What do you remember- seems impossible now

[Nick29]

I can remember getting my first 'proper' bike (with 26 inch wheels) when we lived in Greenwich, London, and I used to go riding with our next door neighbour, who was a bit of a ruffian.  My mum used to say to me "Don't you dare go near the river", so you'll never guess the first place that we headed for ! 

[kooky]

I remember when I was 11, I travelled from M/c to Ruthin, N.Wales on 2 buses, changing at Mold, on my own. I was taken to the bus station in M/c by my father on his way to work. I then had to get the correct buses, and be met in Ruthin by an uncle. All this without the aid of a mobile'phone!
Kooky

[millymcb]

When I was 11 (in the early 70s)and went to "big school" I had to walk to the bus stop (10 mins) and get a bus into the centre of town (20 mins) and then change for another bus (20 Mins) and then walk to school from the bus stop (5 mins)...and then do the same thing on the way home... We used to stop off in town and do some window shopping or whatever on the way home. Or I might pop into my friends house en route...  As long as I was "back for tea" it was fine.

Milly

[Braindead]

I remember waking up in the morning and having ice on the inside of the sash windows (frozen condensation), the house was that cold. I'm sure that not as common now with today's central heating & double glazing.

And I know people do still have real fires, but it was my job to make the fire up each morning. Luckily I didn't have to do the dusting - I remember a layer of coal dust everywhere.

[Chris_Beds]

And I remember the chilblains that went with the ice on the inside of the window, and they came from sitting close to the open fire (unless that was just my mother's way of telling me not to hog the space in front of the fire!)

[greenrig]

Travel by steam train; having to close the window (by pulling on large leather strap), when it went through tunnels, to avoid the compartment being filled with soot.

Travel on trams, and being passed chips through the window from friends in the tram in front.

City centre, huge flocks of starlings flying in at dusk, filling all the parapets of the shops  with birds, and all the pavements covered with their produce.

Aladdin paraffin stoves, that made a burbling sound, and lit up a pattern on the bedroom ceiling.

[Winterbloom21]

Using Quickies to wipe the soot off your face when you got to Euston!

[mike175]

It's all too easy to forget the grime that seemed to cover just about everything when coal was the universal fuel, something I try to remember when I get nostalgic for steam trains

Even so, there was something magical about those childhood train journeys, before Dr. Beeching got his hands on the railways

"Quickies"? . . . most mums used to spit on a handkerchief to wipe your face . . . don't remember mine doing it though.

[Chris_Beds]

It's all too easy to forget the grime that seemed to cover just about everything when coal was the universal fuel, something I try to remember when I get nostalgic for steam trains

Even so, there was something magical about those childhood train journeys, before Dr. Beeching got his hands on the railways

"Quickies"? . . . most mums used to spit on a handkerchief to wipe your face . . . don't remember mine doing it though.

I also remember all the buildings black with grime.  I never knew they should be lovely red brick or yellow stone! 

I never saw Quickies, it was always spit and a hankie for my face