Quote by Alexandra
I was just downstairs making myself a bit of breakfast and I was listening to Radio 2.
A song came on that took me right back to my youth.
It was Gordon Lightfoot with 'If you could read my mind'. I had to stay and listen to the very end. And I really mean listen, because this song, along with so many back then actually told a story and you could feel the emotions behind it. It was simple song (with no obcenities), no 'sampling', no electronics, just a vocalist (who could actually sing words you could here and understand) , a guitar (that was played melodically) and subtle backing.
It made me think that at my age I have been priviledged to be around when so many wonderful and innovating things first appeared as well as such varied music.
(btw I am not slating todays music but I do wish they would learn to write new songs instead of ruining other peoples by editing bits into their own)
Some of the things that I am thrilled to have witnessed are......
The 'Swinging Sixties' (nooooo - it wasn't that type of swinging). I was only young. But I can remember my parents taking me to Carnaby Street!!!! Wow it was unbelievable. I remember getting a purple crushed velvet jacket with gold embroidery from there.
The music - Elvis & the Jordanaires, Cliff & the Drifters (name had to be changed to the Shadows because of the American Drifters), the Stones, the Beatles, Hermans Hermits (Feeling Groovy etc), the Who, the Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, T Rex etc etc etc etc. I even remember Tommy Steele (Little White Bull) and Billy Fury (Halfway to Paradise).
The clothes.... mini skirts and hot pants. I remeber having a yellow satin mini dress which was so short it came with matching knickers! I used to wear that with white leather knee length boots. My other favourite outfit at the time was majenta suede hotpants and matching lace up waistcoat. I wore that to work occasionaly at my first job - Tax Officer in Altrincham Tax Office! Then came the time of the afgan coats. I had the cheaper version a cloth brocade one with wooley fur lining - I really loved it till one day I was in a pub and noticed the seats were covered in exactly the same brocade!!!! - I was gutted.
Then was the space race...
First orbit of the earth. I think this was Russian and had a dog called Leika on board.
First man in space - again Russion - Yuri Gregarin
First men on the moon - American Buzz Aldrin et al
Other technological advances.
The computer! These were only just starting to be used and what we have sitting on our desks now would then have taken up the whole floor of an office block!
My first job with computers was as a programmer on an ICL1904 - that was about the size of 2 sideboards and only had a 5mb fixed disk. The 80mb removable disk was about the size of a big hatbox.
For home enthustasts, then came Things like the Acorn Electron, Sinclair ZX80/81/spectrum.
Now PCs and networks are commonplace and where would we be without the internet
Cars.... I rember the first car we had at home was an old 'Sit up and beg' Ford Popular. That was in the days when you could have a car in any colour you liked, so long as it was black! It had 2 little square windows at the back, and the indicators were little plastic orange arrows which flicked out.
Well - I am supposed to be working so I should leave it at this.
These are just a small number of the things which I am proud to have been around for, in my (almost) half century on this planet.
Now this is really a thread only for the oldies on here.
What things can you remember and thought that you were 'glad to be alive when that happened'
I remember barrel bottom suits for men, mods and rockers, skinheads, long haired louts, mini skirts, the new look, and all the things that you mention, although I am much older than you Alexandria, yes, they are all wonderfull memories, thank you for that.
)
I wonder how deep it will go when my voice breaks. 
