What they thought back in 1955!

[crazyhorse]

Comments made in the year 1955!
That's only 54 years ago!


'I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $10.00.

'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $1, 000.00 will only buy a used one.

'If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. 20 cents a pack is ridiculous.

'Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging 7 cents just to mail a letter

'If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store.

'When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 25 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.

'I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND, it seems every new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it.

'I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas ...

'Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $50,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President.

'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now.

'It's too bad things are so tough nowadays... I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet.

'It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work.

'I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.

'Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to government.

'The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.

'There is no sense going on short trips anymore for a weekend, it costs nearly $2.00 a night to stay in a hotel.

'No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $15.00 a day in the hospital, it's too rich for my blood.'

'If they think I'll pay 30 cents for a hair cut, forget it.'

[rainman]

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." - Dr Albert Bartlett.

[Gareth51]

I can remember my first packet of Rothmans costing a couple of bob

[crazyhorse]

I'm sure I can remember milk only costing about 5 cents a bottle - or was it ten..... something like that LOL

[scumdog]

My Ford F100 pick-up truck was brand new back then - probably cost about 1,800 quid

[Motu]

In 1955 our family hardly needed to shop - there were huge vege gardens,chooks,fruit trees,a family fishing boat (commercial).These days you put a cabbage on the check out counter and the girl asks ''what is that?''

[Gareth51]

My Ford F100 pick-up truck was brand new back then - probably cost about 1,800 quid

That would equal 36000 bob

[DougB]

In 1955 I had owned a bike for two years it was an AJS 500 single one of the first bikes with rear springing.
I was serving a fitting and turning apprenticship at the Devonport Naval dockyard. My weekly pay (apprentic's wages)
was around $8 and my board and lodgings cost me $5. Petrol was about 20c a gallon which was
quite expensive when measured against my pay. The 'Milkbar cowboy' on his bike was king!

I thought city life then was amazing as for the first thirteen years of my life in the country (Kaikohe)
we had no electric power and our battery driven radio was the wonder of the age.
I have truly lived through the greatest advances in mankinds history, back then many people still
relied on horses for transport in the country areas, I had several horses and used to ride one to school
until I got a push bike. Motor cycle races were held using old triumphs
and Douglas machines. I learnt to ride on a pre war Harley Davidson with foot clutch
and hand gear change. You could drink the water in most streams.

I enjoy life now with our wonderful tecnology but often hanker for a simpler way of life

[nadroj]

That would equal 36000 bob

I had to double check that! It's been a long time.

[slofox]

I remember bread costing fourpence ha'penny a loaf back then...(just under 4 cents for all you young buggers...)

[avgas]

hmmmmm my dad was born then from recall. And the New Zealand Power Board were probably installing their first CDG overcurrent protection relays.
Dads 3TA would have been 2 years old!

[peasea]

My Ford F100 pick-up truck was brand new back then - probably cost about 1,800 quid

Were you the first owner?

[peasea]

In 1955 I had owned a bike for two years it was an AJS 500 single one of the first bikes with rear springing.
I was serving a fitting and turning apprenticship at the Devonport Naval dockyard. My weekly pay (apprentic's wages)
was around $8 and my board and lodgings cost me $5. Petrol was about 20c a gallon which was
quite expensive when measured against my pay. The 'Milkbar cowboy' on his bike was king!

I thought city life then was amazing as for the first thirteen years of my life in the country (Kaikohe)
we had no electric power and our battery driven radio was the wonder of the age.
I have truly lived through the greatest advances in mankinds history, back then many people still
relied on horses for transport in the country areas, I had several horses and used to ride one to school
until I got a push bike. Motor cycle races were held using old triumphs
and Douglas machines. I learnt to ride on a pre war Harley Davidson with foot clutch
and hand gear change. You could drink the water in most streams.

I enjoy life now with our wonderful tecnology but often hanker for a simpler way of life

Milk Bar Cowboys eh? I can recall them in the sixties in Wellington, man were they cool or what? It sounds like you're even older than me, jeez.

[Gareth51]

I remember bread costing fourpence ha'penny a loaf back then...(just under 4 cents for all you young buggers...)

