Gormless or What!

Our next door neighbours in 1977 had pampas grass in their front garden. When we were moving in we noticed it and wondered ...
😁

Puts me in mind of Play for Today of that year, a Mike Leigh production starring Alison Steadman who organises a cringeworthy drinks party with cheese and pineapple on sticks. Middle class socialising. She’d had a fair few drinks herself, kept topping up neighbour’s glasses where she could, had the hots for Tony (I think) , a neighbour). Demis Roussos warbling away on the record player “Forever and Ever”!

Abigail's Party.
it's really quite dark.

Sparklefizz

I remember that in the 70s.

Yes, our neighbours at top of cul-de-sac had a huge clump, and I was told about their 'antics' many years later.

welbeck

Abigail's Party.
it's really quite dark.

Absolutely loved it!

There was a pampas grass in our front garden when we moved in our current house. It was enormous and we hated it. We tried pulling it up but with no success. Some bright spark suggested setting fire to it! Cue lots of villagers gathering to watch and one or two wondering whether to call the fire brigade. Needless to say, after the fire was brought under control by us and the neighbours, the d****d thing grew back even more enormous. So we asked a local odd job man to tie a rope round it and pull it out using his van. He did this, whilst managing to break half the front wall. All is well now and we have a beautiful magnolia.

I knew nothing of pampas grass, flamingos and Omo. And yet we were in the perfect situation for such activities, living in a row of houses with three young couples and a young mother. We were all very friendly and hosted evening parties quite often. No keys exchanged hands, but it seems one rampant male was doing most of the swapping, and later on there was a permanent exchange involved with the other two couples. But never any pampas grass or flamingos in sight.

I have a clump of it in my side garden and it pokes out through the hedge but Ive never even thought about it.. One day I saw three what appeared to be "ethnic minority" women cutting off bits of it to carry away. I did think of confronting them but couldnt be bothered. If thats the sort of taste you have whatever floats your boat. Maybe it was for their children.

I remember Abigail's Party. I loved it. But very dark

I’ve known about the pampas grass thing for donkey’s years, but I always thought that it was an urban myth.
Is there any truth in it, does anyone know?

Yes, Abigail’s Party is brilliant.
Also starring a young Janine Duvitski (sp?).
Who then went on to play a very enthusiastic swinger herself, in ‘Benidorm’.
Alison Steadman was quite heavily pregnant (with Mike Leigh’s child) during filming, hence her rather impressive embonpoint

I remember pampas grass was popular but didn't know its significance until years later.
The local 1960's housing estate had a reputation for "wife swapping parties" but it was probably because young couples were living there.
Funny, I thought PG in front gardens rather pretentious

Where my grandson goes to school there are two houses across from each other with huge lovely pampas grass plants in the front gardens. I often wonder if they are swingers.

If any houses still have pampas grass growing in the front it may be because swingers once lived there in the 1970s!

Lots of bungalows around here pampas grass. Did swingers live in bungalows?

i must of led a sheltered life lol,never heard of that

Oh my! I'll enjoy my dog walk in the afternoon now checking out gardens looking for pampas grass....

We have pampas’s grass in our front garden. It was here when we moved in seventeen years ago. I like it and the birds like it. I do cut it back regularly.

I didn’t put the apostrophe in!!!!

I'm another who must have led a sheltered life never heard of any of these 😇

Oh! Never heard of that …

Pampas grass at from of house. Yes we had a huge one.
in 70 s. Yes my parents had it . Sadly they were Swingers too! I actually think I remember the key bowl thing too. Wasnt great t b h. 😌

mrsKen, I am an ex army wife and some of the wives used to put OMO in the window, it meant 'on my own', usually when the husband was away for a few months on exercise. I have to say I never did.

I knew about the 'secret language' of Pampas Grass, but not OMO or flamingoes! An aquaintence bought a house with a Pampas Grass in the front garden but wondered why complete strangers asked her when the party was. She thought they meant a house warming party, until I enlightened her. She was horrified, she was a vicar's daughter. The Pampas Grass was quickly removed.

In our village there is a very pretty thatched cottage with a huge pampas grass in the garden. I wonder.............???

My house was built in 1985 so I dont think the pampas grass has anything to do with swingers of the 1970s. This little estate is very diverse (mainly Indian/Pakistani/Middle Eastern) so perhaps they like it since they were taking bits of it away. If I thought it was a problem I would get my gardner to chop if down but its not doing any harm.

Fleurpepper

welbeck

Abigail's Party.
it's really quite dark.

Absolutely loved it!

I really loved it too... I also had a large pampas in my back garden and was bewitched by the light coming through it as dusk fell..

I hadn't heard about this connection till my now DIL cut some down for decor at the wedding. It did look lovely.