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What tastes, sounds and smells do you miss from yesteryear?

(113 Posts)
Kiwigramz Fri 25-Jun-21 12:32:11

For me it is the white celery with the pointed root at the bottom. We used to fight over it ?, potted meat, bacon rind, Symingtons table cream (similar to blancmange).

Finally I miss the wonderful smell of steam trains, and hearing men whistle on their way to work .

Whitewavemark2 Fri 25-Jun-21 12:35:42

Having the bedroom window open on a summers night and smelling grass and herbs.

Calendargirl Fri 25-Jun-21 12:37:21

I have posted before about Symington Table Creams. They were lovely, an upmarket blancmange.

I miss boiled chicken. They used old hens for this, past laying. The meat was juicy and soooo tasty. Mum did it with white sauce with nutmeg in. Now all chickens are so young, with no taste.

Talullah Fri 25-Jun-21 12:40:04

Petrol. I loved it. And marker pens. I'd be sat at my desk at work breathing deeply. They've changed the smell of petrol and marker pens. Very sad. I also miss the lids off toothpaste. I used to chew them until they were unrecognisable. Can't do that any more either. They are hard and unyielding.

Kate1949 Fri 25-Jun-21 12:49:06

Tar. When they used to tar the roads. We used to watch the steam rollers rolling down the street.

shysal Fri 25-Jun-21 12:53:12

The smell of steam engines. I lived near a railway as a child and liked to stand on the bridge as the train went underneath.

cornishpatsy Fri 25-Jun-21 13:00:52

Plasticine and wax crayons, reminds me of my childhood.

Nell8 Fri 25-Jun-21 13:12:46

The rattle of milk bottles being left on the doorstep. It reminded us that the milkman was out there keeping an eye on the neighbourhood.

BBbevan Fri 25-Jun-21 14:12:23

There were little shops , where my Grandma lived, in peoples front rooms. One I remember had a wonderful sweet, sharp smell. Gone forever I expect

aonk Fri 25-Jun-21 14:28:00

Church bells on a summer evening or after a wedding

Talullah Fri 25-Jun-21 14:29:33

Nell8

The rattle of milk bottles being left on the doorstep. It reminded us that the milkman was out there keeping an eye on the neighbourhood.

We decided to go back to milk deliveries but he woke the dogs so we were up and about at 4,30 am

Mollygo Fri 25-Jun-21 14:44:36

The Banda machine! On work experience I often did preparation for staff. That machine gave off the most wonderful fumes and exercised your arms. Modern copiers age great, but odourless.

LauraNorder Fri 25-Jun-21 14:58:38

The taste and smell of the huge beef tomatoes my grandmother grew. She would slice then across the middle and sprinkle with salt. I’m salivating at that memory.

felice Fri 25-Jun-21 15:00:18

4711 Cologne, last year when DGS and I were out walking an elderly lady smelt nice as she walked past.
DGS said she smelt nice, she heard him and smiled saying 4711.

Mapleleaf Fri 25-Jun-21 15:12:07

That was one if my favourite smells too, Kate1949. The council always seemed to tar and re-grit our street roads during the summer holidays. Not sure Mum was always keen, as invariably we'd get tar on our shoes and skin, so were warned not to trail any into the house.
I miss the taste of apple drops too - round sweets coloured green and pinky red, with quite a sharp flavour, if memory serves me right.
The pit hooter marking the start and end of the shifts. The 2 pm one meant that dad would soon be home from his day shift, and as a child I would wait at the front gate during school holidays, then run up the street to meet him as soon as I caught sight of him.

Poppyred Fri 25-Jun-21 15:22:31

My dad smoking Costello cigars on Christmas morning……

Squiffy Fri 25-Jun-21 15:30:02

The sound of grasshoppers. I loved watching them and gently catching them. I never kept them, just loved watching them on my open hand until they hopped off! ???

Calendargirl Fri 25-Jun-21 17:59:58

Don’t know what brand it was, but the shaving soap my dad used when I was a little girl. It was in a wooden tub I think, he used to make a lot of lather with his shaving brush and dab a bit on my nose!

Lovely clean smell, if I could smell it now I would be reminded of my dear dad.

PaperMonster Fri 25-Jun-21 18:21:40

Coal Tar soap at my nan’s.

Greyduster Fri 25-Jun-21 18:30:02

We used to have a sweet factory not far from where I grew up and when they were boiling the sugar and making their famous mint rock, you could smell it on the wind....... I also remember the tar boiler when they were mending the roads. People used to take out children suffering from whooping cough to inhale the fumes!
PaperMonster my DH still uses Wright Coal Tar soap!

NotAGran55 Fri 25-Jun-21 18:47:25

I haven’t heard a cuckoo since I was a child.

Nannagarra Fri 25-Jun-21 18:54:22

I miss church bells ringing and the gentle, soothing tick tock of my next door neighbour’s grandfather clock. Whenever I’m in a National Trust property I’m drawn to the antique clocks and hope to find one which emits the same sound at just that comforting pace.
Another vote here for the Banda machine. Were you too covered in purple ink Mollygo? ?
Can I add the enticing smell as a large tin of humbugs is opened in a sweet shop?

MrsEggy Fri 25-Jun-21 19:13:38

The smell of my Dad's pipe. He used to smoke "Digger Mixture" and always smoked at home as he couldn't smoke at work.

Trisha57 Fri 25-Jun-21 19:25:06

Oh, Sundays in the early 60s when I was a child. The smell of the roast, Two Way Family Favourites on the radio, The Clitheroe Kid, The Navy Lark. The taste of spinach water! My mum and I used to fight over it, with a dash of pepper and a tiny bit of vinegar. Heaven!!!

GrandmaRosie Fri 25-Jun-21 19:29:40

Aqua Manda - anyone else remember it?