I Remember When.......
Recalling Memories of My Childhood
"SPECCY FOUR EYES"
was a popular call at my primary school for those of us unfortunate
enough to have to wear glasses. I was a quiet, shy child, but funnily
enough I cannot recall being upset by the taunt - it was just part and
parcel of playground culture.
My
mother was emphatic that I was not going to wear the hideous national
health service wire glasses with pale pink frames and was prepared to
pay for a slightly more flattering pair.
I always made sure, though, in those early days that I took my glasses off when having my photograph taken.
I always made sure, though, in those early days that I took my glasses off when having my photograph taken.
1960's Style
If you were into fashion you could buy spectacles that came with different coloured clip ons to match your outfits - very trendy - and I never had any.
In the late 60's vanity prompted me to try contact lenses and they proved a great
source of stories with friends as we recalled tales of losing them. I remember one occasion where I was scrambling around on the floor of a
pew at church, (not praying) but trying to find this miniscule lens.
1970's Style
Pregnancy
and being an "at home" Mum meant I lost the incentive to bother with
inserting, cleaning, and removing contact lens - I had trouble getting
used to them again and I reckoned I had better things to do with my
time, so it was back to spectacles and this was the era of heavy frames. The remarkable factor is that our daughter, despite having two parents with eyesight problems ) has perfect eye-sight!
1980's and 1990's
We
were now at the time on TV of Dallas, Dynasty and Charlie's Angels,
with big hair, big shoulder pads and big owlish glasses.
2000's
Fashion has taken a a full circle, so here below is a return to the unobtrusive style of the glasses I wore in my teens.
And finally below a pair of "Speccy Four Eyes"! For women, we were back to the "be proud you are wearing specs" look - with this distinctive style which has taken some time to get used to. How similar it is to my 1970's look - if only I still had the brunette hair!
Do share your experience of wearing glasses!
*************
A SURFEIT OF S's to ponder over:
SCHOOL - How many children were in your class? What were your teachers like? Did they have any nicknames? What subjects did you like? What did you wear? Can you recall any funny incidents?
In my primary school, there were 46 of us in my class photo and we sat in serried rows of desks with ink wells that were filled weekly by a class monitor. We chanted our times tables, copied handwriting, dreaded hated mental arithmetic sessions and were tested in spelling bees. We enjoyed setting up the nature table, "Musical Movement" to a programme on the radio, and community singing of traditional songs. Girls' hairstyle were plaits (me), pudding basin cuts, slides or large bows.
SPORTS - What games did you play? Or did you prefer to follow sport than play it?
SUNDAYS - How did you spend Sunday?
What were your STUDENT days like?
Did you follow the SPACE RACE?
What were your STUDENT days like?
Did you follow the SPACE RACE?
Onto T for TOYS
Copyright © 2016 Susan Donaldson.All Rights Reserved.
My parents finally realized I needed glasses, not because I was squinting to watch tv, but because I said to mom "there's Lynn" (going by the colour of her coat and approx size) Tp"That's not Lynn, it's a garbage pail " says Mom.
ReplyDeleteGetting g glasses was a whole new world for me, I couldn't believe that's the way a lot of people saw the world every day!!!
I didn't have glasses until I reached my 50s when readers became necessary. Now I'm in bifocals, but I insist on the frames being fashionable. If they weren't so darn expensive, I'd have multiple pairs because I always find frames I like.
ReplyDeleteDianne - that story is so funny. You absolutely needed glasses! Wendy - like you I didn't need glasses full time until my 50s though lots of study meant I needed reading glasses from my mid-20s.
ReplyDelete