General Chat

Lots of good memories on this thread..! Acker bilk used to live near my parents in Potters Bar and used to cycle everywhere with his dog folowing..I think he was banned from driving...very friendly person,always a smile and a wave..

Yes Ann, I liked Acker Bilk,but he liked his drink,and at the Cavern,which only served Coke (coca cola!!) and hot dogs,he,and the lads in his band always had a bottle in his pocket,consequently towards the end of the evening they were 'stoned'.Played with them one time at The Free Trade Hall in Manchester,and we literally had to push most of his band on to the stage when it was their spot! He is still going,doing gigs around various hotels. I liked Humph as well,and he is still going strong and is about 86. Yes I do remember Wasp Waists.Like you couldn't wear a belt like that now,Thickened in the waist area,but not overly fat ,just over 9 stone,as I have been most of my life. Brenda x x PS . O.H.is calling me to go into the garden,as he say s it's too nice to be stuck in front of the computer!

Brenda, that is interesting, the fact that you played with famous Jazz names. Loved Acker Bilk's stranger on the Shore. Went to see Chris Barber at the Portsmouth Guildhall and loved Monty Sunshine's Old Rugged Cross. Also went to see Ella Fitzgerald. Remember the 'waspie belts? couldn't wear them now!!! Met OH in 1956, married 1960, daughter 1961. bought bungalow 1962 for £2400. (sold car for the deposit. Ann Glos

Clive and June are the only ones who are (I think) a similar age to me. 1951,last year at school,and a trip to Paris with school!! Mum took in some sewing to pay for me to go. It cost the huge amount of £26 for the week.!! Big experience for me,didn't like the garlic(love it now),Loved the cakes in the shops,and the way they sold them,wrapped in little triangles of paper. Was amazed to see meat on display in the shops,we were still rationed,but later learned that it was horse meat!! 1953,as Ann said,watching the Coronation on a 12 inch TV.It had special significance for me as it was my 18th birthday,so we had a big party in our avenue. Went dancing every Saturday night,dressed to kill! Married 1956,honeymoon in Ilfracombe,no far away places then.Worked hard to save money to buy a house.Bought 3 bed new semi for £1950,at end of 1958.Took us all our time to pay the mortgage of £1600!!(could only borrow 21/2 times your salary then. Played in a trad jazz band,knew Acker,kenny Ball,and most of the big names as we played at Manchester jazz clubs,and when the Cavern opened as a jazz club,had a regular Wednesday spot,and played at week-end All nighters ,with other big bands. Went on riverboat shuffles with Acker a few times up the Mersey,and over to the Isle of Man. Lovely years,some of the best for me. Brenda x x

That's when our first kids were born. We changed everything in the hope it would be better for them. Cocky bunch theses early baby boomers! lol CB

Hi Ann I was born in 1947 so bus pass this year lol and I still ride a bike everywhere because I never learned to drive. I remember all those songs you mentioned but I used to like the Everly Brothers and Billy Fury etc, I remember me and my sister had a green Angora wool bolero each which tickled your nose and used to wear a liberty bodice but I was never into fashion, I did have one of those maxi coats though later which was purple, in fact everything I had was purple even my wedding dress lol, I used to have my whole bedroom (which was purple and lilac) covered in posters including the ceiling but I cant remember now who they were of except Fabian, and guess what colour my bedroom is painted now?, lilac lol. Jenny

I'd forgotten the coloured stockings,thanl goodness tights came in ,American tan, was the popular one... Being only 4'10', I had to tuck them under my feet...

Morning all Happy memories I remember all those things too. Girls what about the bags? letter bags, envelope, bucket, little baskets with flowers on the handle (you always wore your little white gloves with lol ) I had a ' huge ' thick ponytail and loved wearing different combs in the sides.We also (flooding back now) wore pretty broaderie (sp) anglais tops with ribbons threaded through,my daughter asks me what happened to all this stuff?... who knows? lol Coloured nylon stockings? if you wore pale yellow the boys called you banana legs, green were called mouldy and blue chilly LOL why did we wear them?? Then when we got bit older.. tight skirts,polo tops,kerchiefs and black patent leather belt and matching pumps omg. we thought we looked just great! Ahh to be getting dressed up and going to the hop tonight. Wouldn't it be lurrverly!! 'be there or be square!' lol Have a great weekend everybody Mau......still a teenager at heart....xxx ;O)

OK so I am going to give my age away. I remember & loved the fifties all those fab singers. Both my sons were born in the fifties & the youngest one was always singing Catch a Falling Star. Great Memories June xx

