Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[styles]

It may not be hard, but if cars accidentally drift 5mph over the speed limit in many areas (which is easily done) it's not dangerous either.

Cars don't accidentally drift in the UK - they're controlled by drivers. Drivers drift.

If the speed limit for an area is 30mph, people should not be doing 35mph just because it's downhill. In fact, the fact that it's downhill should mean doing a lower speed than on the flat as it'll increase the stopping distance.

If someone doesn't want to get fined for doing 35mph downhill in a 30mph area, they can see the hill and think oh ok I'll brake a bit to keep under the limit.

It would have far more of an impact on safety if they targeted the areas where it is actually dangerous to exceed the limit (and where some drivers exceed it by a good margin), and the idiots overtaking when there are solid lines down the middle for good reason.

Most speed camera operations, both fixed and mobile, are determined on the basis of a safety review. We tried to get speed reduction measures in our village in Scotland (mainly speed humps, but cameras would also be acceptable), but the police spent a whole hour talking us through their framework for deciding where fixed and mobile speed cameras go, to basically tell us that there wasn't enough evidence to support a speed camera operation here.

They like to claim that the cameras are 'safety cameras', but actually most of them function as revenue cameras. If they were actually about safety that would rule out most of the favourite locations for the van.

Given the speed camera locations are determined by highways authorities (either National Highways, Transport Scotland, TfL, or local authorities) and the police, and they receive a tiny proportion of the revenue to cover the cost of administration and maintenance, I highly doubt this.

Also if it was purely a revenue thing, we wouldn't bother offering speed awareness courses, which are basically the same price but the fees go to the course providers to run the full day course. Scotland was going to introduce these but in fact didn't because they couldn't afford the £250k capex to start the scheme precisely because they receive so little from the speeding revenue.

 

[GordonT]

I may be underestimating people's skills but it is a long time since I heard of anyone sewing articles of clothing from scratch or carrying out minor sewing repairs or even sewing on a button.

 

[Bald Rick]

I may be underestimating people's skills but it is a long time since I heard of anyone sewing articles of clothing from scratch or carrying out minor sewing repairs or even sewing on a button.

? Really? happens all the time in my house, and not by me!

 

[dangie]

I may be underestimating people's skills but it is a long time since I heard of anyone sewing articles of clothing from scratch or carrying out minor sewing repairs or even sewing on a button.

My wife actually darned a hole in her sock today, despite me telling her to chuck it away.
”Why should I” she said, “the other sock is ok”

 

[Jimini]

? Really? happens all the time in my house, and not by me!

I know I could google this, but can you still buy those “tracing paper” templates that I remember by Grandmother using back in the ‘80s?

I know of a few chums who still own sewing machines and use them recreationally, as well as to patch up existing stuff!

 

[Bald Rick]

I know I could google this, but can you still buy those “tracing paper” templates that I remember by Grandmother using back in the ‘80s?

No idea!

 

[Jimini]

No idea!

Just had a cursory Google and it turns out you still can! I can remember being dragged to a shop in Hammersmith in the summer recess, whilst she perused the pattern papers and materials, and then subsequently made her own clothes.

 

[Lloyds siding]

I was describing the area around Liverpool docks as it was in the 60s, and realised that there were a number of huge timber yards, which have all disappeared, presumably kiln drying is the normal way to season timber now.

 

[frankmoh]

Not even 20 yet, but I remember seeing every tourist having a separate camera for when they went on holiday. Nowadays I only see this at the British Museum with all the groups of Chinese tourists.

 

[styles]

I may be underestimating people's skills but it is a long time since I heard of anyone sewing articles of clothing from scratch or carrying out minor sewing repairs or even sewing on a button.

Yep. Clothes are cheaper now so people just head to Primark for a new tee.

We see it in scouts as well. Sometimes the younger cubs and beavers you'd hand them a badge, then their mum would say oh that's mummy's job for tomorrow then! Now the parents often say oh that's a job for grandma! Many of the parents can't sew (or think they can't anyway!)

In cubs they have a badge called 'Home Help', which includes cooking a meal, doing the clothes wash etc. One of the tasks is sewing a badge or button on, so we often do a group session sewing the badge on as their final task - if they can see the badge on, they can keep it! (We make sure they all get their badge)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jul 2025 ==

My wife actually darned a hole in her sock today, despite me telling her to chuck it away.
”Why should I” she said, “the other sock is ok”

I save up my holey socks and when it gets to about a dozen I have a darning session while I'm watching TV.

Got some socks which have been darned 3 times or more (I have a funny twist in my gait and wear through socks and shoes quite quickly)

 

[GatwickDepress]

I remember sewing all the badges onto my brassard when I was in the army cadets. Very difficult with dyspraxia, but it was quite rewarding at the end.

 

[PeterY]

Not even 20 yet, but I remember seeing every tourist having a separate camera for when they went on holiday. Nowadays I only see this at the British Museum with all the groups of Chinese tourists.

I'm slightly older than 20 I still use a camera.

 

[Killingworth]

I'm sure there must still be some night store electric radiators in use but I haven't seen one for many years.

My aunt and grandmother lived in a large 4 bed roomed end terrace Edwardian house. For most of the year only one room was heated with a coal fire. It was cold but my grandparents had lived there since 1917 and accepted that was the way it was. By the 60s my aunt must have discovered night store radiators. Off peak overnight electricity to release heat all the following day.

