Me and some friends were talking about this recently, the kind of things we had in our lifetime that have faded away completely or are still around but just not easy to get hold of.
One of them for me are boomboxes. Like how eighties can you get! Beach parties weren't the same without them and of course in the summer someone would always be carrying them down the street. Payphones are another. Yeah I know they're not exactaly a necessity any more but I remember once when I forgot my cellphone and desperately needed to make a call. A payphone would have come in real handy then.
So what kind of things do you miss? It could be an edible, a wearable, a doable, haveable whatever! LOL!
I have wonderful memories of going to the Notting Hill Carnival. It's something my family and I had done since the seventies and we'd always enjoyed it. It was lovely seeing people coming together and having fun and just dancing in the street, how often do you see that? But unfortunately things started to go downhill a bit in the nineties especially with the emergence of 'girl gangs.' Unfortunately a very close friend of mine got caught up in a brawl as she rushed to the defence of someone she didn't even know, and it sort of marred it for all of us. I have been to carnival since then but not regularly and it's never quite been the same vibe as before.
Ah Notting Hill Carnival! The highlight of every summer. Well I've been going ever since I was a child in the eighties. If I'm honest, there were always concerns about safety. Even as a child I was always aware of that. But there are dangers in everything and you can't just hide yourself away from everything so you have to use common sense and stay safe as best you can. My mum always used to take us on the 'children's day ' of the event. As a black man who grew up in London, it's good for me to see black culture celebrated, and it's true, it's lovely to see people coming together regardless of race or nationality and just having a good time.
I'm an old married man now - still a newlywed. Go me! While I love my life and being married to the woman of my dreams, I do still remember all those mad nights out with friends with a lot of fondness. Of course at the time there were things that could be considered a nuisance - waiting for cabs, running about in the rain, having to queue up outside clubs for ages. But looking back it was probably all part of the fun. And also it was a lot cheaper back then to go out - we just didn't realize it!
On a personal level, it would just be seeing my family whenever I want. Now that I live halfway round the world it's a little hard to just pop by whenever I want. As a child I never actually thought I would live in another country. Some of us talked about it but it just seemed like a dream back then. Now that it's actually happened, I do enjoy my new life, but I wish I hadn't taken it for granted back then, that I'd always be living not far from family and close friends.
It's the same of me as well Poisson Rouge. My parents live about a 13 hour flight away so I can't see them as often as I'd like to. It is sad but it just means I treasure the time that we do get to spend together even more x
Yep I can relate too. As I live Down Under now it's even harder to make regular visits home especially with two little 'uns. And likewise my family can't always fly out here either. I do love my new life and moving back is deeply unlikely but this is one thing about living abroad that makes me sad.
The teen Coffeebean used to love hanging out at the mall. It was just something all teenagers used to do at the weekend. Even if you weren't there to shop, you'd meet up with friends, go for a Cinnabon, check out cool new stuff, stuff like that. I'm an adult now so life and priorities have changed but I still miss those carefree days of hanging out at the mall.
It's funny you should say that because I was just telling my husband yesterday how I haven't had or even seen a Cinnabon stall in ages! I spent a lot of time at the mall when I lived in Portland, and whenever I flew in to see my then boyfriend now husband, it was the first thing I used to grab at the airport while waiting for my connecting flight. Miss Cinnabon!
I miss the days when people used to know they're neighbours. I grew up on an estate and we all know how estates have a bad reputation. But there were a sense of community and everyone knew each other and looked out for each other. It's not always like that now.
I paid a visit recently to the street I used to live on when I was a child, and memories of our old neighbours came flooding back. One family still live there! Some of our neighbours were more like friends rather than people who just happened to live on our street. I miss those days.
I just miss how much simpler things were back then. Maybe it's because I was very young and I didn't know then what I know now but looking back things definitely seemed to be more of a doddle compared to today.
I'm in my early thrities but even I remember a time when not everything went online. I have very little social media and I certainly don't live my life online or feel the need to publicize everything I do. I feel as though we're living in an age of way too much info!
