Standard readers might remember that I wrote recently about ordering Groceries in 1950’s Ciren, but I didn’t mention payment. Back then it was a time when “Plastic” hadn’t been invented and it was cash only. Cheques were in use, but I don’t think many people from the Beeches where I came from, had access to this form of payment. Working people at the time, were paid in Cash and usually paid weekly; the money handed to the employee in a brown envelope with window in it to allow the edge of the notes within to be counted before the seal was broken. Every shop took cash which was placed in a mechanical till which had a bell that rang when the cash drawer was opened. Shops usually had a single cash till: centrally placed and staffed by a person who only did this particular job. This worked well for smaller shops such as Jessie Smiths the Butchers and Wheeler’s Stores in Cricklade Street, but larger shops such as Boultons in the Market Place or Clappens used different methods: French and Sons in West Market Place had a sort of overhead system comprising a taut wire that ran from the sales desk to the cashier’s station; a cage-like booth which was somewhere out of sight in the shop. The sales assistant would put the customers’ money into a cannister attached to the wire and by tugging firmly on a spring-loaded lever, the canister would be catapulted along the wire, reaching its destination in mere seconds. The cashier could then “return fire” with the change and a receipt. Mitchells drapers in Castle street had a vacuum system where customers’ money would be placed in a cannister: inserted into tubing; to be rapidly sucked though to a distant cashier. Sometimes the capsules would get stuck in the vacuum pipe and the Manager would have to climb amongst the tubing to extricate the capsule.
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In 1976 the Country marked the Centenary of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee . That year the Ciren Carnival reflected the event with series of “Imperial” themed floats. But what was thought to be “Imperial” back had a different perspective to the way we understand it today: The Carnival of 1976 had a number of Jingoistic floats depicting domination of people from what was regarded at the time as third World Countries. Throughout my childhood and teens, the only exposure that many Ciren people had to foreign Culture, was a two week Clarkson’s all-inclusive holiday to a Mediterranean destination. Places further away from Spain or the Italian Riviera were mainly only within the experience of those who had served in the Forces or who could afford Thomas Cook excursions. I can remember my Father’s stories about places such as Egypt that he had visited in the Army: places which he described pejoratively, (due to his war experience) but always sounded exotic to me as a child and inspired me to want to visit as many countries as possible one day. I think it’s true to say that until quite late on, many Ciren people had never actually encountered a person with different coloured skin, Culture, or place of origin much further away from Ciren than the County boundaries. It was unusual to see anyone in Town that hadn’t been either born there or was visiting a relative in Ciren. The populist view of anything foreign to Ciren was informed mainly by newspapers, and TV shows such as “Love thy Neighbour” 1972-1976 and the longer running “Till Death us Do Part” ( 1965 to 1992). The Black and White Minstrel show was widely popular attracted an audience each week of around 21 Million viewers. The show presented traditional American minstrel and country songs, as well as show tunes and music hall numbers, usually performed in blackface, and with lavish costumes. I walked past the old Lewis Lane Council School last week and although it’s over 50 years. it seemed like it was only yesterday that I was there as a pupil in my school blazer and the red cap that my mother had bought for me from Scotts; the School outfitters in Castle Street. I noticed the buildings have been altered in some ways since I went there, but the fabric appears almost as it did when I went there in the 50’s. The school is all one building really, but as children we were very aware of the difference between the Primary school on the left side and the Junior School on the right. The differences started at the entrance, with separate entrances accessed by two different gates from Lewis Lane. Once inside, the classrooms had a quasi-Gothic sort of style with high ceilings and large windows through which light would stream in. I don’t think I can recall lights ever being used, but obviously they had them and the fitting of them is recorded in the School records; now in the Gloucestershire Public Record office. There was also heating, which many readers will recall, was provided by coal burning pot-bellied iron stoves. Each classroom had a stove; protected by an iron railing, against which children were allowed to stand if they were feeling a bit “poorly”. During the big-freeze Winter of 1963, I remember there was a queue of “poorly” children waiting for a place at the rail each morning;. each clutching a 3rd a pint bottle of free school milk to warm on the stove. Outside the classroom, there was a playground which was divided by a tall stone wall with solid gate. Once a year in September, the gate would open and with trepidation, infancy was left behind as the 7 year olds filed through to become newly fledged Juniors. Watching the Lottery results on TV recently, got me thinking about the time back before the Lottery started in 1994. Back then, almost everyone I knew, did what was simply referred to as "The Pools" each week. The dream was the same as winning the Lottery; the hope of winning a life changing fortune for small outlay. The Pools were cheap to enter, with the potential to win a very large sum of money. I remember in 1961 a woman called Viv Nicholson hit