And BIG ice cream for threepence

[crazyhorse]

................. and that kind of money I certainly don't remember :rofl:

[riffer]

LOL. I can still remember the debacle when they doubled the price of milk from 4c a pint to 8c a pint. The world was going to end. And when you could buy two pies and a can of coke and still get change for a dollar. And when a flagon of beer was $3.00... and I'm not even that old (42).

[peasea]

And BIG ice cream for threepence

But it's pronounced "thruppence". And there was even a thruppenny bit; with a couple of meres on it if I remember correctly.

We used to find them in the Christmas puddings........good on ya mum.

[peasea]

LOL. I can still remember the debacle when they doubled the price of milk from 4c a pint to 8c a pint. The world was going to end. And when you could buy two pies and a can of coke and still get change for a dollar. And when a flagon of beer was $3.00... and I'm not even that old (42).

Flagons? My gawd, what a mess. We used to buy flagons by the crate (five to a crate, was it?) and have flagon races. You get out all your pint and 1/2 pint mugs, fill them with beer from a flagon. Line the mugs up along the table, slug them back making your way down the table to a bucket at the end, into which you'd chunder violently. I have pics of the activity in the attic, farkin messy heads after that lot I can tell you.

Just thinking about that flat; we might have had motorcycles in the hall and bedrooms but there was always food in the fridge and no dishes on the bench. We were organised. Drunk, stoned and tripping off our nuts a lot of the time, but organised.

[riffer]

Just thinking about that flat; we might have had motorcycles in the hall and bedrooms but there was always food in the fridge and no dishes on the bench. We were organised. Drunk, stoned and tripping off our nuts a lot of the time, but organised.

Funny I don't recall you being my flatmate :|

[peasea]

Funny I don't recall you being my flatmate :|

That's ok dude, they reckon if you can recall the 70's you weren't really there.

[Ixion]

I'm not sure that I was. I blame aliens. Somehow life sort of fast forwarded from the mid 60s to the mid 80s.

[peasea]

I'm not sure that I was. I blame aliens. Somehow life sort of fast forwarded from the mid 60s to the mid 80s.

Some chemicals will do that; a handbrake is essential for some parties/weekends/sick days.

[scumdog]

And BIG ice cream for threepence

And 'two-pieces of fishand chip please' cost 6 pence

[Gareth51]

I rember a girl in standard 6 we called 6 pence

[peasea]

I rember a girl in standard 6 we called 6 pence

I always thought that was odd, coz she had seven diseases.

[davebullet]

I remember when stuff was free. My sis and I used to scrounge up glass Double R bottles and the smaller Coke bottles and get 8c / 4c refunds respectively. Then cash those in on a large 20c mixture, or giant 50c mixture.

I also remember 1/2 cent lollies.... and this all being a decimal system kid.

[scumdog]

I remember when stuff was free. My sis and I used to scrounge up glass Double R bottles and the smaller Coke bottles and get 8c / 4c refunds respectively. Then cash those in on a large 20c mixture, or giant 50c mixture.

I also remember 1/2 cent lollies.... and this all being a decimal system kid.

And I can remember a galllon of petrol at 3/6! (less than 9 cents a litre)

[Genie]

once upon a time...I said I would give up smoking when the price of a packet went over $1.00,

hahahaha, just gave up last year.

And going down the dairy with 50cents...get a spider and a huge bag of lollies. can't even get a spider unless i make my own at home.

[crazyhorse]

You used to buy a big bag of lollies for 5 cents...........

Those were the days you had milk delivered by the milk boys, you never locked your house at night, and I know somepoeple even had the bread man come inside and leave bread on their kitchen bench

...............oh, those were the days :sunny:

[marty]

or if you DID lock the house, 1 of 9 keys would open the lock

[crazyhorse]

Yeah, you are correct - we used to have a set of keys, although I am not sure why...... My dad was a policeman, so don't think we were into breaking into anyones houses, however, wouldn't need them, as we never locked our door either

[nighthawk]

Can remember bread and milk deliveries every day and the local vege shop owner would come round every tuesday selling his product,changing to decimal currency was a pain
but you could still get into the filcks for a bob(10 cents) and get change for an icecream.
As kids We could live like kings for a week when you got sent a 10 bob or pound money order for your birthday............. aaahhh such memories

[peasea]

once upon a time...I said I would give up smoking when the price of a packet went over $1.00,

hahahaha, just gave up last year.

