Every wireless needed a wire

Tin bath in front of a nice coal fire

Always fresh air in the outside loo

Banished the smell when you had a poo

Talking to friends meant knocking on their door

Cold lino on the living room floor

Sharing a bed with a brother or sister

All grown-ups were called Mrs or Mr

Free dinners for the poor at school

Nobody called anything ‘cool’

Being told who’s top of the class

Shilling in the meter for electric and gas

Saturday morning at the local flicks

Warming the bed with heated bricks

Signposts on roads were actually necessary

Contraception was risky; a condom or pessary

Milk and letters were delivered each morn

By people who got up well before dawn

No spitting allowed on the top of the bus

Eating greens must be done without any fuss

Everyone had to amuse themselves

Best done with a book from the library shelves

Ink pens were dipped in a dark blue pot

Each page could be ruined by a single blot

Police and kettles all had whistles

Shaving and shoe brushes with real bristles

Dust bins were collected and never put out

Mess about and you got a clout!