Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[The exile]

Only being able to use the cash machine (a.k.a. the "hole in the wall" or automated telling machine (ATM)) at your own bank, which IIRC was the case until the Link network was established in about 1990.

There were “groupings” before that, IIRC. Fairly sure that as a NatWest customer I could use RBS (unsurprisingly) but also Midland and Clydesdale ATMs and possibly TSB as well. Of course in those days it was rare to be somewhere that had 1 of the big four and didn’t have the other three -usually in spitting distance - but they didn’t all have ATMs.

 

[WesternLancer]

And in the days before ATMs became widespread, only being able to withdraw cash from your account over the counter when your bank was open. At least some places would accept cheques if you ran out of cash in those days, though.

I suppose with many people still paid in cash (typically weekly) until at least early 1990s for some jobs, the need to go and get cash was reduced, though that presumably meant more people kept cash at home too, with commensurate risks.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jul 2026 ==

There were “groupings” before that, IIRC. Fairly sure that as a NatWest customer I could use RBS (unsurprisingly) but also Midland and Clydesdale ATMs and possibly TSB as well. Of course in those days it was rare to be somewhere that had 1 of the big four and didn’t have the other three -usually in spitting distance - but they didn’t all have ATMs.

Yes, there were, you are correct - I first had an ATM card in 1985 IIRC and it could be used in ATMs operated by Lloyds and Barclays and one of the Scottish ones. In fact I still err to an ATM from one of the other banks in that grouping system that I became used to from those days, by force of habit.

 

[The exile]

I suppose with many people still paid in cash (typically weekly) until at least early 1990s for some jobs, the need to go and get cash was reduced, though that presumably meant more people kept cash at home too, with commensurate risks.

Far more branches around and late-night (until replaced by Saturday) counter service one day a week.

]

Yes, there were, you are correct - I first had an ATM card in 1985 IIRC and it could be used in ATMs operated by Lloyds and Barclays and one of the Scottish ones. In fact I still err to an ATM from one of the other banks in that grouping system that I became used to from those days, by force of habit.

That would have been the Bank of Scotland - they were the three that were no use to me!

 

[Killingworth]

Talking about ATMs they didn't become really widespread until the 1980s although I must have had a Lloyds Cashpoint card from about 1975. At first the maximum withdrawal at most Cashpoint machines must have been £20 in £1 notes and many of the machines were inside branches.

In the 1950s my father would arrange an 'open credit' in Scarborough to allow him to draw cash there from his account in Newcastle. I recall my wife's uncle, who lived in what was then Rhodesia, travelled using a World Letter of Credit. A double sided folding A4 document enabling him to draw cash at named banks worldwide - a precursor of travellers cheques! I've found a picture of one just like the one he carried back about 1967.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Round here at least, rectangular hay bales. Everything seems to be cylindrical now

 

[The exile]

Talking about ATMs they didn't become really widespread until the 1980s although I must have had a Lloyds Cashpoint card from about 1975. At first the maximum withdrawal at most Cashpoint machines must have been £20 in £1 notes and many of the machines were inside branches.

In the 1950s my father would arrange an 'open credit' in Scarborough to allow him to draw cash there from his account in Newcastle. I recall my wife's uncle, who lived in what was then Rhodesia, travelled using a World Letter of Credit. A double sided folding A4 document enabling him to draw cash at named banks worldwide - a precursor of travellers cheques! I've found a picture of one just like the one he carried back about 1967.

My father was a surprisingly early adopter of RBS ATMs, IIRC you inserted a punch card (and presumably a PIN) and got a plastic tray pre-filled with £10 (a fiver and five singles?) in return. By the time I went out into the big wide world in 1986, ATMs were pretty ubiquitous - so when I then went off to Germany for a year in 1988 it came as a bit of a shock to revert to the pre-machine age.

 

[Killingworth]

My father was a surprisingly early adopter of RBS ATMs, IIRC you inserted a punch card (and presumably a PIN) and got a plastic tray pre-filled with £10 (a fiver and five singles?) in return. By the time I went out into the big wide world in 1986, ATMs were pretty ubiquitous - so when I then went off to Germany for a year in 1988 it came as a bit of a shock to revert to the pre-machine age.

Yes, driving for the first time in Germany in the 80s I came back to earth with a bump when I found they didn't do VISA or Access. They did cotton on for quite a time with Eurocheques and the Eurocard.

 

[jbqfc]

Round here at least, rectangular hay bales. Everything seems to be cylindrical now

We still have rectangular bales here in Sussex but they are huge I cannot remember the last time I saw the small ones

 

[Ediswan]

We still have rectangular bales here in Sussex but they are huge I cannot remember the last time I saw the small ones

Classic rectangular bales still on view round here. The size a fit farmer could move by hand.

 

[D6130]

We still have rectangular bales here in Sussex but they are huge I cannot remember the last time I saw the small ones

We sometimes still see the rectangular bales here in West Yorkshire, mainly on smallholdings....but the vast majority of bales are now the large cylindrical ones.

 

[swt_passenger]

Might have been mentioned before, but IIRC the original Nat West machines (about 1972/73 ish) only gave a set amount, (£10 or £20 perhaps?) and kept the card, it came back to you through the post a few days later. Maybe a security feature in case it was nicked?

