Note from Pede:
I originally thought this would be just a little page of my personal memories. But as you read, you'll see how it has grown! Please consider this your invitation to contribute and see your story printed, too.
Email me at
pede@fastlane.net
I just had a thought, would you like a page of
How We Met and/or How He (or I) Proposed?
Send me your stories, and I'll get started right away!
Note from Pede:
The page is up now, and you can read what we have so far
by clicking Here.
I hope you'll consider send us your story, too.
I remember when the milk man would leave milk at my house in a little door on the outside of the house, on the driveway side, and wonderfully, it would be there when you opened a small door in your kitchen.
The Helm's bakery man came twice a week...and we would run out for goodies (cupcakes, cakes, pies and bread); I also remember the ice cream truck. Its chimes could be heard for blocks, and every kid had money ready for him....those were good days....
Angie from Thermopolis, Wyoming....born and raised in So. Calif.
"Strapless evening gowns, long white gloves, beautiful corsages and those homecoming games where the gals got those beautiful mums..........
roller skating anywhere in town where there were lots of sidewalks....Our town, La Marque, Texas (15,000) had lots of schools with lots of sidewalks
......going to the beach on Galveston Island on Sunday afternoon; renting a big float for the afternoon and riding the waves in........once when I sitting astride my float paddling out to catch a wave...a big fish jumped up between my legs
.......cars with dual pipes that made that wonderful roaring sound
jitterbugging the night away with those neat slow dances in between....
today's kids don't know what they're missing......
peddlepushers, pony tails, bobby sox and loafers......those were the good 'ol days.
Lois/Washington State: rebel@televar.com"
"I remember from my early years before television, listening to the radio, "The Shadow," "Inner Sanctum," "The Fat Man," "The Sheriff" and "This is The F.B.I." Oh, there were several others but time dims my memory.
I remember collecting old license plates and turning them in at Goodale's Dairy for an ice cream cone. This was for the war effort.
I remember it being so hot at night in the summer that my father used to load us in the car because we couldn't sleep, and go for a ride throught the countryside for hours.
In my teen years, I too, remember pegged pants so tight a zipper was needed to get them off. T-shirts worn backwards with the label in the front, and only a V-neck sweater over the T-shirt. Genuine shell cordovan, smooth toe shoes were the style then, and argyle socks. A flat top haircut was in style, with a DA on the sides.
The girls wore the guys' school jackets with the sports letters on them. Cheerleaders wore heavy bulky sweaters with skirts that by today's standards are much too long. Shoes, of course were saddle shoes. The upper classmen were cool wearing white bucks. Those were the days.
A '55 Ford, 2 dr., standard shift with a V-8. Two tone paint, fender skirts, leaded hood and trunk to customize it. I could go on and on."
AJH
Cortland, N.Y.
"I remember when a Saturday matinee was only 50 to 75 cents for a triple feature. If you were in the balcony, you paid 75 cents, and if you were sitting below you paid 50 cents. It was a pain in the neck for those sitting lower, because the screen was much higher to accommodate those paying 25 cents more in the balcony....
Doris
Let's not forget American Bandstand,where we learned all those neat dance steps after most of us had a TV (black and white of course). And if you didn't have access to a car, the fun trips on the bus to whatever movie theatre you could get to, and oh yes, I remember those back rows where I never dared go (but always wanted to).
Judy from the Hills of WV
BruceWG says:
How about skate keys....ice cream cones were 10 cents, or 12 cents for two scoops...Bank night at the movies
"I remember'
Playing Red Line, Tin-Can Alley, Hopscotch and other games in the evening with all the neighborhood kids.......right in the middle of the street. Can't do that today! I loved going to the Hollywood Movie in Arbutus, Maryland on a Saturday afternoon....then stopping in the bakery with the 15 cents I had left, which was used to purchase a HUGE chocolate eclair to split with a girlfriend! Wonder what they cost today!
Freda Q....class of '53 Western High School.
