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What were you impressed with as a child that your DGC would laugh it now ?

(120 Posts)
Floradora9 Tue 19-Nov-24 21:45:32

In 1951 I went with my family to London to stay with relatives. The man of the house was high up in the trade union movement and he took us to Transport House to his office. Attached to his desk was a pencil sharpener . You turned a handle and it sharpened your pencil . As a 7 year old I thought it was wondeful . I later discovered this same relative turned down a knighthood twice . He advised Churchill during the war on keeping up coal froduction and other matters. My mother used to tell me he was Frank Cousins right hand man but he never forgot his working class roots .

Mollygo Thu 21-Nov-24 19:07:38

Tights!
Childhood in winter was knee-length socks that stayed up if you were lucky, no long trousers for boys at primary school and no trousers at all for girls.

SiobhanSharpe Thu 21-Nov-24 19:45:45

Powdered ‘lemonade’ and orangeaid that came in a little tin.
It was Eiffel Tower brand, you took a teaspoonful of the powder and added it to a glass of water. It fizzed a bit, like alka-seltzer, but apart from that it was pretty much just citric acid and yellow food colouring.

watermeadow Thu 21-Nov-24 19:46:51

My father’s camera. He took countless pictures in black and white then developed and printed them in his darkroom. The process was like magic.
When my children were young films and processing them were expensive and most of my efforts were poor.
My grandchildren know only the miracle of endless excellent photographs taken by their phones and instantly shared.

SiobhanSharpe Thu 21-Nov-24 19:53:51

My Dad was a real petrol-head, he was an apprentice at David Brown (which built Aston Martin cars) before the war and I remember all his cars, the first was a Humber but i have only a vague memory of it. Then he got a Wolseley 444 which was black and shiny with leather seats. He also had a Land Rover Series 2 for driving through the desert to work on the oil rigs. We lived in Kuwait.

Oldcareassistant Thu 21-Nov-24 19:59:40

My mother had a battery operated carving knife.

SunnySusie Thu 21-Nov-24 20:34:04

We adored shop bought cakes which were only allowed as a very special treat on the grounds of cost. My absolute favourite was Kunzle Showboats. Does anyone else remember them? They were individual cakes with a chocolate outer shell and sponge in the middle. We were allowed them on camping holidays, along with something called Cremola Foam, which was a powder mixed into water to make a fizzy drink.

GrannyBeek Thu 21-Nov-24 21:41:47

I lived near London as a child. I was told that the Science Museum had a door which opened by itself when you walked towards it. I didn’t believe it and when we went I was scared to go through it - at first.

Pilipala Thu 21-Nov-24 22:00:54

I remember visiting a friend's Auntie's house in the early seventies.I was very impressed by the sight of two automatic washing machines side by side in the kitchen.I did puzzle why they needed two.I'd never heard of a tumble dryer.We only had a twin tub at home so I thought they must be incredibly rich.

Ziplok Thu 21-Nov-24 22:19:42

Having a colour tv (rented), then, quite a good while later, our own telephone. Both were quite a novelty when we first got them 😂.

Lilyflower Thu 21-Nov-24 22:22:16

We were not that well off but my dad liked to keep ahead of new ideas.

In 1966 when I was ten he bought my sister and I electric blankets. What unimaginable luxury! I was always cold and later found it was due to my having Reynaud’s Syndrome. To be warm in bed was heaven.

MissInterpreted Thu 21-Nov-24 22:22:59

watermeadow

My father’s camera. He took countless pictures in black and white then developed and printed them in his darkroom. The process was like magic.
When my children were young films and processing them were expensive and most of my efforts were poor.
My grandchildren know only the miracle of endless excellent photographs taken by their phones and instantly shared.

My dad did the same - and later taught me how to develop photos. It was like magic watching the images appear.

Casdon Thu 21-Nov-24 22:23:47

I was in the Brownies, and Brown Owl gave us all a shell for Christmas which we were to put in a glass. Over the next few days the glue softened, the shell opened, and a paper flower floated up. I thought it was the best thing ever. I doubt a child now would even give it a glance.

Jeanathome Thu 21-Nov-24 22:27:12

Casdon

I was in the Brownies, and Brown Owl gave us all a shell for Christmas which we were to put in a glass. Over the next few days the glue softened, the shell opened, and a paper flower floated up. I thought it was the best thing ever. I doubt a child now would even give it a glance.

It sounds wonderful. Like the pen my teacher showed me with a little boat bobbin up and down inside it.

Strange how nothing is of value and everything is instant.

Dempie55 Thu 21-Nov-24 22:29:56

Probably around 1962 - my Dad brought home a jar of peanut butter. The rest is history- can’t live without it!

Dempie55 Thu 21-Nov-24 22:34:37

SunnySusie

We adored shop bought cakes which were only allowed as a very special treat on the grounds of cost. My absolute favourite was Kunzle Showboats. Does anyone else remember them? They were individual cakes with a chocolate outer shell and sponge in the middle. We were allowed them on camping holidays, along with something called Cremola Foam, which was a powder mixed into water to make a fizzy drink.

Are you in Scotland, Susie? I’m Glaswegian and I have such fond memories of both these brands; nobody else seems to remember Kunzle Showboats, they were the epitome of sophisticated luxury!

Iam64 Thu 21-Nov-24 22:42:25

My grannie got a tv so we could watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. We, family and neighbours all gathered in her sitting room, sitting on chair arms, the floor etc once the 2 chairs and sofa were filled with people.
The tv was so posh, it had doors that you opened when switched it on

Gwyllt Thu 21-Nov-24 22:50:27

I lived in Liverpool and as a kid a trip to the beach was a ferry to New Brighton or a train to West Kirby or Southport All of which had promenades
A forest was Delamere or Formby
When I was about ten my auntie, who lived in Plymouth, moved to a house big enough to put us up for a holiday. It seems incredibly naive now but I stood on a beach with a forest behind and could not believe what I was looking at.

Snowbell Thu 21-Nov-24 23:35:46

I loved reading my granny's Womans Weekly!
When we went to her house she always had Corona cherryade and a box of dairylea triangles. Heaven 😋

MissAdventure Fri 22-Nov-24 00:09:16

Two weeks in a caravan, on a site with three swings and a slide as entertainment.
In the rain.

Witzend Fri 22-Nov-24 00:21:12

NotSpaghetti

My parents were devastated when I bought a pair of jeans TopGunner!

😂. My father referred to my first (admittedly awful) pair as ‘your canvas trousers’. I don’t think he could bring himself to utter the ‘J’ word.

Witzend Fri 22-Nov-24 00:23:30

Snowbell, my granny always gave us Dairylea Triangles for tea. Luxury! No such things ever at home. Unfortunately tea at granny’s didn’t happen very often - she wasn’t exactly round the corner.

Nannan2 Fri 22-Nov-24 02:48:45

My aunt (who apired to be posh) had married a man with a posh job, and they owned their own house & car- she had a huge chest freezer in the garage.Me & my mum went to stay to look after the house when they went on holiday- and i was amazed at the freezer, frozen loaves in wax wrappers, ice lollies, choc ices, a few ready meals..great.My kids(&now my grandkids) couldnt beleive how easily pleased we were with stuff back then.Or how little we had.

Llamedos13 Fri 22-Nov-24 03:40:04

Looking at a packet of spaghetti and wondering what on earth to do with it!

Macadia Fri 22-Nov-24 04:45:29

I can't think of a single thing !

Macadia Fri 22-Nov-24 04:48:21

Im still trying to think of one thing