Golden Era Passtimes / Hobbies

[St. Louis]

Country club Joe's post made me realize that Golden Era hobbies and pastimes were so much more active (and by extension so much less passive) than ours. Even something as simple as listening to a game on the radio requires more imagination than passively sitting in front of the TV and watching. As I re-read the ideas posted in this thread I find that all of them involve some kind of participation with other people or with our environment. I don't want to go on an anti-TV rant, but I do think that sitting immobile and staring is probably not the healthiest way to spend time. Playing games with other people, listening to music, baking pies, shining shoes, knitting sweaters, flying model airplanes -- all of it is so much more fun and is probably a lot better for us.

 

[2jakes]

You are so right ! Listening to the radio back then required your imagination. And I remember my grandmothers house having
a front porch with chairs or benches . And the grown ups would sit outside to have a conversation ! While we played stick ball
or marbles & tops. We had a large unit a/c by one window & that was it. It was hot probably but I didn't noticed it because we
didn't have cooling systems like today . I also miss "downtown" shopping stores & the local movie houses to watch the movies
all day & the candy counter wasn't so expensive like today .

 

[David Conwill]

Playing games with other people, listening to music, baking pies, shining shoes, knitting sweaters, flying model airplanes -- all of it is so much more fun and is probably a lot better for us.

There are those who argue that it's better for society as well. It's much easier to be selfish and cease caring about your community when Bowling Alone.

 

[MissMittens]

[video=youtube;Zh-UMsR1uf0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh-UMsR1uf0[/video]

That's impressively large for a rubber band powered plane

 

[sheeplady]

Country club Joe's post made me realize that Golden Era hobbies and pastimes were so much more active (and by extension so much less passive) than ours. Even something as simple as listening to a game on the radio requires more imagination than passively sitting in front of the TV and watching. As I re-read the ideas posted in this thread I find that all of them involve some kind of participation with other people or with our environment. I don't want to go on an anti-TV rant, but I do think that sitting immobile and staring is probably not the healthiest way to spend time. Playing games with other people, listening to music, baking pies, shining shoes, knitting sweaters, flying model airplanes -- all of it is so much more fun and is probably a lot better for us.

I think you're right. There's a lot of research on what TV takes away from- kids playing outdoors, cooking, a family eating together, etc. Wasn't there someone who said when television first came out that "it would never catch on because the modern family simply doesn't have time for it." or something similar? What we did is we made time for it by getting rid of other stuff we used to do.

 

[countryclubjoe]

Hi Folks

This is great stuff. Regarding the TV, we had only 1 for a family of 9, 7 children and Mom an Dad. However we would all gather around after dinner and watch shows together. Here are some I can quickly recall.

1- Ed Sullivan show
2- The Jack Benny Show
3- The Jackie Glenson show( Loved Joe The Bartender)
4- What's My Line
5- The twilight Zone
6- Outer Limits
7- This is my favorite being a 12 year old at the time.. HONEY WEST with the gorgeous ANN Francis as a Detective.

Those were the days.
Best regards
Countryclubjoe

 

[rocketeer]

Music would have been very popular at home in those days. I have a piano accordion, been trying to learn that for years, still not got any further than strapping it on then get told to shut up because I cant play it[huh]
Times like that and I wish I had been in the Red Army, I think it was more important to be able to play kalinka than shoot straight hahaha

 

[rocketeer]

That's impressively large for a rubber band powered plane

Brilliant! I have a 1/20 Stuka and a Helldiver but the elastic bands have snapped and the prop blades broken. Can they be fixed?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

No Lawrence Welk?

Hi Folks

This is great stuff. Regarding the TV, we had only 1 for a family of 9, 7 children and Mom an Dad. However we would all gather around after dinner and watch shows together. Here are some I can quickly recall.

1- Ed Sullivan show
2- The Jack Benny Show
3- The Jackie Glenson show( Loved Joe The Bartender)
4- What's My Line
5- The twilight Zone
6- Outer Limits
7- This is my favorite being a 12 year old at the time.. HONEY WEST with the gorgeous ANN Francis as a Detective.

