Warm Summer Evennings

[Alf still]

  i used to realy love the warm summer evennings when i lived in Royal Rd.in the late 40s.The women would be sitting outside their front, door knitting or just talking to their neighbours,the kids would be playing in the road all the games that kids played in those days like tin-can- tommy,hop schoch,marbles, gob stones,ETC. the girls would have their skipping ropes streached from one side of the road to the other side and two or three girls would be skipping in the middle singing the skipping songs that they use to sing.
                                   My Dad would be out in the shed doing his fretwork,he loved fretwork,he use to get his plywood from old tea chest,or buy it from Bernards at the Abbey Arms where he use to get his copies of Hobbies weekly.Then later in the evenning i would go round to the off-licence on the corner of Baxter and Leyes Rd with my Mum to get my Dads jug of Brown and Mild,i use to finish up with a bottle of cream soda or a big Arrowroot biscuit or a bag of Smiths crisps with the little blue twist of salt. then we would sit around the table playing Ludo,Snakes and Ladders,Snap cards,listento the wireless Then of to bed
                                    It dont a lot in todays world,but they were great times,little things mean a lot.
                                         
                                                      Cheers.        ALF                                                   
                                     

[Bert]

Lovely memories and well described, Alf. To sum it up, that was the then wonderfully happy and peaceful British family life - tragically, gone for ever, it seems.

Incidentally, I, too used to get Hobbies weekly as a boy in the 1930s (I think it was only 2d) and did fretwork with tea chest 3-ply wood. Also made my first electric motor from a cocoa tin, thanks to Hobbies magazine. Then got into building wireless sets and added Popular Wireless and/or Practical Wireless magazine to my hobby matter.

Thanks for the memories, Alf.

Bert.

[ed styles]

 Alf,
     Quality, hang on to those memories, the area and lifestyle now changed forever.

 All the best Ed

[Will.B]

Hi Alf,
          Thanks for your post and those memories, I was beginning to think I was the only one that remembers those wonderful times.
All the best.Will.

[Alf still]

   Hi Bert
              Thanks a lot. Regarding Hobbies weekly, although they do not publish a weekly one now they print a Handbook every year, it comes out around Augest,or you can go on their website which is www.woodenmodels.com,if you look under projects for achives you will see they still do the old plans for  fretwork.

                                            Regards.        Alf

[Bert]

Yes, Alf. I still have the 1982-83 Hobbies Handbook. Cost only 75p.

Also, after our first granddaughter was born 30 years ago I wanted to build her a dolls house. Got a great Tudor house plans and instructions sheet from Hobbies. I bought it at their great shop that was, and, hopefully, still is in Holborn. Made three more for later granddaughters and they all still treasure them. It was Hobbies design rocking dogs, garages and train sets for the grandsons.

Thanks, Alf, for the advice.

Bert.