Nobody has mentioned teddy boys, National service (boyfriends being sent away to Germany). Loved Dickie Valentine. Had our first phone and TV early 50s, watched the coronation and so did half the neighbours. Oh yes, I had a red sailcloth skirt. First pair of jeans in 1957 when I started earning, was not allowed them before ('because they are common') Remember riding a bike everywhere, much safer on the road, much more freedom, used to ride down to the beach at 13years old with friends. Ann Glos

~~~~~~waves back to Polly~~~~~ yeah girl, those were the days......they tried to keep us down, but we were the generation to change everything..... we had the fashions, the make up, the hair, and most of all the freedom and the music......and oh boy did we make the most of it....

* sighs for lost youth* Those were indeed ,the days.. *she wears red feathers has brought it all rushing back* My aunts were teenagers so I knew all the latest pop songs... *waves to Sally * I remember that lot well as well...:-) I was at a convent boarding school and had a picture of Tommy Steele stuck onto my desk,,,,,,,,,confiscated...never got it back..!:-(

Johnny Ray I seen him in Melbourne in the 50s all the women adored him.Did you know he was deaf ? I also remember when the movie Rock around the clock was screened in Melbourne all the parents were horrified .Then came Elvis it really doesn't seem that long ago ,those were the days . June

Ann, I was a teenager at the beginning of the 60's.....it was Cliff Richard, hooped petticoats, wide patent belts, flared skirts, pedal-pushers, track suits, baseball boots, chelsea boots, stirrup pants, grecian curls, flicks, cottage loaf, hand-jive, jiving, later the twist, Buddy Holly, can-can petticoats, long-points, gun metal shoes, stilletos, mohair sweaters, dayglo socks, ponytails, more and more and more....

Sorry, I was born in the early 50s so late 60s was my era, mini and white laced up boots, hot pants and the like. xx Jill

I will be 60 this year so I can remember all these things. My mum got me a circular sailcloth skirt from a local shop with a sale on, bright orange it was, and I ironed loads of transfers from magazines on to it, head and shoulders of various stars, prob Tommy Steele, can't remember who else? I was in the dog house but I thought it looked great. Those paper nylon petticoats used to sort of crack after a while, and the net ones scratched your legs lol Happy times tho.

Ahh Jenni - 'Catch a falling star' I must have heard it on the rebound, born in '56. Ann The first film I ever remember seeing was Tommy Steele in 'Little White Bull'. My mum always listened to Jim Reeves and Mario Lanza. maggie

I remember Dickie Valentine,I thought he was gorgeous,Frankie Vaughan was my Sil favourite,She was always singing 'Green Door', What about the liberty bodice, and the little white socks,pixie bonnets to keep you ears warms,Ribbons in your hair,hair slides,Getting chewing gum all over my best hand knitted cardigan(my Nan had knitted) cor was I in trouble.Saturday morning pictures,at the local cinema. Seeing my brother eat jellied eels in the local pie and mash shop,he loved them,What me made me think of that. Lovely memories of my Dad who died in 1959, Good and bad times. As a last thought the London Smog- Ugh.

Hello Ann, I was; used to wear the paper nylon full petticoats with three bands of nylon boning in them; pulled them out before washing. And jiving with female schoolfriends; coming home alone from the school club late at night on Maltese buses, completely safe. Wearing a very long false pony tail which must have looked so fake, but I thought it was wonderful. Hearing the first Cliff record, and being called a living doll by a boyfriend (he needed glasses!) I still have the toy cat he bought me, rather battered now. My little pink Dansette record player - haven't thought about that for years! I loved it. Bought my first 45 rpm record for it from Woolworths. Hen baskets. White cotton gloves; one pair for wear and one in the wash. Really tight, very wide elastic belts. My first pair of shoes with one inch heels. How scandalized my Dad was! Having my ears pierced in 1959 because that was the only way I could wear earrings to school. All the black and white photos I took of schoolfriends whose names I cannot remember now. Autograph books - everyone had one and I can still remember a lot of the rhymes we wrote in them. Remembering how old I thought my Mother was - and she was then younger than I am now! Then of course, it was my first mini-skirt, but that was in the sixties. Thanks for jogging a lot of memories. Things I haven't thought of for years. Joanna

Hi Ann,,,sorry born 54, but remember Perry Como 'Magic Moments', 'Catch a Falling Star' and Guy Mitchell ' She Wears Red Feathers' parents always playing records,,,'she lives on just coconuts and fish from the sea, a rose in her hair, a gleam in her eye and love in her heart for me'. lol Jenni-Rose x