And going down the dairy with 50cents...get a spider and a huge bag of lollies. can't even get a spider unless i make my own at home.

Have a look in the attic or basement, I'm sure you'll find some there.

[Fatjim]

Why is it that people celebrate their advancing age?

I can remeber Spandau Balet and Dexies midnight runners and thats about it.

[peasea]

And I can remember a galllon of petrol at 3/6! (less than 9 cents a litre)

How did the TV ad go? "Mister Hooper, with BP Super" or something like that. (With Methyl Benzene or whatever.)
Do you recall Atlantic fuel?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Antiques-collectables/Automotive-transport/Other/auction-256093602.htm

[peasea]

Why is it that people celebrate their advancing age?

I can remeber Spandau Balet and Dexies midnight runners and thats about it.

Great days, ahhh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoqW93ynBLE&feature=channel

Love the David Bain-type jumper.

[peasea]

Jeez, all the old bastards are coming out of the woodwork aren't they?

How about scanning some pics of yourselves as kids and attach an approximate date to it?

[FJRider]

Jeez, all the old bastards are coming out of the woodwork aren't they?

How about scanning some pics of yourselves as kids and attach an approximate date to it?

ME ... wif my littlle blister at the Queenstown airport .. circa: 1962 (I'm the one on the right)

[peasea]

That's way cool dude. I'll have a dig around and get scanning.

[scumdog]

How did the TV ad go? "Mister Hooper, with BP Super" or something like that. (With Methyl Benzene or whatever.)
Do you recall Atlantic fuel?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Antiques-collectables/Automotive-transport/Other/auction-256093602.htm

Yep, Atlantic and Europa too....and Shell Blue Pennant Kerosene for those old kero heaters..

[scumdog]

Remember Bob Charles shirts?
"Wherever you go - whatever you do,
There's a Bob Charles shirt just right for you...":shutup:

("With the new action gusset")

[McJim]

I remember paying about a pound (NZ$3.70 at the exchange rate that year) per litre for fuel in 2004 in the UK. Moved to New Zealand where it was about $1.40 per litre and people were actually complaining about the price of fuel :rofl:

[peasea]

Earliest known pic of yours truly. I think I was about 3, so 1960 or slightly earlier. Taken in London, SE1.

[peasea]

Remember Bob Charles shirts?
"Wherever you go - whatever you do,
There's a Bob Charles shirt just right for you...":shutup:

("With the new action gusset")

Hydrolastic suspension anyone?

[quickbuck]

I remember paying about a pound (NZ$3.70 at the exchange rate that year) per litre for fuel in 2004 in the UK. Moved to New Zealand where it was about $1.40 per litre and people were actually complaining about the price of fuel :rofl:

Because we were being paid in NZ dollars, and Not Pounds......
Should have seen the yanks faces when we told them we were paying $8 for a gallon..... Then I am on twice the pay my equivilent is in the US of A...

As for how much things cost..... Well, I remember not being allowd to buy a can of coke because 50 cents was too expencive..... Was the early 80's.

Dads 1976 XL125 cost $1200 brand new.... so did the colour TV that we got that year!!!
I think his pay was something like $300 per week?
As for mum working... Yeah, right!

[McJim]

Because we were being paid in NZ dollars, and Not Pounds......
Should have seen the yanks faces when we told them we were paying $8 for a gallon..... Then I am on twice the pay my equivilent is in the US of A...
!
I remember nearly getting straight back on a plane when I found out how few $100,000 per yer jobs were available in New Zealand. Luckily I found one 3 weeks after landing so that was all right :2thumbsup:

[peasea]

Because we were being paid in NZ dollars, and Not Pounds......
Should have seen the yanks faces when we told them we were paying $8 for a gallon..... Then I am on twice the pay my equivilent is in the US of A...

