Blog put on hold

As of today I will not be posting regularly as I seem to have scraped the barrel of my newspaper collection and do not want to rehash the same stories. So until (and if) I get any new papers of interest I shall leave things as they are.

For anyone coming across this blog and reading this post, it might be of interest to them that prior to 29^th December 2013 the Sunday posts were more in keeping with the blog’s masthead description as seen above, with the front page and everything else I thought might be of interest from a single edition of a particular newspaper.   From then until the end of September 2014 the detailed Sunday posts were replaced by just a front page story. For the next 7 months it was alternating adverts and cuttings and for the last 3 months just adverts.

Thank you for your support and the 50,000 odd hits. I hope I have entertained those who have strayed this way.

Watch this space.

Mike

P.S. A new blog The Right Words which mostly covers books or films you may have missed can be found here.

Advert - London Underground and Edgware (1925)

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1925 and Edgware is the back of beyond, out there where they have to claim to have mains drainage before people will move to it. Edgware station at the end of the Northern Line was opened in August 1924.

Advert - Star cigarettes (1934)

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This 1930's advert for Will's Star cigarettes features Evelyn Laye whose career included musical comedy, operetta, films, TV and pantomime. She died at 95 in 1996

'Princess Charming' was a 1934 film with Max Miller, Finlay Currie and Henry Wilcoxon supporting Miss Laye.

Advert - John Pound Cabin Trunk (1923)

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This 1923 John Pound and Co. cabin trunk would probably exceed most airlines' weight limits empty. No, these were for proper travel by luxury liner or depositing dead bodies in at Charing Cross Station left luggage office.

Advert - Pro-Plus (1980's)

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As essential to the 1980's Young Urban Professional, or Yuppie, as his filofax and brick-sized mobile phone, Pro-Plus tablets kept him high on caffeine. These days it would be Red Bull.

Advert - Rinso (1926)

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1926 advert for Rinso the Dirt Dispeller. Rinso dates back to 1918 and was one of the first mass-market soap powders.

Advert - Aspro featuring Dickie Valentine (1950's)

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Dickie Valentine had 14 Top 30 hits between 1954 and 1959 and was killed in a car crash in 1971. Aspro (Aspirin) may not harm the heart but if you are brave enough check the side effects online.

Advert - Shredded Wheat (1930's)

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Shredded Wheat 1930's style. I'm not sure about the gooseberries though, sound a bit healthy for my liking.

Advert - The Colony Restaurant (1950's)

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Felix King had a residency at the Colony Restaurant from 1950 until 1959. As far as I can tell the restaurant was part of the Colony Club where ageing film star George Raft acted as host for several months in 1966 before being deported as an 'undesirable alien'.

Wally Griffin was an American comedian possibly worth staying awake until midnight to see.

Advert - Join the WRAF (1959)

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Join the Women's Royal Air Force in 1959 and enjoy all the thrills of sitting in a bunker in East Anglia and staring at a Radar screen for hours on end. But at least you'll get your own personal mirror light!

Advert - Renault cars (1927)

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The new Renault cars for 1927. The 9/15 had a top speed of only 39mph, you'd need the 14/45 if you were reckless enough to want to go at 60mph.

Advert - Zee-Kol Ointment (1934)

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1934 advert for Zee-Kol which claims to cure a range of horrible skin diseases in a night. According to Wikipedia (and therefore it must be true) George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon (1866 – 1923) was an English aristocrat best known as the financial backer of the search for, and the excavation of, Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. His death from erysipelas led to the story of the 'Curse of Tutankhamun'.  He should have used Zee-Kol.

Advert - Guinness beer (1950's)

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The Guinness 'smiling face' was so well known by the 1950's that this advert doesn't even show the brand name. Drawn by 'Douglas' but I can't identify him online.

Advert - Riley Adelphi car (1930's)

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The Riley 1.5 litre Adelphi was produced from 1936 to 1939.

Advert - Rolls Razor (1926)

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A 1926 advert for the Rolls Razor with the guaranteed blade. Normal 'safety' razors as opposed to cut-throat razors had to have a new blade put in every few shaves but this had a permanent blade that was automatically honed. Expensive though at £1.25 and £1.50.

Advert - Granada Video Recorder rental (1980's)

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1982 and the must have gadget was a VHS video recorder and you could rent one from Granada for only £14.45 a month, build up a huge library of tapes and then wonder what to do with them when DVD's arrived.

Advert - Philishave Electric Razor (1950's)

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Freddie Truman was apparently a cricketer who played for Yorkshire and Peter Haigh a BBC TV announcer. In the 1950's they apparently used a Philishave electric razor. I think Jack Train was an entertainer. Or a cricketer.

Advert - Prams from W J Harris (1926)

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1926 advert for prams. Push chairs seem to have replaced the old pram these days. Not much chance of baby falling out of these monsters. Are wheels really 15/- extra?

Advert - Vacuum cleaner from Barkers (1940's)

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1940's vacuum cleaner and sink advert. A couple of things cause pause for thought - nowhere does it way who makes the cleaner and the sink is described as 'slightly substandard'. Even if Barkers are 'of Kensington', I'll pass.

Advert - Rex Coronation Souvenir records (1937)

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On 12th May 1937 the Coronation of King George VI was held at Westminster Abbey. This advert was published on 13th may 1937.

Note that the records came with a full-colour picture label e.g.