Miscellaneous
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Other activities of schoolchildren
Apart from milk and newspaper rounds, schoolchildren were able to earn small amounts of money by performing a variety of tasks, such as helping in local shops; gardening and doing odd jobs for neighbours; caddying on local golf courses; babysitting and so on.
Some children joined local organisations such as the Cubs, Brownies, Girl Guides and Boy Scouts, all of which had bases within walking distance of the estate. They were encouraged to participate in a range of activities, including outdoor adventures, creative projects, and learning new skills, all while fostering friendship and teamwork. They worked towards badges and awards, and were encouraged to explore their world and develop a sense of responsibility towards themselves, others and the environment.
“Bob-a-Job Week”
In the 1950s, “Bob-a-Job” week was a popular fundraising initiative where Boy Scouts and Cubs would perform small tasks for the public in exchange for a “bob” (a shilling, or 12 pence), which was a common colloquial term for the coin at that time. This annual event, officially known as Scout Job Week, was first introduced in 1949 after World War Two, aiming to encourage young people to assist their community while raising funds for the Scout Association.
Other activities in the 1950s
Other activities on the estate would have included ice-cream vans, each with their distinctive chimes; vans selling various household items; various types of tradesmen; door-to-door salesmen and itinerant traders; window cleaners; gardeners; men collecting weekly payments for various activities, such as life insurance, and so on.
National Service
In the 1950s, the UK’s National Service required all able-bodied men aged 18 to 30 to serve in the armed forces. Initially for 18 months, it was extended to two years during the Korean War. Some young men were exempt on the grounds of being medically unfit, being conscientious objectors, or being in a reserve or vitally important occupation.
Lawn mower similar to models used in the Fifties
With a heavy metal grass box at the front and a cast iron roller at the back, this Suffolk manual lawn mower was typical in the years before the use of electric mowers. For many years the common practice was for residents to mow both front and rear lawns – an enjoyable activity that was healthy, recreational and led to social interaction with neighbours. The eventual increase in motor car ownership, however, would result in many front lawns being reduced in size as drives were widened and reshaped. Indeed, a growing number of front lawns have completely disappeared and have been replaced with flagged or tarmacked areas for the parking of vehicles. Back lawns were also reduced as more and more householders erected garages, outhouses and extensions.
This particular mower was still very much in use at the time this photograph was taken in the summer of 2020.
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