An improvement, but the big snag was when it wasn't a cold day the house became too warm.

 

[52290]

Not even 20 yet, but I remember seeing every tourist having a separate camera for when they went on holiday. Nowadays I only see this at the British Museum with all the groups of Chinese tourists.

If you see an elderly man with a Canon T90 round his neck ,then it could be me!

 

[najaB]

I'm sure there must still be some night store electric radiators in use but I haven't seen one for many years.

My last flat had them when we moved in, but we took them out and installed underfloor electric heat instead. Night and day difference in comfort. It also made our two-rate meter more or less redundant.

 

[fandroid]

I stayed in a holiday let recently that had night storage radiators.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Jul 2025 ==

When I started work as a civil engineer we had hand- cranked mechanical adding machines for calculations. I'm sure someone has already mentioned slide rules and log tables too. The first remote computer terminal I had was effectively an electric typewriter. It made a hell of a racket when I was getting results back!

 

[dangie]

When I started work as a civil engineer we had hand- cranked mechanical adding machines for calculations.

Back in the 1970’s a friend & I found one dumped in a skip at the power station where we were gamefully employed. We decided to dismantle it to see how it worked.To say it was mind boggling is an understatement. We certainly didn’t try to put it back together.

 

[GordonT]

Multiple eating or entertainment venues who once frowned upon would be patrons entering in casual dress but which nowadays happily welcome all in whatever they choose to wear assuming it covers their personal bits.

 

[Mag_seven]

Multiple eating or entertainment venues who once frowned upon would be patrons entering in casual dress but which nowadays happily welcome all in whatever they choose to wear assuming it covers their personal bits.

Yes I remember back in the day my dad would always wear a collar and tie whenever we visited a restaurant as did most of the other male clientele.

 

[styles]

Yes I remember back in the day my dad would always wear a collar and tie whenever we visited a restaurant as did most of the other male clientele.

For most places I do still don a smart shirt. If it's more upmarket then smart trousers and a tie. If it's a chain place, as many unfortunately are now, then whatever.

I suspect all but the most exclusive/expensive of places have little option now given how many people are going to work in 'smart casual' or similar. If eateries in the City mandated ties and suit trousers, they just wouldn't get bookings.

I quite like dressing up for a meal when I work from home and it's me leaving the house; but arsed if after work on-site I'm going to change from jeans into slacks, put a tie on, find a jacket, and swap the comfy footwear for a pair of Derbies.

 

[GordonT]

For most places I do still don a smart shirt. If it's more upmarket then smart trousers and a tie. If it's a chain place, as many unfortunately are now, then whatever.

Casting my mind back to the days when restaurants were grudgingly beginning to recognise the need to limit their expectations with regard to dress code, the waiters/welcomers in some establishments for a while seemed to apply a kind of apartheid policy of ushering better-dressed clientele towards particular areas of the establishment with the perceived "riff-raff" directed to other less conspicuous parts.

 

[styles]

Casting my mind back to the days when restaurants were grudgingly beginning to recognise the need to limit their expectations with regard to dress code, the waiters/welcomers in some establishments for a while seemed to apply a kind of apartheid policy of ushering better-dressed clientele towards particular areas of the establishment with the perceived "riff-raff" directed to other less conspicuous parts.

I fully expect this is still the case to be honest!

 

[The exile]

I remember sewing all the badges onto my brassard when I was in the army cadets. Very difficult with dyspraxia, but it was quite rewarding at the end.

Given the material composition of the badges it was pretty tough even without!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Jul 2025 ==

I'm slightly older than 20 I still use a camera.

Has the advantage of conserving the phone battery for things only a phone can do!

 

[styles]

Has the advantage of conserving the phone battery for things only a phone can do!

My phone, which I use to play games, check where my train is, send cat GIFs, and once every now and then make a phone call from.

 

[The exile]

My phone, which I use to play games, check where my train is, send cat GIFs, and once every now and then make a phone call from.

Exactly the sort of things I was thinking of (though I don’t think I’ve ever sent a Cat GIF in my life!)

 

[styles]

Exactly the sort of things I was thinking of (though I don’t think I’ve ever sent a Cat GIF in my life!)

 

[GordonT]

When seedless grapes were by no means the "default" option or often the only option for grapes in shops.

 

[DelW]

Back in the 1970’s a friend & I found one dumped in a skip at the power station where we were gamefully employed. We decided to dismantle it to see how it worked.To say it was mind boggling is an understatement. We certainly didn’t try to put it back together.

Was that a typo', or a word deliberately chosen to emphasise that you enjoyed dismantling the calculator?

In my time at university we had those calculators too, and also slightly more sophisticated versions which included an electric motor to do the winding.

 

[Trackman]

Keeping on mobile phones, Rabbit by Hutchinson communications. Look out for the rabbit sign and make a call!

 

[swt_passenger]

I may be underestimating people's skills but it is a long time since I heard of anyone sewing articles of clothing from scratch or carrying out minor sewing repairs or even sewing on a button.

I‘ve never produced an entire article of clothing, but have used a sewing machine to do curtains a few times over the years, and am still doing running repairs to clothes, such as failed hems, havevreplaced a few zips and fixed loads of loose or missing buttons.