Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[Springs Branch]

. . . tripe was always in plentiful display . . .

. . . Similarly, kidney is something that doesn't seem to be as widely available these days; I love a steak and kidney pie . .

Liver is another offaly delicacy which went out of fashion.

Once a week at home as a child, we were served up a plate of liver, mashed potato and mushy vegetables boiled to within an inch of their lives. I detested the taste and texture of the liver and dreaded teatimes on Wednesdays (I think that was the day). Any resistance would be admonished with stories of "starving children in China who wouldn't be turning up their noses to a good meal".

Decades later, I've found a local pub which serves up hefty lunches and features Liver & Bacon on the menu. This version of liver is delicious and according to the barman sells very well to their older clientele - but I've never seen any younger customers order it! I think the secret is to slice the liver thinly before cooking, which eliminates any 'livery' taste and that characteristic texture in the mouth. Having crisp, fresh lightly-steamed veg also helps, as does the accompanying bacon and a little bit of gravy.

I rediscovered the delights of eating liver after reading that modern diets are usually poor in supplying choline - an essential nutrient used by the body to produce acetylcholine, which is an important neurotransmitter for memory and muscle function.* Liver is by far the best dietary source of choline - double its nearest rival (eggs) and over three times that present in other meats. I swear you can feel the fried liver doing you good, as you shovel it into your mouth - washed down with a pint or two of Guinness, of course, for full health benefits.


(* Some 'nerve gases' and the venom of the Black Widow spider work by disrupting the operation of acetylcholine, paralysing the nervous system as a result)

 

[Merle Haggard]

When tripe was always in plentiful display in butchers shops.

Steam spotting days in the North West and noticed shops, all formica and chrome like a fish & chip shop, but with just 'U.C.P.' on the fascia. Found out that it stood for United Cattle Products - apparently a euphemism for tripe.
Never tried one, but not averse in principle. Sausages bought at Dunkerque when involved with the Train Ferry were delicious but I avoided looking at the lengths of small intestine they contained.

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Similarly, kidney is something that doesn't seem to be as widely available these days; I love a steak and kidney pie.

I recollect that the price of beef suddenly zoomed up - hit the then staggering price of a lb a £ - possibly late 60s - early 70s.
Obviously the pie makers did some relationship calculations and in 'Steak and Kidney Pies' you were lucky to find any 'steak' at all hiding among all the 'kidneys'

 

[GordonT]

When I think about it, having a local butcher is in itself quite an anachronistic concept! I'm lucky that we've still got one here in the village and I'll go there if I want to treat myself to a decent steak. I just wish there was a local fishmonger to go along with it.

Other features of some local butchers that come to mind. Staff in white overalls with long navy blue aprons with white horizontal stripes. Sawdust on the shop floor. Scary looking sharp knives and chopping implements. Animal carcasses on hooks - a Glasgow butcher famously displayed a poster in his shop window: "Watership Down. You've read the book! You've watched the film! Now come in and meet the cast!"

 

[McRhu]

Tripe tasted like wet duffel coat: a horrendous substance that was off the scale on the boak-ometer. On the subject of sawdust on the floors - pubs.

 

[Killingworth]

Pheasants and rabbits hanging on a rail above tbe butchers shop window. Still seen in Bakewell until quite recently - or it seemed to be recently

 

[MotCO]

That could lead to increasing difficulty as DOB became part of standard ID procedures. Many long standing customers had defaulted to 00.00.0000 so were told they'd got it wrong! But of course they couldn't be told what the bank had recorded and had to go into branch to get it 'corrected'.

That could explain why my mother-in-law could not change her address when she moved because the bank held the wrong (or non-existant) birthdate. She had to go to a branch to sort it out, but being over 90 and with mobility issues, and all the local branches having closed, this caused immense difficulties. So maybe good bank customer service could be added to the list of things we miss.

 

[simonw]

That could explain why my mother-in-law could not change her address when she moved because the bank held the wrong (or non-existant) birthdate. She had to go to a branch to sort it out, but being over 90 and with mobility issues, and all the local branches having closed, this caused immense difficulties. So maybe good bank customer service could be added to the list of things we miss.

I think in many cases bank service is miles better than it was in the nostalgic past. I can recall being turned down for a cheque guarantee card because I had had the audacity to have a lower amount of money in my student bank account at the end of term than the start. The bank manager wanted to know why.

 

[The exile]

That could explain why my mother-in-law could not change her address when she moved because the bank held the wrong (or non-existant) birthdate. She had to go to a branch to sort it out, but being over 90 and with mobility issues, and all the local branches having closed, this caused immense difficulties. So maybe good bank customer service could be added to the list of things we miss.

Or indeed customer service that doesn’t rely on the whim of a computer or hanging on while you’re being told “we are experiencing a high volume of calls at the moment” - no, you put your directors bonus payments above employing enough staff!
At least with in-branch queues you could see how long they were before deciding whether to try another time.

