Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[3141]

That's jogged my memory!
They also supplied a 'Routes From' map of G.B. for your requested town. On the map it showed (in ?grey, superimposed on the roads) the quickest routes radiating from your chosen town. Useful to know, for instance from. here, whether towns in the North and Scotland were reached more quickly using the M1/M6 or A1 as the trunk route. Like a sat-nav, it sometimes gave suggestions that wouldn't have occurred to you, but were quicker.
Possibly this replaced the individual reply.

You could also ask for and get a route avoiding main roads and towns, many of which were not by-passed sixty or more years ago. In 1963 or thereabouts somebody wrote an article in the Guardian about how they several times used an AA route from London to the West Country during the school summer holidays but always went wrong and ended up at Kintbury Cross Roads (in Berkshire).

 

[Merle Haggard]

You could also ask for and get a route avoiding main roads and towns, many of which were not by-passed sixty or more years ago. In 1963 or thereabouts somebody wrote an article in the Guardian about how they several times used an AA route from London to the West Country during the school summer holidays but always went wrong and ended up at Kintbury Cross Roads (in Berkshire).

Straying away slightly; but if there was congestion or blockage on my local A roads I knew all the back doubles to bypass them. Although I use a sat-nav myself I curse the 'use alternative route' and 'avoid roadblock' facilities. All those once quiet back roads are now jammed by people following them...

 

[Sun Chariot]

I think at that time the Heathrow public viewing area was on the roof of the ‘Queen’s building’ which was an admin building rather than a terminal?

That would make perfect sense, as I have no recollection of my 9 year-old self going into / through a terminal building to reach the viewing gallery.

 

[dcbwhaley]

You could also ask for and get a route avoiding main roads and towns, many of which were not by-passed sixty or more years ago. In 1963 or thereabouts somebody wrote an article in the Guardian about how they several times used an AA route from London to the West Country during the school summer holidays but always went wrong and ended up at Kintbury Cross Roads (in Berkshire).

Slightly tangential but back yonder many petrol stations had metal road maps on the wall.
I remember my dad, at a stop, pointing out on one of those maps where we had been an where we were going.
Start of my map reading education

 

[trebor79]

Slightly tangential but back yonder many petrol stations had metal road maps on the wall.
I remember my dad, at a stop, pointing out on one of those maps where we had been an where we were going.
Start of my map reading education

Oooh, now that's sparked a memory. Didn't motorway service stations used to have large route maps on a wall somewhere? I vaguely remember consulting one in the days before sat nav.

 

[GordonT]

Oooh, now that's sparked a memory. Didn't motorway service stations used to have large route maps on a wall somewhere? I vaguely remember consulting one in the days before sat nav.

The abandoned UFO-like Pennine Tower restaurant as part of Forton Services (M6) probably qualifies as an anachronism now, designed as it was in the "space age".

 

[Merle Haggard]

The abandoned UFO-like Pennine Tower restaurant as part of Forton Services (M6) probably qualifies as an anachronism now, designed as it was in the "space age".

On the subject of motorway service station restaurants - which, if it's been covered already, I apologise;
The sit down restaurants with at-table waitress service and white tablecloths. I thought using this was a bit pretentious because the journey times weren't that long to need a full meal en route. Probably very expensive, if the price of a cup of tea was a guide.
The lorry drivers' cafes - usually in a poor quality building at the far end of the service station with heavily steamed up windows.
I did use mway services for a hot drink occasionally but the level of quality was summed up by the cashier asking whether you had tea or coffee - indistinguishable brown sludge.
Also, in the early dats, at the garage many petrol pumps each topped by the coloured glass globe with the logo of all the different petrol companies then in existence. I always intended to photo., but never did. I also wondered whether they really had 15 different storage tanks or just cheated...

 

[87electric]

Doing the Conga at the end of parties in the 1960/1970s. When it was long enough it would leave the building onto the streets!

 

[styles]

On the subject of motorway service station restaurants - which, if it's been covered already, I apologise;
The sit down restaurants with at-table waitress service and white tablecloths. I thought using this was a bit pretentious because the journey times weren't that long to need a full meal en route. Probably very expensive, if the price of a cup of tea was a guide.
The lorry drivers' cafes - usually in a poor quality building at the far end of the service station with heavily steamed up windows.
I did use mway services for a hot drink occasionally but the level of quality was summed up by the cashier asking whether you had tea or coffee - indistinguishable brown sludge.
Also, in the early dats, at the garage many petrol pumps each topped by the coloured glass globe with the logo of all the different petrol companies then in existence. I always intended to photo., but never did. I also wondered whether they really had 15 different storage tanks or just cheated...

