Sounds & Smells of Yesteryear
Ahh, the memories…..
Those lovely aroma’s, which were not chemical in any way, that wafted around daily. The smell of Tar as they resurfaced the roads. Lovely squishy tar that melted in the hot summer sun so you could make patterns in it that would stay when it set hard again.
That beautiful smell of the coal being delivered. Real coal, not the smokeless stuff made into clean, boring nuggets, but big pieces of chunky, oily coal with all the dust that followed it down into the ‘Coal Hole’ which was situated in front of most houses (at least in London they were). Us kids would rush out in order to watch as it tumbled down into the cellar below the house. Mum or dad making sure we stayed out of the way – just in case a sack of coal should get dropped and one of us get hurt. The coal man’s clothes, all black and shiny from carrying sacks all day, smelt strong of coal. The smell lingered in the air for hours on delivery day.
Man carrying a sack of coal
The clip clop of horses as the delivery men went about their business, delivering all sorts of goodies. The Milk Man, the Peas Pudding man, the Cockle man and many more. I mustn’t forget the ‘Rag ‘n’ Bone’ man with his loud shouts of “Iron, old iron!” as he travelled slowly up and down the roads on his horse drawn cart waiting for people to bring out their broken, old items.
The Milkman
The old Rag & Bone Man
The steam train with the chug chug of the engine, whistle blowing and plumes of smoke rising from the moving train. The engine, with that delicious smell of coal, as the engine man stoked it, bringing it up to speed. My brother worked on them for a while and couldn’t wait to be the ‘stoker’ he said it was the most exhilarating experience ever!
Steam train as I remember them
The shops that had large wooden barrels full of broken biscuits and all sorts of food stuffs that would be shovelled out, weighed and poured into brown paper bags. The mixture of aromas made your mouth water. Every shop with it’s own unique smell. Butter came in large blocks and a piece would be cut off and patted into shape with ‘Butter Pats’ and weighed, then wrapped in grease proof paper. Not a plastic wrap in sight.
I really miss all the lovely smells and sounds of yesteryear which have, sadly, been replaced by the smell of chemicals and car fumes and the sound of mobile phones and traffic.
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Swubird | 23 March 2008 at 1:58
Beetle:
Great description of times past – the coal years. How wonderful. I could see it, smell it, and taste it in the air. I could see the wagons going by and hear the train whistle as it roared along the tracks. The whole scene swept me back in time like I was aboard a time machine on a voyage to the past. What a great post, and fantastic pictures. H.G. Wells doesn’t have anything on you.
Have a nice tomorrow.
Beetle | 23 March 2008 at 2:15
Thanks swubird, I look for your comments on my posts now :O)
Drowsey Monkey | 23 March 2008 at 2:20
Lovely post. But you remember when horses delivered stuff? C’mon! Really?
Beetle | 23 March 2008 at 3:17
I certainly do :0)
Spider | 23 March 2008 at 10:58
Well I am not much older than Babs and I most definitely remember the rag and bones man, the knife sharpener (wish we had them now)
The milk bottles quietly rattling as they delivered our fresh milk in Glass bottle, the small holes pierced in the lids by the birds!
Ooooh such memories.
Tinax
granny grimble | 23 March 2008 at 14:36
Very evocative stuff! Do you remember that the milkman not only delivered milk and cream, but also eggs and butter and, even jam tarts! Because I am so much older than you Babs, I remember Rag and Bone men who gave away not only goldfish, but roundabout rides in axchange for rags! Also the cat’s meat man who walked around with a long stick over his shoulder, impaled with chunks of meat. Ah memories!
Liudmila | 23 March 2008 at 15:55
I don’t say you about horses. Even if in Baltic countries (republics -at that time) they transported milk about 30 years ago, yes. I stell you an other thing.
I like cabbage soup. I do it with fried in a frying-pan carrots. So, carrots, if you fry them in oil, paint oil in orange colour. And cabbage has special taste.
Do you laugh? You are not right.
Yesterday I made this soup. No orange colour. No cabbage taste. Could you explain me WHAT I used to do it? In the supermarket was written that it was “carrots” and “cabbage”…
GoldAnne | 24 March 2008 at 23:28
wow!!!! that brought back so many memories !!!
great blog !!!!
love anne x
Sindie | 26 March 2008 at 15:07
Even I remember the coal truck but it wasn’t pulled by horses by the 70’s.
bahce
| 28 September 2008 at 7:36
This is very useful, thanks
Cleaning Tips
| 29 November 2008 at 13:44
Nice and usefull post, thanks, this is one for my bookmarks!
Keith Hindley
| 8 December 2008 at 10:31
I’m 62 and I remember the rag-n-bone man with his horse and cart giving away gold fish and ballons, also the knife sharpner, a man that sold hot pea soup from a push cart, the coal man and do you remember waking up to the sound of the Salvation army singing and playing drums and trombones.The smell of steam as a train went past, and making money cleaning snow of the front of houses and putting salt down to melt the ice.I used to get 6d a week for pocket money.We never got a TV untill I was 16. And I would’nt have changed one thing.
Swubird
| 26 July 2009 at 16:52
I miss the smell of the loading docs in Jersey growing up as a kid. My Dad was always taking me to his work on Saturdays.
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