Remember when people used to go "visiting"

Yes! We always had to go visiting in the 70s and dress up in our best clothes. I got sick of it, it was actually really boring for a child back then, we just sat around waiting to go home. Dad would be hours, he is still like that today always out visiting, mum complains he’s never home! Funny.

It’s not something we did, really, but as Grandma lived round the corner, we’d drop by any time and vice versa - it wasn’t specific to a Sunday (although occasionally she’d arrange a Sunday tea, and my uncle, his wife and son would come too, by bus as they didn’t drive, and which involved them catching two buses).

Other relatives lived too far away for visits as described in the post above - if we did go, it was pre-arranged, by letter (as no-one had an phone except one aunty), and involved a day or so away. We didn’t have a car, neither parent could drive, so journeys further afield either involved the train or a coach, therefore infrequent because of cost and the practicality of getting there.

My husbands extended family of uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents were not so far away from him when he was growing up, and his dad had a car, so they would visit nearby family either walking if close by, or in the car if slightly further afield, or sometimes the service bus if his dad was working.

It doesn’t happen like that anymore, we all contact one another by phone or text, to arrange get togethers, rather than just turn up.

I used to hate Sunday afternoons. My aunt and uncle used to come 'visiting' on spec but just in case they turned up I wasn't allowed out to play and we always had ham, tomatoes and lettuce ready for tea. We didn't have a car, so a return visit had to be pre-arranged and took up most of the day, on at least 3 buses each way.

Not just a northern thing. I'm from South West Wales and every Saturday we visited grandparents (12 miles away) followed by a visit to my two aunts who lived together another few miles away on our way home. It was a day out every weekend with Sundays reserved for chapel - at least twice a day

We didn’t have a car but my Mum would take us to visit aunts, uncles, cousins etc. When we had a new baby in the family we also took them to visit all our relatives. I think we were much more family oriented then, saying that though, we as a family are still quite close to each other.

We have ‘visitors’ at weekends! Always have cake/snacks/wine ready!

forgot to add, this was just on Sundays

we used to have family teas. One week would be with Fathers family, the alternate week would be with others. Each family would take a turn hosting. Each would take something along (my Mother always cooked scones) At my Grandparents me and my sister would put on a play but I had cousins on my Mothers side so we would play board games or charades and in summer we would play rounders on the green

I’m 58 and was brought up in S Wales. I remember this ritual very well but it tended to be more on Bank Holiday Monday and I would be forced to sit in instead of playing or reading my book. I used to love visiting the Rhondda valleys going over the mountains in the car. We were very fortunate to have a car in those days. Fond memories.

Your memories of "visiting" are certainly very similar to mine Bellanonna, complete with the salad tea. I'd forgotten, but now you mention it I was usually given a shilling or maybe half a crown too but I don't think I was embarrassed by it!

Some lovely memories there. Like many we didn't have a car, but other family did and we all had to clear up (big family) untidy small home, but Mum loved seeing her sisters and lots of their children from the London's East End - all used the tube to get to Dagenham (then a relatively new town). She managed to make mounds of corned beef sandwiches for tea, even baked rock cakes, jelly, blamange, and a three-penny piece popped into our pockets - thrill!!! So very different from today's children's expectations. Thank you.

I was born in 1940 and I remember the Sunday visits so well.
Long walk first to and from Mass, then our lunch at home, and a while later a bus and a train to visit various aunties. I remember being bored as the adults talked about things that didn’t interest me. My mother thought it was rude to sit with my “nose in a book”, but I usually got away with it.
Tea was always salad with tinned salmon or ham. Bread and butter, when sliced bread hadn’t been invented, so it was always cut and I helped my aunt to do this. Pudding was tinned fruit with evaporated milk.
I have a feeling that letters were written to announce a pending visit, but my mother always made fairy cakes on a Sunday, just in case. No fridge so we probably didn’t keep ham.
When we visited I was always given a coin (half crown, two bob bit) and always found that embarrassing. Mum concentrating to make sure I said thank you.
One of the journeys involved a tram ride, which I always enjoyed. Interesting to look back on the old days, but thank goodness for phones nowadays.

yes something i remember happening. we didn't always have a car so most visits were done by bus or if close enough we used to walk. I can remember once, we had a car. and travelled to Leicester to visit my nans niece and family, and returned the same day, must have been some journey as i have done this journey quite a few times over the years, roads faster and cars faster than in the 1960's and still found it quite a hike, going from cheshire to leicester

Yes! We did this too. It was usually my gran's who lived about 60 miles away or my aunt's or good friends of mum and dad...

Yes - it was very much the think in our family. Many great aunts and uncles to visit, plus aunts and uncles sometimes too - although we saw them more day to day. Not something I ever did when mine were children and I'm a bit sad for that sometimes. Do still visit parents and siblings quite a lot though.