Agreed! Though I have to admit that back in the day I was probably guilty of that too. I didn't post anything deeply personal, but it did dawn on me that not everything had to be made public. A bit strange really because by nature I'm actually quite a private person!
The simplicity of having just four channels. Despite having millions of channels now there's still never anything to watch. And TV shows were much better back then as well.
Yes Coffeebean for those of us who hail from Britain it definitely was! It wasn't until the late nineties that we got a fifth channel, and by then lots of people had started to subscribe to cable or sattelite TV.
That's the reaction of a lot of Americans when I tell them that! LOL! Yes we did only have about five channels when I was a child (my mum's generation only had three for the longest time!) But for most of my life I've been brought up with a lot more choice than that!
I miss Sundays being what they used to be about - a day for going to church, rest and relaxation, family and friends. It was often considered the least interesting day of the week but now I miss the restfulness of that day.
As a child I always thought there was very little to look forward to on a Sunday. Now I miss having that one day where nothing really happened. In this mad, fast-paced world, it's something to be cherished.
My school days. I know not everyone had the best school days ever but I certainly did. We couldn't wait to grow up but if we knew then what we do now...
Another thing I miss... New Kids mania without a doubt! A lot of boy bands have come and gone, but we never experienced anything like we did with New Kids on the Block. The original and best boy band! ❤️
Photo albums! Photography is a big thing for me and I love taking pics. All those wonderful memories to look back on. There was a time we'd pop them all in an album or a frame and display them around the house. But sites like Facebook have put paid to that. I do put photos online but also still put photo albums together. I think it's important.
Same here! I love having photos around the house. Now that I'm back home, I'm going to be bring a big selection of photographs to display around my home. Don't even care if it looks like a gallery!
This is going to sound so strange coming from a vegan who doesn't do fast food anymore but those McDonald's kids birthday parties! When we were children we always felt so grand if we were celebrating our birthday at Maccy D's with a group of our friends. And we were always dead jealous of the kids who got to have their birthday there if we'd never. How easy we were to please! 😂 I've no idea if McDonalds still does birthday parties. Or maybe parents would prefer to have their chicldren's birthday parties somewhere else. I know I would now that I've got two of my own, but there's always a ceryain nostalgia when I think about those days and those parties.
I never even got an invite to anyone's McDonald's birthday party, let alone had one there myself! But it's true - we thought nothing could be better than having your birthday at McDonald's. Times really have changed!
I've never had kids of my own and we never grew up with much money for us to push the boat out with birthday parties. But I do marvel at the simplicity of those days. A bit of cake, ice-cream and party games and the kids were happy. It's not like today with everyone trying to outdo each other.
Goodness, where do I start! This whole site was created because I miss so many things that we no longer have!
Well just off the top of my head, as a vintage magazine collector, I do miss the magazine cuture that I grew up with. As a teenager, I learned a lot from those teen mags. I loved collecting the posters and putting them up, and the free gifts always inspired me about new products I might want to purchase. My aunts would always come home with a new women's weekly in their bag which they would read on their commute home. I know magazines still exist in digital format but I miss seeing people read an actual magazine in print. As everything is moving to the digital side, I know it's only a matter of time before they're gone completely.
Top of the Pops! It was one of my favourite shows and definitely something to look forward to on a Thursday night. I also miss record shops. Only those of us who were around prior to the mid-noughties would understand the joy of browsing around HMV or Our Price, checking out the new releases, buying posters, spending those vouchers we'd get for Christmas or birthdays. Those were the days. 😌
You're talking to a real-music loving girl here so I know exactly what you're talking about. You couldn't miss TOTP on a Thursday night. That was sacrilige! And of course going around the record shops on a Saturday afternoon. I have a very eclectic taste in music so I do still go to a lot of independent record shops to check out their vinyls and stuff, so I'm glad I still get to do that.
