Growing up in the 1970's

Stan Krawczyk • 19 November 2019

1970's life in a northern town

I was born in the late 60's. We had the space race, The Beatles, Volkswagen Beetles, the summer of Love, the Cold War and other stuff I have no idea because I was only a baby!

My dad saved up and purchased a small 1930's Semi-detached. Nice area, for the princely sum of £1600, a fair amount of money in those days. He paid that off pretty soon, every penny.

It was a cold draughty house with leaded windows and a coal fire. Over the years he renovated it mostly by himself (remember he was a War veteran with lumps of Tank steel lodged in his body).

I always remember he painted the front door in Dulux Gloss (Everything was Gloss then and it was proper chest killing fumes too!)

He left the front door slightly ajar so it wouldn't stick to the frame overnight. A Policeman walking past closed the door for us, being considerate (yes Policemen and women used to walk the streets in those days) and of course the door was stuck and he had to sand it and repeat the paint the next day. Imagine leaving your front door open today?

My mum was originally a seamstress in Poland hence she sewed our curtains and bedding and my clothes. Dad purchased a Singer sewing machine which was the dogs in the 1970's. She would buy sewing patterns and make my clothes.

Some I still have today in 2019 (modelled by a couple of my old teddy bears! Poles (English or otherwise) tend to look after stuff and keep indefinitely but that's a blog in its own right).

We had no TV, no telephone, no central heating basically nobody did in those days. As time went on he saved up and we got a Black and White Telly a Redifusion or Phillips. with 3 channels and no remote (that wasn't until the 80's).

Mum was a house wife, did the cooking, cleaning, bringing me up. Dad worked at Remploy up the road, which was a furniture factory.

employ was set up by the government to provide employment for the soldiers after the war especially ones who were disabled, can you imagine them doing that today neither can I?

He was a furniture inspector. A lot of people I knew as a child also worked there. I will do separate blogs about them because they deserve to be remembered. Sadly all passed away now.

All our furniture was Remploy, some I have kept like the sideboard I am sat on in one of the photos. Dad told me off for driving my matchbox cars on it!

I used to get up early in the morning about 05:45am, come downstairs. Dad would put the coal fire on, make me a doorstep sandwich, a thick slice of Polish Sourdough bread and 1/2 inch butter layer on top. I would eat it with some milk, then he would put me back in bed and go to work at 06:00am and return home about 16:30ish.

I used to always run to the door when I heard him put the key in, so excited he was back.

He would remove his work clothes, sit down we would make up Bear Stories with a couple of Teddy Bears I had

(have ), I still do that with my daughter now.

Mum would put the supper out, sit together always in the small living room and eat and chat, then bath time for me in the original 1930's iron bath upstairs then to bed in a super comfy Polish Duvet and the softest feather pillows you could imagine. I so miss that.

Mum and dad would talk downstairs then go to bed.

One thing Polish people love to do it party!

Get some Polish vodka, whisky, Canada Dry Ginger ale, open sandwiches, pickles, home made cake, (everything was home made since you couldn't get this from shops!)

Polka music on the record player (or indeed Gramophone) 78rpm's, mums Polish 1960's tunes before she left Poland.

I will dig them out and record a song or 2. I always remember Irena Santor Album was her favourite. (I actually googled her and she is 84 now and still singing! Amazing!)

Ironically today, a fancy cafe will sell you sourdough bread slices with some topping extolling the virtues of how cool continental cuisine they are (for an extortionate price) yet literally it was my normal bread and butter! They have only discovered Sourdough bread in the last 5 years.

The street where I lived had just 1 car on it, orange 1970's Datsun 100a. Everybody knew everyone and their kids, we all played together and when it was time to go in, you went in.

My dad thought nothing of shouting down the street for me, with his belt in his hand if I didn't turn up.

For my 7th Birthday my dad surprised me with a Raleigh Chipper bike (the Choppers smaller cousin) in custard yellow.

Made in England, built to last, thick chrome, and probably lead in the paint but we survived. I loved that bike.

I was never in until it was getting to bedtime, everybody played out until the latest they could get away with.

I remember hot summers and very cold snowy winters. We had no car until I passed my test in 1986!

This is why I have size 11 feet. I walked everywhere.

Once I got lost in the towns outdoor market age 4 but I was just sat there watching people in a cafe, my mum was in a state when she found me I was only around the corner from her.

From the age of 7 I walked to and from school mostly by myself but mum would pick me up also.

The first day of primary school at lunchtime I thought it had finished so I walked out of the gates, walked to the bus (I had only ridden once before with my mum) got on, said sorry I don't have any money to the bus driver and he said ' oh ok hop on' .

I got off at the right stop, then I had to cross the busy main road into town, walked to my house and sat on the wall outside, mum was out shopping.

Emmi the next door neighbour popped out and asked why I was there?

She waited with me until mum came home and mum nearly had a heart attack when she saw me!!

I didn't do that again, its me being naive and well no fear of anything but I think God was looking after me that day.

When I was 6 months old mum took me to Poland for the first time but that's another blog story.

We had 5-6 weeks summer holidays in Poland every year until I started secondary school. Just me and mum.

Sadly Babcia (Grandma mums side) died just 1 month before i was born, it devastated my mum. Obviously I don't remember that but I do remember when her father died and I know the effect that had on her.

She was an extremely sensitive person. I am the same fortunately as I have got older and gone through my own sh** I had to toughen up! Yet mum was also very tough and resilient something she never actually thought of herself being? Years later she was in hospital a number of times for longer periods and I saw how strong she was and stubborn not always a good thing but she got through it better than I did. She never knew but I would walk out of the hospital to the car in tears.

I loved my childhood, life felt good even though we didn't have much, we were a very close family and had good friends.

The Church paid a central role. The calendar revolved around the Polish Catholic mass.

Dress up on Sunday, go to Polish Mass at Holy Cross College Convent Chapel (the Italian community used the same chapel but later in the morning). We had a chat with everyone after mass then went home for lunch or to friends houses or they came to ours.

Sometimes we would go somewhere for the afternoon and get an ice cream or dad would take pictures, simple life but very enjoyable.

I am still in touch with my first best friend Damien, from primary school. There was also Tony but he had to go back to live in Italy. We were the 3 musketeers, basically we played and messed about all the time and never paid attention! It was like a bad old joke, did you hear the one about a The Pole the Irishman and the Italian!

I failed my 11 plus and ended up in Class 1D in high school (1 above the lowest class).

I was so angry about this, I studied hard and would go up 1 class every half term until I got to the second but top class, because that's where I wanted to be.

Apparently I was only the second person ever to do that in the history of that school!

One plus point I knew everyone in every class and never got bullied at all - bonus!

More blogs about the 1970's to come.

Put your brown pants on and purple tank top, light up that ciggy and sit back with Shawaddywaddy in the background.

Oh and I had to wear shorts - everyone wore shorts !