Childhood Revisited

I think it was French to "covers everything", or what someone thought was Frnch.

It was a kind of tough black tape with adhesive on the back. The surface was textured, a bit like leather, but I think it was thick paper. You had to moisten it to make it stick, but it was very strong. It was used where now we would use sellotape to hold things together.

Dad used it for framing pictures - a sheet of glass, a picture and a piece of cardboard, all held together with passe partout round the edges.

This was in the 40s and 50s.

No, I haven't heard of that - I thought it might have been a posh name for papier mache

I typed partout

It's called parabolic.
Passé part out was a sticky tape you used for making picture edges

Do you remember passe partout?

No - what's that?

Many thanks Galen - I would like to see those (I am a technophobe and I don't have an ipad but my granddaughters do - I may borrow theirs )

You can make a kaleidoscope - my father made me one when I was a child with three strips of glass stuck together with passe partout and a handful of confetti inside. He covered most of the glass with more black passe partout, except for a window to let in light and an eyepiece at one end.

These days a substitute would be one of the plastic mirror tiles, cut into strips. I think I shall experiment, in advance of the DGC visiting in July.

Do you remember passe partout?

Still got a kaleidoscope. The grandkids love it.

Yes because it changes as you move the pad. I'll try to put some up on pictures.

Would it feel the same as turning that tube and peering through a pinhole at the top it though Galen

Holly you can get an ap for iPad that acts a kaleidoscope using the camera.

I don't remember that or anything like that - just making drinks from kali

It was a tin of powder you made drinks from - a bit like sherbet powder!
Foamy and fizzy - came in different flavours although I only remember orange and raspberry.

Did anyone have a kaleidoscope - gave images like this:

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Kaleidoscope_2.JPG

I would sit looking into that cylinder (and turning it obviously) for ages - fascinated at the patterns changing shape and colour.

No, supernan, I don't remember Cremola Foam - what was it? (Just in case it was known by different names.)

A bit like your school skirt was bought for a kid 4 years older and your mum said, "Well you'll just have to turn the waist band over 6 times until you grow into it'.

I'd forgotten that too POGS! We had to wear knee-length, pleated skirts for school (in bottle green) but after leaving our respective houses, my friends and I would roll our skirts over and over at the waistband until they were daringly short(ish) - I can't remember looking like we all had massive spare tyres around our middles but we must have done, spoilt the sexy look

I remember being given a stick of rhubarb with a sugar cone. With the combination of the acid of the rhubarb and the sugar it's a wonder I have any teeth left at all.

I have memories of that too Nelliemoser - sitting in the garden with sticks of rhubarb and a bowl of sugar - I still have all my teeth too!

POGS, I did have a pair of sandals that did that - very strange how the uppers just came away! Doesn't seem to happen with kids's shoes these days.

I'd forgotten stilts as well, I never got very good at them though.

Yes, Supernan, I remember Cremola Foam - delicious, although it did have..er..repercussions!

Another facebook " chestnut" I see. Ah well .

Just how big is that bucket of cold water you keep trying to pour Soutra? I'm beginning to get the impression you don't like to see people revisiting some very happy memories and sharing those memories with others ...

boheminan and when - that does bring back happy memories of picnics in the countryside. If the weather was nice, my mum would also ride pilion with and my brother and I would sit in the sidecar - we went to so many places. Such a lot of fun.

Does anyone remember Cremola Foam

stilts

I'd forgotten my stilts whenim64! My Dad made them out of two wooden washing line props and put footrests on them - I even used to go over to the shops on them

we didn't have a car either so couldn't sit in the back without a seatbelt.

We did have a car but my Dad was a motorbike nut and had three of them (one with a sidecar). We used to go to an uncles caravan sometimes that was in a big field with a few other caravans. My Dad would ride round this field on his motorbike, me (aged about 6) sat on the petrol tank 'steering' the bike (it was, of course, my Dad actually steering - he told me he was just holding it steady), it was great fun.

Another good thread but I have to say I disagree with you Ana, in a nice way I hope you agree and I must back HollyDaze and say 'we did wear flip flops'

It was the mention of Clark's shoes that reminded me of dear dad who worked at Clark's Shoes for years. He had a jar of glue used at the factory, OK it found it's way home to our shed one sunny day . I remember when kids in the family or neighbourhood had shoes where the soles had parted company from the uppers, hence they 'flip flopped,' dad fixed them or glued extra rubber on the bottoms to get a few more months wear out of them.

We called them 'Croc Chops' after the crocodile mouth and as we all had them at some time it was just kids micky taking out of each other.

A bit like your school skirt was bought for a kid 4 years older and your mum said, "Well you'll just have to turn the waist band over 6 times until you grow into it'. Happy days.