June 2021

Tanners And Bobs

Back in the days of tanners and bobs, When mothers had patience and fathers had jobs. When football teams’ families wore hand me down shoes, And T.V. gave only two channels to choose.

Back in the days of threepenny bits, when schools employed nurses to search for your nits! When snowballs were harmless; ice slides were permitted and all of your jumpers were warm and hand knitted.

Back in the days of hot ginger beers, when children remained so for more that six years. When children respected what older folks said, and pot was a thing you kept under your bed.

Back in the days of ‘Listen with Mother’, when neighbours were friendly and talked to each other. When cars were so rare you could play in the street, when doctors made house calls; police walked the beat.

Back in the days of Milligan’s Goons, when butter was butter and songs all had tunes. It was dumplings for dinner and trifle for tea, and our annual break was a day by the sea!

Back in the days of ‘Dixon of Dock Green’, ‘Crackerjack’ pens and Lyons ice creams. When children could freely wear National Health glasses, and teachers stood in front of their classes.

Back in the days of rocking and reeling, When mobiles were things that you hung from the ceiling. When woodwork and cookery got taught in schools, and everyone dreamed of a win on the pools.

Back in the days when I was a lad. I can’t help but smile for the fun that I had. Hopscotch and roller skates; snowballs to lob, Back in the days of tanners and bobs

David Wood

May 2021

All of our lives have changed so much over the last year - first we've been restricted in what we could do and where we could go, and now, slowly but surely, our worlds are opening up with the promose of more to do and especially the chance to meet up with friends and family again - thank goodness!

However, in our desire to look at a brighter future let's not forget all the experiences we've had in the past. Here are some though-provoking 'have you ever...' questions to share and stimulate memories and bring back a few smiles!

April 2021

Special events throughout the year are always a good starting point for reviving memories for all of us and Easter is no exception.

Many traditions based around this festival are inevitably centred on the church and the Easter story, and sadly this year our celebrations will be curtailed. However, we can cast our minds back to the time when as children we made an Easter garden on a tray and attended special church services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Perhaps you were involved in community events such as attending a ‘sunrise service’, ‘egg rolling’, egg decorating, Easter egg hunts or creating an Easter bonnet! Maybe you made Easter cards at school or bought some like the ones shown below.

We will all have celebrated Easter in some way and many traditions still continue in villages across Cornwall, or perhaps within families.

Needless to say, as with many celebrations it’s food which continues to be the main source of our communal festivities – hot cross buns, chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies spring to mind, but let’s not forget the tradition of boiled eggs for breakfast on Easter morning, roast lamb for lunch, Easter biscuits and simnel cake – a fruit cake decorated with eleven marzipan balls representing eleven of the twelve apostles – minus Judas, of course.

Whatever your recollections of Easters gone by, we hope you enjoy this year’s celebrations as we look forward to Springtime which is now well on its way!