Back in the day on a Sunday afternoon

Trailing round second hand book shops with my dad,usually at the Barras sometimes in the west end ,there were very few places open on Sundays.
I loved my days out with him buying books or records.

I would often go round to my friend's and we played the piano and listened to our tape recordings of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again. Sometimes we tickled her brother.

Sunday afternoons out in the garden. Dad working on the vegetable patch and mum on the flowers. I was often sitting in a deck chair revising for exams.

I usually spent Sunday afternoons dreading going to school on Monday!

Mine were often spent with a nearby friend who owned an Old English Sheepdog, maybe not a pure one, but he had a lot of that breed in him. Such a beautiful boy with a lovely nature, one of a handful of dogs in my life, although I've never had one of my own. We took him for long walks around where we lived which was close to a cricket green and pond, making sure he didn't run on to the pitch if there was a match, or go in the pond! otherwise my friend was in for a telling off if he came home covered in pond slime. Then we'd go back to hers and listen to the Top Twenty on the radiogram or play records.

Oh yes Grannybags, there was that sinking feeling on Sundays of "school tomorrow"

As a teenager, Sundays were spent out walking in the Peak District with friends in the Ramblers Association. Later when DH and I were courting and we were both serving in London with the Army, summer Sundays were spent picnicking on Hampstead Heath, or in and around Mill Hill which was very rural then with some nice pubs. Portobello Road was also a favourite Sunday haunt. As I wasn’t allowed into his living accommodation or he into mine, wet weekends would see us soaking up “Kulcha” in some gallery or other. We learned a lot, but not about each other!!

Mostly at home my friend would come over and we would play records and talk about what we would do when we were finished school. Happy days happy memories!

Forces favourites, Educating Archie and The Billy Cotton Band Show, on the wireless.Then two buses to my grandma’s. Boiled egg with bread and butter, Tinned peaches with Carnation milk…plus bread and butter and cake. Tiesen lap or Madeira. Home in the dark, in the winter. Bath and hair wash in a tin bath before the fire. School tomorrow.

Grannybags

I usually spent Sunday afternoons dreading going to school on Monday!

Me too.

My family were strict Methodists so nothing much allowed on a Sunday apart from Chapel and Sunday school. It was acceptable to go for a walk or to read.

Sunday school, then home for tea. Ham salad and then tinned peaches as a treat.
Listening to the radio, “Down your way” was usually on then back to church for the evening service.
Such happy innocent days.

Mum tried sending me to Sunday school when I was about 6, but I was having none of that - school 5 days a week was more than enough, thank you! As my elder brother had successfully used that very excuse for his refusal some years earlier, there wasnt much surprise or attempt to force me to go when I made my own feelings known on this subject.

It is not as if we were a 'religious' family - I am fairly certain now that in my family's case, it was simply about following traditional ways of keeping kids out of your hair at the weekend!

My memories of Sunday afternoons in the 60s are generally of incredible tedium, with the weekend homework hanging over me - always put off until the evening.

We always had a big garden, so my folks were usually working in it for much of the day.
I used to wash my father’s car - for 7/6d - and really never looked forward to that - but certainly wanted the money.

We hardly ever went, or were taken anywhere. It was gardening, the Sunday dinner at around 6, homework and car washing.

At 14, or whatever age it was, I signed up for confirmation classes, not because we were at all a religious family, but it was something to do with some of my schoolfriends!

Witzend

My memories of Sunday afternoons in the 60s are generally of incredible tedium, with the weekend homework hanging over me - always put off until the evening.

We always had a big garden, so my folks were usually working in it for much of the day.
I used to wash my father’s car - for 7/6d - and really never looked forward to that - but certainly wanted the money.

We hardly ever went, or were taken anywhere. It was gardening, the Sunday dinner at around 6, homework and car washing.

At 14, or whatever age it was, I signed up for confirmation classes, not because we were at all a religious family, but it was something to do with some of my schoolfriends!

Oh, I just couldn't put of homework, Witzend. I had to do it as soon as I got home on a Friday, otherwise it would be hanging over me every minute, literally making me feel sick.
How I wish I could have been one of those people who could happily put it out of their mind until Monday morning, when they would do it on the school bus.

I have never got over the need to get things that 'must' be done out of the way before I could enjoy anything else. 😔