Canine Companion

03/01/2025

Love this so many fond memories

A child of the 1970s, here's a little poem about some of the things I remember.
I hope it brings back fond memories for some of you ###

When I was a kid, we had conker fights,
Played out all day till on came the street lights.
Rolled marbles, played Jacks and hop-scotch too,
Skipped rope, Knock Down Ginger, always so much to do!

Saturday morning pictures in the cinema was such a treat,
Whilst mum shopped for dinner, two veg and some meat.
Tinned fruit and carnation, or angel delight,
Tapioca was fish spawn but rice pudding's all right.

If mum and dad went out, it was to a Berni Inn,
They'd drink Babycham, snowballs, and a Party Seven tin.
Everyone smoked ci******es wherever you went,
To the shops for ten John Player's I'd be sent!

The shop was terrific, it's shelves lined with jars,
Filled with sweets and nice chocolate bars.
A quarter of cough candy, bonbons or cola cubes,
Pear drops were the best, and sherbert fountains in tubes!

A ten p*e mixed bag of sweets, all half a penny,
It seemed to last forever, you'd get so many!
Flying saucers, fruit salads, black jacks, and white mice,
Gobstoppers, pink shrimp, and milk bottles were nice.

And talking of milk, do you remember when,
It was free in school, we drank loads back then.
Crates of full fat milk would arrive fresh every day,
A third pint bottle with a straw, then out in the playground to play.

A teacher would ring a loud bell, and we'd form straight lines,
Playtime was over, 'Back to class' I'd whine.
We sat at wooden desks, there were no computers at all,
And each morning we sat on the floor in the assembly hall.

After school we'd play out, on bikes we would ride,
A chopper or a grifter were the bikes of pride!
We'd race to the park, or round the estates,
And if we weren't riding bikes, we'd be on roller skates.

But don't forget the warnings of the Green Cross Code Man,
When you're running outside to the ice cream van.
And the Public information films aimed at us kids,
Warned us of death near water and electricity grids.

We believed that sinking sand was a real thing,
And that a fairy would die if you were lying.
If you picked dandelions, you'd wet the bed,
And you'd get curly hair if you ate the crusts of your bread.

Our lives seemed to be so much simpler back then,
Pull a key on string through the letterbox to let yourself in.
No amazon deliveries or food to your door,
Just a thick Littlewoods catalogue that sold everything and more!

Crisps were plain and came with salt in a packet,
Toy guns had caps that made a bit of a racket.
TVs were bulky, we watched in black and white,
There were only three channels, and they went off at night!

We didn't have a car, there were no cheap flights to Spain,
Just trips out to Margate on a cheap day return train.
A weekend in Bognor on a caravan site,
Amusement arcades and a kids disco at night.

We didn't stream music, it came on vinyl of black,
Or an audio tape or even an eight track.
On Top of the Pops, we'd watch the top thirty,
Try to dance like Pans People, though mum said they were flirty.

No electronic games or mobile phone,
No central heating in our home.
No Internet, and Google maps,
No social media or fitness apps.

TV was Bagpuss, Rainbow and Why Don't You?
Fingerbobs, the Clangers and Scooby Doo.
Crackerjack, Jackanory, and Mr Benn,
Play Away, Andy Pandy and the Mr Men.

Foods became instant, crispy pancakes and smash,
Instant Whip and Artic Roll, made in a flash.
Ready made curry in a box, my first taste of spice,
It probably tasted awful but I thought it was nice.

Some toys I remember and loved without shame...
Weebles Wobble and Simon the memory game.
Holly Hobbie, Space Hopper and Etch a Sketch,
Evel Kinevel, and a man called Armstrong that you could stretch.

I look back with fondness and feel i was blessed,
Us kids had more freedom, I don't recall being stressed.
We had less pressure on us than the kids of today,
We could just be children, run wild and play.