Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[philjo]

In the 1970s teachers did not have maternity leave. It was expected that they officially retired when having a baby. There was a photo and write up in the local paper of my Mum being presented with her retirement gifts from her class and the other teachers before she left to have me. She later returned to do supply teaching part time after I was at junior school.

 

[lookapigeon]

CDs are that old fashioned they've started becoming fashionable again. There is quite a movement for purchasing physical media lately amongst the late-teens to late-20s. Not just music either, film and games too, and that doesn't just apply to retro formats like the surge in vinyl sales over the past 5-6 years.

Not sure how long it'll last because it's quite inconvenient but I quite like it, even if I don't take part.

I saw for the first time in what must be a good few years a cover mounted CD on a music magazine in Sainsbury's. Some of them were total rubbish but others were great.

 

[McRhu]

I saw for the first time in what must be a good few years a cover mounted CD on a music magazine in Sainsbury's. Some of them were total rubbish but others were great.

Reminds me of the (very anachronistic) thin plastic film 45s that used to be given away in magazines - usually as promos and I think especially by Readers' Digest. (see also bone music records where X-Ray film was used instead of vinyl).

 

[Ashley Hill]

Reminds me of the (very anachronistic) thin plastic film 45s that used to be given away in magazines - usually as promos and I think especially by Readers' Digest. (see also bone music records where X-Ray film was used instead of vinyl).

Ah yes,Flexidiscs.

 

[Cross City]

Reminds me of the (very anachronistic) thin plastic film 45s that used to be given away in magazines - usually as promos and I think especially by Readers' Digest. (see also bone music records where X-Ray film was used instead of vinyl).

Flexidiscs yeah. There have been a few of those popping up in the last 12-18 months too.

Must admit, I didn't know they were a thing until one turned up wrapped alongside an LP of a Swedish rock/metal band I collect.

My son tells me that stand alone digital cameras are the latest retro fad.

Reminds me, Polaroid cameras must be due their decennial resurgence soon.

Fashion now is all about 'aesthetic', not just clothing style but also way of life. Current trends are around the early 2000s, and yeah there is a massive resurgence in things like CDs, MP3 players, baggy clothes, as well as massive nostalgia hype for nu-metal and emo music. Some bands from back then have reformed and are doing bigger tours now than they were back when they were originally popular.

 

[52290]

I saw for the first time in what must be a good few years a cover mounted CD on a music magazine in Sainsbury's. Some of them were total rubbish but others were great.

The BBC Music Magazine was founded in September 1992 and has carried a cover mounted CD of classical music every month since, a total of around 390 CDs. I've got well over 300 of them.

 

[Sun Chariot]

My wife saw a recent advert of the current Soda Stream.
It took us back to our youth

 

[BingMan]

Reminds me of the (very anachronistic) thin plastic film 45s that used to be given away in magazines - usually as promos and I think especially by Readers' Digest. (see also bone music records where X-Ray film was used instead of vinyl).

I still have a couple of those given with Private Eye in the late sixties.

 

[DelW]

Reminds me, Polaroid cameras must be due their decennial resurgence soon.

Fujifilm's Instax instant-film cameras seem to be developing quite a following, though Polaroid cameras are still available too.

"Normal" film has shown signs of revival as well. Lomo have been promoting their slightly odd version of film photography for many years, but there have recently been reissues of classic style cameras under traditional brand names (though not neccessarily made by the original companies). A half-frame portrait format 35mm camera branded Pentax 17 and a full-frame Rollei 35 lookalike are two that I've seen mention of recently.

 

[Cross City]

My wife saw a recent advert of the current Soda Stream.
It took us back to our youth

Don't think they ever really went out of fashion but there is a resurgence lately as they're very good at eliminating a lot of single use plastics. I would definitely own one but the upfront cost and the gas is expensive.

On a similar note I saw that Slush Puppie machines were will a thing when I was in Smyths shopping for my nephew's birthday the other week.

 

[GordonT]

Houses owned by employers for the occupancy of staff must be fairly rare now outwith church provision for clergy etc. perhaps.
A then state owned bus company I once worked for in the 1970s had a depot outside Glasgow and on the other side of the dual carriageway beside the depot there was a semi-detached property with the District Traffic Superintendent residing in one half of the building and the Depot Engineer in the other. Possibly an arrangement inherited when the firm of Alexanders was nationalised in the 1940s.

