Monday 27 June 2011

A trip back in time . . .



I thought it would be fun today to be a bit nostalgic and look back at the 1960's. I turned 10 in 1965 and so I was of an age that the 1960's meant a lot to me. All of my early teen years were spent in the 60's. It was a time of teen parties in the garage, dancing to the latest 45 rpm records. It was also a time of great transition in the Western World. There were sit in's and freedom marches. It was "Make Love not War," time, and "Flower Power." Hippies and Haight Ashbury and Woodstock, all of which I was far too young to embrace but that didn't stop me from dreaming. We thought we could do anything and be anything we wanted to do or be. It was a time of great promise and dreams . . . anything was possible! Or so we thought!



Music really evolved from the rock and roll of the 50's to what became known as the British Invasion of pop music and culture! I can remember exactly how old I was and where I was when I first got a glimpse of The Beatles and they were only the tip of the iceberg. I can remember watching them on Ed Sullivan with their first North American appearance and falling in love . . . but I also loved Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and Lulu. I wanted to be and look like them. I wanted to marry a Beatle!



We used to stay in on Saturday Afternoons so that we could watch American Bandstand and catch up on all the latest dance steps and number one hits. I think I knew most of the kids that danced on the show by first names, and my friends and I would practice all the steps in fron t of the television. American Bandstand was an absolute must on Saturday afternoons!




I wanted a pair of GoGo Boots with a passion! I wore bright orange and lime green fishnet tights and I had wild coloured mini dresses. I thought I was soooo cool. With a pair of GoGo Boots, you could dance better doncha know!



We all aspired to be Twiggy. Tall, skinny, waif-like . . . all eyes and arms and legs. This was impossible for me . . . I was short and chubby and my hair was curly . . . it was never going to be straight. I was never going to be Twiggy, but that didn't stop me from trying!!



I devoured every teen magazine my meagre allowance would purchase, so that I could keep my finger on the pulse of the latest fashion, makeup and teen idols. I can remember saving my money for weeks and weeks so that I could buy a set of Mary Quant eye shadows and eye liner. Bright blues and Pinks . . . so I, too, could have the "London" look! White lipstick. Drawn on eye lashes . . . Oh lala!!



Our Boots Were Made for Walking and that's just what we did! I can remember walking for miles and miles with my friends so that we could walk past the boys that we had crushes on, so that maybe they would notice us . . . all giggles and hair and hokey makeup. I can remember crying all the way through Romeo and Juliet at the local movie house because my heart throb was there with another girl . . . and I wanted it to be me. His name was Dougie McDonald and he looked just like Dr. "Bones" McCoy from the Star Trek show . . . or at least I thought he did, and my little heart was broken . . . the cad!!



Everyone wanted a mini . . . painted with a British Flag . . . but one of these covered in pretty flowers would have done me quite nicely!! It didn't matter that we were still riding bicycles . . . a girl could dream couldn't she?



Emma Peel from the Avengers was another role Model for us. She was strong and smart and athletic. She was just wow. I loved her leather cat suits and the way she always got her man . . .



And yet at the same time I wanted to be Mary Richards . . . she, too, was smart and pretty, plus she had really great clothes, a fab job, cool friends and that fantastic apartment!



I dreamed about having an apartment just like that one day! She sure packed a lot of living into that one room! I loved all the furniture, and the fact that her sofa pulled out into a bed, and that cute little kitchen with the pull up window pass through thingie . . . and I adored her "M", which is probably why I have an "M" on my kitchen wall today. I love my "M."



Although I was not that old throughout the sixties, it was a decade that helped to shape me and my opinions, and I love revisiting it in my mind. I've really enjoyed revisiting some of it here this morning too! That's probably why I love the British series, "Heartbeat." When we were up in Cumbria a few years back, we took a trip over to Barnard Castle in an old 1960's bus and I felt just like I was in an episode of "Heartbeat, " as we drove across the moors. If you have never watched it, you should. I think it lives on in reruns now, but it is really an excellent show in my opinion!

I would just love to hear of some of your 60's loves here this morning. That would be so much fun. What did the 60's mean to you? Please share some of your memories with me in the comments section!

They didn't have these wonderful cookies in the 60's I am sure! At least not in my house! My mom very seldom did any baking at all, except before the holidays. We got store bought cookies, and they were counted!



*Raspberry Filled Lemon Cookies*
Makes 1 1/2 dozen double cookies
Printable Recipe

A bit fussy to make, but so beautiful and delicious when done. These would be perfect for a special garden party!

1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup icing sugar, plus more for dusting
2 TBS granulated sugar
the finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup of seedless raspberry jam


Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Whisk together the ground almonds, flour, corn flour and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Put the butter, sugars, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing well after each addition. Cover the dough with plastic cling film and then refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Place the cold dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough on parchment to a baking sheet; freeze 10 minutes.

Using a fluted 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out the dough. Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets. Reroll scraps, and cut out (you should have 40 rounds). Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until pale golden, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Let cool slightly on the sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.


Place the jam in a small bowl, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice. Spread 1 teaspoon jam mixture on flat side of half of the cookies, and sandwich with the remaining cookies. Dust with sifted icing sugar sugar. Unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Filled ones are best eaten the day you assemble them.



Over in The English Kitchen today, delicious Sunday Sarnies!



15 comments:

  1. Good morning dear... the 60s were very special for me. Being older than you I graduated from high school in 62,married John in 65,had Lynell and graduated from college in 67 and had Mindy in 69. You can see that the 1960s were very busy and special for me...probably the best decade of my life as far as accomplishments go.

    I can tell you that 2011 is not turning out to be my favorite year. I hope this new decade will improve with time. So far it has been A PAIN!!!! Literally and figuratively!!!

