Childhood 1960s style
What we did before the internet
Before she had a phone or car, and many years before the internet, my mum, Betty Varley, wrote to her parents and older sister in Birkenhead about our family life in Yorkshire. My memories of our creative, outdoorsy childhoods are borne out by these snippets from her letters (beginning when mum was 28 and before my birth), which she always started “Dear Folks”…
October 1958
I glimpsed between the lines of washing two little figures trotting hand in hand up the street. I stopped the washer1 and followed. First one and then another of the neighbours spotted them and would have turned them back if they hadn’t seen me coming. I came up just behind them (Robin [aged 16 months] and his friend Linda of course – with Robin doing the leading) as they turned on to the pavement at the top. I thought I’d let them go on, just to see what would happen – they didn’t know I was there until later. They trotted off along the pavement, past the Post Office, and were starting down the hill when I thought they’d had enough, so I turned them round and they trotted back again quite happily to the top of the street.
After that I always made sure that the gate was across as soon as Robin went out to play.
February 1959
His babyship is getting very adventurous and is finding every tiny gap in the hedge and pulling at it until it’s big enough for him to squeeze through – and then he’s off full speed up the street.
I have to keep listening all the time when he’s outside, and if I can’t hear him I have to drop everything and go and investigate – quick!
On Sunday he’d only been out five minutes or so and I thought he was quiet. We eventually found him investigating a motorbike outside Blackledges (past the Post Office).
Golly, we were nearly frantic. Tonight we’ve spent another session, the fourth I think, filling in all the gaps with branches off the pruned pear tree. He can climb over the barriers, too – he did tonight – but I think we’ve got him now – until he learns to climb the gate.
March 1959
We were over £5 down (incl. week’s bonus). Frank went to work but was sent home. Strikes!!
July 1959
Robin has gone out to play again. Frank found him by the garage on Wednesday and I found him down the NCB path yesterday. What a life! He knows he mustn’t go but his curiosity’s too strong! Takes after Frank.
6 May 1960
Going to the Coynes (neighbours) to watch “the wedding”. [Princess Margaret to Antony Armstrong-Jones. No TV at home yet.]
Robin goes around chanting ‘Della-Delaware, boy’ and ‘My man a dustbin’2. He’s looking very healthy now as he’s outdoors most of the time – a crop of freckles coming through.
Robin’s been twice to the shop for me and is very good; he loves going. Of course, shan’t make a habit of it yet, and only let him go mid-afternoon when it’s quiet.
September 1960
Got a second-hand TV. Watched some Olympics. Robin and company have been in to see Watch With Mother a few times when it’s been raining. They all seem to play well together these days – there’s not much fighting.
October 1960
Ordered a dish drainer with free Lux!
Got Robin a toy metal gun which takes a roll of bangers. He’s happy now – he was the only one of the gang without one.
The Royal Ballet in The Sleeping Beauty at Sheffield Lyceum was really beautiful, colourful and lovely. [Grandad babysat Robin.]
November 1960
Just on way home from hospital clinic. Have to return tonight to hosp. for expected Caesarean tomorrow. Mum settled in nicely here now and things running smoothly so don’t expect any hitches.
March 1961
Wendy is coming on fine [aged 4 months] and is trying to “get mobile” and gets awfully fed up when she can’t get anywhere. She makes some of the weirdest noises we’ve ever heard – she growls like a bear and grunts like a little piggy and sometimes we’re in tucks laughing because if we didn’t know otherwise, we’d think a couple of tomcats were having an argument on a backyard wall.
May 1961
Robin had a nasty cut on his mouth last week when he fell (acting a draught-horse for his friend Robert’s “trolley”). The place looked like a battlefield at the time.
June 1961
We weren’t going to give Robin a fourth birthday party but it was such a glorious day that I decided on a “garden party” and the children (his pals from up the street) sat in the dry paddling pool and had a stack of sandwiches, and strawberries and ice-cream, and cakes and biscuits, and cream sponge cake with candles on – and orange fruiticles later on. Considering that I hadn’t intended until 2.30pm to have one, it wasn’t bad.
August 1961
[Preparations for a trip to Mum’s parents.]
We will need three or four tinned dinners for Wendy [aged 9 months], please. (Not with liver in – she doesn’t seem to like them yet.) Chicken Broth, Bone & Veg, Beef Broth are pretty safe.