 

[Bradford PA]

Houses owned by employers for the occupancy of staff must be fairly rare now outwith church provision for clergy etc. perhaps.
A then state owned bus company I once worked for in the 1970s had a depot outside Glasgow and on the other side of the dual carriageway beside the depot there was a semi-detached property with the District Traffic Superintendent residing in one half of the building and the Depot Engineer in the other. Possibly an arrangement inherited when the firm of Alexanders was nationalised in the 1940s.

Yes, there used to be lots of rural and suburban houses purchased for the residence of local police officers. Some were specifically built and still carry the crest of the local force on their stone or brickwork so can still be identified today.

 

[D6130]

Yes, there used to be lots of rural and suburban houses purchased for the residence of local police officers. Some were specifically built and still carry the crest of the local force on their stone or brickwork so can still be identified today.

There are four 1960s-built police houses on the Western outskirts of Hebden Bridge (two double semis), although the local nick has long since closed....it's now an antiques centre!

 

[AndyPJG]

Yes, there used to be lots of rural and suburban houses purchased for the residence of local police officers. Some were specifically built and still carry the crest of the local force on their stone or brickwork so can still be identified today.

We can probably include Police Stations in this category too.

 

[Bradford PA]

We can probably include Police Stations in this category too.

And police boxes in major cities.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Houses owned by employers for the occupancy of staff must be fairly rare now outwith church provision for clergy etc. perhaps.
A then state owned bus company I once worked for in the 1970s had a depot outside Glasgow and on the other side of the dual carriageway beside the depot there was a semi-detached property with the District Traffic Superintendent residing in one half of the building and the Depot Engineer in the other. Possibly an arrangement inherited when the firm of Alexanders was nationalised in the 1940s.

United Counties owned houses for management staff in most of the towns where there were garages, too. Not near the depot or anything special, presumably so that mangers could easily be moved around on promotion.
The exception was the house attached to the garage at Bedford and with the entrance drive immediately in front - previously E.N.O.C. and originally London General. It was occupied by the Depot Superintendent and meant that he was always 'on call' even when 'phones (and only landlines) were rare.

 

[Killingworth]

Houses were provided for many workers and railways were one of the biggest providers, station masters, signalman and crossing keepers to name but three.

Country estates with many domestic and outdoor staff.

Bank nanagers living above 'the shop' - the family of a friend of my father lived above the bank backing onto a shipyard.

National Trust used to house rangers on their estates.

Much of this has been stopped by taxation on benefits in kind. And the desire of many to get on the property owning ladder.

 

[GordonT]

United Counties owned houses for management staff in most of the towns where there were garages, too. Not near the depot or anything special, presumably so that mangers could easily be moved around on promotion.
The exception was the house attached to the garage at Bedford and with the entrance drive immediately in front - previously E.N.O.C. and originally London General. It was occupied by the Depot Superintendent and meant that he was always 'on call' even when 'phones (and only landlines) were rare.

Occasionally at the garage I was thinking of, it was reputed that on occasion the company Traffic Manager would phone up the DTS early on in the day not realising that his subordinate was taking the call whilst still in his bed perhaps after a wild night socialising. Maybe an early example of "working from home".

 

[GusB]

Houses owned by employers for the occupancy of staff must be fairly rare now outwith church provision for clergy etc. perhaps.
A then state owned bus company I once worked for in the 1970s had a depot outside Glasgow and on the other side of the dual carriageway beside the depot there was a semi-detached property with the District Traffic Superintendent residing in one half of the building and the Depot Engineer in the other. Possibly an arrangement inherited when the firm of Alexanders was nationalised in the 1940s.

There were two semi-detached houses next to the depot in Elgin (also formerly Alexander's), one of which was occupied by the area manager - presumably this would have been occupied by the DTS when that job still existed. I've no idea when they were demolished, but the site is now a car park, possibly for staff.

My old secondary school (also since demolished) had two tied houses where janitors were accommodated. I don't know if the houses are still there.

The police also provided housing; my uncle was with Strathclyde and they lived in tied accommodation until he retired from the force.

 

[Trackman]

And police boxes in major cities.

Have RAC boxes been mentioned?

