Older 'n Dirt!!

[Bob]

Yeah, I remember the plastic "colourizers" for the tv screen. Speaking of backfires, Dad's old Hudson had a habit of not starting in the mornings and he hated to use the crank because it sometimes backfired and would snap the crank backwards. The solution was to roll it down the driveway and get a bunch of us neighbourhood kids to push it to the hill at the corner so he could roll start it. Chuck, chuck k'Pow! and away he'd go.

Yeah, transistor radios except mine was usually on CFGM, not CHUM. I was country when it wasn't cool yet. I wasn't too stuck on that new Elvis guy but I didn't mind Bill Hailey. Mostly I listened to Don Gibson, Marty Robbins, Eddy Arnold etc.

OX..ford 9724.

Did my driving test in a '58 Pontiac wagon, that was really uncool and I remember the swing-arm turn signals on the Austin, my buddy had one.

My first car was a '50 Pontiac that had the business end of a 9 iron for a gear shift handle, L-head in-line 6 cylinder that would make todays sixes look like they came out of a Singer but lots of room under the hood to work on them.

I think the best car I ever owned was a '57 Pontiac, prettier than the Chevies in my opinion.

I get the notion you and I are pretty close to same age Lew. I have just a couple of years to Old Age Pension.

[JFR]

Thanks Moe, and everyone for stirring the memories.

 

I wonder what the current generation will have as memories.

[TAH]

memories for sure, all food was made from scratch nothing boxed or prepacked, the old glass scrubbing board, the Outhouse to add a few more

[Bob]

I think when we got our first tv, there were 4 available channels, one each in Toronto and Hamilton and two in Buffalo and I remember climbing on the roof to turn the antenna until you got the best reception. It was a three person operation, one to watch the set and yell instructions to the one at the door who relayed them to the guy on the roof.

I remember rope swings over the swimming hole in the east branch of the Don River. Check the colour of the river before you grab the rope though, there was a paint plant up the river and sometimes the water had some strange colour to it. Polio was a big issue then but not to us, we were indestructable. We were forbidden to swim in the river but that didn't make much difference either.

I lived near Warden and Danforth and used to tie my fishing rod on the crossbar of my bike and ride out to Pickering to fish Duffins Creek. Used to be some nice pan sized trout in there, I guess it has a salmon run today.

Flat top haircuts! Used to call it a boogie cut, brush on top and long and combed back at the sides. I had one like that when I started high school.

[Heybud_e]

or how about..

 

when you old timers used to walk 4 miles to get to school in the snow with no boots??? LoL

[Roy]

Yeah, uphill both ways.

[tjsa]

Yeah, uphill both ways.

 

AND in your fathers pajamas,

 

OK, lets see?

 

1. Blackjack chewing gum-......dunno

2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water-.....no ideer.

3. Candy cigarettes-......OH YEAH!!!!!

4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles-.....FOR SURE!!!

5. Coff ee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes-....YES, last one probably left here 15 yrs. ago

6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers-...YUP, still have one of those bottles.

7! Party lines-....OH YES, still exist up here.

8. Newsreels before the movie-...probably, cannot remember.

9. P.F. Flyers-...don't know what those are.

10. Butch wax-...see above

11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (OLive-6933)-...still exist up on the north shore of superior.

12. Peashooters-....YA, MY MOM TOOK MINE AWAY,

13. Howdy Doody-....YES, BARELY.

14. 45 RPM records-.........still got some, and the player for them, anyone wanna buy it?????

15. S&H Green Stamps-....NO IDEER.

16 Hi-fi's-....SEE ABOVE ABOUT THE 45'S, still gots 2 that play them, along with 2 8-tracks that still work.

17. Metal ice trays with lever-...YUP

18. Mimeograph paper-...YES, had to use them when I started working.

19 Blue flashbulb-...I think I still have some of those still around.

20. Packards-....YES

21. Roller skate keys-...heard of them, but dunno what they are, except for the song.

22. Cork popguns-....FER SURE!!!!!!!!

23. Drive-ins-....BEEN TO THEM MANY TIMES IN YEARS PAST.

24. Studebakers-.....YES

25. Wash tub wringers-....YES, remember trying to help Mom out by operating the wringer, but since I was 4 yrs. old, I couldn't do it,

 

I also remember my mom ordering groceries over the phone, and the owner of the store delivering them.

 

And................along with a bunch of other memories of times past everyone else has mentioned............

 

I AM OLDER'n DIRT!!!!!!!!!!

[Bob]

8 trck cassettes, yeah they were from more modern times. I had a '65 Fairlane that had a 4 track cassette machine in it. Sound was great but after the 8 track units came out, I couldn't find tapes for it. My '69 Mustang had an 8 track. Sound wasn't as good.

I also remember in-dash record players that played the 45 rpm records. They were a big hit with the girls around 1960 or so. You only played them when you were parked. Roads were too bumpy and the record would skip all over the place.

2 mile walk to school, always had boots and the road was up and down but always seemed more downhill on the way home.

PF Flyers were running shoes, also Keds.

Brush cut was a butch haircut and butch wax was to make it stand up straight.

Green stamps were a premium thing at some stores, you got them according to how much you spent and stuck them in a book and after you got a zillion of them, you could trade them for merchandise. All computerised now, you get bonus points on your card at Zeller's, Shopper's Drug Mart etc. Same idea and you still need a zillion of them to be worth anything.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Bob

[tjsa]

OOOHHHHH YEEAAHHH, now I remember PF Flyers, and Keds of course, with the big white leather circle on the outside ankle bone. I wore those for years fishing speck creeks, wading wet in pants or shorts.

