Apologies, but 1938 has been difficult to photograph, so I have had to make do with images from this grubby old newspaper. I have no idea why my parents saw fit to save it for posterity, but they saw fit to save all manner of strange unidentifiable items from the dim and distant past – including old love letters – if they were around today we would be having words. Tut.
Without further ado, I bring you…. 1938! Specifically, Monday 28th March. Please click on the pics to view them on an enormous scale so that you can read the small print; trust me, it’s worth it.
Beware trapdoors, and don’t get married too young – it’ll make you want to return to school…
A fascinating view of how those in 1938 recalled the 1920’s…
And to end this post, let’s test our wits – answers will be provided on Wednesday evening, possibly 2021.
Wonky Words 
Totally priceless – every bit of it – to travel 6,000 miles to see Maureen lose an elocution contest by one point – there should be a song about that! Brilliant! xxx
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know, Lulu! It’s a gem. Thank goodness for those who don’t like to throw anything away!
Sx
LikeLike
There’s a Festival of Blouses? Why didn’t anyone tell me?!? Is it still on, do you think??? If it is, I’ll probably need one of those “Colourain” rain coats to keep my blouse dry though. But what colour should I choose?
* peruses list of colours *
Good gods! Um, I think I’ll have one in Fawn…
~o~
That Omaha, Nebraska beauty parlour wouldn’t be affiliated with The Infomaniac House of Beauty, would it? (How did she lose so much weight? Lost a limb or two in the fall?)
LikeLiked by 3 people
P.S. I wonder why the photographer for that bus at Piccadilly didn’t wait to take the photo until that man had finished picking up his dog’s poo?
LikeLiked by 2 people
That looks like Sid! Always doing his business where he oughtn’t!
Sx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mr Devine – I think you could be onto something! The Infomaniac House of Beauty in it’s infancy, no doubt!
Yes, crikey – she must have lost a leg, or her head. Perhaps we should write a best seller called The Trapdoor Diet – proven results since 1938.
Sx
LikeLiked by 3 people
That trap door in the beauty parlour led to the Oubliette!
I misread “Festival of Blouses” as “Festival of Louses.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ms Mistress – And what part of the anatomy did this poor woman have removed to cause her to lose 3 stone? What the hell really goes on in the Oubliette?? We need answers. By Wednesday if you don’t mind!
Louses – it could happen! I’m sure all our world leaders would be welcome!
Sx
LikeLike
Yes, that one caught my eye too. How did she lose it? Did the trapdoor’s lip lop off some weighty part of her anatomy?
This is a cracking collect Scarlet, and I am making copies for further perusal. Many thanks petal!
EDIT: Oh, if only I had read a little bit further I would have seen you wondering the same thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, Looby!
I might not make collages out of this paper – seems like a keeper.
Sx
LikeLike
Why did the King give a tea party for 250 Viet Cong? And did the President of the French Republic fall or was he pushed? No doubt these questions will also be answered on Wednesday evening. Until then, good-byeee! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mr Batarde – I will not be answering any questions about the King; the President of the French Republic; or the festival of blouses – I have spent long enough reading about Mrs Norman Ridgely, and Pussyfoot Johnson – which has been enough of an education, thank you very much!
Please feel free to be a Quickwit.
Sx
LikeLike
Oh, such a gem of a discovery! Imagine – “airplanes flying at 164 mph”? And just who was “Mrs Norman Ridgeley”, anyhow?
Now I need to know the answers to that “Quickwits” quiz, as I fear my wits are not nearly quick enough at the moment. Jx
LikeLiked by 3 people
I love vintage papers, Jon, they’re such an eye opener!
Mrs Norman Ridgeley was the daughter of Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald – I’ve even seen her on Youtube doing her thing. HERE is her Wiki entry.
I’m intrigued by the grandmothers going out on the razzle in the 1920s!
Sx
LikeLike
Like Mrs Connor my maid of all work Carmen used to go like the clappers around the house, dusting and polishing all day long and all on one bar of Cadbury’s milk chocolate, but since the American takeover, things had started to slow down to just 1/8 h. p. she says the chocolate doesn’t taste the same, ‘candle grease’ she calls it, I tried a bit for myself and spat it out, I must agree with her, it does. I tried her on other chocolates Lindt and Nestle but to no avail, then one day I visited Aldi I picked up a bar of Everyday Essentials chocolate 30p for 100g and she’s almost back to her old self. Hurray for Aldi!
They do collect some shit don’t they? A few years ago I was helping my mother move house and came across an old innovation catalogue from the early 90s, I had a flick through and saw a battery operated device in the shape of a cock it said it was for stiff necks!