"I'm from Florida and remember watching for the ice man - in the summer he would always give us a piece of ice to eat (precursor to the ice-cream man) -and do you remember the milk man? My husband remembers the coal man (he's from NJ) and watching the the coal truck dump coal into the basement.
And don't forget The Lone Ranger and Tonto and Leave it to Beaver and does anyone remember Spin and Marty (and Annette Funicello) on the Mickey Mouse Club? And mustard plasters, and Tonsiline (with the giraffe on the bottle) for sore throats? And, "Say kids, what time is it?" ... "It's ----- ----- time" and "Plunk your Magic Twanger, Froggie" and Captain Video and straight skirts, and wearing your sweater backwards, with a little white collar.
Cassel56@aol.com
"Remember when Mom & Dad took you to the Drive in movies in your PJ's? You played in the playground until the sun went down, then it was back to the car for a snack before you got into the back seat, as Dad rolled up the window & hung the speaker from the top of the window. The big screen told you about the snacks in the snack bar; then it was time for the short subject, & the main feature....Godzilla!
smsgojets@aol.com
Mel's Drive in, where everyone piled into one car ,drinking Hot Cocoa & eatin' French fries... Then someone had to leave the drive in, and his/her car was the first one parked....everyone had to pull out so that one could leave....
Manny (San Francisco)
"Does anyone remember "snipe hunts"? (I do, although I never actually went on one. It was more of a "boy-thing" where we lived. Pede)
Eileen
"I remember small dots of candy, stuck to a long sheet of paper about the width of a roll of adding machine paper, that sold for a penny a sheet. I also remember being able to get a cigarette for a penny, and the candy store owner was glad to sell them that way because a whole pack of 20 sold for less then 15 cents.
Henry Y.
"I remember watching black and white tv thru a colored sheet of paper, to get color tv....
DStrict437@aol.com
"Having a great time looking in your Web site, thanks to a friend. I love it. I just turned 39; my daddy is always telling me of times of his childhood. I love to listen. It would take forever (almost), to tell of all the things I have missed. (I do know A&W Root beer, frosted mug, curb side car-window burgers....the best). .
AllieCtHI5@aol.com
I wonder if anyone else misses Bonomo taffy as much as I do? Remember you could chill it in the fridge, then smack it down on the sidewalk to crack it into pieces?
---Pat C.
I remember when the only people who wore "dungarees" were farmers . Remember wearing black "softies", ballerina slippers with tight capri pants. A two-piece bathing suit was risque, and it covered almost as much as the one piece.
Playing "kick the can", red line, red rover and hide and seek, at night. Penny candy that got you a whole bag for .25 cents. Amusement park rides where you could spend the day for a couple of dollars, instead of having to mortgage your house. The whole neighborhood raised the kids. They could ask them to help them, or if you were doing something wrong, they yelled at you and then told your parents, who then yelled again. Oh for the good old days.
Evanette, from Baltimore
I had a hard time fitting my PF fliers into my skates - mom wouldn't let me use my newly polished saddle shoes. Does anyone remember Chocolate Bazooka Bubble gum? I used to get into the Movies with 6 RC cola bottle caps to watch 3D The Three stoogesand Elvis in El Cajon CA. And we used to be able to sing and have fun!!!! I still love to watch Lucy, and laugh; couldn't wait to watch Little Joe on Bonanza on Sunday nites @ 9 pm. I had to show everyone (for my grandparents) how we could twist!!!!! And learned how to drive a stick with a 1959 Metropolitan and a couple of years later - sat through 3 red lites to learn the clutch on a 'Cherry' 442 olds!!!! I also remember that our skirts had to touch the ground when we kneeled - no short ones. 2 years later kids are wearing shaggy cut offs!!!!! Thanks for this - IT'S TERRIFIC....maybe someday my husband, 7 years my junior, will understand this and learn how to jitterbug.
MahrKay
Do you remember wearing your cardigan sweater backwards, and the deep black eye liner, along with jet black mascara and, of course, it wouldn't be complete without ERACE on your lips. Those were the good old days.