 

[Killingworth]

I think in many cases bank service is miles better than it was in the nostalgic past. I can recall being turned down for a cheque guarantee card because I had had the audacity to have a lower amount of money in my student bank account at the end of term than the start. The bank manager wanted to know why.

Swings and roundabouts, the curate's egg, better in some parts and worse in others.

Some time ago I recall a well to do customer at a well known bank had £500k on a 5 year fixed term deposit due to mature in about 12 months time. Wanted to buy a special car that came on the market unexpectedly and found the terms of the deposit effectively ruled out early withdrawal without a large penalty. Simple, he thought. Get a personal loan, monthly repayments well within his income and lump sum repayment of remaining balance when the deposit matured.

Declined, credit score said no. No previous or current borrowing record on file. The large deposit didn't get picked up. He appealed. Seems no human could use common sense and have authority, or dare, to over-ride the system.

Rules are there for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of idiots. Today we all have to be treated as idiots - partly because the world has grown so much protective legislation that its very complexity means we are all potential idiots!

 

[The exile]

Rules are there for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of idiots.

Should be a required chant several times daily for all Compliance departments!

 

[BanburyBlue]

Those locks that were put on telephone dials to stop people making calls without paying.

 

[Ediswan]

Those locks that were put on telephone dials to stop people making calls without paying.

The nimble fingered could still make a call by tapping the switch under the handset.

 

[PeterC]

Swings and roundabouts, the curate's egg, better in some parts and worse in others.

Some time ago I recall a well to do customer at a well known bank had £500k on a 5 year fixed term deposit due to mature in about 12 months time. Wanted to buy a special car that came on the market unexpectedly and found the terms of the deposit effectively ruled out early withdrawal without a large penalty. Simple, he thought. Get a personal loan, monthly repayments well within his income and lump sum repayment of remaining balance when the deposit matured.

Declined, credit score said no. No previous or current borrowing record on file. The large deposit didn't get picked up. He appealed. Seems no human could use common sense and have authority, or dare, to over-ride the system.

Rules are there for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of idiots. Today we all have to be treated as idiots - partly because the world has grown so much protective legislation that its very complexity means we are all potential idiots!

I was working in a bank when credit scoring first started being considered. Staff were expected to live within there means and we calculated that we had worse scores than any of our customers as going overdrawn was a serious disciplinary offence.

 

[johnnychips]

Steam spotting days in the North West and noticed shops, all formica and chrome like a fish & chip shop, but with just 'U.C.P.' on the fascia. Found out that it stood for United Cattle Products - apparently a euphemism for tripe.

We were told ‘if UCP on tripe, don’t eat it’.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We were told ‘if UCP on tripe, don’t eat it’.

I remember those long off days when UCP was in the sign on the shop and CCCP was on the jerseys of the Russian football team. A local wit used to tell the youngsters that CCCP stood for Central Cheshire Cattle Products...

 

[McRhu]

Waiting eagerly for the strains of Puffing Billy which introduced Children's Favourites on the Light Service.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Listening to "Meet the Huggetts" on the radio.

 

[GordonT]

Listening to "Meet the Huggetts" on the radio.

I can remember listening to "Round the Horne" and "The Clitheroe Kid" on the wireless.

 

[Trackman]

The nimble fingered could still make a call by tapping the switch under the handset.

I don't understand, how?

 

[BanburyBlue]

The nimble fingered could still make a call by tapping the switch under the handset.

10 pps signalling

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I don't understand, how?

Dialling was 10 pulses per second signalling. So basically, if you dialled a 1, 1 pulse would be sent down the line . If you diall a 2, 2 pulses would be sent down the line. Tapping the switch hooks had the same effect. Tap the switch hooks once was equivalent to dialling a 1 Etc. That was the theory anyway.

 

[AM9]

One tea related device which did fall from a degree of popularity was the "Goblin Teasmade" - a combined alarm clock and tea maker.

Not to be confused with the 'Goblin Housemaid', which was a vacuum cleaner.

 

[BanburyBlue]

Mowing the lawn with a manual lawn mower

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National anthem when the BBC closed down at night.

 

[Western Sunset]

Large department stores where the money was either:
1. Put into a metal container, placed into a box on the counter and whisked away by some vacuum system
or
2. Put into a metal container and carried off by a contraption of wires/pulleys across the ceiling

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Blancmange

 

[D6130]

Blancmange

Bird's Angel Delight (Banana, butterscotch or strawberry flavours, IIRC.

 

[GordonT]

Can't remember if we've already done Vesta meals which were sold in cardboard boxes and whose range included Chow Mein, Chicken Curry, Paella and Chicken Supreme.

 

[Killingworth]

Carter's Little Liver Pills

 

[D6130]

Pink custard. Usually served with school dinner desserts.

 

[alxndr]

Mowing the lawn with a manual lawn mower

I brought a manual lawnmower last year. It’s much easier to store than a powered one, although means you have to keep on top of the grass a bit more.

 

[Tester]

Bird's Angel Delight (Banana, butterscotch or strawberry flavours, IIRC.

Still freely available!