Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[GordonT]

America had the Sears Roebuck catalogue where you could order an immense range of items. Even a kit to build a full size house.

As long as you weren't expecting delivery within a few days or residing deep out in the sticks. But yes you are right, mail-order catalogues were the forerunners of what we see today.

 

[Killingworth]

The years when it would have been impossible to envisage being able to order such a full spectrum of products from the comfort of your own home for delivery there the following day. The number of van deliveries on a daily basis to houses in our small housing estate of average affluence seems to me to have reached a level little short of being phenomenal.

Mail order, yes, but we had many vans and deliveries coming down our middle class road and back lane in Newcastle in the 1950s.

3 different milk men Monday-Saturday mornings. Newspapers next, delivered from 2 newsagents every morning and evening followed by 2 postal deliveries a day. I can think of 4 different laundry company vans calling weekly, plus Collars Ltd for stiff white collars. The fish man. At least 3 butchers and two fruit and veg merchants, one still with horse and cart, the other from an army surplus Bedford truck. 3 or 4 firms of coal merchants in the back lanes who'd collect from our nearby railway station yard. And the rag and bone man with his cry "Any old rags or bones or lumber" I think that was what he was trying to say but you couldn't be sure.

Then there were all the bigger delivery vans from the department stores like Fenwicks, Binns, Bainbridges, Farnons etc. Our parents would select in the shop and request delivery with payment on their monthly account.

Home telephones were becoming more common so much could be ordered that way - no passwords or security needed. (The local bank probably wouldn't request security either, they knew their customers personally back then!)

Of course back then if you wanted to phone a friend, or a shop, you'd look in the the telephone book/s (every telephone box had one) or called free directory enquiries. Back then having an ex-directory number was rare.

We got by and the roads were a lot less crowded.

 

[AM9]

Mail order, yes, but we had many vans and deliveries coming down our middle class road and back lane in Newcastle in the 1950s.

3 different milk men Monday-Saturday mornings. Newspapers next, delivered from 2 newsagents every morning and evening followed by 2 postal deliveries a day. I can think of 4 different laundry company vans calling weekly, plus Collars Ltd for stiff white collars. The fish man. At least 3 butchers and two fruit and veg merchants, one still with horse and cart, the other from an army surplus Bedford truck. 3 or 4 firms of coal merchants in the back lanes who'd collect from our nearby railway station yard. And the rag and bone man with his cry "Any old rags or bones or lumber" I think that was what he was trying to say but you couldn't be sure.

Then there were all the bigger delivery vans from the department stores like Fenwicks, Binns, Bainbridges, Farnons etc. Our parents would select in the shop and request delivery with payment on their monthly account.

Home telephones were becoming more common so much could be ordered that way - no passwords or security needed. (The local bank probably wouldn't request security either, they knew their customers personally back then!)

Of course back then if you wanted to phone a friend, or a shop, you'd look in the the telephone book/s (every telephone box had one) or called free directory enquiries. Back then having an ex-directory number was rare.

We got by and the roads were a lot less crowded.

Much the same where I grew up in Barkingside, Essex. We also had a mobile shop (Co-op I think), two or three ice cream vendors, one of which also sold sweets and cigarettes, Esso Blue and Aladdin Pink paraffin deliveries (known locally as 'one and ten a gallon'), - the rag and bone man didn't mention bones, but he along with the milkmen (in the early '50s) has horse drawn carts. Oh the nostalgia it evokes.

 

[Cross City]

I believe that a person could hypothetically live their whole adult life, or even their whole life, without leaving their house.

Sounds ideal.

 

[gg1]

Mail order, yes, but we had many vans and deliveries coming down our middle class road and back lane in Newcastle in the 1950s.

3 different milk men Monday-Saturday mornings. Newspapers next, delivered from 2 newsagents every morning and evening followed by 2 postal deliveries a day. I can think of 4 different laundry company vans calling weekly, plus Collars Ltd for stiff white collars. The fish man. At least 3 butchers and two fruit and veg merchants, one still with horse and cart, the other from an army surplus Bedford truck. 3 or 4 firms of coal merchants in the back lanes who'd collect from our nearby railway station yard. And the rag and bone man with his cry "Any old rags or bones or lumber" I think that was what he was trying to say but you couldn't be sure.

Then there were all the bigger delivery vans from the department stores like Fenwicks, Binns, Bainbridges, Farnons etc. Our parents would select in the shop and request delivery with payment on their monthly account.

And of course the weekly pop lorry, thought probably more a 70s and 80s thing than 50s.

 

[PeterC]

And of course the weekly pop lorry, thought probably more a 70s and 80s thing than 50s.

That was never a thing where we lived in Essex. My aunt in South Wales had the Corona lorry in the late 50s and 60s.