    Have a good Monday...I see that it is 12:09a.m. now so officially it is Monday for me too. We are still at Sil's. We will go home tomorrow afternoon.

    I am wishing you and Todd and Mitzie the best. Hugs, Lura

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  2. You had me smiling this morning Marie at the thought of you in the 60s. I was a working girl by that time a long stand on the bus into Edinburgh every morning at 7.30ish was the start of my day !!Being a working girl enabled me to buy y first little portable radio can;t remember whet they were called but it was really "groovy" to own one !! enjoyed most of the bands etc that you did but never had a garage party !! Fav pop programme on Tv not to be missed was called the "six five special"
    love for now sybil x

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  3. This post brought back a lot of memories for me Marie! In 1965 I was 20 years old so in the 70's I was busy bringing up my three eldest daughters. It's funny, I never cared much for the 'flower-power' look, perhaps because I knew I could never be part of it! I must have been one of the few young girls that never cared much for the Beatles either, my favourites were The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Buck Owens and I just LOVED doo-wop music, still do in fact!
    I was only saying yesterday that I remember the first time I had Pizza (on holiday in Cornwall) and also experimenting with spaghetti bolognese, seems strange now because both of those are so often eaten!¬

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  4. i was 10 in 1961 and 18 in 1969 when i left home. my dad died in 1968, i left school in 1968, mini skirtsm white lips oh i remember them ok and bright blue eye shadow with bright pink lips, high waisted dresses which flared out to above the knees so daring!!! long hair, beach parties with several hundred people there my friend caroline trying to hide the frying pan a d 1lb of sausages her mother gave her for the bbq..... not that sort of party lol. though there was a bonfire. gce results. working for a living. moving into my first bedsit with a friend, discovering you had to feed the meter with shillings to pay for hot water and heat. toothpaste washing up liquid and teatowels were'nt just magicked out of thin air they actually cost money!!! i moved to London in 1970, another good decade!!! thanks for the memories Marie!! oh yes my first chinese meal - prawn curry lol

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  5. Am loving reading all your memories girls! What fun! xxoo

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  6. Those were some good old days for sure and you brought back many memories for me too. It's fun to remember times gone by sometimes. I hope your Monday is a wonderful one.

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  7. Ah, the gorgeous Jean Shrimpton (in the Yardley ad). Still beautiful today.
    in 1965 I was mother to a couple of little girls, aged two and five. We had just moved, from our ancient rented cottage, into a brand new house - swimming pool, the lot. I spent a lot of time and effort on my appearance, aspiring to be a yummy mummy. I shopped at Harvey Nicks, and had a Jane and Jane (precursor to Jean Muir) dress.

    After three years of this I had a nervous breakdown. On my recovery a friend lent us her cottage in Wales. I went along reluctantly, got hooked, and in 1970 we bought the house where we still live. I'm in my late seventies now, and very happy with my lot. I buy all my clothes on this thing, btw!

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  8. Thank you for the jaunt through memory lane. I got my white go-go boots from Bullocks Department Store in Pasadena, CA. I still remember how much they were $12.95 and I had to save my allowance to get them which was 35 cents a week. Yardley and Mary Quant make-up was my favorite. I loved Mary Quant's grease pots.

    My daughter fell in love with the photo of the Mini Cooper. She has a 2009 Mini.

    I love the fashion, Make-up and Hair from the 1960's and so does my 22 year old daughter who feels she was born in the wrong year. She was so inspired by Vidal Sassoon she went to his school.

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  9. Reading about Mary Quant reminded me of when I had a pair of burgundy hot-pants and bought some Mary Quant tights to go with them, they had her trade-mark daisy on one thigh, I thought I was the bees-knees!!

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  10. Wales is so beautiful Bunny. I am not surprised you were able to heal there and to fall in love with it! Pam, I think I got 25 cents a week allowance. It used to take me forever to save it up, but I did a lot of babysitting and so earned a bit more that way! (Although I think I only got about 25 cents an hour!) Pat! I want those tights!! Well, maybe not now with my post 50 frame, but I sure would have loved them way back when I had legs that would look good in Mary Quant Tights. Why does it take losing what we have to really appreciate what we had!

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  11. Oh, this was fun, Marie! I was born in 1972, and most of my growing up years I recall from the 80's. I always felt like I was born at the wrong time... I feel I really missed out missing the 60's! :o/ I've always gravitated to a lot of elements from the 60's--music, fashion, style...Yup, I missed it all! If I could go back in time, definitely the 60's! :o) LOVE the cookies today...mm... Hope you have a great week ahead, my friend. We had great weekend away--lots of fun, but sunburn too... OUCH! Hope we may get to chat later in the week. LOVE YOU LOTS ((BIG HUGS))

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  12. Thanks for the memory's,they were lovely.I was a teen in the 50's but I loved the 60's also.(HUGS)

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  13. I fell in love the night the Beatles were first on Ed Sullivan - not with the Beatles, but with my soon-to-be husband. :) I remember wearing bright blue eyeshadow but I never wanted to look like Twiggy though at 17 I almost did! blessings, marlene

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  14. great post Marie.. thanks for sharing.. and reminding..

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  15. Oh my gosh, this is fantastic, Marie! I could have written it myself our memories are so similar.

    American Bandstand, the kids, the dancing in front of the TV...did it all. My favorite couple was Bob and Justine! They were ever so hot weren't they? The boots, the hair and drawn on eyelashes in the corner of my eyes. Remember bucket bag purses with a little neck scarf tied on them?? White bucks? Angora sweaters? I was a teen then. Graduated high school in 65. I lived near enough to Haight Ashbury to be totally taken in but I did not act upon the hippy phase much. I did eventually have the very long straight hair.

    Wow what a fun post. LOVED it!

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