Those were the days – Ray Couldwell

The meeting of the Brindle Historical Society on Easter Monday was intentionally a light-hearted talk, drawing heavily on nostalgia from the 1950s and 1960s.  Ray Couldwell spoke for almost an hour to an audience of nearly 40 people, including many visitors to the society.  Ray’s style was very participatory, and he encouraged the audience to offer their own memories from their youth.   A great many topics were discussed including Christmas decorations, coal fires, shopping at the Co-op, Lucozade, the TV test card, outside toilets and Izal toilet paper.  The latter prompted many comments, including one lady who remembered the product less for its intended purpose but rather as an alternative to tracing paper! 

Ray mentioned at the start that although he now lives in Accrington, he was born near Sheffield and much of the discussion contrasted the different terms used for items from each side of the Pennines.  He even brought his wife along to make notes of anything interesting that came out of the discussions.  Each time he gives the presentation he learns something new, and this week, his education was enhanced (as was mine) through learning about UCP cafés.  In the post-war period these establishments were almost as popular as McDonalds are today and the cafés were set up alongside the tripe shops operated by United Cattle Products (UCP).  They even sold the tripe as a ‘takeaway’ (as long as you took your own basin to carry it away!)    Times have indeed changed.