Quickwits: 1) looks like the lamp I used to stand under, in my working days. 2) jutting out of the water looks like the handle of an axe.
LikeLiked by 2 people
P.S I’m sure I remember the neck massager being advertised too!
Sx
LikeLike
More P.S – I haven’t looked at the answers yet! I am saving them for Wednesday/Thursday, but I like the axe idea.
Sx
LikeLike
Mitzi – I wonder what they used to put in chocolate in 1938?! I can’t say Lindt gives me much energy – I will have to try Aldi.
YES, they do collect a lot of shit. Quite frankly my house in the past year has sometimes looked similar to the junk shop emporiums on your blog. It has been hell. I now have it gathered in two rooms and a garage. I try not to think about it, but one day it will need sorting and clearing – it doesn’t help that a lot of the objects remind me of my childhood. I have to let go…. or at least take pictures of some items to show on my blog!
Sx
LikeLiked by 2 people
Regarding chocolate : As I am too lazy to go to ALDI, I mostly visit the local LIDL. I can honestly say that the simple dark nut variant is very good they sell there. Usually it is a 100 gram bar for something like 0.60€. In both chains 200 gram variations are offered – there is one white / black called coffe something or so that is very good. Should catapult Carmen over the moon.It actually tastes like coffee !
Lindt is offered in other supermarkets, it may be connected to some haggling behind the scenes. Lindt / Sprüngli products are very good, but, as you mention, they lack a bit of “oohmpf”. But their martipan is serious stuff.
For ages I have enjoyed milk chocolate, but now I find it (mostly) bland : Forget MIlka ! There is one product range, I forgot who offers it, that has chocolate with different percents of cacao, up to over 80 %. (Tastes too bitter for me, but if you want to make your own drinking cacao it’s great. Just melt it down in a bainmarie, add what you like (Rum ?) – et voila, the day is yer friend !)
Nowadays I prefer “Herrenschokolade” that comes with 60% cacao. (I know that the website is crap, maybe not “ironic” enough, but nevertheless here).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mr Mags – Lindt dark chocolate [70%] with sea salt is my absolute favourite, dunked in a nice cup of tea.
I cannot eat milk chocolate anymore, it is far too sweet. I like a touch of bitterness.
Sx
LikeLike
We now know what your previous 1938 reference meant. I thought you were just counting your postings.
I had to look up Pussyfoot Johnson the prohibitionist. A London mob of medical students (why should I think medical students would be better behaved?) paraded him through the streets of London where he was stuck in the eye by an object thrown at him. He lost the eye.
From the viewpoint of my generation I always thought prohibition was stupid and backfired by creating opportunities for criminals. Did the UK ever have prohibition?
Great post and pictures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bill – I have read the groups of people, such as The Quakers, and Temperance Societies did try to have alcohol banned in the UK, but they didn’t succeed, so no, no prohibition here – I mean, we had blouse festivals – how could they have happened without alcohol??!!
Poor Pussyfoot – nobody deserves to lose an eye.
Sx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Due to the unfortunate (or fortunate) location of the tear on the front page at first I thought there was an advert for a “cum cleaner” thinking how you Brits like to make words extra fancy by adding additional letters here and there, but now I’m disappointed to see its only an ordinary vacuum cleaner, missing the first two letters.
Anyhow, I’ll leave IDV with the blouses as I would be quickly turning to test my “quickwits” with the picture exercise there. I have always fancied myself and armchair detective. The building across the street from the lamp post looks distinct enough and easy to find, especially with google earth. Of course I would check the creek! Leave no stone unturned until the weapon is found!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Melanie – Apologies for the tear!! And the misunderstanding – they probably still used tissues for that sort of thing back in 1938.
I’m looking forward to Wednesday for the Quickwit revelation as I haven’t yet read the answers – they are easy to avoid owing to another large tear [kidding! There will be answers!]
Sx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was worried I’d cross the line with that last comment. We’re all rather prudish around these parts. Last night we caught up on a John Oliver episode. Weirdest, naughtiest episode ever! I think he might get sued by Disney for that one. At least they can’t deport. He’s officially a naturalized American citizen now. Here’s a link (21min) oh, how he rakes us over the coals with our terrible capitalistic policies and make us laugh while we cry. https://youtu.be/Ezv8sdTLxKo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Melanie – Unfortunately the video is not available in the UK. Ack. It is one of those days.
Sx
LikeLike
On the subject of amassing stuff….The Man and I (plus one cat) have moved house. I believe the popular term is “down-sizing.”
