I guess this week we’ve all had plenty of time to reflect on the past because of the passing of our Queen. Lots of memories come flooding back. I’m going to take you a trip down Memory Lane. Literally. There is a place in Devon called World of Country Life which we have visited a few times now. One of the things they have there is called Memory Lane, you have a row of shop fronts some of which give you a window into the past, some you can actually go in and take a look. This wonderful television shop was one of my favourites. A television was switched on and it was showing old ads and I remembered them all.
I remember when we used to have our television in a cabinet and you could shut the doors when it wasn’t being used. I also remember the televisions with the knobs on the front and there were no remote controls. When I was a young child I visited my older brother and he told me he had a magic television. He told me to sit in front and say which channel I wanted on. (there were only three to choose from at the time.) I would say BBC1 and the television would magically turn over! I was totally amazed. Of course, my brother was standing behind me with a remote control changing the channels. I think I was just as amazed at that than the magic of speaking to the television.
School and Shops on Memory Lane
My next photo shows Star and the Little Man being totally engrossed (for about 10 minutes anyway) with old fashioned tills and typewriters.
I remembered learning to type on typewriters like this at school. We had L shaped desks with the typewriter in front and the piece of text we had to type on the side. We had to type without looking at the typewriter and learnt how to touch type. My kids are still impressed with my ability to type without looking. Back then I wasn’t so good, I used up plenty of Tipp ex!
I have also worked in a shop with an old fashioned till like this. The kids used to have toy ones when they were little. Tills are so different these days.
Back to the Future
It was a bit of a shock seeing things from my younger days being on display in a history museum, it really made me feel old. But imagine how old I felt seeing a 70s style living room and an 80s bedroom. The real sad thing is, a lot of the 80s stuff were in the bedroom of my own home! Jeez, I’m ancient!
Ok, we were not allowed in here or I may have just fixed that Rubix cube. Yes I learnt how to do them in the 80s and can still do them now. I didn’t have the toys but I can relate to the wallpaper and the curtains. I think the computer desk is a bit modern, we didn’t have one of them until 1998. Look at those TV programs on the side, I remember them all, do you? Blackadder, Tales of the Unexpected, The Good Life, Black Beauty, Citizen Smith, The Young Ones, Allo Allo.
I hope you have enjoyed my trip down Memory Lane. Do share if you remember any of these things (if only to stop me feeling so ancient!)
Oh, I loved this!
My mum still has her typewriter from years ago.
And I remember the TV cabinets that closed too! Young ones was brilliant and I had a red version of that ghetto blaster on the bedroom floor.
I do love a trip down memory lane. xx
Oh wow! The old TV’s really are a trip down memory lane. I remember TV’s in cabinets and one’s with no remotes. I feel old. lol
I learned how to touch type from using a typewriter. My mum had one’ way before computers were around.
That’s 80’s room is so cool. I am sure I had some curtains pretty similar.
I still have my old walkman which I broken, and I am sure a few cassettes even though I have no way of playing them any more. This was a fun read!
-Soma
Love it! I remember TVs with knobs and dials to change the channel. I also remember some of those TV programmes. Was thinking only the other day about my bedroom from when I was 11. It was peak 80s – all primary colours and geometric patterns.
WOW – talk about retro! Thanks for linking up and for sharing with #MySundaySnapshot.
With no historical reference, young people find old everyday items foreign. As a child in the 1950’s and 60’s, if I saw household items from 1920’s they looked ancient & strange #MMBC