Weeser711@aol.com
"I remember when we went to the Green Mill Skating Rink on Saturday nites, skating till 8 then the dance ! The fuzzy back seat window cover, the squirrel tail from the antenna. Carrying my girl's books to school and home again.
The upturned collars on the black golf jackets. The shark skin suit that changed color in the light ! The Toreador Jacket. Dropping off friends in the back of the drive in, then picking them up once inside, after they walked thru the field to get there!
Girls wore girdles ! Girls wore "hose" (never heard of "panty" hose!) Guys wore white socks, black pants, and a white T ! The ducktail hair with the curl that hung down in the middle of the forehead. Brylcream, Vitalis, VO5, Oh the memories!
Pj808@aol.com
Remember folding gum wrappers and making chains out of them (Fruit Stripe was a favorite wrapper). Or trying to peel the foil off the inner wrappers without tearing it? Then there was the joy of ironing hair or setting it on orange juice cans - try sleeping on them!!!! And, of course, FM only played classical music.
Gail
I remember sock hops in the gym ... line dances ... the old woman, the old man, the slide, and the guys competed at "dipping" their partners during slow dances.
(Sigh) to return to the good ol' days and drink milk out of glass bottles once again .. beat each other to the cream from the top of the bottle ... and it was delivered to the door.
The worse thing we ever did was stand on the street corner talking and smoking cigarettes...lol. The guys liked their pants "pegged" and wore them "shackled" on the hips...DA's with Brylcream, leather jackets and pointed shoes...hahaha
Sandi
Do you remember the sock hops on Friday nights after the high school basketball game? And doing the Stroll listening to the Fat Man, Fats Domino?
Jack
I remember going steady, and wearing my boyfriend's senior ring on a very long gold chair. I really thought that was great. I felt so important because everyone knew I had a special guy. I remember sneaking in the Century Drive In Theatre in Inglewood Calif. through the exit. We really thought we were smart. Or driving and parking at L.A. International Airport to watch the planes (and kiss a little).
You guys, do you remember being a member of the car clubs, or you girls having to take sewing and making your first gathered skirt? Beth , Inglewood, Calif.
Remember the great radio shows - before television. The Lone Ranger, "Hi Ho Silver, Away." The Green Hornet, and of course, The Inner Sanctum. That creaking door always used to make me shiver. (My sister and I used to slide beneath the bed, and listen in safety there....Pede)
From Char
Hey, Pede:
Do you remember Halo shampoo? "Halo, everybody Halo, Halo is the shampoo that glorifies your hair; So, Halo Shampoo, Halo"
and what about Speedy Alka Seltzer: "Pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is." The little guy with the flat head (that was Speedy!) and Choo-Choo, Charlie, the Good and Plenty engineer.
(Do you remember "Gentle as a lamb; yes, Ma'am; Pampers, Pampers, new shampoo!" Pede)
Wahlene T Siconio
"I remember doing the "stroll" with a lot of my class mates and friends participating - I remember going down to the corner drugstore and doing the "jitter bug" during lunch time - wow - we were so cool! I remember watching "American Bandstand" and you knew the names of all your "favorites" and the man who never seems to age "Dick Clark"!
I remember crying to "Sixteen Candles" because I was 16 and didn't have a boy friend. Yes - I remember all those "fifties," and the innocence and fun we had.
A big event for us was having someone have a party at their house on Sat. Night, and we played records and danced in the basement or living room - even if the house was small - kids came and went until midnight - no later - then everyone headed home!
I remember "pegged pants" and "Willie and the Hand Jive"! Talk about fun! Our favorite comedian was Mr. "Red" Skelton! And thanks for the memories!
Mkpoppy@aol.com
This is a very neat site, and I can remember a lot of those things...we used to go on hay rides to the Handle Bar Ranch in Cincinnati....
