Ashley 288 Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 Yes, on 1 shilling 8 pence an hour when I first started work, with fully skilled electrician on 6 shillings, and some were buying houses on that! That said things have changed over the years, but there always was "them and us" the rich and the poor, remember once walking the length of North Gate New Basford looking for a 10/- note I'd dropped that was to finance 2 nights out at goose fair and last till next payday! (I found it!) What gets me these days is the rip off society and the gullible public,(in general) some of the latter actually believing they need 3 bathrooms in a house, new cars every couple of years that do 130mph, and so called "designer items" all pushed along and promoted by so called entertainment on the television. It would be interesting to see a true cost of living v wages comparison between say 1969 (bought my first car, a good runner taxed and mot'd Ford Anglia for £25 then) and 2009 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BAZZER 10 Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 What I remember is that 'back then' prices seemed to last a lot, lot longer. 99% of sweets were 4d a quarter,,,, for years,,, Crisps were always 4d (until G.Wonder came along at 3d )! Spark plugs were 4 bob,,,, for years,,, even when we had our shop, I can recall that sugar, mushrooms, bananas etc, were all 1/4,,, for years. Even Beer. You could go out with a certain amount of money in your pocket, month after month, & knew what you could buy with it. These days (poor old sod !?) every time you go to the shop, pub, garage, things have gone up - again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 very true, though I think I recall crisps being 3d, and "new" flavour cheese and onion crisps coming in, think a phone call was always 4d though? Anyone else remember the old "tap out the number on the reciever rest?" it did work, IF you could complete the number before the operator came on, (think I managed it once) me and a mate who lived miles away had a "fiddle", I'd put my 4d in and ring him if I was planning to going round, he say if ok or not etc,and I'd press button B and get money back! his dad went apecrap when found out, big lecture re defrauding the post office! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BAZZER 10 Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 ,,,,,ahhh yes,,,,, good old phone tapping,,,, yes it certainly did work. I know someone that never ever paid for a call. I'd (sorry 'he') would go to the phone box with a list and spend hours there. Great for chatting up birds. Never got the operator though. You could still tap out the numnber on the next version of phones,,,, but alas, it didn't by-pass the paying mechanism. Also, in those days, you could call the operater & tell them the machine had swallowed ya 4d,,,, & they'd just put you through !? As you say, it was always 4d (for a basic call). This was in the shape of 4 separate penny coins. If you wanted to make a few calls, (& if you paid) you'd need to take a bag of pennies. Not sure if it was still around then, but numbers were alfie numeric before this time. In fact alfie numeric numbers can still be found for MOBILE phones,,,, for eg: one of mine is 070???? BARRY - sad or wot ?! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 Went in a phone box opposite the Metropole once.There was a bunch of about 50 keys hanging from the cash box.Phoned the operator and a guy turned up 10 minutes later and took them...never even said thanks. I wonder how many I could have emptied if I'd been that way inclined?...Knowing my luck I would have picked all those that had already been emptied. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 Lambretta keys fitted the call boxes Poohbear, it might have been an irate Mod, it could have been one of Craigs Dungeon pals, or perhaps Craig himself. Austerity!! Look how the Supermarkets are capitalising on 'Saver' products, it proves how much we are being ripped off. I just went up to Sainsburies and bought a huge box of saver mushrooms, 89p, trouble is, they've been plucked straight out the ground, haven't been trimmed and have soil on them, sounds like a bit the mushrooms we bought in the old days to me. Schweppes charge nearly a quid for their lemonade, Tesco and Sainsburies seem to manage to sell sugar free bottles for 18p, can you tell the difference?? It's all being marketed with glaringly obvious labels to make you feel ashamed of looking poor and therefore not buy it, I couldn't give a sh~t myself, some nice stuff about, the 12p shortbread biscuits are fantastic. The only thing we won't do is buy cheap meat, but you just get your timing right at the chuck out counter and the world is your oyster, we bought 2 huge joints of out door reared pork for £4.99 yesterday, amazing, but the divs are still qeueing up to buy it at 4 times the cost. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
smcgilchrist 0 Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Hello I am new to the site and all the posts about shopping and working in grocers in the 1950's are really fascinating - so different to now. I am working on a programme about the history of the High Street for BBC 2 and am looking to talk to people who remembering shopping in shops where the food was sold by weight. Or people who worked in them. Our programme is a celebration of shops and shopping and any recollections of how different things were would be really welcome! Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 We are 'One Nation' says woman on gold throne while announcing further austerity measures! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 If you want to compare costs of way back when to now, use a silver or gold coin to compare, it's a TRUE indicator of how much money is really worth. 1oz of pure silver is one US Dollar, not the fiat money we use but REAL money. I think a Silver pound coin is 2 ozs. You'll have to confirm that on Google. I'm talking face value, not inflated fiat money value. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Interesting to read through this thread again. I noticed nobody mentioned socks being darned. I think most of mine were. We never even thought we were poor. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Elbows of sleeves were darned too. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Seem to remember quite a few teachers with big leather patches on the elbows of their jackets. Presumably to prevent wear from leaning on desks and make the jacket last longer. I'm still really nit picky about turning out the lights if you are not in the room. My American wife tends to be very careless about that. Place is lit up like Blackpool sometimes. So we sometimes have words about that. I guess neither of us will change at this stage of the game. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 Like it Radford- so true!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,281 Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 I liked the 'Leather elbow' patches' used to match my briefcase back in the 70s ,as for turning lights off the wife gets on to me for always leaving em on,but she complains most about me turning the Heating up,i just can't stand the cold as ive got older,........she's even requested i turn the Telly off when we go to bed,......tut tut she'll be asking me to go to bed with no socks on next...lol. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 I picked this up as a recently added topical (political) subject but I see its not! Water saving: I have recently fitted a water shaving flush syphon to each of my toilets, highly recommended for cutting down on excess water usage if you are on a water meter. Fluidmaster® Dual Flush Valve about 14 quid if you shop around. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S 2,003 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 How do you shave water? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,109 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Perhaps you skim the surface !!! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S 2,003 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Mick must be a bit flush......two toilets!! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,109 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Just stick a house brick in the cistern and save 14 quid ! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 If its yellow its mellow- if its brown-- it must go down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 And you never know when you might need a nice CLEAN house brick! Lol 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Problem with reducing the amount of water flushed by using a brick is there is a good chance the big jobs won't go. Then you have to flush twice or use a pointy stick. LOL 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,109 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Thanks fo that, I won't have curry tonight !!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Takes us back to pooh sticks again Basford! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 For big jobs push the big button. or 1.Remove cistern lid 2.Remove brick 3.Flush 4. if not clear, wait for refill then go to 3, or if clear goto 5. 5.Replace brick 6.Replace lid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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