Front parlour and a front door that was never used!

[GOLDEN OLDIE 15]

Who grew up in a house where the front door was never used? Usually because it led straight off the street into the front parlour(or best room) which was rarely used. These traditions seem to have continued in many homes even today!

[Longcol 594]

That brought back some childhood memories......................

 

The front door at my grandma's was never used and the front parlour was only ever used for tea time on Sunday when the family got together - sandwiches of ham, tongue or cheese and fruit salad and / or trifle.

 

(Mining village near Doncaster - late '50's early '60's).

Edited April 24, 2019 by Longcol

[Ontarian1981 10]

2 hours ago, Longcol said:

That brought back some childhood memories......................

 

The front door at my grandma's was never used and the front parlour was only ever used for tea time on Sunday when the family got together - sandwiches of ham, tongue or cheese and fruit salad and / or trifle.

 

(Mining village near Doncaster - late '50's early '60's).

Similar time frame and similar environment( Catcliffe), but although my grandparent's front door and front room were as you describe we did use the front door as we had a large front garden and also the bus back to Rotherham turned around and stood at our front gate.I keep saying "our" because my mum and I also lived there.

 I also remember how little use was made of that front parlour and as you say it was basically Sunday's only, although not for eating. We would all sit and listen to the radio, sometimes I would go in on my own to listen to Radio Luxembourg, on other nights but couldn't have the fire lit.  lol.

 I always remember there being a piano in there, yet nobody could play, in fact it was quite common in those days. I guess pianos must have been heirlooms or really cheap, because neither we nor other folks we knew with one, had a ton of money to throw around.

Edited April 24, 2019 by Ontarian1981

[beefface 10]

They always seemed a bit dark and fusty and had a hint of Rillington Place about em.

[St Petre 85]

7 minutes ago, beefface said:

They always seemed a bit dark and fusty and had a hint of Rillington Place about em.

I don't think it was the darkness and fust that was the problem  on Rillington Place.

[St Petre 85]

Ours was the same, only used at Christmas and New Year when the aunties and uncles came,  then Johnnie  Walker, Black & White, Tia Maria etc came out for their annual appearance. No TV in there either.

[Halibut 12]

My little terrace in Hillsboro' is like this - I can only remember the front door being open once, when we were shifting some furniture.

[hackey lad 3,946]

9 hours ago, Longcol said:

That brought back some childhood memories......................

 

The front door at my grandma's was never used and the front parlour was only ever used for tea time on Sunday when the family got together - sandwiches of ham, tongue or cheese and fruit salad and / or trifle.

 

(Mining village near Doncaster - late '50's early '60's).

Fruit salad (must have been a posh house in Donny) . Was it served up in the west wing ?          We had bread and dripping for afters

Edited April 24, 2019 by hackey lad

[Ontarian1981 10]

 

 

 

2

53 minutes ago, hackey lad said:

Fruit salad (must have been a posh house in Donny) . Was it served up in the west wing ?          We had bread and dripping for afters

 

 

 

Quote

 

 Luxury, used to dream of bread and dripping.

[beezerboy 12]

7 hours ago, St Petre said:

Ours was the same, only used at Christmas and New Year when the aunties and uncles came,  then Johnnie  Walker, Black & White, Tia Maria etc came out for their annual appearance. No TV in there either.

Same for us, although dad had a gramophone in there, boy was I in trouble when I broke any of his 78's. Most visits in there were to put a shilling in the meter.

Edited April 24, 2019 by beezerboy

[sharrowyank 10]

Funny, I was just thinking about that the other day.  Sundays was about the only day it ever got used except for Christmas when we would use it to play with our presents. Hornby train set one year ,scalextrix ( ? ) another etc .  I would keep my Easter egg collection there all

neatly displayed in a glass cabinet.  Sundays was a treat when I was allowed to put the old zinc bathtub in front of the fire and listen to the black and white minstrel show  and sing something simple on the radio. but as was said , the front door was hardly ever opened.

[old tup 30]

Our first house bought in the 60s was a terrace same as mentioned in this thread,it cost exactly £1,000 pounds situated on Marion Road S6!.Like everyone says nobody used the front room only Sundays and special occasions ,right from the start we bucked this trend,we decorated it and used it every night after teatime!.In the winter we had a blazing fire in the grate making it nice and cosy,I always remember what the insurance man said once on his monthly visit"I love calling here its always warm and welcoming!",we didn,t have a lot in those days but we always made sure our little girl [now in her 50s] and us were comfortable and well fed!.