Things you never see anymore

[davieG]

[DJW1]

In the 70s, when we got our first phone, we shared a party line with the Christmas family across the street.

 

[davieG]

14 minutes ago, DJW1 said:

In the 70s, when we got our first phone, we shared a party line with the Christmas family across the street.

 

We shared ours with a second hand car dealer 2 doors down could never get to use it.

[worthosoriginals]

On 26/01/2026 at 11:10, davieG said:

Yeh the shit old days when much like now, oaps hated change

[Mike Oxlong]

9 hours ago, worthosoriginals said:

Yeh the shit old days when much like now, oaps hated change

Too much over a period of time resulted in holes in your pockets 

[davieG]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Used to love playing on burnt out cars.

[Izzy]

12 hours ago, davieG said:

 

 

Ah the good old days when you could legally carry guns

[davieG]

[Trav Le Bleu]

9 hours ago, davieG said:

Can you imagine a machine that dispense a volatile substance merely by having enough money today?

 

Back then you could rely that people would use it for its intended purpose and not to cause harm or damage.

[davieG]

25 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Can you imagine a machine that dispense a volatile substance merely by having enough money today?

 

Back then you could rely that people would use it for its intended purpose and not to cause harm or damage.

Great for burning out cars 

[Otis]

3 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Can you imagine a machine that dispense a volatile substance merely by having enough money today?

 

Back then you could rely that people would use it for its intended purpose and not to cause harm or damage.

What, like...

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

12 minutes ago, Otis said:

What, like...

 

Attended and/or CCTV everywhere and not on the street shop front.

Edited 2 February by Trav Le Bleu

[Guest worth_the_wait]

Petrol stations with the full range of octanes, 1 star to 5 stars.

 

I think 1 star was for mopeds (and petrol lawn mowers)

Most cars were 2, 3 or 4 stars.

Higher performance cars needed 5 stars.

[davieG]

 

These and a meter on the rediffusion TV that my sister had in London.

[Free Falling Foxes]

8 minutes ago, davieG said:

 

These and a meter on the rediffusion TV that my sister had in London.

I must be old, I remember when it was a shilling (5p)

I still can hear the call of, 'Bob's gone' when the lights went out. Someone would then fumble around in the dark to put a shilling in the meter.

I also recall the meter man coming to empty the meter. He would sit at the bottom of our stairs with a bag absolutely loaded with 1/- coins from his round.

[Foxdiamond]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

 

These and a meter on the rediffusion TV that my sister had in London.

Yep definitely remember these

[davieG]

 

 

 

No Cars

 

 

 

 

[Free Falling Foxes]

Wonderful set of photographs @davieG. 

[Alf Bentley]

On 06/02/2026 at 19:55, davieG said:

 

These and a meter on the rediffusion TV that my sister had in London.

 

A meter story, Norwich, 1983....

 

- Upstairs: 3 bedsits, occupied by Beardy Hothead Lad, Smarmy Pink Beret Lad & Beery Scruff Lad (me), plus a shared kitchen....and shared coin meter.

- Downstairs: Aging landlady Vera with her work-from-home poodle parlour and ample supply of Daily Mails, make-up and blue rinse hair dye.

 

One day, Vera confronted me with (unfounded) accusations of thieving. Someone had broken into the meter and attached bits of Bluetac to the wheel, slowing down its movement so as to reduce the need for 50p coins. I was prime suspect, but pled Not Guilty. Despite being Vera's golden boy, Smarmy Pink Beret Lad eventually confessed.

 

Strangely, about 6 years later, I bumped into Smarmy Lad outside an independent cinema in Brighton. He was still smarmy, still wearing a beret but I'm not sure it was pink any more.

Like a Dick Emery character, Vera was a sucker for good-looking young men. I had a mate who looked like then noted "beefcake" snooker player Tony Knowles and I still remember Vera simpering excitedly over him when he showed up on the doorstep. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

5 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

A meter story, Norwich, 1983....

 

- Upstairs: 3 bedsits, occupied by Beardy Hothead Lad, Smarmy Pink Beret Lad & Beery Scruff Lad (me), plus a shared kitchen....and shared coin meter.

- Downstairs: Aging landlady Vera with her work-from-home poodle parlour and ample supply of Daily Mails, make-up and blue rinse hair dye.

 

One day, Vera confronted me with (unfounded) accusations of thieving. Someone had broken into the meter and attached bits of Bluetac to the wheel, slowing down its movement so as to reduce the need for 50p coins. I was prime suspect, but pled Not Guilty. Despite being Vera's golden boy, Smarmy Pink Beret Lad eventually confessed.

 

Strangely, about 6 years later, I bumped into Smarmy Lad outside an independent cinema in Brighton. He was still smarmy, still wearing a beret but I'm not sure it was pink any more.

Like a Dick Emery character, Vera was a sucker for good-looking young men. I had a mate who looked like then noted "beefcake" snooker player Tony Knowles and I still remember Vera simpering excitedly over him when he showed up on the doorstep. 

You've got the premise and characters for a pretty solid 70s/80s sitcom beloved by millions right there. Who would have played you?

[davieG]

32 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

A meter story, Norwich, 1983....

 

- Upstairs: 3 bedsits, occupied by Beardy Hothead Lad, Smarmy Pink Beret Lad & Beery Scruff Lad (me), plus a shared kitchen....and shared coin meter.

- Downstairs: Aging landlady Vera with her work-from-home poodle parlour and ample supply of Daily Mails, make-up and blue rinse hair dye.

 

One day, Vera confronted me with (unfounded) accusations of thieving. Someone had broken into the meter and attached bits of Bluetac to the wheel, slowing down its movement so as to reduce the need for 50p coins. I was prime suspect, but pled Not Guilty. Despite being Vera's golden boy, Smarmy Pink Beret Lad eventually confessed.

 

Strangely, about 6 years later, I bumped into Smarmy Lad outside an independent cinema in Brighton. He was still smarmy, still wearing a beret but I'm not sure it was pink any more.

Like a Dick Emery character, Vera was a sucker for good-looking young men. I had a mate who looked like then noted "beefcake" snooker player Tony Knowles and I still remember Vera simpering excitedly over him when he showed up on the doorstep. 

Those names 

[davieG]

29 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

You've got the premise and characters for a pretty solid 70s/80s sitcom beloved by millions right there. Who would have played you?

Mix of The Young Ones and Bottom 

[davieG]

Probably been posted already

 

[Bellend Sebastian]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

Mix of The Young Ones and Bottom 

I was thinking a Leonard Rossiter vibe.

 

Bloody hell, I'm ageing myself there, aren't I, and I'm not THAT old