I have wonderful memories of going to the Notting Hill Carnival. It's something my family and I had done since the seventies and we'd always enjoyed it. It was lovely seeing people coming together and having fun and just dancing in the street, how often do you see that? But unfortunately things started to go downhill a bit in the nineties especially with the emergence of 'girl gangs.' Unfortunately a very close friend of mine got caught up in a brawl as she rushed to the defence of someone she didn't even know, and it sort of marred it for all of us. I have been to carnival since then but not regularly and it's never quite been the same vibe as before.
I'm an old married man now - still a newlywed. Go me! While I love my life and being married to the woman of my dreams, I do still remember all those mad nights out with friends with a lot of fondness. Of course at the time there were things that could be considered a nuisance - waiting for cabs, running about in the rain, having to queue up outside clubs for ages. But looking back it was probably all part of the fun. And also it was a lot cheaper back then to go out - we just didn't realize it!
On a personal level, it would just be seeing my family whenever I want. Now that I live halfway round the world it's a little hard to just pop by whenever I want. As a child I never actually thought I would live in another country. Some of us talked about it but it just seemed like a dream back then. Now that it's actually happened, I do enjoy my new life, but I wish I hadn't taken it for granted back then, that I'd always be living not far from family and close friends.
The teen Coffeebean used to love hanging out at the mall. It was just something all teenagers used to do at the weekend. Even if you weren't there to shop, you'd meet up with friends, go for a Cinnabon, check out cool new stuff, stuff like that. I'm an adult now so life and priorities have changed but I still miss those carefree days of hanging out at the mall.
I miss the days when people used to know they're neighbours. I grew up on an estate and we all know how estates have a bad reputation. But there were a sense of community and everyone knew each other and looked out for each other. It's not always like that now.
I just miss how much simpler things were back then. Maybe it's because I was very young and I didn't know then what I know now but looking back things definitely seemed to be more of a doddle compared to today.
I'm in my early thrities but even I remember a time when not everything went online. I have very little social media and I certainly don't live my life online or feel the need to publicize everything I do. I feel as though we're living in an age of way too much info!
The simplicity of having just four channels. Despite having millions of channels now there's still never anything to watch. And TV shows were much better back then as well.
I miss Sundays being what they used to be about - a day for going to church, rest and relaxation, family and friends. It was often considered the least interesting day of the week but now I miss the restfulness of that day.
My school days. I know not everyone had the best school days ever but I certainly did. We couldn't wait to grow up but if we knew then what we do now...
Another thing I miss... New Kids mania without a doubt! A lot of boy bands have come and gone, but we never experienced anything like we did with New Kids on the Block. The original and best boy band! ❤️
Photo albums! Photography is a big thing for me and I love taking pics. All those wonderful memories to look back on. There was a time we'd pop them all in an album or a frame and display them around the house. But sites like Facebook have put paid to that. I do put photos online but also still put photo albums together. I think it's important.
This is going to sound so strange coming from a vegan who doesn't do fast food anymore but those McDonald's kids birthday parties! When we were children we always felt so grand if we were celebrating our birthday at Maccy D's with a group of our friends. And we were always dead jealous of the kids who got to have their birthday there if we'd never. How easy we were to please! 😂 I've no idea if McDonalds still does birthday parties. Or maybe parents would prefer to have their chicldren's birthday parties somewhere else. I know I would now that I've got two of my own, but there's always a ceryain nostalgia when I think about those days and those parties.
Goodness, where do I start! This whole site was created because I miss so many things that we no longer have!
Well just off the top of my head, as a vintage magazine collector, I do miss the magazine cuture that I grew up with. As a teenager, I learned a lot from those teen mags. I loved collecting the posters and putting them up, and the free gifts always inspired me about new products I might want to purchase. My aunts would always come home with a new women's weekly in their bag which they would read on their commute home. I know magazines still exist in digital format but I miss seeing people read an actual magazine in print. As everything is moving to the digital side, I know it's only a matter of time before they're gone completely.
Top of the Pops! It was one of my favourite shows and definitely something to look forward to on a Thursday night. I also miss record shops. Only those of us who were around prior to the mid-noughties would understand the joy of browsing around HMV or Our Price, checking out the new releases, buying posters, spending those vouchers we'd get for Christmas or birthdays. Those were the days. 😌