When I was a child we often visited my Aunt and Uncle who lived about 5 miles away. They lived in a tiny village in a small cottage and it was like stepping back in time even then.

They had just one daughter who they idolised but she went to live in America as a bride so they loved to see us kids. They always had a fire roaring all year round with a huge kettle on the coals. They had pianola which I was allowed to try and play. They lived beside a small village green with a market cross and if we went outside to play other kids would appear and stare at us!

Their house was filled with interesting things so we were never bored and my Dad used to say you got the best cup of tea there because myAuntie’s teapot was a big old one with a brown interior. Happy memories

visits were a mix of both; as no phone I guess things were arranged by letter. sometimes it was to my uncle who lived quite way away who owned a public house. we would drive up to visit with granny it would entail a meal then mum and dad would take me for a walk so granny could have quality time with her son then back for a goodbye and home.
we also had some friends of mum and dads who took it in turn to host a monthly supper; sandwiches home made pickled onions salads gateauxs etc usual nibbles. when we got there it would be a lot of chat sometimes me and my sister went with their kids to a playground nearby. then often in winter it was a slide show of the latest snaps then supper with a chat about the latest to die! then usually whoever was hosting their kids would go to bed and the other kids would curl up and sleep on sofa with all the adults chatting until literally often 3 or 4 in the morning then often driving home at dawn!
there was also the usual visiting times; granny sunday morning, my auntie one evening she lived in the same road but never just pop in just one allotted evening. on sunday evening dads brother and sil came along for a chat we would be having baths for school and i always remember they bought me a chocolate biscuit!
my other mum and dads friends lived in same road they came several evenings a week but only after an organised meet when they met in the street.
it was customary to bring something usually produce from the garden, flowers also from the garden, biscuits etc its something i like to do too

I am in North East and born 1944.I can remember Sunday visiting very well. It was always with our maternal grandparents our parents hardly ever took us visiting, mostly because my dad was nearly always working on a Sunday, if not at work he was in the pub.
My grandma and Granda seemed to have loads of relatives all living a bus ride away and they would often take me or one of my sisters visiting with them.My grandma would alway play a joke when visiting one of her cousins, she would bang on their front door and shout ''Rent'' through the letter box, and wait for the following silence in the house, then shout ''It is only me'' before the door would be opened by a relieved looking occupant!.The tea was always what we called a good spread, ham sandwiches ( why was it always ham) cake scones etc.We would have to sit in silence while the adults talked as it was rude to interrupt.When we visited my great aunt, grandma's sister, my granda would take us for a walk while she and grandma talked, I later found out the reason for this- she and my granda did not get on and he only went out of duty.
Some of these relatives thought themselves rather ''posh''.When we went to their house the lady relative would take my grandma with my sister and myself to her bedroom so we could lay our coats neatly on her bed then tidy our hair etc before going downstairs.
My grandparents would always return this hospitality by inviting the same relatives back to their house for Sunday tea.
Lovely childhood memories.

My parents were publicans and restaurant owners, Sunday were busy, family came to us, but mostly I spent weekends with my Grandparents.

I was brought up in East Anglia and I remember Sunday visiting.
An uncle and aunt would come in their car but other family or friends cycled. We some times cycled to them, when very young I would be on a seat attached to my mum or dads bike.

We used to have to do the weekly sunday afternoon visit to an elderly aunt and uncle on a sunday afternoon.
The village (now a town) always seemed to me to be stuck in the 40s not the 70s.
Always sat in dineing room with the weekly fruit cakes she made.Me and my two younger sisters sat like angels .i was a teenager.
We sat looking at the painting of a spanish dancer in a red dress.
Before we left out came a bag of clothes (some smelling of mothballs).
These clothes came from the weekly jumble sale my aunt went to every saturday.always for me.
I had to thank her and always refused to wear any when we got home.
Before we left it was a weekly walk down my uncles long back garden to look at the flowers. To be honest never looked any different to the week before in the summer.
I always remember the loo roll with a knitted pink lady cover.
.

Yes I remember the Sunday afternoon visits and the usual 'Sunday Tea' with affection. Sunday afternoon is still time spent with our family as they are always busy during the week.

travelsafar

Maime......bridge rolls....I remember those filled with egg and cress. Haven't seen them for years can you even get them still. Lovely soft little rolls , we had them at Christmas and for birthdays.

Are bridge rolls the same as finger rolls? I found some of them in our local Tesco a few weeks ago and made them up with various fillings to take away for lunch in our motorhome. They went down a treat with my GS!

oh yes ..I was born 1945, and sunday was always the day for either visiting the aunties...or them visiting us....we always had to go by bus, I usually hated it , I'd much rather have stayed at home and played with my friends.....as another poster said...there were no phones for most people then ,how were the visits arranged

Maime......bridge rolls....I remember those filled with egg and cress. Haven't seen them for years can you even get them still. Lovely soft little rolls , we had them at Christmas and for birthdays.