Sadly, I failed to realise that the stuff that was crammed into a bigger house is in no way crammable in a smaller house….
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, congratulations, Dinah! Perhaps a yard sale is in order?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dinah and I should set up a joint Etsy store selling secondhand bits and pieces.
Sx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dinah – I can’t wait to see your new house and garden!!! Please blog about it when you are more settled. I know what you mean about the cramming – it’s a daunting realisation.
I hope you are very happy in your new home – and can I have the address please!
Sx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh God this were funny. The woman who fell through a trap door and the 15 year old who’d had enough of marriage and wanted to go back to school. Lol. Are these real?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, Joey, these are all real!! There are also serious articles about Hitler, which are all a bit grim – we all know what happened next.
Sx
LikeLike
I’m pretty sure there is a newspaper from 1978 next to my Dad’s reading chair!
I’m in a facebook group where peoplpe share their weird and wonderful secondhand finds, there was someone recently posting photos of the 100 year old newspaper they found in a wall cavity!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kylie – I also have some scraps of newspaper from a wall cavity – I think I still have them – but they are scraps and I don’t think any make up a full article – I can’t remember, but I think they’re older than 1938.
I like leaving pertinent information when I’m decorating and like to think future generations will be equally fascinated by my timeframe!
Sx
LikeLike
Goodness, I must be on the lookout for trapdoors. If I lost 3 stone 8 pounds there’d be nothing left of me. In fact all trapdoors should be clearly labelled “Danger, trapdoor ahead. Take alternative route.” But how did she manage to lose so much? Was she trapped in the basement and only discovered a month later?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nick – I know! These articles are bonkers, and leave more questions than they answer! Should I write to the Daily Express for an update? I think I should, and just might.
Sx
LikeLike
A cornucopia of incidentals. I loved reading this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Madam A! I’ll see if I can find some more, even if I can’t, I will try to take some decent pictures of the adverts because the artwork is glorious, and the copy is so persuasive!
Sx
LikeLike
Ab Fab Cool MsScarlet !
BTW I am sure that Dorothy Blum (!) is of Irish origin, she’s surely from Dublin (uncle Leo ?). I am not sure wether I should order my trench coat in “Nigger” ; on the other hand it could be very appropriate to wear it in 1938 Germany – brown was all the rage back then …
The two “Quickwits” leave me in the dark : In Number one the hint is obvisiouly the street light, I think it is a gas lamp ? Or is it an electric lamp ? I have no idea about London’s streetlightning, like where when what, but it may be the corner with the last gas lamp in the East End, or the corner with the first and only electrical one.
Re number two – if “weapon” means something that does not flow away, like a revolver, a knife – heck yeah, I would search that stream. I do not understand the hint / tip, if there is any. If “weapon” means simply large “piece of wood” because the splinters are still in the deadly wound I’d investigate these sticks. Maybe one holds an axe ?
I have no idea about the songs mentioned (“Where go flies in the winter ?”, “KKKatie”, “Roses Blooming” (this last one could be “Rose of Picardy”?)) – ha ! Thank you for this !
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ooh, I like your answer for the first Quick Wit, Mago. And I have an idea for the second: If the murder victim was drowned, I wouldn’t bother searching!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh very clever, Mr Devine! I like it. All will be revealed tomorrow, I hope it doesn’t leave us scratching our heads.
Sx
LikeLike
My pleasure, Mr Mags, and I apologise for teasing about it for so long before posting it – I was in a bit of a blogging funk. I’m glad that everyone has enjoyed it.
I can’t wait to read the answers to the Quickwits puzzle – I bet they are daft and impossible for us to understand in 2021!
Sx
LikeLike
Seriously MsScarlet, you know that there’s no need for you to apologise – hey : You do keep your promises ! I promised to write posts about different topics that never appeared on the screen – and now it is forfgotten, so time takes care of most things said.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mr Mags – I’m going to have to go through your blog with a fine toothed comb to find the old promises! Perhaps not, but I will at least update your file if you make any new ones.
Sx
LikeLike
NO SHIT Sherlock !
I did not think of this possibility. Maybe the stream IS the weapon. A distraction working after 83 years. “Mitzi’s Corner” may have rung some bells back then …
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is an answer to IDV‘s comment above about the second “Quickwit” – he had the drowning idea.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am about to publish the answers, Mr Mags. They are dull. I think that You, Mr Devine and Melanie came up with better answers. This has stymied me, somewhat, as I will now have to think on my feet to make the next blog post more exciting. Ack.
Sx
LikeLike