Ear-plugs and nerve-soothers at the ready, please…
Please order a repeat of this week’s weather!! Robin has quite a tan – living in his swim-trunks.
October 1961
I now have a beautiful NOVUM lightweight portable sewing machine (Good Housekeeping Guarantee), absolutely the last word in looks, engineering and everything. Am now reducing the mountain of sewing quite rapidly.
Last Wednesday Robin spotted a recorder in a shop window. It wasn’t dear (3/6) so I bought it while in the shop without him seeing it. When we left he started complaining and saying he wanted one, so I said that if he was very good there might be one waiting for him at home. He was VERY good, and when we arrived home I slipped it out of my bag quietly and went to hang my coat up, and pretended to find it on the stairs – he thought that was wonderful. I said that the fairies must have left it, and he was thrilled to bits. It is now his “Magic Flute”! I have to hide it occasionally, of course! But he is getting the idea now and not piercing our ears quite so often. It plays quite tunefully really, for the price.
Wendy-baby now toddling around fairly steadily and climbing upstairs pretty fast if we don’t put the gate across double-quick.
She sometimes goes into the front room and we hear tinkling notes from the piano and when we peep in there she is right on tiptoe reaching up to the keys, full of fun and with a real mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
Robin has had his name down at school for some time, and I got a first reading book from the Headmistress so that we could start teaching him to read. He’s as pleased as Punch now, because last night he finished the whole book in one go (with lots of help, of course). He is getting on quite nicely. This morning however, he was most indignant when one of the other children said that it was “just a Babby’s Book”!! and he came to me to confirm that it WASN’T! I told him that all the children started with that book and not to take any notice, so he felt better about it then!
November 1961
If Mum or Dorothy has an old skirt which I could make into trousers for Wendy perhaps you could fish it out, please? Ta. She has two pairs corduroy (one pair old ones of MINE!) but I expect she’ll need plenty of changes in damp weather.
Have bought her a lovely pair of bright red fleecy-lined bootees (Clarks) and she trots around at full speed now; I used your birthday money and bought a little “shopping bucket” for her to push. She has been out toddling up the road today.
December 1961
Frank is making Robin a sledge and I don’t think it will idle for long.
Wendy has danced for some time – particularly her “7 o’clock dance” (to The Archers and Radio Newsreel) – but on Sunday evening she started dancing round and round and round. We were watching the circus on TV [at Frank’s parents], so perhaps the elephants inspired her!
It is hopeless trying to write Christmas cards with the children around, so I’ve decided to do a night shift.
We watched Harry Worth3 – Frank and Robin always do. Did you know that he used to work at Barrow Colliery (where Frank works) and he used to come to work in “plus fours”!! Can you imagine it? (Before Frank’s time, but his foreman remembers him clearly.) Of course, working underground he changed into pit clothes at the Baths (no, he didn’t actually work in plus fours!). He did his ventriloquist’s act at the Working Men’s Club, and they used to laugh at him as he seemed too brawny to play about like that (so they thought). Anyway, he’s had the last laugh now, hasn’t he? Even had the front cover of the Radio Times to himself!
An hour or so ago I had a hair-raising experience, when feet suddenly began to race up and down the side path. I just sat and held my breath! I couldn’t make it out … and suddenly there was a “Baaa!”… and I breathed again. They must have broken into next door’s garden (house now empty) and through the big hedge into ours.
On our walk towards Tankersley yesterday, we reached the bucket line at the colliery. Wendy was fascinated.
Well, it is now nearly time for Frank to GET UP! So I’d better clear the table, hadn’t I.
PS Don’t worry about my sleep – I had a late morning yesterday and will go to bed early tonight (with all my posting done).
January 1962
Having a few quiet minutes drying my hair and listening to Beethoven (Leonore No 2). Very nice for as long as it lasts. Her ladyship has been asleep an hour so we’ll have to see how long the quiet lasts!
Frank has gone to watch Barnsley [football match].
We have acquired a ceiling airing rack now. I don’t have to wait a day between two big washes and things are out of the way much earlier in the week, and I can get the ironing done earlier, too.
Wendy’s woken up. She’s not interested in her custard (she fell asleep after her bacon, egg and mushrooms) so I’ll carry on for as long as she’ll let me.
Last night she climbed on to the table and started putting her fingers in the sugar and then licking them. She was having a fine time when we spotted her – her cheeks like rosy apples coated with sugar! – she looked just like a sugar-cherub on a cake – just fit to eat. She was a lovely picture with her curls and blue eyes and a little mischievous smile on her face.