 

[AM9]

That was never a thing where we lived in Essex. My aunt in South Wales had the Corona lorry in the late 50s and 60s.

There was a Corona lorry in my bit of Essex in the '50s.

 

[Killingworth]

And of course the weekly pop lorry, thought probably more a 70s and 80s thing than 50s.

In our district from the pop factory of the Tyneside Direct Supply Aerated Water Company that had been there in the 1940s, probably before WW2, but after WW1.

I omitted Rington's Tea, based in Algernon Road Byker. Their old premises are now used by an auctioneers but their home deliveries get a lot further south, certainly beyond Sheffield.

 

[Trackman]

There was a Corona lorry in my bit of Essex in the '50s.

It was Alpine around our way.

 

[GordonT]

On the theme of fizzy drinks a (IMO foul tasting) drink that I came across when holidaying in some parts of England (but wasn't aware of it in Scotland) was called Dandelion and Burdock. May still be widely sold for all I know?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Local irnonmongers van which stocked almost everything , but also had two tanks which dispensed paraffin oil and parazone into your own bottle.

Rather dangerous as he once set off down the road , dribbling paraffin from his unsecured brass tap from the rear. Known to all as "Tevor the Oil" .....

 

[D6130]

In our district from the pop factory of the Tyneside Direct Supply Aerated Water Company that had been there in the 1940s, probably before WW2, but after WW1.

I omitted Rington's Tea, based in Algernon Road Byker. Their old premises are now used by an auctioneers but their home deliveries get a lot further south, certainly beyond Sheffield.

When we moved from Skipton to Hebden Bridge in 2012, there was still a Ringtons' Tea van delivering in Skipton.

 

[cool110]

...(but wasn't aware of it in Scotland) was called Dandelion and Burdock. May still be widely sold for all I know?

It's made there, most popular brand is from the same AG Barr as Iru-Bru.

 

[GordonT]

It's made there, most popular brand is from the same AG Barr as Iru-Bru.

Yep they appear to have acquired one of various companies who were making it. Other makers apparently still exist and mea culpa I can't claim it as being anachronistic.

 

[PeterC]

On the theme of fizzy drinks a (IMO foul tasting) drink that I came across when holidaying in some parts of England (but wasn't aware of it in Scotland) was called Dandelion and Burdock. May still be widely sold for all I know?

Far more widely available than it was in my young days.

 

[DelW]

And of course the weekly pop lorry, thought probably more a 70s and 80s thing than 50s.

Stronger stuff in 1950s Birmingham, there were lorries delivering Davenport's "Beer at Home". My family was more or less teetotal, so I've no idea what brews were available.

 

[J663738]

Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now.
Can I rant the other way please?

I had all my services underground, including my BT phone line.
Got new fibre broadband installed and they said it can't go underground, instead a new wooden pole put up and the fibre slung over to house??
They explained the fibre distribution hub is at the top of the poles and it would be too difficult and expensive to find the old ducts.
Installation is cheap and not very cheerful.
Which made me take a look around, yes, spaghetti of wires and boxes at the top of every pole now, like old photos from the 1930's in fact.

 

[75A]

It's called progress.........

 

[Purple Train]

On the theme of fizzy drinks a (IMO foul tasting) drink that I came across when holidaying in some parts of England (but wasn't aware of it in Scotland) was called Dandelion and Burdock. May still be widely sold for all I know?

I had something at least claiming to be that in Morecambe a couple of weeks ago. I say "claiming", as it was delicious!

When I was at primary school, very occasionally I would catch the same bus as a classmate who lived on the same estate I did, and we would head to a "greasy spoon" cafe close to the school while our mothers chatted and we ate breakfast. On the very rare occasions I was allowed a soft drink, I would tentatively sip a dandelion and burdock (I don't do fizz even now) and he would have a lemon shandy (Fentiman's - no idea of the alcohol content, wouldn't have made any difference to my classroom demeanour anyway). Those were the days... but I'm not allowed to say that at my age. Now as a sixth-former I still don't participate in our "drinking culture", because I don't drink coffee!

Still available from Amazon. Much cheaper than prescription varifocals and have the advantage that they can be flipped up out of the way.

Late to the party I know, but while I'm on the subject of my primary school days, I distinctly remember one regular bus driver having these flip-up sunglasses. I was always a bit jealous as they looked so fun to play around with. (I didn't, and still don't, even wear glasses to begin with...)

 

[frankmoh]

On the theme of fizzy drinks a (IMO foul tasting) drink that I came across when holidaying in some parts of England (but wasn't aware of it in Scotland) was called Dandelion and Burdock. May still be widely sold for all I know?

I can still find Dandelion and Burdock in M&S.