 

[McRhu]

Houses owned by employers for the occupancy of staff must be fairly rare now outwith church provision for clergy etc. perhaps.
A then state owned bus company I once worked for in the 1970s had a depot outside Glasgow and on the other side of the dual carriageway beside the depot there was a semi-detached property with the District Traffic Superintendent residing in one half of the building and the Depot Engineer in the other. Possibly an arrangement inherited when the firm of Alexanders was nationalised in the 1940s.

My primary school was a very large old house (with extensions). We were taught in what had probably been the living room downstairs and the janitor lived upstairs.

 

[Western Lord]

Houses owned by employers for the occupancy of staff must be fairly rare now outwith church provision for clergy etc. perhaps.
A then state owned bus company I once worked for in the 1970s had a depot outside Glasgow and on the other side of the dual carriageway beside the depot there was a semi-detached property with the District Traffic Superintendent residing in one half of the building and the Depot Engineer in the other. Possibly an arrangement inherited when the firm of Alexanders was nationalised in the 1940s.

There were a few cinemas which had a flat incorporated in them, usually for the occupation of the manager and his family.

 

[Merle Haggard]

When I worked in the booking office there was a small number of people who came in to pay the rent on their railway-owned houses. Claughton Road and Euston Road were two of the street names I remember, suggesting that they were built by the L.N.W.R., but they were of a design more suited to management staff.
Looking out of the window on the W.C.M.L. you will see the distinctive L.N.W.R. design of terraced block of, usually, up to 4 houses. They are identifiable particularly by the courses of blue brick along both storeys, and are usually near to a bridge and quite remote. An example near here is now called 'Fog Cottages'; although they mainly accommodated P.W. workers this is presumably a reference to the widespread use of p.w. men also to carry out fog signalling, fog being more frequent than nowadays.
Even up to the end of the last century, I know of a family in. a village who lived in a house tied to the father's employment as a carpenter. Tied cottages on farms were still common when I had more involvement with farms.

 

[GordonT]

At one time it was more common for some employers including the army to impose a ban on their employees sporting beards. Tendency now is to be more tolerant as long as there's not an unkempt look, unless there are particular health and safety issues e.g. firefighters are allowed to have moustaches but not beards.

 

[Calthrop]

I recall hearing -- I suspect: from a particular late, loved trivia-crammed uncle of mine -- that "in the old days", beards were forbidden to British Army personnel; but at discretion, allowed for those in the Navy. Standard procedure was for the aspirant "beardie" to ask of his superior officer: "Permission to grow, sir?" One imagines hard-to-resist exchanges: involving a sailor of small stature making that request of the bod concerned; and a response along the lines of "knock yourself out, son -- for all the good it's likely to do you".

 

[swt_passenger]

I recall hearing -- I suspect: from a particular late, loved trivia-crammed uncle of mine -- that "in the old days", beards were forbidden to British Army personnel; but at discretion, allowed for those in the Navy. Standard procedure was for the aspirant "beardie" to ask of his superior officer: "Permission to grow, sir?" One imagines hard-to-resist exchanges: involving a sailor of small stature making that request of the bod concerned; and a response along the lines of "knock yourself out, son -- for all the good it's likely to do you".

I think the request procedure in the RN was to allow them to check you could actually grow a ‘full set” relatively quickly. While someone was initially growing a beard perhaps they were hidden away…

 

[GordonT]

And indeed gas ones!

And you could make toast with gas fires! The older ones. Prone to releasing carbon monoxide poisoning (colour of flame gave you a little hint sometimes) but, anyway, they might kill you but at least you got a tasty snack.

 

[dangie]

When you could go into a pub and not be subjected to hearing bad language as an ‘accepted’ part of conversation. I’m not saying for one minute it never happened, but before it was kept quietish, now the whole pub hears it.

 

[zero]

When you could go into a pub and not be subjected to hearing bad language as an ‘accepted’ part of conversation. I’m not saying for one minute it never happened, but before it was kept quietish, now the whole pub hears it.

You could say the same about trains...

 

[GordonT]

When you could go into a pub and not be subjected to hearing bad language as an ‘accepted’ part of conversation. I’m not saying for one minute it never happened, but before it was kept quietish, now the whole pub hears it.

Very true and to an extent often applies in public places generally including within congregating groups of relatively young children.