It’s time for me to do dishes and clean the floor etc.
There’s straw scattered about – Robin decided to make a bird’s nest yesterday! I remembered some straw in a box under the stairs and he made a fine nest in the hut and then wandered about trying to find a bird that would let him catch it! He couldn’t understand why none of them seemed interested in such a fine residence.
The other night Frank blew a kiss to Wendy and out of the blue she spread her chubby little hand right over her mouth and blew him a lovely kiss back!
Robin has been sewing today. He had a brown paper bag and blue cotton and a big needle and was doing fine!
PS: Mr Plume (farmer) said that some boys took next door’s (empty house) gate FOR A BONFIRE! That explains the midnight invasions by the sheep. Our little apple tree is minus quite a lot of its bark now.
March 1962
Pleased to hear that Mum and Robin arrived safely. In case, as you suggest, Robin stays longer with you, I’m sending his construction set which is guaranteed to keep him amused without bothering anyone. I’m also putting in his play mittens, and a bib and his comb, and the sheet of transfers he was doing, with some paper to transfer them on to.
I was just thinking this morning – Robin is just two weeks younger [aged 4 ¾] than Jean was when we were evacuated to Newtown4. I can imagine how you must have felt, even though the circumstances are so different. I knew I’d miss him, but I didn’t realise how much! I expect I’ll soon get used to it. I keep wondering what he is doing. It’s the first time I’ve ever been here without him – it’s different in hospital, of course.
December 1963
Feeling drowsy because of tablets, but thought I’d let you know that the operation will be tomorrow morning and that it will be all right to phone after. [My sister Carol was born by C-section.]
I’m on the ground floor now where I spent nine weeks altogether while Robin was on the way – familiar territory!
The Home Help5 was due to start this morning. I haven’t met her yet.
October 1964
Wendy is learning to sew and did some nice stitches on dolly’s mattress cover. Also she has peeled about six “Wendy-sized” potatoes and is getting quite good.
Robin seems to be doing pretty well at school and is usually top at arithmetic.
Carol is coming on fine and is very lovable. She talks a lot of Double-Dutch and is very funny. She’s on her feet a lot but still not walking.
February 1965
Carol is up to everything now – between the three of them they take as much watching as a cartload of monkeys!
Wendy helped me again with pastry today – making meat and potato pie, rhubarb pie and apple pie and mince pie.
We enjoyed “Bewitched”6 again, of course, on Monday.
March 1965
We have about 9” of snow on the ground this morning. Robin and friend Malcolm are making a splendid igloo in dry stone wall fashion.
Got the handicrafts set out yesterday (bought at Xmas). A real trump card. Robin was fed up with the rain. He didn’t go out all day as he was so busy weaving a nice dolly’s mat and Wendy tried cork-work.
April 1965
Robin had a school trip to York. Bought himself a pen knife with York Minster on it. Their class is studying Saxon and Roman History.
We got some tall steps from our catalogue and they were just right for fixing the roof ridge. 8-tread steps with a platform and safety bar at the top. Carol and Wendy and pals were most impressed. All insisted on climbing them – Carol went straight to the top and I had a job detaching her from the platform as she wanted to stay there permanently I think! Wendy felt shaky when half-way up but gathered confidence later.
We’ve had a job to get [Robin] to the barber’s – he went today at last! He was due to go when, on Grand National Day at about 2.15pm, a man came to our house and said that Robin had a cut head but wouldn’t accept his offer of a lift in his car.
I’d just put Carol to sleep and Frank was busy on the shed so I took Wendy and we went in his car up to the top of Kirk Balk where we met Robin – face and jacket covered in blood – and his pal, walking home. Apparently, some bigger boys had had an argument with them near a quarry and started throwing. Robin saw a half-brick coming his way and ducked, but it cut him just above the hairline in the centre of his head (and cut deep too) and bruised his right forehead and left a scrape further over. It was a good job he ducked or I’m afraid it would have been far worse.
We took him in the car to the doctor’s and as I didn’t like to keep the man and his young son waiting (we didn’t know them) I said that we’d catch the bus afterwards.
We couldn’t get the doctor, and Robin insisted that he was NOT having stitches at any price (remembering his lip) and as I couldn’t see how badly he was hurt – the wound being covered with matted hair – I decided to take him home on the bus.
