Geoff Stead recalls pastimes and entertainment in the 1950s

Although the 1950s were a time of economic stringency in many ways, life was by no means colourless.

Quiet winter evenings were enlivened by card games, while additional excitement was provided by Monopoly, Ludo and draughts.

When all these palled the wind-up gramophone, bought from a second hand shop, was brought out and placed on the kitchen table.

The needles, purchased in a small tin box, had to be changed regularly and were fixed by a tiny screw on the end of a bulky chromium arm.

As they moved over the surface of the record sound was emitted through two circular holes covered with brown mesh, producing a crackling sound like frying bacon, almost obliterating that of the music itself.

We only had three 78 rpm records to play: Mendelssohn’s ‘O for the wings of a dove’, Purcell’s ‘Nymphs and Shepherds’ and a ballad about the sinking of the Titanic.

The wireless, in dark brown wood-look Bakelite, was also a great source of entertainment, with programmes such as ‘Family Favourites’, ‘The Billy Cotton Band Show’, ‘Palm Court’ and ‘Chapel in the Valley’.

Other programmes, considered unsuitable for young ears, were rigorously excluded.

A weekly visit to the local cinema, usually a Saturday matinee, was anticipated with great excitement and the exploits of the cowboys Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and John Wayne kept us on the edge of our seats, while the swashbuckling adventures of Errol Flynn had us in a fever of excitement.

Best of all was the film ‘Ivanhoe’ which I saw ten times.

In those days I was totally oblivious to the fabulous figure of Elizabeth Taylor and during romantic scenes between the Lady Rowena and Ivanhoe himself, I used to shuffle down in my red plush seat, closing my eyes in utter boredom until the fighting and jousting recommenced.