 

[PeterC]

Late to the party I know, but while I'm on the subject of my primary school days, I distinctly remember one regular bus driver having these flip-up sunglasses. I was always a bit jealous as they looked so fun to play around with. (I didn't, and still don't, even wear glasses to begin with...)

Cheaper than a prescription pair, especially if you wear varifocals. I keep a pair in my car.

 

[GordonT]

Also on the spectacles theme I think we can safely say that monocles can be placed in the anachronistic box. The various cords or chains which some folk wear to support their glasses still seem to have a market however and no doubt there will still be a few who wear "half-moon" specs.

 

[Mogz]

I can still find Dandelion and Burdock in M&S.

Ah!

Those were the days!

I had a friend who used to call it “Dandelion and Bird-Muck” when I was a kid.

He refused to even try it!

 

[frankmoh]

Ah!

Those were the days!

I had a friend who used to call it “Dandelion and Bird-Muck” when I was a kid.

He refused to even try it!

Honestly it tastes alright. I prefer other drinks though.

 

[GordonT]

The phrase "colour television" being dragged out as the ultimate in things to aspire to, as in tabloid newspaper headlines such as "Prisoners in Barlinnie have COLOUR TVs in their cells: outrage!!!" A meaningless phrase now as nearly all screens are "colour". I still like some black and white films though.

 

[Lloyds siding]

The phrase "colour television" being dragged out as the ultimate in things to aspire to, as in tabloid newspaper headlines such as "Prisoners in Barlinnie have COLOUR TVs in their cells: outrage!!!" A meaningless phrase now as nearly all screens are "colour". I still like some black and white films though.

Colour tvs were a bit pricey when they first came out. Very much a status symbol.

 

[WesternLancer]

Colour tvs were a bit pricey when they first came out. Very much a status symbol.

The impossibility of getting a b&w tv these days prevents substantial savings on the tv licence being achievable, sadly.

 

[Tom B]

Mail order, yes, but we had many vans and deliveries coming down our middle class road and back lane in Newcastle in the 1950s.

3 different milk men Monday-Saturday mornings. Newspapers next, delivered from 2 newsagents every morning and evening followed by 2 postal deliveries a day. I can think of 4 different laundry company vans calling weekly, plus Collars Ltd for stiff white collars. The fish man. At least 3 butchers and two fruit and veg merchants, one still with horse and cart, the other from an army surplus Bedford truck. 3 or 4 firms of coal merchants in the back lanes who'd collect from our nearby railway station yard. And the rag and bone man with his cry "Any old rags or bones or lumber" I think that was what he was trying to say but you couldn't be sure.

Then there were all the bigger delivery vans from the department stores like Fenwicks, Binns, Bainbridges, Farnons etc. Our parents would select in the shop and request delivery with payment on their monthly account.

Home telephones were becoming more common so much could be ordered that way - no passwords or security needed. (The local bank probably wouldn't request security either, they knew their customers personally back then!)

Of course back then if you wanted to phone a friend, or a shop, you'd look in the the telephone book/s (every telephone box had one) or called free directory enquiries. Back then having an ex-directory number was rare.

We got by and the roads were a lot less crowded.

A great deal of congestion and wasted journeys could be saved if the parcel delivery networks were simplified. I live on a dead-end road and often see multiple battered vans per day roll down, deliver two or three parcels to different houses or flats, and then drive off. An hour or so later another one is there. Of course I'm sure some are directly run delivery vans etc but a large number seem to be the major parcel firms (or subcontractors thereof). I presume that the parcel firms don't particularly care about the efficiency or otherwise of their operation, since they pay a flat rate to the drivers, per parcel.

When we moved from Skipton to Hebden Bridge in 2012, there was still a Ringtons' Tea van delivering in Skipton.

Still running as of about a month ago in Lincolnshire.

The phrase "colour television" being dragged out as the ultimate in things to aspire to, as in tabloid newspaper headlines such as "Prisoners in Barlinnie have COLOUR TVs in their cells: outrage!!!" A meaningless phrase now as nearly all screens are "colour". I still like some black and white films though.

See also, the gutter press complaining about those on benefits having 'flat screen televisions' and smartphones...

 

[The exile]

no doubt there will still be a few who wear "half-moon" specs.

Ideal for those like me who need reading glasses to read music scores in bad light but not for watching the conductor.

 

[52290]

Ah!

Those were the days!

I had a friend who used to call it “Dandelion and Bird-Muck” when I was a kid.

He refused to even try it!

As a child my favourite pop was Dandelion and Burdock made by T & R Smith of Chorley.When I became of age I transferred to Thwaites Best Mild. Although they no longer brew this I find Holts Mild or Bank Top Dark Mild acceptable substitutes.