As for how much things cost..... Well, I remember not being allowd to buy a can of coke because 50 cents was too expencive..... Was the early 80's.

Dads 1976 XL125 cost $1200 brand new.... so did the colour TV that we got that year!!!
I think his pay was something like $300 per week?
As for mum working... Yeah, right!
She would have been at home baking cakes and the like that weren't full of preservatives and artificial colouring. They were the days when mums KNEW how to cook, not just bang a packet of something in the microwave and call it dinner.

[Ocean1]

Why is it that people celebrate their advancing age?

Dunno, 'snot like advanced antiquity is aught to be proud of.

Otherwise there'd be them’s as wot'd be goin' on about the horse an' cart that used to come collect the privy buckets twice a week.

An’ how, on discovering where said buckets were emptied some swore off strawberries for life...

Me, I’m nowhere near old enough to be reminiscing about shit like that.

[slofox]

Dunno, 'snot like advanced antiquity is aught to be proud of.
Me, I’m nowhere near old enough to be reminiscing about shit like that.


Well advancing age is not something we are all privileged to experience so maybe that is the reason for celebration. Besides, it's only the body that ages - the mind stays forever young (read immature for that. Some of us never grow up). I mean to say, I still love my toys, just as I did when I was seven years old. The toys have just got bigger and more expensive is all...:whistle:

Actually, I never thought I'd live this long. If I hadda known, I mighta taken more care...but probably not.

[scumdog]

Why is it that people celebrate their advancing age?

Cos we can.

Those in the cemetery cannot.


So it's in kind of celebration/appreciation of getting thus far.

[MotoKuzzi]

.......We used to find them in the Christmas puddings........good on ya mum.

Bloody good chance you'd also be looking for them in the bottom of the toilet bowl too!!

[Genie]

Have a look in the attic or basement, I'm sure you'll find some there.

surely you know what a spider is...in fact I know you know.

[Ixion]

You used to buy a big bag of lollies for 5 cents...........

Those were the days you had milk delivered by the milk boys, you never locked your house at night, and I know somepoeple even had the bread man come inside and leave bread on their kitchen bench

...............oh, those were the days :sunny:

Well, where was he supposed to leave it?

When I was 15 we moved out of the house we'd lived in for about the last 8 years. When all was signed up, the land agent called round and said (inter alia), "Will you drop the keys off or shall I call and collect them". Well, Mum looked at the land agent , Gran looked at Mum, Mum said "Uh, keys .....". Gran said "I'm sure we got some when we bought the place . They must be somewhere.". In all the time we'd lived there, they'd never locked the door.

Well, I mean why would you? What if someone called by while you were out, they wouldn't be able to get in , would they? Neighbourly courtesy said that if you called on someone and they were out, you went on in and made a cup of tea ready for the return of the travellers.

[Motu]

Everything was delivered because Mum's didn't have cars.....and even some fathers didn't.Some fathers in our street only had pushbikes to go to work on....a couple had BSA Bantams,we were pretty flash in having an A30...in 1955 we had a Fiat Topolino.We didn't have phones either - Mum would walk through ''The Creek'' to the local shops,and later that day the grocer,the greengrocer and the butcher would send a kid down in their vans to deliver.That had to be done every couple of days because we didn't have a fridge.In 1955 we got milk in a ''billy''.Open door policy in NZ right through to the early '70's....and for us in the '80's and 90's on Waiheke Island.

[MotoKuzzi]

Cream supplied to the dairy factory in cans, take a jug to the cowshed and fill it direct from the separator with fresh cream for our weet bix, even hand milked the cows if the power failed as it ofen did in those days. Party line telephone, ferguson tractors, Vanguards, '39 fords, Commer trucks. Petrol in 44 gal drums, which you just tipped over into a bucket or siphoned if you needed a bit for the lawn mower. Those were the days.

[Motu]

Milk and cream straight out of the cowshed was great,nothing like milk these days.But we have a young guy at work whose parents own one of the biggest dairy herds in the district won't drink milk straight from the cow - it's dirty and yucky,but drinks heaps of blue top.He's been hoodwinked into believing he'll die if he drinks fresh milk.

