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Monday 1 October 2012

Back in the days ....

As the years go by, I like to think that I am young at heart, and can still find pleasure in being silly, but however hard we might try to hold back the years, there are times when I know that I am (whisper it very quietly) getting older!

Things that I used to love doing in my teens, scare me silly now.  For example, whenever the Fair hit town back in the 60's, I would head off with a group of friends and always look out for the Waltzers.


I used to love how they would whirl around, with us holding onto the drop down bar handle for dear life!  Then, of course, the very handsome (usually wearing a very tight t-shirt, very tight drainpipe trousers and with hair slicked back with brylcreem!) fairground attendant would jump on to our waltzer and whizz us round and round, first one way and then the other.  You could hardly walk when you finally dismounted from the ride.  Now I look at the rides that go up in the air, sweep down and up again, twirling round all the time, and I feel quite sick!

I also used to love riding pillion on the back of motorbikes.  I hasten to add that my mum and dad would have had a fit if they could have seen me because, bear in mind, we didn't even have to wear crash helmets in those days.  I can still remember the bike leaning right over whilst going around a bend, and me almost touching the road.  Quite frightening really when you think about it, but, again, when you're young, you just don't seem to have any fear.  

This is one of the bikes I remember, which is a 1960's Matchless 650 cc.


In my days, we had the coffee bars with a jukebox and we used to put a record on the juke box, jump onto the motorbikes and head off along this  stretch of straight road, which was around a mile in distance (so two miles there and back) and we had to be back in the coffee bar before the record had finished! Great fun!  I certainly know that I couldn't get on the back of a roaring motor bike now.   It takes me all my time to get on a 'going down' escalator these days!


This is me with my own personal jukebox, containing 100 45  rpm records, which I love.  I don't always dress like this! You might remember that this photo was taken for Carol's (facing50withhumour) mini skirt competition last year. (For some reason, it has escaped me who actually won!!!!).

Sending blessings to you all my friends and I hope it's going to be a good week for you.





22 comments:

Unknown said...

Good Morning Diane!
You guys seemed to have so much fun back then ;) I was born in the late 60's so never really got to enjoy it that much. And when I grew up in the 70's - well I guess it was ok hehe! But for some reason I've always been drawn to the 50's and 60's music.
Hey! I remember that dress =) Cool picture!
Have a lovely Monday my friend! Getting ready for work here, and am soooo much NOT ready for it yet...it's way too early! Big hugs x

Belle said...

My legs didn't look that good when I was 16! I used to love rides at the carnivals and motorcycle riding too. I can only go on simple rides at Disneyland now. I don't think I would get on a motorcycle today either. Yes, things change as you grow older. God bless.

Daydream Living said...

Hi Diane!
Well, this post made me smile, I am not from the 60's but it's all the same, as we get older, things frighten us more, don't know why, guess we are getter smarter?!
And girl, your legs! They are gorgeous, wish mine were that good!
Anyhoo, hope you will have a good day, talk soon again, hugs,
Maureen x

Kerrie said...

Diane, I LOVE,love,love the photo of you next to your jukebox! I'd love to own a jukebox. Such great fun memories you've shared. Wishing you a super happy week ahead. Love and blessings, Kerrie

Claudia Moser said...

Wehad a great party last year at carol's place :) I still love the rides, especially the free falling :) butbthe whirling ones I never liked so ... Was I old to start with? :)))) happy Monday!

Shady Del Knight said...

Hallo, dear Thisisme! Please allow me to refresh your memory. YOU won the Best Legs in the Universe competition! I am thrilled to see your jukebox. It looks a lot like the one my friends and I bopped to at the Shady Dell. It's hard for me to imagine a refined, civilized lady like you doing the wild things you described. I often think back to my early years and shudder when I remember the crazy stunts I pulled at the wheel of a car. One of those stunts resulted in a roll-over crash in my father's VW Beetle, another in an arrest for speeding and reckless driving. How did we ever survive our youth? I hope you have a marvelous week, dear friend Thisisme!