Robin was pretty shaken and I wished I’d taken him home in the first place, but I got him cleaned up thoroughly, with boracic lint pads on his wound. He would keep forgetting not to rush around the next few days and set the bleeding off again, so I had to put a head bandage on for school two days, but it’s fine now.
We didn’t see the doc at all, as it turned out. (He’d had anti tetanus injection anyway.)
July 1965
Today is Wendy’s last day as a “little girl at home” – she starts school after the holiday. Frank mended the little tricycle and she rides it a lot now.
Carol still has her enthusiasm for “SPS! SPS!” (Potato crisps!) We have a game which we’ve played three or four times – “Where’s nose? Eyes? Ears?” etc etc. She loves playing it.
December 1965
Robin earned 2/6 from me for delivering local Christmas cards yesterday. The bag was old but adequate for the job. However, he was given a couple of books en route, a split developed in the bag and not knowing, Robin put his whole 2/6 worth of Christmas trimmings in the bag and lost all but one. He dashed straight back and found them all crushed and muddied by car-wheels. (He’d been on his bike.) I was so sad – he could have spent the money on himself for sweets or a toy. It was his own idea to buy decorations. Anyway, we’ve plenty of crepe paper to make lots more.
Robin made a very nice dressing table set at school in “cross stitch, straight stitch and ordinary stitch” he says. Wendy made two square mats very neatly too.
February 1966
I keep battling with the “mending and altering”, and I think I am turning the tide now.
March 1966
I have to go for heat treatment for that abdominal pain (adhesions??) twice a week to a clinic in Barnsley. Mr & Mrs Varley look after Carol.
Wendy sang in the hall before school yesterday “Little Baby Chicks, One Day Old” – a sweet little Easter song. Her teacher says she has a lovely voice – she has sung for the class several times. (No-one else sang.)
She is coming on very nicely with her reading and writing and is eager to learn. We aren’t encouraging her to play the piano much until she has really learned to read and write properly. Besides, there’s a baby next door to consider.
Robin is keen on practically everything – football, PT, reading – we were relieved to hear that he’d done well in some recent tests.
Carol is doing lots of things for herself and enjoys going out in the pram – just as well as she’s had to go down to Grandma’s such a lot lately. I believe she’s very good there.
Must close – nearly 2.30am!
April 1966
Robin’s been chopping up old wood and selling it – well, offering it ‘for nowt’, but they paid – to old age pensioners near here. It started with him and a pal clearing snow for the OAPs and running errands, then one sent him to the shop for firewood as their “pony and cart man” hadn’t been. He’s collected quite a bit now (6/- I think, plus some we have kept for him). He needs a new tyre so it will come in handy!
Robin [age 8] is an amateur milkman these days. Around the end of the Easter holidays he started helping to deliver the milk around here. He altered one of his Grandad Varley’s old milk delivery coats. He did the first turning up and ‘taking in’ but turned to me in desperation when he saw the result! – however, not a bad attempt (nice sewing).
Frank used to help his father with the milk round but says that he didn’t enjoy it much, as it was a case of “forced labour”. It’s quite different with Robin, of course. He helps to deliver from here all the way down the hill. He has also “done” the new estate. (Orange juice and pocket money thrown in.)
Carol is sitting in the sandpit at the moment.
We have a new blue ball, just right for Carol and Wendy to play with outside. Wendy’s learning to bounce it properly.
Having to keep an eye on Carol, in case she gets any ladder-climbing ambitions!
Wendy posting this for me.
June 1966
Carol’s a real water baby and Robin has jumped off the top board and swum three lengths at the indoor swimming pool yesterday. Wendy’s “dog-paddling” a bit.
We enjoyed our holiday at Cleethorpes. Went to Grimsby fish docks and watched filleting – fascinating. One man gave Robin a side of cod for our tea – scrumptious!
September 1966
Robin and his pals found a very unusual beetle yesterday and as I thought that it was something like a Colorado, I sent Robin with it in a matchbox to the Police Station. He was soon back – apparently the Colorado has stripes down the length of its body, while this had them the other way.
In our encyclopaedias there’s lots about a) the damage caused by the CB; b) measures to hunt down the CB; but NO picture of it – about sixty others, but not that one – a bad omission.
We have (Frank has) fixed up a swing on the pear tree for Carol and Wendy. Of course the others go on it when they get a chance. Robin got some old rope and fixed another swing for himself and pals (single rope) on another part, so all are catered for until the holidays finish on Tuesday.
