Nostalgia.

[wraymond]

Nostalgia, or Things You Don’t See Nowadays.

Enismore Road, Liverpool 13, 1948.

Anyone remember those magnificent moustachioed and turbaned sheiks, selling door to door from their suitcase emporiums? Their silks were top quality and all in the most wonderfully exotic designs.

The scarves, carefully folded into diamond and star shapes that were presented with a theatrical single- handed flourish, the other one supporting his leather shop window suitcase, the ready smile and the golden eye-tooth.

Even silken unmentionables – so I won’t. Those exquisite handkerchiefs that never got used for their intended purpose were a joy. Not a crease in any, so were not pressed using a heated lump of cast iron on the range hob.

For and to a 5 year old scouser that was an exotic experience that was never matched again. This, in streets lined with partially destroyed one-time air raid shelters and piles of rubble where once stood your best friend’s house.

Anyone remember the small parade of disabled and forgotten ex-service men, not even a section never mind a platoon, marching in their file of proud and undimmed patriot hope?

Led by the one-man-band with his strings and pulleys to operate the drum and cymbals strapped to his shrapnel embedded bent back, with khaki strap webbing attached to one wooden leg? Followed by his comrade in arms with the accordion with the colourful filigree fittings, rescued from a devastated Italy? Then the band members on clarinet, cornet, kazoo and, bringing up the rear, the trombonist with the Union Flag unfurled on the lower slide? Enough already.

There were no lies or half-truths then, no withheld vitals with which to usefully balance your judgement, you were only 5. It was also the start of what we now know as the NHS.

Balance that against the current amateur half-truths, the downright bare-faced lies, and the still top-secret motives and impenetrable accounts.
----------------------------------------------Ahh, Mr. Walpole, wherefore now those noble ideals, eh?-----------------------------------------------------

[mbev51]

No, but I remember the French onion man

[COLVERT]

I remember the rag and bone man on his horse propelled cart.

The horse exhaust you could put on your veg to give them that subtle flavour.

Those were the days.---

[COLVERT]

It would seem, Wraymond, that nostalgia is in quite short supply these modern times.---

Got to be over 75 before it starts to fill your boots.------------------- That dusty heap in the corner might have some.--

[trikey]

I can remember the guy coming around our street a couple of times a year with a sharepening stone that was foot powered, sharpening everyones kitchen knives.

[FLYING BANANA]

Selling paraffin from the back of the van, knife and scissors sharpening carried by a chap on a 3 wheeled bike, rag n bone man ringing the bell and the milk wagon pulled by a horse.

How about the Corona truck or the mobile grocer van. Occasionally we got a fish n chip van coming round. Ice cream van only came round on a Sunday afternoon.
You could set your watch by the insurance man, always on a Monday at 2pm. And on Thursday evening the Littlewood Pools man would come for the pools coupons.

The window cleaners once a month on a Wednesday at Noon. Up the ladder with his chamois and scrim.
Mum had a tin with compartments for the rates, gas, electric, water rates, tv licence, insurance and later on for the telephone.

TV ended at 10pm with the National Anthem. Who remembers the test card? No remote control, needed to change the channel then you had to get up to do it.
Radio Luxembourg 208m if I remember correctly.

Washing was always done on a Monday, the whites were boiled on the gas hob. Mum bought a twin tub and we used to watch it dance around the kitchen when the spin dryer went into overdrive.

I remember it well.

[roverbarmy]

A window cleaner with a chamois and a couple of buckets wedged into his ladder, which he balanced over his head whilst riding his bicycle! Reminded me of the story of the woman who shouted out of the bathroom window to the window cleaner, "Do you want to rinse your chammy in my bathwater?.................................... Well if you get to the bottom of the downpipe, I'm about to pull the plug!"

[bikerdude666]

I can still smell the diesel fumes from the old Bedford ice cream vans that used to come round, this would've been early to mid 90's. It was a family company, same model of van, same paintings all over, but one was red and cream, another blue and cream and the third was green and cream. You'd run out to the main road desperately hoping it'd be red or blue one as the even to us as 3-8 y/o's the bloke in the green van looked pretty rough and unhygienic. If it was red or blue you'd get a whippy, if it was the green one you'd get an ice lolly in a packet... I think this is model of van they had. https://www.flickr.com/photos/47500cdb/39622707474

There also used to be the milkman, who delivered to every house on the estate, in his electric milk float, with his white uniform and dark blue apron, from Dunfords dairies. He'd come round on a Thursday evening collecting the money, and we'd follow him and pester him as he did magic tricks. There is actually still the same type of milk float I see occasionally in Irchester. We too now have milk delivered again, but not seen what he drives.

And I do remember a man coming round selling veg, but he was the 1st to go. Had a big (to a kid anyway, probably a 7.5 ton) lorry with a flat bed on the back and a roof. all the veg was in boxes stacked up in a pyramid sort of shape. Big sacks of potatoes still covered in soil, bunches of carrots still dirty and complete with the greenery. I do miss all these things. I think the nearest green grocers to me is about 20 miles away now. Can't think of any independent cobblers, not even a good proper bakery. There is a great bakery around 20 miles away (just down from the green grocers), and they open at 6 in the morning so I'll often take a detour on my way home from a nightshift, and pop in and get some shortbread for the kids, iced finger for my wife and a loaf of uncut bread.


But, what I really miss, is simple pub food. I'm vegetarian, and that apparently means I want olives, cranberry, or goats cheese with everything! It's been years since I found a nice country pub that just offers a good ploughman's, or cheese and onion pie with mash and veg, omelette and chips etc.

Now I'm rambling on like a 90 year old rather than a 33 year old.

[roverbarmy]

Liquifruita. Garlic cough medicine. Killed your cough and your love life!

Midget Gems (soon to be renamed)

Yorkshire Mixture.

Black and White Mints - the liquorice ones that look like allsorts ! (Seen recently at Marks and Spencers!)

Horses and carts delivering door to door and the horse knows the round better than the guy on the cart!

Pedestrian dustcarts.(plus man with brush and shovel)

Firelighters that smelt like .......................

Mothballs!

[trikey]

Originally Posted by bikerdude666

It's been years since I found a nice country pub that just offers a good ploughman's

Then you need to attend one of our Waggon & Horses meets in Lincolnshire, the best ploughmans lunch by far.