early 80s we used to visit the inlaws for tea on a Sunday my MiL always baked cakes and tarts for our visit.

Chocolatelovinggran

There's a theory that in large families/small houses in the past all children were conceived on Sundays when other siblings were at Sunday School.

HI, yes I've heard that too!

I was born in the mid 60s. Sundays were so dull, chapel morning and evening, best dress and a hat, roast for lunch which was nice then possibly a walk out across the fields with Dad and the dog. We were not allowed to play with toys, play in the garden or read any books other than 'Sunday' books, didn't have a TV and the radio was restricted to news and Sunday half hour on radio 2 in the evening unless it came from a Catholic church when it was quickly switched off. No wonder I married a Catholic, my bit of rebellion.
My parents were loving and kind just totally stuck in pre war times, they were both in their 40s when we were born and my great Aunt lived with us and was probably stuck in pre 1st WW times!

I agree with those who said it was Sooo boring.
Hated Sundays, especially as a teenager nothing to do.
Thought I do remember listening into Comedy programmes on the Radio.. Round the Horn, Navy Lark, Clitheroe Kid. Those I did enjoy but that was just a hours worth.

Sunday morning was Sunday school, didn`t really like it, then the highlight on arriving home was Family Favourites on the radio, then back to Sunday school in the afternoon. Sometimes I`d be allowed to get the bus afterwards to my great aunts for tea, then the bus home about 8pm.

I can remember enjoying Sundays as a child in the 1940's.early fifties. For one thing my dad was usually at home ( did sometimes have some overtime on Sunday mornings, but not regularly). He would make French Toast (due to an earlier horrific accident my Mum had when making chips, only he was permitted to do anything fried.

White bread dipped in egg and then fried and then plentifully coated with sugar. I loved it AND he usually let me have whatever sugar was over on his plate when he had ate his. So good to have both Mum and Dad. Then I would help Mum with some cleaning (she worked during the week).

Usually, i n the afternoon we would walk over to Mum's Parents home and meet up with Aunts and Uncles and cousins. Wonderful times. Tea was served in two sittings, children first, then adults. We had to assist my g.mother in getting things onto table an put away afterwards. After tea the adult would play cards and the children would play together.

By my early teens I had a Sunday morning job opposite where I lived at a newsagent, to help them out in the very rushy time of people paying the weekly newspaper bill etc. Would return back home in time for lovely Sunday roast dinner. Then would spend afternoon catching up on homework due in on Monday morning.

I must say it was a great relief when Sunday opening of shops became more of a norm. Can remember always being worried on Saturdays trying to think of anything I might require for the family the following day.

I still remember that gloomy Sunday evening feeling, homework to be finished, my mother ironing school shirts in the kitchen or getting packed lunches ready and into the fridge, the theme music of the latest Sunday night serial meaning it was time to go to bed.

It took me years and years to shake off the Sunday evening blues. I'm not sure I fully have.

I liked Sundays because my dad would be home. We went to church as a family then after 15 min or so the children would go into Sunday School. After Sunday dinner which was a bit grander than weekdays we went for a walk still in our Sunday best to the beautiful parks around our home or to visit my grandparents for tea then home to watch TV or read. Shops were generally closed but I remember a time when to get round the Sunday trading laws you could get a free 3 piece suite when you bought 1lb of carrots for £100.

Born in 1949 I suppose I was part of the first TV generation having been brought up in a home with a TV but as far as I can remember the scheduling was sparse. It came on around 4ish with things like Muffin the Mule, the Wooden tops and Andy Pandy. As I got older we watched a programme after the news which took you to places like India and Africa. I loved those stilted newsreel type shows as it opened up the world to me. Later still they imported programmes from the USA and we thrilled to The Lone Ranger, then came Ivanhoe, Robin Hood, William Tell etc. Blue Peter was a favourite of ours as we moved through Primary School together with the Magic Roundabout. Sad to say my memory is fuzzy but the Coronation made the biggest impression on me.

Sundays were the worst 52 days of the year. Nothing to do, nowhere to go (we didn't have a car or much money so no trips out either).
At senior school, I used to leave all the homework set on Fridays until Sunday (grammar school, there was loads of it) so that made it even worse.

I’m glad the OP said ‘Olden days ‘ and not ‘good old days’.

Usually a cooked breakfast, then not being able to go outdoors on a Sunday (unless it’s to go to Sunday School or Church) it was catch up on homework ready for school on Monday.

Always a roast lunch followed by a fruit pie that Mum would have baked, whilst listening to ‘2 way family favourites’ we all loved that, eating lunch in the kitchen, the only warm room in the house.

Special occasions we ate in the dining room where a fire would be lit to thaw the room out.

Sunday afternoons was Sunday School then I was allowed to read a book until tea time, sandwiches, fruit and homemade cakes.

Then ‘sing something simple’ as someone else said , music to be endured, in the Summer it was easy to escape to the sitting room (in Winter it was too cold) and read, until bedtime and school the next day.

When I was older we had a Dansette record player and Mum would play her Jim Reeves records all afternoon, there was no escape, if it was sunny I was allowed to sit in the garden under the tree and read.

No cleaning or housework/laundry/ shopping was ever done in our house on a Sunday.

I hated Sundays apart from Mums lovely roasts. But I read masses of books!

Sundays at boarding school no lessons, and the seniors got to go for long afternoon walks along the lanes across fields, exploring. There was always morning church into the town in a crocodile with the headmistress where the minister although handsome was also boring. We were always famished when we got back to the school and Sunday lunch was good----roast beef, beetroot and roast potatoes. Seniors had to act as waitresses for the little ones so could not eat as soon as the others.

Seniors' Sunday tea was a special treat as eaten around the common room table accompanied by noisy talk and undiscipline . Parents sometimes sent extras such as peanut butter or biscuits and we shared that among ourselves.

I'm envious of the idyllic-sounding childhoods some of you had... Sunday roasts, visits to grandparents, big gardens, trips out, etc.

Sunday was boring, as it was for many people, and can only remember sometimes going to Sunday school in the afternoon, and playing in the street if anyone was around.

There was something stifling and stolid about that dreary day.

My father hated Sundays as he was sent to Sunday School for Christian indoctrination three times during the day every week. He never set foot in church as an adult unless it was absolutely necessary for a family event. So much for the golden past.

I have always loved Sundays. When I was a child, it was the only day my shopkeeper father wasn’t working. So many happy memories. Sunday is always a quiet day here now, but that suits us. No need to hurry anywhere.

On Saturday I was sent to the butcher to buy the Sunday roast, a joint of beef, pork or a leg of lamb. It was a major purchase and we had 3 days meals from it.
Our Sundays went as follows, a cooked breakfast, mine was usually a bacon sandwich. Get ready for Church. We always wore our Sunday best. After Church, help my mother prepare the dinner and afterwards my sisters and I look turns doing the washing up.
We listened to Two Way Family Favourites on the radio. After dinner we sat quietly reading or listening to the radio, waiting until it was time to go to Sunday School at 2:30pm.
After Sunday School we had to play in the house or garden as we weren't allowed to play outside or in the park.
We always had afternoon tea on Sundays, and a light supper before bedtime.