Day's out as a kid in the 70's

Jonny Ingbar

Jonny Ingbar

Well-known member
I'm a shameless 70's kid, but some of the 'days-out' in that era were a bit odd, or a bit low-budget, don't you think.

For example, my Grandad Tom (who I hero worshipped before his premature passing) used to take me to the scrap yard on a Sunday morning when I was a nipper. Was this odd or the done thing in those days? I loved it, but looking back it seems a bit of an odd choice to take a preschool kid. Imagine suggesting the same these days? Meltdown territory.

The Mrs remembers being taken to Teesside Airport; lunch in ts cafe, watch the bags being checked in and then the planes landing and taking off (when the airport actually had some flights).

Amy other novel low-rent excursions you can remember as a kid?
 
Stewart's Park was a regular. Whole day out with pre-packed picnic and a football. By the time we'd played, eaten, walked everywhere, been round the big greenhouse and seen all the rabbits, goats, bison etc, most of the day was gone - and all for free.
 
Wiseman_Vaughn said:
Sunday afternoons - We always did a "Run Out"

Usually a rambling aimless drive to God nows where - Yarm (for a mooch around one of the second hand car shops), Middleton One Row, Great Ayton etc etc then back home for tea - Happy days - Thanks Dad x
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Yes Great Ayton was a regular for us too, though not free - we always had to have a Suggett's ice cream. Funnily enough, I took my kids to the same places on weekends too. When they were little I was permanently skint so it'd be parks and places like the Dorman or Kirkleatham museums - anywhere that was free!
 
Albert Park on a Sunday afternoon with me Dad god rest his soul.

Middlesbrough Council had a programme of events called Summer Sundays or something like that.

We had no car so we walked.
We didn't have any money other than for a bottle of pop and an ice cream.
 
We had a circuit of places that we’d go to during the summer, we’d take a picnic, a football, cricket set and basically just spend the day messing about, would be two cars of us, Parents and Grandparents who’d bring along a cousin or two, we used to take buckets and go winkling at Runswick Bay, then there was a lay-by near Reeth where we’d take tupperware boxes and go brambling, Lealholm and Hutton-Le-Hole were other favourite destinations, Stewart Park to see the animals on Sunday afternoons whilst the men went for a drink in the Middlebeck, the other thing I recall was Pickering Steam Traction rally and the occasional real treat like camping at Barnard Castle and going to see Raby Castle and Bowes museum, the lights at South Shields and we’d always have a day in Whitby once a year.

My grandparents lived opposite Redcar Races and I remember my Grandad coming in from work and taking me over the road to see the starts of the races over 9 and 10 furlongs…simpler times but certainly among the happiest and most content days of my life. Very lucky to have that stability and love surrounding me.
 
We once drove to Blackpool to see the lights, left on Friday after tea, with mum & dad, sister and aunty.

Got the Blackpool goodness knows when, walked along the prom to see the lights (it was the year they were doing the muppets), then jumped back in the car, found a layby on the way back and slept in the car (it was an Austin Allegro).

My sister slept on the parcel shelf at the back, me and the aunty in the back seat.

Got back Saturday and dropped aunty off at home in Garnett Street then back to Brotton.

Don't think we repeated that trip.
 
Mine were more in the 60's, going to our Grandads allotment with him and spending hours there. Can't believe when I grew up I couldn't stand gardening. When he retired, he got a Job looking after the sports facilities at the ICI club and I spent many an hour playing footy in the gym or bowling at a set of stumps in the summer. Used to go up the Hills with our Dad as well, SS Castle, the Nab and Ghost town.
 
HarryVegas said:
Yes Great Ayton was a regular for us too, though not free - we always had to have a Suggett's ice cream. Funnily enough, I took my kids to the same places on weekends too. When they were little I was permanently skint so it'd be parks and places like the Dorman or Kirkleatham museums - anywhere that was free!
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Never understood the love for suggetts extremely average ice-cream
 
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