Those were the days.
Best regards
Countryclubjoe

 

[Stearmen]

I agree, we had one black & white TV, and you watched what your parents watched except for Saturday morning. All the way up into the late 70s, you would mention a show the next morning and almost every one had seen it! I hate to say it, but when I was a kid, a picnic table could be a fort, a castle, a Viking ship, or even a landing craft at Normandy. Still remember how we all thought it would be great to have a Dick Tracy watch to talk on the go, or a computer like Star Trek, and now we do!

 

[MissMittens]

No Lawrence Welk?

I had the opportunity 2 and a half yrs ago to work with Bob Ralston......the man is a beast - knows more than 1000 songs by rote......takes requests from the audience and throws EVERY song suggested into a perfect medley. He's an amazing musician, sadly, working for Welk was his 15 minutes of fame, and also assured his descent into obscurity. He's a true gentleman and a musical scholar. He's very active in the National Pipe Organ Restoration group, and does shows at his home in CA that are open to the public when he's not touring. He's in his 70's and still tours the nation.

I am a Bob Ralston fan after working with him, before that, I didn't know who he was..........Welk was a little before my time.

 

[Flicka]

Yesterday evening I played patience for the first time in over 20 years. Had forgotten how much fun it is (and you can keep up a conversation while doing it too - in person or on the phone).

 

[Warden]

I discovered my children appeared in an advert for a repro WW2 game called 'night raiders'. It is rather like 'snakes and ladders'

See image here

 

[kiwilrdg]

I make just about anything I can. I will take binges into various new projects but I always go back to metalsmithing and textile spinning when I tire of the new projects.

Today people have stopped making things just to make them. The old mechanical magazines show some great projects.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Ralston is a real talent. You're lucky to have met and worked with him!

I had the opportunity 2 and a half yrs ago to work with Bob Ralston......the man is a beast - knows more than 1000 songs by rote......takes requests from the audience and throws EVERY song suggested into a perfect medley. He's an amazing musician, sadly, working for Welk was his 15 minutes of fame, and also assured his descent into obscurity. He's a true gentleman and a musical scholar. He's very active in the National Pipe Organ Restoration group, and does shows at his home in CA that are open to the public when he's not touring. He's in his 70's and still tours the nation.

I am a Bob Ralston fan after working with him, before that, I didn't know who he was..........Welk was a little before my time.

 

[2jakes]

I agree, we had one black & white TV, and you watched what your parents watched except for Saturday morning. All the way up into the late 70s, you would mention a show the next morning and almost every one had seen it! I hate to say it, but when I was a kid, a picnic table could be a fort, a castle, a Viking ship, or even a landing craft at Normandy. Still remember how we all thought it would be great to have a Dick Tracy watch to talk on the go, or a computer like Star Trek, and now we do!

Regarding black & white TV , I remember my folks placing a sheet that went over the screen. It was like a rainbow color
type of thin plastic . Supposedly to give the illusion of a color TV , which was rare & super expensive back in the 50s.
Saturday mornings….watching the network bars until Howdy Doody came on…& at the end of
the day…playing of the National Anthem !

 

[Blackjack]

Bound and determined to learn to whittle one of these days...

 

[scottyrocks]

I hate to say it, but when I was a kid, a picnic table could be a fort, a castle, a Viking ship, or even a landing craft at Normandy. Still remember how we all thought it would be great to have a Dick Tracy watch to talk on the go, or a computer like Star Trek, and now we do!

Yes, indeed. The same vine trellis on my friend's patio was the control panel for both the USS Enterprise (Star Trek) and the Jupiter 2 (Lost In Space).

 

[kiwilrdg]

Yes, indeed. The same vine trellis on my friend's patio was the control panel for both the USS Enterprise (Star Trek) and the Jupiter 2 (Lost In Space).

And kids didn't need to buy a game cartridge to play thise things. Whatever old clothes and things you could find could transform your world into whatever you wanted it to be. If you are reading this I would assume that that is still true.

 

[Godfrey]

Whatever old clothes and things you could find could transform your world into whatever you wanted it to be.

My sister and I had a huge wicker chest full of old clothes. We could be English pirates, Vikings, knights, Romans, cowboys, and pretty much anything in between. Add a lawn furniture fort/ boat/ coach/ castle/ whatever - we were set for an afternoons fun. Oddly the only one I have still is my great grandfathers bowler hat that survived the incredible beating we gave it. Now awaiting restoration - not that it fits.