Time was I'd have rather stuck pins in my eyes than stay at home on New Years Eve...it was a case of getting all dressed up...hair back-combed and lacquered to within an inch of its life...American Tan stockings...a petticoat with lace round the hem and liberal use of black eye-liner. I think we were aiming for something between Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black...probably looked like total frights but we thought we looked gorgeous!
That hair lacquer was awful...came in a sort of puffer spray and it was sticky and smelled terribly sweet and cloying. Forgot the pale pink lipstick...the paler the better...used to buy it in Woolworths.
Once we were all dressed and ready we'd pile into the car of whichever boyfriend happened to have one...Ford Anglia's and Mini's were popular and it didn't bother us about over-crowding either...we'd sit on each others laps and away we'd go to the 'pub which was flavour of the month. We changed our allegiance to 'pubs for no real reason, often travelling for miles to reach the one we liked...
We drank and flirted and went in twos to the Ladies loo where we'd re-apply lipstick and put some more Crème Puff on our red cheeks to try to make ourselves look pale and interesting...
Come midnight the lights would go down and the radio would be turned up loud so everyone could hear Big Ben strike twelve...then it was a case of making a rapid beeline for the lad you were going out with or desperately trying to avoid the boy with acne and bad breath who was bearing down on you with a determined look in his eye...
Lots of hugs and kisses...three cheers and last orders and then the out of tune singing of Auld Lang Syne...gathering up coats and handbags and out into the cold car-park to squash ourselves back into the car...no-one gave a hoot about under-age drinking or about driving while three sheets to the wind. We never fell over in the gutter or made a show of ourselves by being sick in the street...whoever was driving was far too aware of what his Father would say if he dented his car, so drove carefully and we arrived home in the early hours to open the front door gingerly and creep up to bed...shoes in our hands.
By the time I was eighteen, I was an all out Hippy and had a general disdain for such goings on...that was the year I'd spent Christmas with my parents for some unknown reason and sat up until the New Year watching Andy Stewart cavorting about a stage and telling dreadful jokes and singing...Mother loved him, while Father sat glowering with a whiskey and his pipe...some young monks had given me a bottle of Calvados but Mother had snatched it away as soon as they were gone...I was allowed a small dry sherry as the clock struck the hour...then we went to bed.
25 Replies
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Happy new year vashti and him indoors. Xx Sonia xx
Well Vashti your post certainly reminded me of how times have changed, but I recall similar things to you plus stilletto shoes to take off before walking home no cars amongst my friends. Hope you have a wonderful 2015 and keep those memory posts coming xx
could not get them on now never mind walk in them, but Nikkers those were the days as they say used to wear at least four inch high ones,they were so feminine, with stockings too. Happy new year xx
Great description Vashti. I remember using sugar water on my hair before laquer came out. It was awful and set rock hard and you had to pour hot water on your hair to get it out properly. Do you remember the high back collars? I put some old "whalebone" from one of my Mother's old corsets into the back of my coat collar so it would stand up all the time. Also, what today they call "skinny" jeans! We used to sit in the bath wearing them so they would shrink to fit tight as possible. Then wriggle around on the floor to get into them and do them up. Even had a friend that used to sew hers up and then undo it at the bottom every time because she couldn't get her feet through if she didn't. Also went through the "Flower Child" phase with lots of necklaces, flower painted faces, dresses just about covering your modesty and feathers etc in your hair, wishing everyone love and peace. Much good that one did - not!
Have a great New Year and keep your wonderful stories coming.
it was the American Tan tights that took me straight back to those mostly happy days. Pale pink Suki Pearl lipstick by Yardley and Creme Puff. Some things you can still buy today. You are a gifted writer, please keep them coming. Lol XXXXXX Val.
Anyone remember "Paper Nylon" waist slips? I devised the idea of storing them rolled up in a nylon stocking, otherwise they took over the wardrobe, really huge - sadly all that stuff was put away in a friend's coach-house, vandals got in and the police advised her to destroy everything - sigh!
I do! They rustled and made your skirt stick out...thought them lovely! What a shame about your stuff...perhaps it wasn't very nice after the vandals had been in there...
My wedding outfit and my mum's 1920's wedding dress all had to be destroyed - syringes and poo left all over the place, they must have had a really good night, damn them!
I remember "paper nylon" it made a crackly noise. Also used to wear oceans of Tarleton. I used to wear 2 or 3 at a time then wrap an elastic bandage round and round my waist as tight as possible so they all stayed in place! Oh the agony we suffered for that fashion. Lol
What memories, brings it all back, too Old now, God knows how we survived but we did, and we never hurt anyone, only Mum and Dads who wished we would hurry up snd meet a decent fell and settle down. These young one's today think they invented ' Being a bit of a diva' well they didn't we did !!
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