When I was a kid

Time for me to get all nostalgic. Yesterday I was daydreaming about everything I remembered about my childhood. Mostly good things so I am going to rant about the things I enjoyed most about growing up. And some of the gadgets we had back then that we don't have today.

Children's Television.

Here are my top five T.V. programs that are no longer aired except with the possibility of some of the cable channels. The first thing I miss is Phillip Schofield in the broom cupboard with Gordon the Gopher.

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja/Hero Turtles which had a really catchy theme tune.
   
2. Fantastic Max the superhero baby.
   
3. Jamie and the Magic Torch
   
4. Maid Marian and her Merrymen a bit too sophisticated for children at the time. It had a very subtle sense of humour.
   
5. Going Live with the aforementioned Mr. Schofield I particularly remember a cooking segment where Emma Forbes almost barbecued Gordon the Gopher and of coarse who could forget Trevor and Simon.
   

Quiz Shows

Next my memory of the quiz shows that we used to watch sometimes at the weekend and sometimes they were on during the week.

1. Chegger's Plays Pop
   
2. Mike Reid's Pop Quiz
   
3. Telly Addicts
   
4. Fifteen to One
   
5. And I wonder if any of you can remember Screen Test.
   

Next I think I should mention the popular Radio 1 DJ's of the time. I remember the breakfast show being hosted by Simon Mayo. Jackie Brambles who is now one of the regulars on Loose Women. The bush bearded Dave Lee Travis. This was all in the days where computers, playstations (and games consoles in general) were not a part of everyday living. So as children we had to make our own entertainment. Other things we did which you don't see anymore, kids building go-karts with rope for a steering wheel. Playing board games seems to have died out. And I can still remember black and white TVs. The other simple things like playing cards don't seem to happen. Top Trumps was really popular and collecting sticker albums for the football season, although at the last world cup some colleagues and myself did the 2006 album which I completed.

Popular films of the day were Star Wars and the Indiana Jones movies both of which have made comebacks still capture the imagination. I miss Film???? With Barry Norman who is far better the Jonathon Ross. Star Wars figures but they returned. Action Man is he still around me no not. Do people still play trivial pursuit, scrabble and monopoly? On the last day of term at primary school is there still a toy day?

The gadgets and electronic toys I remember are:-

1. The Donkey Kong Games
   
2. The BBC computer
   
3. That games console that had the twisting controls and that strange tennis game. Can't remember what it was called.
   
4. Watch Calculators and Radio Watches.
   
5. Top Loading Video Recorders with remote controls that had a lead that plugged into the machine. And Beta-max.
   
6. Music cassettes and vinyl discs that had b-sides on them.
   

And now that we have a twenty four hour television service I miss the test card that was on the telly before BBC1 or BBC2 started transmitting its programs. I even miss Saint and Greaves doing their Saturday football round up. The no more than 2 foreign players being allowed in a football team playing in Europe. Murray Walker's commentating on the Grand Prix, Des Lynam on Grandstand. I have fond memories of the classic sketch shows like Harry Enfield and Chum's, KYTV Spitting Image, Blackadder and the Young Ones. I have knowledge that they are all probably available on DVD but I still miss it.

The novelty record releases that don't seem to happen anymore except that fucking awful frog on the motorcycle. Who remembers Doctor Who in the Tardis song, Star Trekking Across the Universe?

Is trans world sport still transmitted?

The car stereos with those great big buttons for changing stations. Television sets that used to have the winder for tuning them. Typewriters they have died out but people would often use them; they had those wonderful ribbons on them that were half black and half red. Stamps that had to be licked they are gone. Other things like Yo-Yo's do children still have them? I can also remember telephones that had to be dialled and were all standard issue from BT the cases were probably made from Bakelite. National Health Glasses I remember the great big plastic frames that they had. The list goes on and on but I do not have the time to elaborate further.