If you're interested in discussing that one further, there's a whole thread on motorway services: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/motorway-services-discussion.259862/

For what it's worth, this is part of the reason I like Tebay, Gloucester, Cairn Lodge, etc. I don't like rushing my meals, and I prefer a 'home cooked' meal to burgers. At Tebay where I stop regularly, you get a decent hearty meal, or freshly prepared wraps and salads, served on a china plate with metal cutlery at a decent table with a nice view. The outdoor areas are looked after to eat outside on a nice day, and places to walk the dog when breaking up long journeys. Ok there's no table service (though Tebay did do table service for us once when I was travelled with a disabled relative), but can't have everything I suppose!

Although the quality was not quite Tebay level, I always thought Little Chef was a good franchise for similar reasons.

On long journeys I plan my stops to be at decent services or very short detours to quality local ameneties. A lot of my journeys are in the Highlands and this is a bit easier as independent sit-down meal food places are more common on the A roads than McDonald's and BK!

 

[TheTTTEGeek]

I see a couple of people remember the old £10 cash cards. Once, when on relief duty at another branch I had to fill the packets. At the end of the job I found that I had a pound note left over.

I remember the 1st generation of mag stripe reading ATMs. Transactions were recorded on an audio cassette which was read by the central system overnight.

Just curious did they use speech synthesis?

 

[PeterC]

Just curious did they use speech synthesis?

No idea how it worked. I just know that there was a cassette in the machine.

 

[Djgr]

If you're interested in discussing that one further, there's a whole thread on motorway services: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/motorway-services-discussion.259862/

For what it's worth, this is part of the reason I like Tebay, Gloucester, Cairn Lodge, etc. I don't like rushing my meals, and I prefer a 'home cooked' meal to burgers. At Tebay where I stop regularly, you get a decent hearty meal, or freshly prepared wraps and salads, served on a china plate with metal cutlery at a decent table with a nice view. The outdoor areas are looked after to eat outside on a nice day, and places to walk the dog when breaking up long journeys. Ok there's no table service (though Tebay did do table service for us once when I was travelled with a disabled relative), but can't have everything I suppose!

Although the quality was not quite Tebay level, I always thought Little Chef was a good franchise for similar reasons.

On long journeys I plan my stops to be at decent services or very short detours to quality local ameneties. A lot of my journeys are in the Highlands and this is a bit easier as independent sit-down meal food places are more common on the A roads than McDonald's and BK!

It certainly says something about the current system where, at the vast majority of service stations, you cannot actually obtain a proper meal.

 

[Ediswan]

No idea how it worked. I just know that there was a cassette in the machine.

Recording data on audio cassettes was once common practice. Consider 1980s home computers.

 

[styles]

It certainly says something about the current system where, at the vast majority of service stations, you cannot actually obtain a proper meal.

Indeed I find it quite sad. I work around it with planning but sometimes don't have the time and end up stopping at regular services, having a BK, then feeling pretty crap for it.

 

[TheTTTEGeek]

It certainly says something about the current system where, at the vast majority of service stations, you cannot actually obtain a proper meal.

just curious what is a service station? can you explain in American English as i've been searching & finding nothing but perol (gas) stations which are sometimes called service stations in my small town

 

[GordonT]

just curious what is a service station? can you explain in American English as i've been searching & finding nothing but perol (gas) stations which are sometimes called service stations in my small town

In addition to fuel it typically provides an adjacent large building with rest rooms, mini shopping mall and diners.

 

[cool110]

just curious what is a service station? can you explain in American English as i've been searching & finding nothing but perol (gas) stations which are sometimes called service stations in my small town

Service stations are like your rest areas and truck stops, with requirements for 2 hours free parking, fuel, toilets, and hot food to be available 24/7.

 

[simonw]

just curious what is a service station? can you explain in American English as i've been searching & finding nothing but perol (gas) stations which are sometimes called service stations in my small town

I think a significant proportion of us just call them services, rather than service station.

This wiki article gives you more details.

List of motorway service areas in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

They have a reputation for being expensive, especially for fuel.

A high proportion of people stopping are just doing so for a "comfort break"

 

[3141]

It certainly says something about the current system where, at the vast majority of service stations, you cannot actually obtain a proper meal.

