Things we used to do

[Deleted member 1258]

Coal fires !! Oh yes !! Especially when me mum was not around I set it and got it going. The bit when you held a sheet of newspaper held across the fire opening to encourage a fierce draught through the fire grate to fan the flames. AND BEST OF ALL WHEN THE NEWSPAPER CAUGHT LIGHT.

How I made it out of childhood I'll never know.

My dad had the brushes and used to sweep the chimney himself, he used to send me up the top of the garden to look back and check that the brush was out the top of the chimney for him.

 

[raleighnut]

Front rooms that were never used. Except for the occasional guest or at Christmas. Always bloody freezing, even in summer.

Our front room was never used in the week but on a Friday, from September onwards, Mum would 'lay a fire' in there in the afternoon and then when Dad got home he'd carry the TV in there and the fire would be lit. The 'living room' would be re-organised with the easy chairs either being placed back against the wall, or shifted into the front room, and the dining table moved away from the wall and plonked in the middle.(dining room now)
The fire would then be 'kept in' all weekend by 'banking' it up with 'slack' (coal gravel/dust) and then given a good 'poking' and removing the ash (which Nan always did, shovelling the ash onto newspaper then rolling it up and putting it into the dustbin where it smouldered for days)
A lot of hassle really but it made weekends 'special' somehow.

Nowadays, after years of central heating (and Gas fires) we've got this beauty in the front room.

 

[Profpointy]

Remember the days when we only had one domestic light fitting, and probably no more than three wattage ratings. Now I have a load of bulbs to sort through to find something suitable.

And don't get me started on batteries.

mind you those old fashioned light bulbs actually gave out a good bit of light and came on straightway.

These days you need several lights all on at once to be able to read, and turn 'em on in good time so they've brightened enough for your planned reading session.

On the other hand TVs now come on straightway rather than needing warming up. I still think instant light is more use than instant TV

 

[raleighnut]

mind you those old fashioned light bulbs actually gave out a good bit of light and came on straightway.

These days you need several lights all on at once to be able to read, and turn 'em on in good time so they've brightened enough for your planned reading session.

On the other hand TVs now come on straightway rather than needing warming up. I still think instant light is more use than instant TV

Ditto with Hifi, these poweramps were designed in the sixties (First sold in 67) and still out-perform the majority of modern kit and are easily repaired by any competent person (all parts still available)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

The old radiograms, valve powered, mono sound from a speaker about a foot across, my Dads used to sit in the alcove beside the fire in the front room, a large and beautiful piece of furniture.

 

[raleighnut]

The old radiograms, valve powered, mono sound from a speaker about a foot across, my Dads used to sit in the alcove beside the fire in the front room, a large and beautiful piece of furniture.

The old QUAD 2 was very often 'Cabinet Mounted' although at the time you could probably buy a car for what they cost.

 

[raleighnut]

The old QUAD 2 was very often 'Cabinet Mounted' although at the time you could probably buy a car for what they cost.

Although if this came up for sale today (assuming that it has a pair of QUAD 2 valve amps in the 'fat leg' of the unit to match up to the 22 pre and the FM2 tuner with the Garrard turntable) I'd expect it to fetch around the £10,000 mark

 

[Illaveago]

Although if this came up for sale today (assuming that it has a pair of QUAD 2 valve amps in the 'fat leg' of the unit to match up to the 22 pre and the FM2 tuner with the Garrard turntable) I'd expect it to fetch around the £10,000 mark

Quad Electrostatic speakers, my brother has a pair and they look like a couple of copper radiators.

 

[raleighnut]

Quad Electrostatic speakers, my brother has a pair and they look like a couple of copper radiators.

They don't produce much bass as a pair but they do sound nice, however if you buy a stand that allows you to 'stack' 2 pairs they sound fantastic.

 

[CharlesF]

They don't produce much bass as a pair but they do sound nice, however if you buy a stand that allows you to 'stack' 2 pairs they sound fantastic.

I would love those, don't think SWMBO would approve.

 

[Illaveago]

I was just watching my porridge going round in the microwave and it reminded me of the Sunday night entertainment on the TV in the sixties. The Sunday Night at the London Palladium, where at the end of the evening all of the stars would stand behind letters as they would rotate on a large turntable.

 

[TheDoctor]

mind you those old fashioned light bulbs actually gave out a good bit of light and came on straightway...
I still think instant light is more use than instant TV

LED bulbs. Bright white light, instant-on, last forever and use very little power.

 

[mybike]

LED bulbs. Bright white light, instant-on, last forever and use very little power.

Without a doubt, within a few years their life expectancy will fall.

 

[gbb]

Eat mashed swede that was actually yellow...not this insipid insipidly coloured and flavoured stuff we get now.
Today's was OK, just OK. I used to love it, now it's just ok .

 

[TheDoctor]

Without a doubt, within a few years their life expectancy will fall.

Well, that is how life expectancy works!!