 

[GordonT]

Round here at least, rectangular hay bales. Everything seems to be cylindrical now

Sometimes cylindrical ones are fully encased in black plastic covering. I vaguely remember from childhood haystacks shaped like mini hills.

 

[WesternLancer]

Sometimes cylindrical ones are fully encased in black plastic covering. I vaguely remember from childhood haystacks shaped like mini hills.

I'm hoping there might be some more senior forum members who might recall haystacks made up like thatched cottages

as pictured in this Southern Railway South Downs poster

https://railwayposters.co.uk/products/rail2101-the-south-downs-southern-railway-art-print?srsltid=AfmBOopmqaasY_nQyBAyNwIFhjrU3P5W3w8T6HJ5Apb6ciN2dY3NaARW

I assume these were features of the landscape in some areas until probably the 1950s?

I think the difference between hay bales in plastic covering (now common) and not, relates to the difference between hay and silage - but I claim little agricultural knowledge!

I seem to think rectangular bales have made a bit of a come back in recent years.

 

[najaB]

I think the difference between hay bales in plastic covering (now common) and not, relates to the difference between hay and silage - but I claim little agricultural knowledge!

You are correct. I'm also not an expert but as I understand it, the difference is that hay is supposed to dry out, whereas with silage the plastic wrapping is intended to retain moisture so that the anaerobic decomposition process starts. This is basically fermenting (or pre-ruminating) the grass so that the livestock gets more nutrients than they would from dry hay, which is useful for keeping them healthy through the winter.

 

[WesternLancer]

You are correct. I'm also not an expert but as I understand it, the difference is that hay is supposed to dry out, whereas with silage the plastic wrapping is intended to retain moisture so that the anaerobic decomposition process starts. This is basically fermenting (or pre-ruminating) the grass so that the livestock gets more nutrients than they would from dry hay, which is useful for keeping them healthy through the winter.

Thanks - interesting to read

 

[Silent]

Catalogues

 

[SuspectUsual]

Catalogues

Ooooh, good one. Can you still get an Argos book?

 

[GordonT]

Ooooh, good one. Can you still get an Argos book?

Axed in 2020. All online.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Axed in 2020. All online.

Come to think of it do Argos stores still exist? Round our way they're little more than a tiny alcove at the back of Sainsbury's.

 

[bspahh]

Ooooh, good one. Can you still get an Argos book?

No, but you can read the old ones online at

Argos Catalogues | Retromash

rgos is a UK company that was formed in 1973. It is unique in the UK due to its ‘order and wait’ in-store shopping format, but for many UK residents it was its 6 monthly catalogue that really got us excited. In the run up to Christmas I would get the latest Argos catalogue and

retromash.com

 

[Merle Haggard]

Catalogues

Mail order catalogues produced a lot of business for Rail Express Parcels. Generally, the catalogue items were sent from the manufacturer direct to the customer each supplier with their own contract relating to size and quantity. A lot of W.R. traffic came from businesses on the Treforest Trading Estate.
Distribution of the catalogues was also good railway business.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Axed in 2020. All online.

A pre-Xmas tradition gone. When I was maybe 7 through to 12 I’d spend ages going through it and marking all the stuff I wanted, in case Santa checked it

 

[najaB]

Come to think of it do Argos stores still exist? Round our way they're little more than a tiny alcove at the back of Sainsbury's.

I don't think there are many (any?) standalone stores any more. As you note they are usually found in Sainsbury's stores.

 

[Silent]

Come to think of it do Argos stores still exist? Round our way they're little more than a tiny alcove at the back of Sainsbury's.

Yeah, I have one on my local high street but it does seem irrelevant as I would rather order argos online.

 

[johnnychips]

I don't think there are many (any?) standalone stores any more. As you note they are usually found in Sainsbury's stores.

There are two in Leeds.

 

[DelW]

There was of course a brief fad of soup served in a hollowed out loaf which was neither neither satisfactory as accompaniment nor container.

I don't remember encountering those, but there was a similar fad for serving meat and veg in a giant Yorkshire pudding (though on a plate as well iirc).

Catalogues

Cotton Traders (from whom I buy clothes about once or twice a year on average) send me a paper catalogue at least once a month.

 

[najaB]

There are two in Leeds.

There are a lot more than I though there are. They had over 800 stores at peak, now they have around 190 standalone stores though the number continues to trend downwards.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Can you still get an Argos book?

They still do a slimline version in the run up to Christmas.

 

[johntea]

It is good to have Argos still around in some shape or form as it helps competition hence slightly reducing the monopoly of Amazon

In fact the other month I bought a game for £48.99 which was £59.99 on Amazon!

Plus if you have plenty of throwaway email accounts at your disposal you can sign up to their newsletter and receive £5 off a £40 spend virtually every time!

 

[Egg Centric]

It is good to have Argos still around in some shape or form as it helps competition hence slightly reducing the monopoly of Amazon

In fact the other month I bought a game for £48.99 which was £59.99 on Amazon!

Plus if you have plenty of throwaway email accounts at your disposal you can sign up to their newsletter and receive £5 off a £40 spend virtually every time!

Better than that, if I look at my work discounts portal (which will be representative of many other large employers) I can buy Argos gift cards for a 6% discount, whereas Sainsburys is a paltry 3.5%! You can then combine this with cashback sites and turn this into double digit discounts.

But yes sad to hear the catalogue itself isn't there any more. Bill Bailey called it the Laminated Book of Dreams