CRE43@aol.com
From Dee777@aol.com:
"Please keep this going; add more pages if necessary. Reading some of these brought up more memories. This is such fun.
Adding to the home milk deliveries, when it was cold outside, the cream used to rise to the top and come up out of the bottles 2 or 3 inches, and we'd get to eat it with sugar.
We used to play 'Chase around the block" and hide in other people's yards behind the garages, and when it got dark outside and we'd see a car coming, we'd hide behind the bushes so the light wouldn't see us, and then scream with delight after the car went past and didn't see us.
My best girlfriend's mother made homemade identical clothes for her twin dolls, and my mother didn't have time to do that, and I was SO jealous of her dolls. We girls had sewing clubs and went to each other's houses with our little embroidery kits, and actually sat and embroidered little doilies and pillow cases for FUN.
When I was 15, we used to go roller skating at the rink and do skate dancing with the boys, wearing little short skirts and trying to outdo each other, both in skating skill and how short our skirts were. Only occasionally would someone's front wheels fall off, and somebody would fall flat on their faces, skin their knees and elbows. Those were the good ol' days.
I remember back in the forties, when food was rationed and you had to take a token or stamp to buy such things as meat, coffee, sugar, bread and such. You got these once a month and they had to last or you didn't have food to eat. ( I remember the ration stamps for shoes coming out only once or twice a year, and you were only allowed 2 pr. per person. I lostmy ration book once, but my mother just took me down to the proper office to report it, and they gave me a new one. Guess I looked too scared to be lying! Pede)
I remember when you could not buy bubble gum, and if you heard of a store that was going to have it, you stood in line and hoped you would get to the counter with your penny before it was all gone. The same way with nylons, but they cost more.
I remember when Elvis was first on the Ed Sullivan show and they would only show him from the waist up. If you were lucky enough to have a TV (and they were just black and white then,) it was wonderful! Those were the good old days. Love your site--it sure brought back memories of my child hood. Keep up the good work.
Sandy
On Thursday nites when town was open late, riding downtown and picking up the cutest Trenton girls...how they loved riding in the convertible with a few hot guys...and catching the red lite on State and Broad Streets...that was the best times
...from Rayman
Here's another memory for you: church keys. These were can openers that you had to have to open a canned drink before pop top cans were invented. The early canned drinks were in heavy cans, not the thin cans of today. If you could crush an old fashioned can in your bare hands you were considered a real he-man.
(Well, were you?)
Giftofun@aol.com
I loved this site and all the great memories that came back to me in an instant. And what I wouldn't give to live through them again. I remember when a slice of pizza and a coke was 25 cents.
Jody
Don't forget about Howdy Doody and Buffalo Bob!!
JUST ME!!! LIN
Do you know when the first Seeburg Select-O-Matic was made? When did most national record labels stop making 78 rpm records?
What label did Bobby Rydell record for? ( Phila. label) What three years did Ford make a Solid "retractable hard top " Convertible??
Who was the Dovells lead singer? What was the first year that GM Cars had dual headlights? Who recorded the song " Stick Shift"? What was the general admission cost to a Drive In Movie in 1957? What song did the " Impalas " sing?
What former "Belmont" was involved with the song" Shout...Shout..Knock Yourself Out"?
How are ya doing?
Cpope
SPCIALK718@aol.com says" I can remember when the shoe stores had fluoroscopy so you could put your feet under x-ray to see where your toes fit in the shoes.
I remember using telephone wire to make jewelry...if you were lucky enough, a telephone company truck would pass along, and the driver would give you some gray wire that you would strip, and inside was all colors of wire that we would use to make rings."
Epa42@aol.com
"Yes, I remember all that; I was small boy. Gasoline cost 14 cents a gallon--more than 5 gallon for $1.00---Coke was 5 cents---a hamburger was 15 cents, and milk shakes cost 15 cents---a Hershey bar cost 5 cents---skating rink cost 50 cents--going to a movie cost 25 cents. I have many remembrances of times past.
Ocrman
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