October 1966
Robin’s starting (at last!) to go to the library. Actually went alone, on his bike, last night, several days before the due date. Mostly Enid Blyton up to now.
Mum, I wouldn’t correct you if it didn’t seem so funny – you advised Robin to kneel on the edge of the swimming pool to start to learn to dive. He’s one of the best swimmers at school! They have an outdoor practice bath and the headmaster sent for him the other day to dive down to free the outlet pipe which had become blocked, because he knew that he was good at staying underwater.
November 1966
Wendy had a lovely birthday. She had a “Toots” [Tressy] dolly with a thick strand of hair of adjustable length so that she can have a ponytail. Wendy has two outfits for it and the other evening we made a woollen skirt and cape in bright red (from old jumper) and a white satin blouse and undies from old bits and piece – also a very smart coat from the tight-part of Robin’s chopped-off best trousers (now school-wear-shorts). We made cardboard skis and I’m going to make little skating boots (I hope) from an old soft white baby-shoe when I have time!!
Of course, Carol has adopted her too.
Wendy had a party for her birthday – we ended up with ten little visitors but they were all very nice and we had a lovely time. The bigger girls helped to spread the cheese and potted meat on crackers etc (after washing their hands of course) and Robin and Frank poured pop and orange juice; and Frank played his one and only piano piece for “Musical Parcel”.
It’s the first proper party we’ve ever had.
February 1967
Wendy is learning to play the piano – she has been to the lady across the top road for three lessons now and learns fast.7 Robin pretends not to be interested but has a go sometimes.
Robin can stand on his head. No hands.
We keep trying to sort out toys – as fast as I get things out for Carol to play with and use up, Robin tidies them away and we have to start again!
He’s trying to make our front room like his pal’s – they haven’t any little ones and their front room is empty except for the suite and TV and a sideboard and table (all toys banished upstairs) – all right if you look at it like that. He even took the lovely rocking horse upstairs! As Carol often rides it during the day I was rather annoyed! All to rights again – Carol’s toys downstairs, Wendy’s (except dolls) and Robin’s upstairs where Carol isn’t so likely to upset them. Robin has made a plane from a kit, from solid balsa wood.
When Robin’s in the bath he always submerges and does breathing exercises for swimming. He’s stayed under for a full minute several times. He likes using his stethoscope as a breathing tube and staying under to soak, just holding his nose!
These letters surfaced after my parents died, when my brother, sister and I cleared the house (our childhood home) in 2022. My grandmother had saved the letters and Mum had retrieved them after her own mother died.
Mum was a prolific correspondent, often staying up into the small hours to finish letters. After a stroke when she was 69, mum’s speech and writing were less fluent, so it’s lovely to hear her “voice” again as it was in her thirties, in full flow, and to know how much interest she took in our development.
She had an affinity with children and started training as a primary school teacher in the late 1960s, but had to give up because of her heart problems.
Thanks so much for reading. Clicking the heart, sharing and commenting all help other people find my writing. I love to hear your thoughts, so please do comment if you’re able.
The washtub had an electric “swisher” with a manual mangle over the top.
Delaware by Perry Como 1960; My Old Man’s a Dustman by Lonnie Donegan 1960.
Harry Worth, comedy actor and ventriloquist, b. Hoyland 20 November 1917 d. Berkhamsted 20 July 1989.
Mum and her younger sister, Jean, were evacuated to Wales during WWII, staying there for four years.
I’m not sure whether the free home help was part of standard postnatal care, or because mum had health issues.
Bewitched was a popular US fantasy TV sitcom, starring Elizabeth Montgomery as witch Samantha, that ran from 1964 to 1972.
Those three lessons were the beginning and end of my piano tuition!
I can see that writing runs in the family! This has brought back some memories for me. My late brother, John, apparently sang My Old Man's a Dustman at a school concert, and he used to help Jim-the-milkman from a young age. I remember the washer with the rotating spindle in the middle. We were quite free range children in the 60s.
Wendy, it’s clear where your writing talent comes from. What a brilliant insight into a bygone era - although tough times, they seemed more carefree and happy. I remember having a toy gun with a roll of bangers, or caps as we called them. They came in a small round cardboard box and smelt fantastic once fired!
I also remember vividly watching Harry Worth doing his silly stunt on the plate glass window.
A wonderful trip down memory lane!