Mayday in simpler times

[ditchman]

Just a few thoughts........we are living in a time ...that is full of hate and death and destruction...its amazing what the mind and the body can get used to......these photos are from the late 1950's....when thoughts of the 2nd world war were still fresh in peoples minds...these were the villagers at that time.....and determined to get on with their lives

i remember that day ...i remember the lady's dancing around the maypole i remember the homemade pop and pies sausage rolls and jelly we all had.....there was 3 wooden barrels of beer that the men got stuck into ....

i am the short boy with the very blonde mop of hair......

MARSHMAN might rekonise boy whymark who ended up as head keeper on the Somerleyton estate..............the may queen was called Biddy

i was very lucky to have a childhood..........no ex boxes no computors..........just fishingrods air rifles catapults ....sherbet fountains and 10 No6

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by ditchman

[oldypigeonpopper]

Yes we use to dance around the maypole at junior school, but it was over 60 years ago 🤔😁

[ditchman]

looking at those photos.....it is so sad that some of the children of those children...... fought and died in the iraq wars...and stan.................how sad

[JKD]

"I was very lucky to have a childhood..........no ex boxes no computors..........just fishingrods air rifles catapults ....sherbet fountains and 10 No6,,,, and a box of matches please ? 🤭😆 

Innocent times eh ?! 😇😁

[johnphilip]

Here you go Simon added a little colour  , hope you approve 

[ditchman]

makes it look almost modern 

tell you what i do remember about those buses....they used to stink of fags and the gearboxes used to whine like hell whilst going thro the gears...........

Edited May 1, 2023 by ditchman

[marsh man]

Certainly take you back in time , look like an ole photo from **** Joice bygone program on Anglia t v .

I used to smoke Players No 6 , in those day's there used to be a fag machine outside the paper shop on the island , I forget how much they were for ten but when the dreaded inflation raised it's ugly head they kept the price the same and took one out of the packet , so instead of getting 10 you only got 9 , at the same time the corner shop sold a packet of two , although I don't know what the brand was , and at the snooker hall you could buy one Woodbine and my ole chap would ofen send me to the corner shop ( Harry Taylor's ) for one Seven O Clock razor blade , and that is the truth  

Another one for you ( young ) ditchie , can you remember the milk machine they had outside the chemist just before you got to the Haven bridge , you got the milk in a carton and it was about a pint , all for the grand sum of 6 pence in old money , many a time before I went shooting for the day after a rough night out , the first stop was a packet of fags from the machine and then a carton of milk to sober me up a bit , the milk machine was owned by Colletts 

[billytheghillie]

Quote

 

Is that fat Sarah in white coat?

[ditchman]

9 minutes ago, billytheghillie said:

Is that fat Sarah in white coat?

that is /was Mrs Turner......a very big lady.....her husband was the gardener at the grange ...he was 6ft4" and like a bean pole...they looked a weird couple together  

[oldypigeonpopper]

13 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Yes we use to dance around the maypole at junior school, but it was over 60 years ago 🤔😁

Oh happy days for us oldies 🤔🙄😁

[oldypigeonpopper]

12 hours ago, ditchman said:

makes it look almost modern 

tell you what i do remember about those buses....they used to stink of fags and the gearboxes used to whine like hell whilst going thro the gears...........

As I side note, I took a group of people to Co Wicklow quite a few years back  August 1986 and our coach driver went off to see family, don't worry he said I've arranged a coach for you, guess what turned up, 🤔 one like in the photo 🙄😁

Edited May 2, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper

[oldypigeonpopper]

8 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

🤔 🙄😁

I do like reminiscing on the good old days, 

Edited May 2, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper

[Old Boggy]

I am so surprised that having so much and many people in common, Ditchie and Marsh man have never met, or not that they knew it.

That first photo reminded me of this one of our Sunday school outing which must have been 1951/2. I`m the smallest one there with my brother behind and my dear old Mum third in from the right. 

And another of My Dad and me (casually leaning on the mudguard !) in front of his old Van from which he sold fruit & veg. He must have been around 41 then but folk seemed to look a lot older then. Perhaps it was the clothes, or more likely having just got through the war. Like many, he never spoke of his time in the war.

We didn`t have a lot in those days, but had a wonderful childhood going out in the morning to the beach or the woods and only coming back for tea when we were hungry with a bit of scrumping in summer or as I remember collecting and eating raw cockles !! Happy days.

OB

 

[steve1066]

6 minutes ago, Old Boggy said:

I am so surprised that having so much and many people in common, Ditchie and Marsh man have never met, or not that they knew it.

That first photo reminded me of this one of our Sunday school outing which must have been 1951/2. I`m the smallest one there with my brother behind and my dear old Mum third in from the right. 

And another of My Dad and me (casually leaning on the mudguard !) in front of his old Van from which he sold fruit & veg. He must have been around 41 then but folk seemed to look a lot older then. Perhaps it was the clothes, or more likely having just got through the war. Like many, he never spoke of his time in the war.

We didn`t have a lot in those days, but had a wonderful childhood going out in the morning to the beach or the woods and only coming back for tea when we were hungry with a bit of scrumping in summer or as I remember collecting and eating raw cockles !! Happy days.

OB

 

Lovely photos Old boggy

[Centrepin]

2 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

I do like reminiscing on the good old days, 

Me too, I love the old black and whites. I often buy old books just for the old photos. I have far too many🤔

[ditchman]

56 minutes ago, steve1066 said:

Lovely photos Old boggy

arnt they just..............i just feel shocked that i am a part of it all..............and now my brain keeps making appointments that my body cant keep

the parafeen man used to have a van like that.....he opened it at the back and there were different coloured containers with well polished brass taps...bundels of kindling....fire lighters ...little imp chimmney cleaners....few spare grates ....pokers ..couple of coal buckets...etc....

he used to go around the villages ...AND MAKE A BLOODY LIVING FROM SELLING THAT STUFF....