Probably what it is saying is that most people don't want to spend the time that a proper meal is likely to take.

 

[GordonT]

Probably what it is saying is that most people don't want to spend the time that a proper meal is likely to take.

Or pay the amount that it is likely to cost.

 

[styles]

Or pay the amount that it is likely to cost.

Tebay is £12.95 for a two course meal, e.g. steak and ale pie with mash and veg with a rhubarb crumble and custard for pudding. Kids eat for £1.50.

A Burger King meal at services costs close to a tenner these days.

Given Tebay have just had to further extend their car park due to demand, I'd say it could be a popular proposition.

 

[gg1]

Tebay is £12.95 for a two course meal, e.g. steak and ale pie with mash and veg with a rhubarb crumble and custard for pudding. Kids eat for £1.50.

A Burger King meal at services costs close to a tenner these days.

Given Tebay have just had to further extend their car park due to demand, I'd say it could be a popular proposition.

I'm sure if it was more services would be doing it.

One thing which helps Tebay is that section of the M6 probably sees a much higher proportion of long distance leisure travel (the demographic who are most likely to be happy to take the time for a longer break with a proper sit down meal) than is the case with much of the motorway network, and of course Tebay has built up a strong reputation as a services which serves decent food. My first visit there was in 2008 and it was very busy even then.

 

[TheTTTEGeek]

Service stations are like your rest areas and truck stops, with requirements for 2 hours free parking, fuel, toilets, and hot food to be available 24/7.

I think a significant proportion of us just call them services, rather than service station.

This wiki article gives you more details.

List of motorway service areas in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

They have a reputation for being expensive, especially for fuel.

A high proportion of people stopping are just doing so for a "comfort break"

thank you

 

[Sun Chariot]

Cars with pop-up headlights.
Men who wear a suit and tie on a Sunday / when family or guests are round.
Men who say "There-there" to placate an emotional female.

 

[3141]

Cars with pop-up headlights.
Men who wear a suit and tie on a Sunday / when family or guests are round.
Men who say "There-there" to placate an emotional female.

That reminds me: in Folkestone there's an upmarket area called The Leas - a wide grassy cliff-top area with large houses facing it. A few years ago a friend of mine told me that when he was a child (1950s) his grandmother, who lived in The Leas, expressed her horror that "There are men walking on The Leas without a tie - on a Sunday!".

 

[Mogz]

Things that I can remember (having been born in the 1980s) that seem insanely old fashioned now, some of which seemed old fashioned at the time:

- Steam-era Mark 1 coaches and units with slam doors and compartments in regular daily service;
- Train toilets that dumped waste straight onto the tracks (remember seeing toilet paper and worse on the line at stations?);
- Telephone boxes that cost 10p to use;
- Phone cards;
- Computer games loaded from tapes and cartridges;
- Having a telly with only four channels;
- VHS video tapes;
- Being able to buy Super 8 cine films in Boots the chemist;
- Police officers wearing smart uniforms with shiny buttons;
- Still finding shillings (until 1991) and florins (until 1993) in change;
- Analogue mobile phones that could make calls and do nothing else
- (later) Digital mobile phones that could make calls and send texts, and do nothing else:
- Dial up internet that cost 4p per minute to use;
- Caning at school (not me, fortunately) a friend who went to private school still got this in the 1990s;
- Taxis with CB radios
- Buses that only accepted coins for fares;
- Buying audio cassette singles from HMV or Ourprice;
- Buying sweets by the quarter lb;
- Petrol stations still displaying the price per Gallon alongside the price per Litre.”;
- BBC 1 playing “God Save the Queen” at closedown (Radio 4 still does this);
- It being common knowledge that you could “still be hanged for treason”.
- Fax machines (my Dad would sometimes bring home joke faxes that had been received by the company he worked for);
- Lots of people still having rotary dial phones…

I’m sure I’ll think of more!

 

[GusB]

Telephone boxes that cost 10p to use

Being born in the previous decade, it was 2p and 5p slots in phone boxes.

Taxis with CB radios

A couple of local firms still used radios until fairly recently, although I believe the biggest one is now using computer dispatch.

 

[Bald Rick]

BBC 1 playing “God Save the Queen” at closedown (Radio 4 still does this);

[PEDANT] Radio 4 doesn’t do this. It plays God Save the King [/PEDANT]

 

[75A]

Three Television Channels.
Channel 4 started in November 1982.

 

[GordonT]

"Spitting Forbidden" signs on the top deck of buses.