the Nationals News with a win of £152.319; equivalent to £3 million today. Some readers may remember Mrs Nicholson famously said she was going to "Spend, Spend, Spend " and promptly did so on Fur coats, cars and holidays before being declared bankrupt in 1968. The pools entry money was either posted in each week or collected by local Agents who operated on a commission according to how much they collected. I could never understand how the pools actually worked, but I did know that to win a lot of money you had to get “8 draws on a line”; a phrase loosely interpreted at many of the Regal Cinema fancy dress events, and the likes of Butlins holiday Camps in the 1960's, as ”Eight pairs of Drawers on a line” . As well as the National Pools organisations such as Littlewoods, Vernons and Zetters, there were also local organisations that competed for the punters' fraction of a penny a line, but in a much smaller way. In the Ciren area the local pools organisation was the “Wye Valley” from Ross-on -Wye. You could post your entry to the Wye valley, but most people gave their entry to the collector who would call at your house each week. I remember a number of winners in Ciren and like Bingo winners in the town, were reported in the Standard with a photograph of them receiving a cheque. Looking back through the old Standards recently, I noticed that while sporting events such as Football and at one time; Water polo have always been popular in Ciren. Other forms of competition have also held popular interest: Competitions such as "Fattest Bacon Pig (1935) , “best hat” competitions at the ABC Regal in the 1960’s to the more esoteric “Pipe Smoking” competitions that continued through to the 1970’s. While many competitions had cash prizes (and silver cups) I don't think there was much betting done, other than on racing and other sports fixtures. If it can be called betting, Bingo is one exception, and although arguably now past its high point from the 1980’s; remains the game of chance for many people. In the 1970’s I can remember my Mother my Aunts, piling into my Father's Ford Zephyr 6 car and driving to Bingo.This would happen at least once or twice a week, and they would travel as far away to play as Cheltenham or Swindon. The Regal in Ciren opened its doors to Bingo players in the 1970’s and operated for a time as a hybrid venue with films shown in one part and Bingo in the main downstairs area. Eventually the films stopped and the Regal continued until it’s closure with just Bingo. My Mother used to win quite often at the Regal Bingo in Ciren. Not particularly large amounts of money, but prizes such as a toaster that she won one evening and a non-stick frying pan another time. The Regal Bingo had a “Snowball” each week - a cumalattive game that was linked by telephone connection to other halls around the Country. The prize money increased each week on a jackpot part of the game, the winning of which was an exciting event for the those present in the Regal, but was also reported in the Standard for wider audience. I’ve often heard that there’s nothing much to do in Ciren for teenagers but in the mid to late 1960’s there was a great deal of things to do and places to go. The Corn Hall was the venue of choice when it came to Saturday nights in town. Bands or “Groups” as we called them back then, regularly played and were well attended. It was the STAX club however which opened in 1967, which lives on in the memory of many of us from that time. The stax club (named after the Record Company of that name) specialised in Soul music and every week a different Soul band played to a packed hall. Bands such as Desmond Dekker and the Aces and the ever popular “Pyramids” attracted the teenagers, many of which, like myself, had to work extra paper rounds to get the 7/6pence to get in. Once in , drinks were pub prices. These were the days when the licencing regulations weren’t always strictly enforced. Upstairs in the Corn Hall at this time were the “adults” – members of what was known as the RAFA club – but more about this another time. At the bottom end of Dyers street at number 53 was the house know to as “Adam’s Pad”, a house owned by the Church in which the Curate - Reverend Adam Ford, held open house for Ciren teenagers affectionately known as “The Herd”. Later, under the guidance of the next Curate, Rev Richard Munn, the name was applied to the football team of the same name. Adam’s Pad was a fun place – full of music and good natured fun. The photo here shows some of the “Herd” with Adam Ford, embarking on a walking and camping Holiday in 1968. It was never quite the same when Adam left for different things, but it soldiered on for a while with “Dick Munn” Boyed up by the Football interest Spitfires over Ciren When many Ciren folk worked at RAF Kemble Recently the sky’s over Ciren have seen a Spitfire flying to celebrate the life of Joy Lofthouse; a local girl who served with the Air Transport Auxiliary during WW2. Spitfires could be once be seen more frequently above Ciren when up until the 1980’s those that remained in RAF hands, were serviced along with other historic aircraft at what is now called the Cotswold Airport at Kemble. Not many people today can say they trained and worked on Spitfires, Hurricanes and other planes such as the Hawker Hunter and the Gloucester Meteor; but many Ciren people did do this when the airport at Kemble was then the Number 5 Maintenance unit for the RAF’s collection of historical aircraft. RAF Kemble employed a great number of civilians as Engineers, Armourers, Painters and supporting staff. In addition, the airbase took a regular influx of Ciren teenagers as Apprentices to train as either Airframe or Engine fitters. The apprenticeships lasted 4 years and included a year full time at the Stroud Tech College to learn general engineering practice. The Apprentice School at RAF Kemble was housed in a wartime hut to the edge of the airport, within