Edited May 2, 2023 by ditchman

[ditchman]

9 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

I am so surprised that having so much and many people in common, Ditchie and Marsh man have never met, or not that they knew it.

That first photo reminded me of this one of our Sunday school outing which must have been 1951/2. I`m the smallest one there with my brother behind and my dear old Mum third in from the right. 

And another of My Dad and me (casually leaning on the mudguard !) in front of his old Van from which he sold fruit & veg. He must have been around 41 then but folk seemed to look a lot older then. Perhaps it was the clothes, or more likely having just got through the war. Like many, he never spoke of his time in the war.

We didn`t have a lot in those days, but had a wonderful childhood going out in the morning to the beach or the woods and only coming back for tea when we were hungry with a bit of scrumping in summer or as I remember collecting and eating raw cockles !! Happy days.

OB

 

that looks like an ex NAFFI wagon converted...............(military surplus)

[marsh man]

10 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

I am so surprised that having so much and many people in common, Ditchie and Marsh man have never met, or not that they knew it.

That first photo reminded me of this one of our Sunday school outing which must have been 1951/2. I`m the smallest one there with my brother behind and my dear old Mum third in from the right. 

And another of My Dad and me (casually leaning on the mudguard !) in front of his old Van from which he sold fruit & veg. He must have been around 41 then but folk seemed to look a lot older then. Perhaps it was the clothes, or more likely having just got through the war. Like many, he never spoke of his time in the war.

We didn`t have a lot in those days, but had a wonderful childhood going out in the morning to the beach or the woods and only coming back for tea when we were hungry with a bit of scrumping in summer or as I remember collecting and eating raw cockles !! Happy days.

OB

 

Evening Chris ... Photos from a bygone era , and what sound like a lovely upbringing , 

I think I know why me and Simons paths haven't crossed , looking at his very smart overcoat which no doubt cost a few bob was more than likely told by his mother in no uncertain terms that on no account must he mix with those rough boys who live next to the estuary , and come to think of his mother was right , an overcoat like that was well out of our reach and the first one we had , I say we because we all shared it , we got when my poor ole grandad passed on , a few bits came off here and a lump off the sleeves and it looked like it was made by John Collier ( the window to watch ) , talking about clothes in those far off days , I could more or less guarntee Simon would have had a full school uniform and I bet he looked better than some of the teachers , the nearest we got to a school uniform was a tie we came across , I can't remember where it came from , but I would had thought it was found before it was lost , so yes , Simons mum was dead right when she told him to keep away from the Breydon pirates   

[Old Boggy]

1 hour ago, marsh man said:

Evening Chris ... Photos from a bygone era , and what sound like a lovely upbringing , 

I think I know why me and Simons paths haven't crossed , looking at his very smart overcoat which no doubt cost a few bob was more than likely told by his mother in no uncertain terms that on no account must he mix with those rough boys who live next to the estuary , and come to think of his mother was right , an overcoat like that was well out of our reach and the first one we had , I say we because we all shared it , we got when my poor ole grandad passed on , a few bits came off here and a lump off the sleeves and it looked like it was made by John Collier ( the window to watch ) , talking about clothes in those far off days , I could more or less guarntee Simon would have had a full school uniform and I bet he looked better than some of the teachers , the nearest we got to a school uniform was a tie we came across , I can't remember where it came from , but I would had thought it was found before it was lost , so yes , Simons mum was dead right when she told him to keep away from the Breydon pirates   

Evening John,

Good story about how you and Simon never met 

We  never had decent clothes but that didn`t stop us having fun, enjoying our childhood and being loved. Times were tough for our parents, but everyone was the same and some even worse who had lost their dads in the war.

Here`s a picture of my older brother and me just to prove we `almost had the a-r-s-e hanging out of our trousers, but it didn`t worry us one bit.

[oldypigeonpopper]

12 hours ago, Centrepin said:

Me too, I love the old black and whites. I often buy old books just for the old photos. I have far too many🤔

👍

[Centrepin]

12 hours ago, ditchman said:

that looks like an ex NAFFI wagon converted...............(military surplus)

I thought it looked like the WRVS tea and sticky bun wagon that used to appear around NAAFI break time on Ash ranges.

Officers and SNCOs used to get a brew whilst us poor private soldiers used to watch and hope they choked. 

[ditchman]

Ash ranges...........now there's a blast from the past

[oldypigeonpopper]

22 hours ago, Centrepin said:

Me too, I love the old black and whites. I often buy old books just for the old photos. I have far too many🤔

Me to, I use to do a lot of B and W photos back in the day, a 120 Rollie camera and own dark room, I still have some where a photo of me about 5 in our back garden which looked out onto 1000s of acres of West Sussex countryside

Edited May 3, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper

[old man]

On 02/05/2023 at 19:39, ditchman said:

that looks like an ex NAFFI wagon converted...............(military surplus)

We had a mobile butcher once a week, his bacon always had a green tinge. 🤣

[oowee]

On 03/05/2023 at 08:30, ditchman said:

Ash ranges...........now there's a blast from the past

Spent many a day there. 

 

On 03/05/2023 at 08:11, Centrepin said:

I thought it looked like the WRVS tea and sticky bun wagon that used to appear around NAAFI break time on Ash ranges.

Officers and SNCOs used to get a brew whilst us poor private soldiers used to watch and hope they choked. 

It was sally army when I was there. We all got stuck in with tea and jam dogs.