 

Come to think of it, those were probably the original "wading shoes"

[ryanheritage]

LMBO!!!! I was wondering about the Black jack gum thing so I checked it out and I am wrong.... The black jack gum you guys are talking about and the stuff I thought it was are two different brands....So yeah my young years made my mouth write a check my butt couldn't cash...

[camillj]

Wow ... I think I got 100% +++ .... scarey .. and some memories that just didnt need to be re-awakened ....

 

anyhow ... some that really 'sprang back' .... and caused a smile included ...

 

 

The button on the floor boards of our '70 Valiant .. which .. yes .... controlled the high beams

 

The glass coke bottles .... and the paper straws which never seemed to make it till the end of the bottle

 

My 45 collection which got stolen in first year University (after a party I supplied the music for)... and has never been replaced .... cassettes had already made it unnecessary to have 45's ith just your favourite songs on them for parties

 

Tinfoil balls - the special additions to the rabbit ears specially designed to last at least three periods on a wednesday (or Saturday) night

 

Jawbreakers - not mentioned but in the same league as the paper straws and rockets...

 

The milk-box ... which in our first apartment was where the milkman would pick up our empties and leave the milk .... it actually opened right from the inside of the apartment out to the outside (two separate doors) ... dont think our front door locked in those days .. or else the milkman used to 'buzz' the super to get in .... who would have to come out to let him in anyways ...

 

rollerskates that actually needed a key... to fasten them to your runners

 

Superslider snow skates .... for those of us who couldnt afford fancy wooden skis

 

Close and play - fancy new technology to play your records (practically idiot proof)

 

pinpall ... that actually had pins (nails and springs) and no wires or lights

 

Corvettes .... the first cars that had aything other than real metal in their bodies ...

 

Car tires that actually had tubes (and needed them)

 

Coke floats

 

Drive ins which only worked if you hung the speaker inside the drivers side window

 

When you knew everyone ever invited to Scuttlebut lodge

 

When you knew everyone in the NHL (all six teams)

 

Girls only played hockey in a field with a funny looking curved stick

 

Goalies didnt wear masks

 

And nobody wore helmets

 

Hamburger Fries and a coke .. and change back from a buck was the slogan for the worlds newest franchise ... which quickly had a sign that said 'over a million served'

[danc]

I remember Black Cat gum, but not Black Jack. I also remember when doctors made house calls.

[Bob]

I'm sure some will remember the old cars that had the little shiny chrome push button on the dash that activated the starter but do you remember the early 50s Buicks that had the starter button under the gas pedal? You had to turn on the key and push the gas pedal right to the floor to engage the starter. These dumb things just keep coming to me ever since this thread started.

[camillj]

My '69 Camaro had no 'button' or latch to pop the trunk .. but you could take the keys out with the car still running to get at the trunk .... and if you locked the keys in the trunk you were fine as long as you didnt turn the ignition all the way to 'lock' ... just drive home for the other set

[Hookset]

Superslider snow skates .... for those of us who couldnt afford fancy wooden skis

 

 

 

Man I haven't thought of those things in years. Quite possibly the deadliest toys ever invented.

I can just imagine the makers of those things thinking " Ok Guys, we'll take a crazy carpet, cut it to the shape of a snow boot, and add laces so the kids can get them strapped on good and tight"

On any hill with a slight slope you felt like you hit 80 m.p.h. on those babies.

Not good when you are 8 lol.

[camillj]

Yep .. I'll never forget finally convincing my parents to come and watch me with my new-found talent going down the big hill at 'the creek' .... I made it all the way down before doing a huge face plant ... the next day I got skis and skiing lessons .... imagine that

[ryanheritage]

I don't know if anyone remembers the mechano sets? but thats pretty much what I sell for a living but on a much larger scale.... It's funny cause when I tell my customers thats what its like to put up one of my buildings I hear all about the things you guys keep talking about. I also always hear about the days when you could go for a burger and it was served to your car window by some little hottie on roller skates.. Does anyone have a picture of a mechano set? I don't even know what one looks like I just know its a lot of nuts and bolts. lol.

[Nemo]

Meccano set

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meccano

 

 

Also what about the old white plastic milk jugs with the red handle and carboard top. Must have weighed 20 pounds each. I remember those being delivered through the milk door at the side of the house.

 

Also what about the Liquor Store. Go in with my Dad fills out the paper with a little pencil. Goes to the wicket and the guys goes back and gets a bottle of Rum in a brown paper bag???

 

Guys throwing real pizza pies in the air.

 

The guy at the rink who sharpened your skates with all the sparks.

 

Smoking in the office, airplanes, bars....... Smoke $2.85 a pack and good for you, gas 35c a litre, .. House in Toronto $35k.

 

Brown box with all the buttons to change channels connected to the TV with a long cable. TV from Buffalo Commander Tom

 

 

and Irv Weinstein

 

 

 

The Brewers Retail (not the Beer Store) where a square would set you back $14.00 at the most.

 

Yellow garbage trucks in T.O. with three guys. The driver, two guys on the back. A cool case of Red Cap Ale in the cab for those hot days. They'd pick up anything.

 

 

Getting Ex Tickets with your report card.

 

Candies - Sherbert Fountains, wax lips and teeth, Ton of Gum, foil packaged hostess chips 10 cents a bag. Hockey Cards 10 cents with that crap strip of pink gum (O pee Chee).

 

Money - One and Two Dollar Bills - Sawbucks

 

Music - Rush

 

 

Clothes - Flair pants, Cougar Boots, Kodiaks, North Stars..

 

 

TV - Charlies Angel, Bionic Man, Wild Kingdom, Tiny Talent Time CHCH in Hamilton, Disney on Sunday Night with a TV Dinner.

 

 

 

I could go on and on.....LOL

 

Great thread.

Edited April 11, 2007 by Nemo