Shelly said...

You lookk terrific, my friend! And I do seem to remember YOU won that contest, and rightly so!

I, like you, seem to have an attack of common sense when I think of things I used to do when younger. I used to ride on the back of motorcycles often, but when my hubby was thinking of getting one not too long ago, I was firmly against it (and he didn't get it).

I think age begats wisdom, and that's what it is that is hitting us, not the age...

Chatty Crone said...

Good morning - you know when I was younger I had a stomach of steel and could ride all those rides. Not anymore! lol You look great.

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Diane, how on earth can you possibly be anywhere near 60??!!

Unknown said...

I like to think I am young at heart too, (sometimes quite silly) but I don't seem to be able to hold back the advancing years. I have to recognize I am not even middle aged any more , just elderly, what a horrible tag that is, but then I know I should be grateful to still be alive and active.
:)

Sally Wessely said...

I have to agree with you about those rides at the amusement parks. I loved, loved, loved them back in the day. Now, I get that dizzy just getting out of bed. LOL This is no joke unfortunately.

I loved riding those motorcycles too. I still do, but I would never go without a helmet now.

You look so darn good in that short skirt. That is another thing I shy away from these days.

Suzanne said...

You're so cute Diane, and, with further reading, I learn that YOU won that contest! What a wonderful jukebox. We had one for a while, but, just didn't have enough room for it-what fun!

I rode on the back of a few motorcycles myself without a helmet! My uncle had one of those old Harley's with the windshield, and once in a while he would take us for rides.

Oh...if only, -but you keep feeling young. Don't give it up! I'm with you, those rides scare me silly now too! But what fun it was to look around and scope out the guys! Love this post, have a young week Diane!♥

colenic said...

You look amazing and this was a great trip down memory lane..
hugs to you my friend.

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Diane,
Good Morning, my dear friend in England. So sorry for my belated comment; I really enjoyed this post♪♪♪ Yes, I remember the picture and you look very young with the dress despite the feeling you have now.
Anyway, the motorcycle is really reminiscing for me from my younger days. Haha, not with the the young boy but I remember riding my father's bike's pillion enjoyed the fresh air when young. Thanks for my own trip down to memory lane as well, hehe.
I hope you are having a wonderful week .
Lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Damn you have good legs..........
I also can relate there are things I did as a teenager that I wouldn't dream of doing now, or if I did dream it would turn into a nightmare........lol

Unknown said...

Never mind the miniskirt...what about that cigar???
This summer in Maine, I remembered leaping from rock to rock along the shore so many years ago. Now, I carefully step from one small space to the next, terrified of falling.
Rosemary

romance-of-roses said...

You look so cute in your mini skirt. I know what you mean, I feel the same way. Oh dear, the thing we did when we were young. Hugs, Lu

Linda O'Connell said...

Over here we call that ride the Tilt-a Whirl, and I cannot even watch it anymore. But back in the day when I was a youngster, I loved it.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

I used to go on the waltzers too, but never the big wheel, I always been weary of them, but youngest grandaughter loves them , she feels no fear. I think it is things that go up and down or round and round, but was also scared of heights, ,, BUT ever came that fear (sort of) when we went in a funicula across the sea In Barcelona, or up the finicula in Italy or go to the top of a tower in Paris :-) :-)

Denise said...

We can all tell your still young at heart MY friend,you always will be.Hugs and blessings to you, Denise

BECKY said...

Well, look at you, Diane! You are adorable! And you have a juke box in your home??? That is a dream of mine!! And yes, I grew up in the same era as you, but I wasn't a daredevil at all, ever! Always a scaredy cat. I'm happy for you that you had those wild and crazy kind of days! :)

Unknown said...

I love your writing in this post Diane, and the memories that have risen with the words. I can't take the rides anymore, and would rather stay home and watch grass grow.

You look amazing in your mini skirt!