Thursday 5 April 2012

A to Z 1950s/60s Nostalgia: E

Can you remember these Es?

E Smell:
Evening in Paris - This was the most popular perfume in the 1950s. It was sweeter than such musky perfumes as Charlie that were introduced in later decades.

E Memories:
Desks had lots of names scratched onto them
Education - We sat in rows from the age of 7. Lessons were silent, no group discussions with desks pushed together. Some of the teachers threw chalk, others threw large wooden board rubbers. Sometimes they hit their target. I was scared of the teachers.

Health and Safety hadn't been invented back then. In the playground we played Hot Rice (throwing a ball very hard to try and hit kids' legs) and we often went out on Nature Walks without even taking a permission letter home... but we learned to read and write and I can still chant my times tables so they must have got something right.

Eleven Plus - We weren't given practice tests like they do for the SATs today. We arrived in school one morning, were led into the hall and told to fill in the test papers. I was one of the lucky ones. I passed and went to Grammar School. Those who failed went to Secondary Modern School. We were labelled as different from that day on.


Equality – In the 50s I don’t remember there being an issue with Mum doing the housework and Dad going out to work. Then in the 60s women started campaigning for equality. They wanted to go to work and share the housework. Men doing housework! Who ever heard of such a thing! Some feminists even burned their bras. I was too busy getting used to wearing mine!


Educating Archie with
Archie Andrews as the puppet!
E Programmes:
On TV:
Emergency Ward 10


On Radio:
Easy Beat
Educating Archie with Peter Brough, a ventriloquist show on the radio. Bizarre!

E Names:

Anthony Eden PM
Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA
Eusebio, footballer, Portugal
Clint Eastwood
Duane Eddie
Everly Brothers who provides  the...

E Music:
The Everly Brother's singing Cathy's Clown



Did you remember any Es?