A quick re-watch of the film in the last post sent me off to find this. I suddenly remembered this book of cigarette cards that I picked up in a mixed box at an auction last year. Seeing the hand of the police constable on the film brought back the memories of when they used to do traffic point duty. I am not as old as these cards (truly) but the police used to control traffic regularly when I was a child in the 50's and 60's and I can remember those hand signals and what they meant. When I took driving lessons in the mid to late 70's they were still teaching us how to use hand signals despite most cars having indicators by then. I think it was meant to prepare you for every eventuality! I can still remember having to wind down the window whilst driving (no electric windows then of course), extend my hand clearly if I wanted to turn right, rotate my hand at the wrist to signal I wanted to turn left and gently wave my arm up and down to indicate I was slowing down.Surely I can't be alone with these memories?
These cards must come from the 30's I think and this is just a small selection but they made me smile, especially as it seems to assume that most people had a chauffeur. I find it interesting that the card about the rules for children crossing the road does not have them standing at a zebra crossing. These, along with flashing Belisha beacons are also a memory of my childhood and I thought they existed in the 30's? They were also days of innocence, when there were not huge numbers of traffic on the roads, hence children running with hoops and lastly, my favourite - 'Do not play with a dog in the street'. Own up if you did that......
5 comments:
Oh Lesley how lovely! Takes me back although I too am not as old as the cards - quite! I think Belisha beacons were introduced in 1934 and zebra crossings in 1949 - isn't the internet a wonderful tool?! I never played with a dog in the street but we used to tie our skipping ropes to a lamp post and take it in turns to turn the other end for the rest of the kids to jump till the call went up warning of an oncoming vehicle - just shows how few cars were about then. My daughter aged then about 5 once asked me "Did they have cars when you were alive?" Answer "Yes - they did but we didn't and neither did many other people"!!
Wonderful Lesley!
I too can remember doing hand signals in my driving test!!
Ohh, don't get me started. I certainly had to learn hand signals, but I don't think I had to use them in my test in'71, but I may have done. I also remember in the early sixties AA and RAC patrol men often on motorbikes, saluting members. I vaguely remember it being stopped for safety reasons.
Wonderful! I remember hand signals although I don't think I needed them when I took my test at the end of the seventies.
Lucky, lucky you to have these cards. How times change eh? :O)
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