[peasea]

Bloody good chance you'd also be looking for them in the bottom of the toilet bowl too!!

Slightly off topic but that reminds me of a song written by some buddies of mine who had a thrash metal band. The song, called 'Peanuts', has a chorus line that goes; "I know you stole my peanuts coz I saw them in your shit."

[peasea]

surely you know what a spider is...in fact I know you know.

Of course I do, my parents had a milk bar in Newtown, Wellington, for many years. I can recall them being available over the counter and Tip Top was the best ice cream to make them back then, as it is now!

I have a sneaking suspicion you're off to the 4Square to buy some coka cola and vanilla ice cream.

[FROSTY]

you'll guess when I arrivedin godzone. Three winegums for one cent, fruju's had just come out and had chunks of acttual fruit in em. bread was delivered on a sunday hot and unsliced.

[Gareth51]

Milk and cream straight out of the cowshed was great,nothing like milk these days.But we have a young guy at work whose parents own one of the biggest dairy herds in the district won't drink milk straight from the cow - it's dirty and yucky,but drinks heaps of blue top.He's been hoodwinked into believing he'll die if he drinks fresh milk.

We would go up to the family farm in Mauriceville back in the 50s,I remember dad giving a glass of warm milk as it went into the separator...yuk.but the jug of fresh cream (as much as you wanted)on your porridge...yum.

[crazyhorse]

Of course I do, my parents had a milk bar in Newtown, Wellington, for many years. I can recall them being available over the counter and Tip Top was the best ice cream to make them back then, as it is now!

I have a sneaking suspicion you're off to the 4Square to buy some coka cola and vanilla ice cream.

I agree - Tip Top has to be the best ice-cream out there, creamiest as they come...................... and still as good as it ever was...........yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :sunny:

[crazyhorse]

Milk and cream straight out of the cowshed was great,nothing like milk these days.But we have a young guy at work whose parents own one of the biggest dairy herds in the district won't drink milk straight from the cow - it's dirty and yucky,but drinks heaps of blue top.He's been hoodwinked into believing he'll die if he drinks fresh milk.

I used to work at the HB Milk Corporation, and I've seen the vats............ kinda did put me off drinking the milk direct from cows too. But its tastes much nicer, I will say that :yes:

[Genie]

Of course I do, my parents had a milk bar in Newtown, Wellington, for many years. I can recall them being available over the counter and Tip Top was the best ice cream to make them back then, as it is now!

I have a sneaking suspicion you're off to the 4Square to buy some coka cola and vanilla ice cream.



funny you should say that....i live just over the road from a dairy and went and bought some fanta, got icecream in the freezer..tip top of course. it was rather delicious too. I don't do coke...it's bad for the insides

[sinfull]

My mamma on a motorsikle

[Genie]

hey man...that is such a cool pic

[T.W.R]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=36562&d=1152269995

Beach racing circa mid 1950s

[Gareth51]

Remember Bob Charles shirts?
"Wherever you go - whatever you do,
There's a Bob Charles shirt just right for you...":shutup:

("With the new action gusset")

And if you used roll on Trig you wouldn't be found by a bloodhound.

[sinfull]

hey man...that is such a cool pic
Got truck loads of pics from that era, just no scanner lol otherwise i'd go mad with it !
The folks and my uncle and aunt rode most of NZ from when they immagrated till kids got in the way !
Dad had dozens of bikes from AJ's to matchless's, Indians to BSA's
I got blooded in 73 when i couldnt wait any longer and pinched my bro's BSA that he'd bought off dad, unfortunately at 13 i struggled to hold it up and put it back dinged lol !

[Gareth51]

I agree - Tip Top has to be the best ice-cream out there, creamiest as they come...................... and still as good as it ever was...........yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :sunny:


Of course I do, my parents had a milk bar in Newtown, Wellington, for many years. I can recall them being available over the counter and Tip Top was the best ice cream to make them back then, as it is now!
.

Newtown icecream...straight out of the Johnsonville factory while still hot.......rember watching it being made.

[Motu]

Our workshop was an icecream factory in 1955...on the wall in the lunchroom is the Factories Act 1948.