walking distance to the hangers where apprentices like me were shown how to remove propellers and engines from Avro Lancaster Bombers or taught to sew patches on Hurricane’s wings (Early versions of Hurricanes had wings covered in Irish Linen fabric). During my time as an Apprentice, the Red Arrows were also based at RAF Kemble and although we were never let loose on any of their Folland Gnats; we had a regular air-show most days as the team took to the skies to practice over Kemble. Sadly not all the practice flights were joyous and between 1969 and 1971, five aircraft crashed and a total of five pilots lost their lives at or near the Kemble runway. Apprentice Awards 1973 Many will recall the time when unlike today, Ciren had so many pubs that you could visit a different one every night of the week. At one time, Pubs were social hubs; each with it’s own community of regulars, who treated the pub like an extension of their own homes. As well as Sports teams and games played such as Darts, Dominoes and Cribbage, many pubs in Ciren hosted meetings of men’s friendly Societies and organisations such as the Rotary Club, The Lions Club or the ever popular “Buffs”. The Royal Antedeluvian Order of Buffaloes (Buffs) were particularly well attended in Ciren and from the 1950’s to at least into the 70’s in my memory, there were five pubs in town that hosted Buff “Lodges”. For me, every Monday Night was Buffs night at the Golden Cross in Blackjack Street, with an occasional visit to lodges at the Brewers’ Arms, the Queen’s Head or down Victoria Road to the far-off, Foresters Arms in Queen Street. Open to all men of “good character” the Buffs raised money for Charity and enjoyed good fellowship while doing so, (with a few pints of Arkell’s beer in hand.) Music was an essential part of Buff’s meetings, with various fraternal songs throughout the evening, accompanied by an appointed “Minstrel” playing a slightly out of tune upright pub piano. The Golden Cross had one such instrument in the skittle alley; upon which, my late Father and I would “render harmony” for the Lodge throughout the evening. The “Harmony” would continue after the Lodge closed, in the Public bar of the Cross where more beer would be be drunk - and all on a Monday night.
The pictures this week are from Buffs Socials and the Buffs Easter Bonnet competition in 1974. Note = The title “Buffs” came from a popular song at the time of the RAOB foundation in 1822 (“We’ll chase the Buffalo”). School Photos
Judging by the number of posts on Social Media, as well as “Selfies” and dogs doing tricks, pictures of babies appear to be a firm favourite. I’ve noticed what doesn’t get posted, are the semi-formal School photos that were once very popular; at least they were popular when I was a boy at School at Lewis Lane in the 1960’s. Photos at Lewis Lane and at Powells School, were taken at least once a year at a time when it was warm and bright enough to do so. Sometimes the pictures were taken in the classroom and at Lewis Lane, I remember, individual pictures were taken outside in the playground with the child sitting or kneeling on a rush mat. Group photos such as 5 a side Football teams or the Sewing Competition that was held one year, were also taken on the same rush mats; larger groups were posed standing with a Teacher. Important events such as speech days or visits to places such as the Circus, were also recorded by School photographers and were usually published by the Standard. I’ve mentioned visits to the Circus before on this page, but there were also visits to the Regal Cinema; directly opposite the School and some readers may remember the School Christmas party was held at the Regal each year with fish paste sandwiches and red jelly. Schools continue to this day to facilitate photographs of children; but usually only on the first day of School for 4 or 5 years olds. These are published in newspapers and are displayed in frames by proud parents, until the time perhaps when the pupil grows up to become too embarrassed by the picture, and pressurises Mum and Dad to take it down. Wedding Photographs
Since the invention of Photography in the 1850’s, photographs quickly became an essential part of our Culture. Initially expensive, photography became cheaper and more accessible as time went on and with the advent of more portable equipment; Photography stopped being mostly a studio bound process and important milestones such as Weddings and Anniversaries started to be captured firstly on glass plates and later, film. Funerals were also a subject for photographic record, but this seems to have petered out in the 1920’s. The Standard continued to publish pictures of the deceased but not actual funerals. From the 1950’s, Ciren had about 4 or 5 free-lance photographers covering events in town and supplying the Standard with pictures; including local Weddings. My Uncle Fred Heaven was one of the Ciren photographers and was widely known for not just for Wedding photography, but also for his studio portraits of babies and children. Back then, most people got married on a Saturday and it was unusual for a wedding to take place on a week day, unless it was at the Ciren Register Office which until the 1970’s was at No 12 Park Street opposite the Museum. This made it possible for people to attend weddings without taking a day off work and for people like my Uncle Fred, to have also have “Day job” as well as his Photography. Each Saturday, my Uncle would go from one Wedding to another, bobbing back and forth between the town’s Churches, taking pictures at each, as successive brides stepped out of the church under a hail of confetti. The next day would spent, and probably most of the next week; developing and processing the photos in his darkroom at the back of the garages on the Chesterton Estate. In those days, photos were mainly black and white; Colour pictures being a bit of an expensive luxury for Ciren Brides. edit. |