Glad I'm in good company, lots of similar experiences. I remember all us kids used to get stuffed in the back of the station wagon, no seats no belts. In the summer they would roll the back window down, we would sit right next to it.
Growing up in the 1970s & How We Should All Be Dead!
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A few years back, I reconnected with my best friend from elementary school. Phial and I were an unmitigated terror in our youth, each one egging on the other to great stupidity of destructive behavior. As we chatted on the phone, we had a great time recounting all the shit we pulled as kids: Lighting pool chlorine on fire, shooting at cars on the turnpike with a BB gun, pouring rubbing alcohol on his basement floor and lighting it, etc., etc., etc. and even more extreme stuff later on in high school.
I asked him "Phil, how in hell did we all survive that shit?" and his answer was "We didn't", and proceeded to rattle off a rather disturbingly long list of kids in our 6th grade class who are now dead. Then he ran down a list of kids who were permanently wounded (burned head to toe by gasoline, paralyzed, etc).
So while most of us survived, don't let nostalgia fog your perspective. As the great Ian Shoals once observed: "Nostalgia is just a cheap dream, made in Japan".
I asked him "Phil, how in hell did we all survive that shit?" and his answer was "We didn't", and proceeded to rattle off a rather disturbingly long list of kids in our 6th grade class who are now dead. Then he ran down a list of kids who were permanently wounded (burned head to toe by gasoline, paralyzed, etc).
So while most of us survived, don't let nostalgia fog your perspective. As the great Ian Shoals once observed: "Nostalgia is just a cheap dream, made in Japan".
Yeah, but good cheap dreams....
Dutch's comments made me recall sitting on the open gate of a stationwagon bouncing around town. Same station wagon I drove at 70 mph on gravel roads until my sister squealed on me. The roads were straight as dies, and every mile a similar road would intersect at 90º. You could see on coming cars miles away as the limestone dust was very visible. So it wasn't about hitting or getting hit, but slipping into a 4 foot ditch at that speed. I was 16, and before seatbelts were used in anything but racing cars.
Dutch's comments made me recall sitting on the open gate of a stationwagon bouncing around town. Same station wagon I drove at 70 mph on gravel roads until my sister squealed on me. The roads were straight as dies, and every mile a similar road would intersect at 90º. You could see on coming cars miles away as the limestone dust was very visible. So it wasn't about hitting or getting hit, but slipping into a 4 foot ditch at that speed. I was 16, and before seatbelts were used in anything but racing cars.
I remember in 1970's Sheffield there was an enormous toy shop in town called Redgates. It was on three floors and anything a child ever wanted was for sale in there from bicycles to dolls to pets etc.
They also had a chemistry section where one could stock up on the various chemicals that came with the chemistry sets they also sold.
Potassium Nitrate, Sulphur, Magnesium Ribbon...all were sold there and I having a great interest in making mini bombs and fireworks spent a whole load of my pocket money in there...happy days.
Regards,
Jay.
They also had a chemistry section where one could stock up on the various chemicals that came with the chemistry sets they also sold.
Potassium Nitrate, Sulphur, Magnesium Ribbon...all were sold there and I having a great interest in making mini bombs and fireworks spent a whole load of my pocket money in there...happy days.
Regards,
Jay.
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