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20-09-2018 11:11 PM
20-09-2018 11:11 PM
The Good Ole Days :-)
Every now and then you hear people talk about the good ole days.
Last week my family were talking about Cracker Night and having a bon fire in the back yard (early 60's) that all the neighbours came to. For weeks they'd pop by adding old tyres, furniture and anything to the huge pile that would light up like tinder.
It started at dusk; men with a beer, women had home made ginger beer and kids - yummy creaming soda. Cheese, tomato and Jatz was a staple along with a pavlova contest among the women.
Our back yard was on a 1/4 acre flat block; the old style clothes line from end to end was propped up by long raw sticks from the scrub and filled with colourful flags to celebrate. It's awesome I can remember it so clearly.
It grew into a large firey mass throwing out unbelievable heat, crackled, popped and smelled like old rubber boots and pine needles. Crackers were lit only metres from us bursting into flame at times and put out by the appointed fire puter-outerer standing by with the hose. lol
It was fun and oh so memorable. I totally understand the evolved safety laws that prevent bon fires these days, but considering the wonderful community spirit it evoked, a few people hurt by stupidity was sort of accepted due to the social aspect being so enjoyable.
And, any one of those people could've been called on in an emergency in the middle of the night without one complaint.
I've been called an idiot by now generations for talking about it. They laugh and mock as if people were ignorant back in the day. They weren't; they were driven by community, not money.
What are your thoughts? What are your stories?
Hope
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21-09-2018 06:59 AM
21-09-2018 06:59 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
@Hope4me I remember cracker night - especially the parachute we used to wait to fall and chase as it fell from the sky after being launched out of a cracker. It was so much fun.
We would occasionally go to a bonfire but mostly set off our crackers at home. We had a large block also so had plenty of room to set them off. Good times!
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21-09-2018 07:33 AM
21-09-2018 07:33 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
Yes bad old days when houses cost a years wages @Hope4me we were money poor but clothed and fed as mother used to say and lived rent free in work house. No tv til age 10 or phone. Full employment and legal vices were accepted and affordable .
..Guy Fawkes Night re ‘cracker night’ ? .. we used to get them from the newsagent that also sold model plane kits and lyric books for songs on the radio. Mum used to knit jumpers and darn socks. If it was too hot we’d sleep outside. We had a hand me down portable evap aircon that was put in kids bedroom for us to get to sleep then was put in parents bedroom. No such thing as labor hire agencies or depression. Ok no medicare either. Just medicine cabinet with various concoctions .. cod liver oil, milk of magnesia, cotton wool, jasol B , and stuff from Rawleighs man. Account book at local shops no supermarkets fresh edible fruit and veg sold by by people who made a living not inedible stuff sold for corporate profit. Real milk. Homemade .. everything. Yes, ginger beer preserves, vacola fruit etc. no seatbelts, no bike helmets. No obesity No centrelink well never heard of it til 15 maybe
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21-09-2018 07:46 AM
21-09-2018 07:46 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
The milk used to be delivered every morning in bottles to the doorstep @TAB @Hope4me
We didn't need to lock doors or cars snd we knew our neighbours really well. That sense of community was high. As kids we would leave home in the morning and not be seen again until meal times. We would jump on our bikes, pack our fishing rods or skateboard or roller skates, grab a cricket bat and ball etc. and be found playing with the neighbourhood kids in a gme or exploring round the neighbourhood. Those were the days when being outside and amng friends was the prioirty - no screens, no comuter games, no 24/7 tv with multiple channels to flick through... They were good times!
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21-09-2018 08:05 AM
21-09-2018 08:05 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
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21-09-2018 08:14 AM
21-09-2018 08:14 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
I used to ride to my grandparents around 7km away when I was a younger and stay there until I either rode home or Pop would throw my bike in the back of the ute and take me home at the end of the day @TAB @Hope4me
We had all kinds of sporting equipment that we would regularly play outside with and if the weather was not nice it didn't matter - we would just get wet and play in the mud lol
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21-09-2018 08:23 AM
21-09-2018 08:23 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
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21-09-2018 08:30 AM
21-09-2018 08:30 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
I have been trying to think of the positives and not go down that negative road too @TAB - there were lots of negatives and bad experiences in my childhood but there were some good times as well. Those were the days when I would ply with the other kids in the street - we made our own bike track next to the shop and we would all take turns in navigating the course with it's many jumps. There were of course injuries but for the most part we would just pick ourselves up and contniue on.
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21-09-2018 08:30 AM
21-09-2018 08:30 AM
Re: The Good Ole Days :-)
Hi @Hope4me
We still had cracker night in the 1990's in NSW.
It was only banned comparatively recently in most states.
I've virtually never seen fireworks since then (except in pictures).
Adge
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21-09-2018 08:57 AM
21-09-2018 08:57 AM