1964 tv
Created | Updated May 9, 2008
1964 TV
In the red corner!..In the blue corner!.. This was for me the start of Saturday black and white tv one typical day in 1964.
Grandad used to tend to his vegetables with my help in the morning. We lived in a semi-detached privately rented house in a very quiet pit village where everybody knew everybody and nobody had a car. He had a small garden to the rear of the property keeping chickens, rabbits and a goat.
Always sunny the deafening silence was rarely broken by the sound of a piston engined aircraft flown by hero's. Despite his string vest he commanded great respect and walked tall in the community, demanding perfection in anything ventured.
The tv would not go on until professional wrestling started after dinner; grandad was seriously into professional wrestling and knew all the rules. He often complained 'it is too theatrical nowadays,' I liked the bits he didn't and didn't understand his praise of certain moves.
After wrestling I had to help grandma make the tea, boring football results were on so I didn't mind. Grandad was unusually quiet and introverted. We had tea, some lettuce yuk, tomatoes and radishes and bread and butter, my uncles and auntie's start to arrive.
Money was scarce but we managed, the whole community helped each other, vegetables exchanged for tins my grandma stacked in a large larder, just in case of a third world war. Everybody grandads age served in the war and it was not far from their minds, in fact grandma made sure I could put my gas-mask on in the required time.
Auntie Pat said Roger had been with a fit bird, I thought, suppose that means he's into exercise because he is always with a fit bird, and I make some bird impressions.
My favourite program 'Dr Who' is on and everybody is here now, crowded into a small front room and I have to sit on the floor. Roger is setting up his tape recorder, the size of a suitcase for 'Juke Box Jury,' a program that made me cringe. Grandma says I should be like the young generation but I preferred to go into the kitchen and listen to my records of 'Emerson Lake and Palmer' and 'Borodin.'
Grandad was having a quiet argument with a chap at the door; his pools coupon had not been posted by the collector and he was refunded his stake. 'It's no use crying over spilt milk,' he said. Their was a low pay-out on the pools that week and he would have won around £8, about a weeks wages. Always optimistic he said he could always win next week.
Unusually grandad was not required to call bingo at the 'Old Hall' until later; a loud band was playing there and grandma decided we were not going out until after nine. The 'Old Hall' is a miners welfare club and we almost always went out to do a spot of ballroom dancing to the local band no later than 7:30. My auntie's and uncles were not of the same opinion and left.
We have a choice between 'Opportunity Knocks' and 'Dr Finley's Casebook.' I preferred Dr Finley because his devoted maid used to make me laugh, with her fake accent rushing after a self important pompous army major type set in Scotland.
Opportunity Knocks was on with Huwie Green and grandma says she will get me on the show to do some ballroom dancing, I think erm... I don't think so... but remain silent. This show full of hopeful idiots and that Huwie Green, his style of presentation like the arrogant loud salesman, extroverted and overconfident, is reality tv a step too far. I prefer to see some good acting; such as 'Perry Mason' chasing murderers down the street in his wheelchair.
My mind drifts to thoughts of the 'Old Hall' which I miss dearly.
In the red corner!..In the blue corner!.. This was for me the start of Saturday black and white tv one typical day in 1964.
Grandad used to tend to his vegetables with my help in the morning. We lived in a semi-detached privately rented house in a very quiet pit village where everybody knew everybody and nobody had a car. He had a small garden to the rear of the property keeping chickens, rabbits and a goat.
Always sunny the deafening silence was rarely broken by the sound of a piston engined aircraft flown by hero's. Despite his string vest he commanded great respect and walked tall in the community, demanding perfection in anything ventured.
The tv would not go on until professional wrestling started after dinner; grandad was seriously into professional wrestling and knew all the rules. He often complained 'it is too theatrical nowadays,' I liked the bits he didn't and didn't understand his praise of certain moves.
After wrestling I had to help grandma make the tea, boring football results were on so I didn't mind. Grandad was unusually quiet and introverted. We had tea, some lettuce yuk, tomatoes and radishes and bread and butter, my uncles and auntie's start to arrive.
Money was scarce but we managed, the whole community helped each other, vegetables exchanged for tins my grandma stacked in a large larder, just in case of a third world war. Everybody grandads age served in the war and it was not far from their minds, in fact grandma made sure I could put my gas-mask on in the required time.
Auntie Pat said Roger had been with a fit bird, I thought, suppose that means he's into exercise because he is always with a fit bird, and I make some bird impressions.
My favourite program 'Dr Who' is on and everybody is here now, crowded into a small front room and I have to sit on the floor. Roger is setting up his tape recorder, the size of a suitcase for 'Juke Box Jury,' a program that made me cringe. Grandma says I should be like the young generation but I preferred to go into the kitchen and listen to my records of 'Emerson Lake and Palmer' and 'Borodin.'
Grandad was having a quiet argument with a chap at the door; his pools coupon had not been posted by the collector and he was refunded his stake. 'It's no use crying over spilt milk,' he said. Their was a low pay-out on the pools that week and he would have won around £8, about a weeks wages. Always optimistic he said he could always win next week.
Unusually grandad was not required to call bingo at the 'Old Hall' until later; a loud band was playing there and grandma decided we were not going out until after nine. The 'Old Hall' is a miners welfare club and we almost always went out to do a spot of ballroom dancing to the local band no later than 7:30. My auntie's and uncles were not of the same opinion and left.
We have a choice between 'Opportunity Knocks' and 'Dr Finley's Casebook.' I preferred Dr Finley because his devoted maid used to make me laugh, with her fake accent rushing after a self important pompous army major type set in Scotland.
Opportunity Knocks was on with Huwie Green and grandma says she will get me on the show to do some ballroom dancing, I think erm... I don't think so... but remain silent. This show full of hopeful idiots and that Huwie Green, his style of presentation like the arrogant loud salesman, extroverted and overconfident, is reality tv a step too far. I prefer to see some good acting; such as 'Perry Mason' chasing murderers down the street in his wheelchair.
My mind drifts to thoughts of the 'Old Hall' which I miss dearly.
