Back in the 60`s

Found this on another forum im a member of, NUFC football forum. Ive cleaned it up a bit, sums up my childhood pretty well.


Growing up in the 60's

Cots were covered with brightly colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets.
We rode our bikes like lunatics, with no helmets.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.... even tried the stream
We shared one bottle of water with the lads we played footy with and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cakes and puddings, white bread/stotty cakes with real butter suet puddings that were either leek/onion or jam if for sweet (which is the proper name for dessert) and drank pop with sugar in it, but we weren't fat because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. Played over the hills beside ponds crossed railway lines and raided orchards for food. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were champion.

We would spend hours building our go-carts/gadgies out of scrap and pram wheels and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem with either your old shoes or a stick to ram onto the road.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms. WE HAD REAL FRIENDS and we went outside, called on them and found them if they were already out!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from accidents.. I fell off the banana slide up the park by climbing up the wrong way ..was my fault not the councils! We tried worms as dares and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We held fireworks in our hands and shot Roman Candles at our mates for a laugh.
We were given airguns and catapults for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

School footy teams had 'tryouts' and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law (or a neighbors window) was unheard of. They actually sided with the law back then!
I got bigger howkings at home afterwards than I got a school if a teacher had to deal with me .

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it!
We were fortunate enough to grow up in a time before lawyers and the government regulated our lives for "our own good".

I was indeed a child of the 60's and well happy and a sight more fitter. For those of you my age I have made this last bit bigger because your eyesight will be like mine by now

Re: Back in the 60`s

What a terrific post Nom - pity we cant go back to those days - that's progress for ya !

Re: Back in the 60`s

Remember TVs and Radios had to warm up before coming on !

Valves had to be changed.

Re: Back in the 60`s

I do indeed Richard, I was a great radio fan, still am. I remember back in the 50's a valve went in our Phillips set and it cost 7/6 to replace, the household budget was wrecked for a month afterwards, but my mother had to have her radio and her music, rest her soul.
Great memories Nom, and we're still alive, beat that health and safety!

Re: Back in the 60`s

My Dad was a radio/radar engineer so he fixed our tv and radio.

He still does now !

Re: Back in the 60`s

I was pretty well raised on 'Practical Wireless'. In the 60's I even tried to make a pirate radio transmitter on 300 mtrs., but I didn't understand the complexities of aerial design and couldn't get any range!

However, if you think that things were better in those days, just remember one word - Dentistry!

Re: Back in the 60`s

I used to take sandwiches and go and play in woods about 1 mile from home.........and I drank water from a spring in the woods. Does anyone know where a spring is these days ?

Re: Back in the 60`s

Yes it was great, enjoyed lots of freedom, didn't enjoy being bullied by teachers, made to walk home in the dark along country lanes because I was forced to have a shower after cross country and missed the coach home, told by the teacher that I couldn't get out of swimming because of "women's problems" and that she would show me how to insert tampons, being hit with the cane for not jumping high enough; having men shout disgusting things when you walked past them, being groped in the disco...wouldn't happen today without someone getting arrested! ah, THE GOOD OLD DAYS...

Re: Back in the 60`s

That's a shame Twiz - thought you were describing things of 'today' !
Not how it was for me in the 60s at all, there have always been good and bad teachers - still are, as for the boys - absolutely respectful, or was I just lucky ......

Re: Back in the 60`s

I had to wait for the 70's teachers, Cane was stopped in year 2.
Sports and summer of 74, Trying to meet girls from the girls school.
Playing in Bushy Park until dusk. O levels, Starting Work at 16

I loved it.