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Things you never see now

(15 Posts)
NanKate Sat 01-Aug-26 16:44:49

During my early years Mum would take us to the Botanical Gardens where there was a small machine that for a few pence you could type in your name and a piece of metal came out showing an imprint of your name. Don’t know what it was called.

Graphite Sat 01-Aug-26 17:37:36

Like this?

A metal label embossing machine. They were made by the British Automatic Company.

Oreo Sat 01-Aug-26 17:46:12

Those were the days, when kids were so easily pleased, I used to be so happy if Mum or Dad came home with a comic and a few sweets for me😃
I think I remember seeing one of those doodahs NanKate at a railway station platform.

Oreo Sat 01-Aug-26 17:46:55

It didn’t look as quaint as the pic above.

Oreo Sat 01-Aug-26 17:49:04

I used to like putting coins in the head of a model of a yellow Labrador with a bandaged paw RSPCA which stood outside a shop.

MissAdventure Sat 01-Aug-26 17:50:31

Me too.
smile

Casdon Sat 01-Aug-26 17:57:38

They are still around, I’ve seen a few of these machines recently, there is one at Cadbury World, and one at Crich Tramway museum that I know of, and I think I remember one at the Eden Project too, but I could be wrong there.

62Granny Sat 01-Aug-26 17:59:44

Vending machines on the railway platform for Fry's chocolate, there was one that was five different flavours.

Grammaretto Sat 01-Aug-26 18:03:27

Those machines in shoe shops which x-rayed our feet.

Grammaretto Sat 01-Aug-26 18:10:07

The x-ray machines were banned in the 1950s

Sunshinegirls Sat 01-Aug-26 18:18:10

Yes I remember going into the shoe shop and looking down at your feet in xray machine at least you could tell if your feet had plenty of room lol.

Grammaretto Sat 01-Aug-26 18:21:29

Our station vending machine had Cadbury's chocolate bars for 3d and 6d.

paddyann54 Sat 01-Aug-26 18:25:23

The day the trams stopped running in Glasgow in 1961? My dad put pennies on the track to be squashed …one for each of us.I still have mine .

Sunshinegirls Sat 01-Aug-26 18:26:41

I remember on the seaside pier a 'What the butler saw' wind up machine lol how tame compared to what's on offer now, a different world, a better one I think.

NotTooOld Sat 01-Aug-26 18:33:30

Little girls wearing summer dresses and sandals. At least, not often you don't. It's nearly all shorts and crocs now.