Treasure memories as time marches on
Looking back on the past 64 years so much has changed. The 50s seemed a dark and gloomy time to me, with memories of the Christmas street parades with all the floats and the Highland Pipe bands. The old people all wore hats, and we huddled around the wood fire and listened to the radio.
Remember the Russian satellite Sputnik?
Elvis changed all that with his rebellious attitude and rock ‘n ‘roll songs that parents couldn’t really comprehend. Teenage sons and daughters revelled in it, because that’s what they were looking for – something new.
Big bands of the 30s and 40s started playing rock ‘n’ roll music in the 50s, which drew huge crowds to the local cabarets. Hotels closed at 6 o’clock so cabarets were the place to be after the pub closed.
I remember the Waitara War Memorial hall being awash with beer on the floor by the end of the night in the early 60s.
You’ll all remember the Star Gym, the Bungalow and the Palladium I’m sure.
All the smooth looking rock ‘n’ roll stars followed – Bobby Rydell, Dion, Fabian and a string of others were smartly dressed and cool hairstyles that parents accepted but change was coming.
The 60s exploded with The Beatles. Love Me Do topped the charts and hit after hit came in rapid succession. The British invasion hosted a huge range of bands but The Rolling Stones and The Beatles reigned supreme for many years.
The Beatles dropped their black leather, for suits and ties, the Rolling Stones were ugly and rebellious, and the girls loved them.
To me the 50s and 60s music is still the best music. I can play it all day and not get sick of it. Today we have little music on the top 30 that interests me.
Rap music is just a repetitive noise with shocking negative lyrics. Voices are computer enhanced – I often wonder if they could ever play live.
All the eras we’ve seen come and go is quite amazing. Communication with the outside world is something we only dreamed about. Now we can call anyone in the world at an instant, remember when phone calls phased in and out, like the radio did.
Our houses are warm and insulated, we have heat pumps or gas heating.
We have solar panels to heat the water or power our houses.
It was not that long ago when we huddled in front of the open fire and went to bed clutching a hot water bottle. Earlier generations poured hot water in a stone bottle to take to bed. Remember kapok mattresses and bouncing on the wire woves? Great fun till father caught you.
Remember scrim on the walls of your house? The cavities under the house airing the walls allowed the wind to flap the scrim on a windy day — the whole wall was flapping.
We’re certainly spoiled for comfort today. We have come a long way.
The computer allows us to contact the world at our fingertips. The world news is in our face every day. You could switch off television for 12 months and turn it on and the same stuff is still going on. Do we really need all the scaremongering in our lives?
Suddenly I’m the oldest in my family group. Grandparents and uncles and aunties have all but gone, my Aunty Betty being the last and still going strong in her 90s.
How I loved the family dos when I was young where I met up with cousins my own age and got to see my favourite uncles and aunties – real characters.
In 16 years’ time I’ll be 80 if I get that far. It’s amazing how we can reflect back in time. It all seems so long ago and yet it can seem like yesterday.
Memory is a fine thing. I’ve been blessed with a very good memory and long hope it continues.
When my mother was still in good health and her memory still bright and clear, I got her to write her childhood memories and am very pleased she did.
It gives an incredible insight into her life and the hardships she faced and the good times she had.
Her loving parents, although facing hardship all the time with a large family, gave love and support which Mum carried with her through her life. The closeness of their family unit shaped their future lives.
She speaks of peace celebrations at Te Kiri in 1919 which saw the end of World War I; The power poles way in the distance and finally having power at their gate and electric lights! She speaks of the first aeroplane she saw fly over and the first vehicles on the road frightening the cows.
I’ve had an interesting 64 years and learnt a lot from our history.
Many things I’d do differently if I had my time again, but hey, we’ve all been there and done that. Treasure those precious memories.
To me the 50s and 60s music is still the best music. I can play it all day and not get sick of it.