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How we lived in the Fifties

I was married in year 1958 we lived in a basement flat till we got flooded out we then went to live in Clifton.


We had the upstairs rooms we were very happy there had my daughter and son living there the landlady was great and helped me with the children. We remained friends until she died - was so lucky


Created By on 28/09/2020

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tercar
26th Aug 2023 11:10:18 (Last activity: 15th Sep 2024 15:13:09)
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The Fifties were one of the happiest days of my life. After 3 years training in a Navigation School I joined my first ship in 1949 at 16 years of age. It was a tramp ship , and for the next 18 months we covered a large part of the world. Australia,India,Malaya.Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolia,,Persian Gulf. Norway. I left that ship in Dover a week before Christmas in 1950.
I stayed in the Merchant Navy until 1958 then Joined the RAF.
Marriage changes things
Response from Steffiegal made on 15th Sep 2024 15:13:09
lovely ducks...
Steffiegal
15th Sep 2024 15:12:24
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I was born in the 50's and I remember playing on the bomb sites and also tasting peanut butter for the first time....I do wish the UK was the same demographically speaking as it was back then as it was the world I was born into.....like millions of others.
chiccy
8th Aug 2021 17:07:12
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Hi everyone, I've just joined the forum....I was still at school in the 50's, I remember the ration books, the sweetie coupons were always first to go in our house, we could play with friends outside safely, not many cars about the streets then, My dad worked in the pits he came home from day shift about 3 o'clock, so dinner was early in our house....everything felt a lot safer then.
Cessna
24th Mar 2021 16:26:39
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Sent this earlier but seems to have gone astray. 1950's for me started with meeting my first real love of a lifetime. In 51 I had to enlist for N/S into the Signal Corps. Arriving to a freezing cold Catterick Camp. After 4 weeks we were allowed 36 hours leave which for me involved hours of coach and train travel each way (Wallington - Yorks). leaving just a few short hours to meet up again with my girl and some pals, Then back to Catterick to be on parade by 8 am. Pay was 25/- but after stoppages for insurance/tax and barrack room damages - otherwise known as robbery - we ended up with about 19/- Not leaving a lot for coach train and Naafi breaks. After 6 months many of us were embarked on a troopship and a 4 weeks cruise to Singapore to take us via the Suez canal, Aden and Colombo. Singapore proved to be one of the best postings for servicemen. It was a tropical paradise, plus our pay rocketed to £5. After 18 months it was time to return to the UK, which in those days was still dull grey and austere. By the end of the 50's things had improved and I was one of the first in our street to own a car. As we entered the 60's I would fall into lucrative employment that would take me into the aviation world. and also marriage to a stunningly attractive girl .
MARY1935
24th Feb 2021 05:45:55 (Last activity: 2nd Mar 2021 04:46:08)
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mMY FIRST DAUGHTER WAS BORN IN 1958
Response from Sally - Silversurfer's Editor made on 24th Feb 2021 07:26:48
Hi MARY1935,

Welcome and many thanks for your first comment in our Forum.

If you already know your way around, then we will leave you to it.

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Response from MARY1935 made on 2nd Mar 2021 04:46:08 > @Sally - Silversurfer's Editor
I AM NOT SURE I KNOW HOW TO CHAT WITH ANYONE. NEW AT THIS
lrhein3579
23rd Oct 2020 23:06:16
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We had seven kids, grandma,and parents in a three bedroom one bath home. I thought we wereso lucky.
Len45
30th Sep 2020 18:50:54
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You're right, Shrew, support is the wrong word in respect to football opposition in the 50's but you did look forward to the more skilful footballers coming to town. It's become much more 'tribal' although better with the seating and being non smoking.
I very much agree with you, in as much as, I wouldn't change my childhood for youngsters today. We had space to explore. These days if its not fenced off its been built on.
I have to smile when they say there is a problem with 'plastic pollution'. All our toys were made from leather, wood, lead, diecast and bakelite. Its amazing how quickly we've created a problem.
Len45
29th Sep 2020 17:45:03 (Last activity: 30th Sep 2020 16:25:51)
1
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How many blokes remember going to a football match in the Fifties, I had a massive rattle with ribbons on it. Kids used to get passed overhead to the front of the stadium and then distributed back at the end of the match. Needless to say the rattle would be seen as a 'paying out stick' in today's world. You would go and support both teams with both sets of supporters mingled together and light hearted banter.
Response from shrew1742 made on 30th Sep 2020 16:25:51
I remember those days Len, just after WW2. Extremely hard times, but looking back 70 years or so, and although we were almost living in poverty, there were happy times too.

As for going too the footie, supporters mixing (without any trouble) and supporting both teams !!!! Sorry Len, as far as I was concerned there was only one team I cheered for. My team.

I wonder how today's kids would fare if they were all of a sudden transported back to the 1940's/50's ?? Maybe they would realize how lucky they are in today's day and age, despite Covid19 !! I certainly wouldn't swap my childhood/teenage years for the present.
Len45
29th Sep 2020 17:25:05
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You look back at the fifties and think how wonderful life was, then you think of the ice that formed on the inside of the windows in the winter and getting out of bed onto freezing lino. I've grown way too soft and I know couldn't exist like that now, without central heating.
PurpleHat
29th Sep 2020 09:35:46
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I was married in' 51. Also lived in a basement flat, the old kitchen area of a bigger house with a massive disused Range cooker in our living room. Starlings nested in its chimney and we often had a sooty bird flying round indoors when we arrived home from work!. 9 months later my husband emigrated and I followed in 1952 when he had a home for me to go to. I had my 21st birthday in Africa, Came back in '55 when things went bad out there. I know Bristol well, lived in North Bristol for 12 years. Worked in Stokes Croft and Pennywell Road

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