I was doing some reminicing with some old school friends recently, and got into a funny chat abouthow our houses looked back then. As someone who grew up in a Jamaican Household in North West London during the 1970's and 80's, I'm trying to compile a definitive checklist of essential furnishing, rooms and other items that HAD to be in place.niceone.gif

Here's my starting list:


A 'Front Room' that was only ever used when White people came to the house and for opening Christmas presents.

Crocheteddoyleys on the back of all armchairs and the arms as well. Sometimes also seen on Televisions.

Jim Reeves albums dusted off at Christmas time (once described by Lenny Henry as his mystery White Cousin).

Scary picture in the hallway that said "Jesus is the Head of this house. The unseen listener of every conversation...."

Glass Fishes Ornaments in the front room that sat on the mantelpiece(s). If you were really lucky you'd have several.

Carpet in the hallway covered by touch clear plastic protector.

Picture of 'The Last Supper' on the wall in the Front room (da Vinci code anyone?).

Those dark blue scrolls (with gold plastic ends) which you only ever bought on seaside trips to Margate/Littlehampton or Blackpool (for the REALLY adventurous black people).


In open doorways, multi-coloured plastic strips or beads that hung from the doorframe. Not quite a door, but it looked the business right?

In the car, seats covered by furry seat covers (in gold) that messed up your clothes...

What else can you guys add to the mix...?niceone.gif

Brown plastic Afrocomb with "MANDELA" in big gold letters.

Masks and animal sculptures.

Clock shaped like Zimbabwe (or whereever you are from)

The doyleys GRRRRR

Those beady door thingys LMAO I remember them now!!!

good topic...damn...lol...you brought me back to my Granny's house (R.I.P)...

drinks cabinet - withthe real stuff @ the back for 'medicinal purposes' (i don't drink, was just a curious child)

the porcelain ornaments

that doll that covers the toilet roll in the bathroom

the good ole rubber/spider plant

a framed picture of the '10 commandments'

the old black & white/sepia photos in the white frames

A big ugly peacock ornament

These fake large flowers made from coloured tights......yes thats right different coloured tights

The big blue fish on the mantlepiece

The brownhen ornament with a lid in the kitchen that you were meant to put the eggs in

Big massive vase ornaments 3 of them with gold looking plated handles filled with more fake flowers but these ones were plastic

Our living room was alway used however we did have a locked cupboard on one part of the large cabinet with special treats locked away....only mum had a key to this cupboard.

A glass cabinet filled to the brim with dinner sets and fancy glasses that only 10% every got used and only at xmas time.

The picture of the last supper with white faces but when my uncled visited us from America in the 70's this got changed one with black faces.

Plastic carpet protecter from the front door entrance to the living room

Crochet doyleys and lace doyleys EVERYWHERE

That damn ornament of a spanish lady in her traditional clothing witha fan in her handthis was placedon top of the tv

A digusting bar for drinks that looked like the front part of a ship.....no lie it was like a half bar in the shape of a ship front that you were meant to stand behind and serve the drinks from then you place the drinks on the gold plated looking trolley with two shelves that you wheeled around the room.

Silly ornaments/trays and hanging maps from Brighton/Margate/Southend and Blackpool

A ornament of a horse with a saddle .....I don't know why but all my friends had one in their homes as well along with the fish and the hen with a lid for eggs. WHY????

Stupid mats and rugs everywhereeven though the whole house was carpeted.......even the bathroom at onetime.

I'll come back if I think of anymore.

Other things I remembered from the past:

The 'Front Room' had not one, but FOUR white goatskin rugs on the floor.

A big drinks cabinet in the shape of a globe that opened up to reveal a selection of rarely used drinks, including Advocaat and Malibu

A big table lamp with a glass base that contained (hopefully artificial) birds and sparrows on fake plastic branches. The shade itself was a nice shade of bright pink.

Telephone locks anyone...? We had them on both phones upstairs and downstairs.

Two huge reproduction Constable paintings with blatant plastic frames. Dad went into stubbon mode when we told hime it looked rubbish.

Mum & Dad's wedding picture was cool though. It was one of those b&w ones that had been touched up with colour paint. They both looked sharpe as 1966 style was cool. (However, my friends parents who married in the 70's...? nuff said about THOSE wedding pictures!)

Oh yeah. The family video recorder (A Ferguson Videostar) was kept in my parents bedroom...

What about the wall unit. Every front room had a wall unit. Filled with glasses and ornaments that were never used.

The drink trolley with a water carbonator that never got used.

The glass cabinet that I got a beating for breaking with my brothers air pellet gun.

The large obligatory white furry rug with coffee table on it.

The best settee and carpet in the house...

The gram. Now this is definatley for the older members. But the gram was what the modern hifi component set is now.

I really wonder how all this even could fit in the damn room..

Mansamusa wrote:


The drink trolley with a water carbonator that never got used.


lol i forgot about that one..used to play on it with my cousins...

We had a Gram with sliding doors. It weighed nearly a tonne and is currently in my Mum's house in Mandeville, Jamaica (it STILL works!)

We also had a Sharp music centre - 1970s cutting edge stuff

Lovedaddy

You killed me with the globe drinks thingy lol, that big ugly thing with tiny lil glasses inside, though ours had Amarula and mainstay inside lol

This topic has really taken me down memory lane.

The fire guard ( we uses to dry our clothes on)

Those cushion (usually in dark burgundy colour) with the stitched design

The ruffled cloth on the fire place, tele, side board and anywhere else that could fit one.

the Jamaican picture frame with:

jamaica's national dish - ackee and salt fish

jamaica's national flag

Coat of arms: out of many one people

jamaica's national flower: Lignum Vitae

and portraits of marcus Garvey, alexander bustamante, paul bogle, norman manley (I'm sure there was someone else - can't remember who now)

the front room - ours was used for visitors only, at Christmas time, when the tree and presents would be in there. And when we were having family photos taken. Hey just remembered Chinaman the photographer.

who can forget the gram,I think it was made to play Jim Reeves

the ghastly lightshades - Urgggh

horrible patterned carpets (good for playing marbleson tho')

Lovedaddy thanks for bringing a smile to my face clp)

I was chatting to a few of my Chinese and Asian collegues, and whilst comparing notes, it seems that we all seem to have had similar decors in our houses.

...although my Indian friend claims that her parents covers the remote controls in plastic!

I went to the States to visit my Dad's family; there are loads of them! My Dad was the second of my Grandma's THIRTEEN children (Jamaican contraception wasn't so good back then!). The Yank branch of my family had similar tastes but they did that Black American thing where they covered the sofas in plastic!

What's that all about?

Fake flowers everywhere

Carpet everywhere even in the kitchen bathroom/toilet. mats/rugs

Cabinet in the kitchen full of glasses and plates that were only used at xmas if ever!and miniature bottles of alcohol like rum.

Plastic carpet covering in the hallway and uner the stairs where we put our shoes.

Beaded doorcurtain thingys (and beaded car seats the beads were supposed to massage your back)

Lots of ornaments in the living/sitting room.Horse pulling cart of barrels ornament. Fish and birds too!

Gold birds in flight on the wall.

A giant brandy glass!

Top loader washing machine.

A big drinks container of sasparilla in the fridge.

Big dining table and chairs.

Picture of "The Last Supper".

Multi-coloured plastic cups.

Big jar of raisans soaking in rum to make cakes with.

Pot and pan rack

Kitchen prayer on the wall.

Metal afro pic!

Shelves filled with videos

Dad's stereo and lots and lots of records.

Crochet doyleys on sofa and tables with fake flowers placed ontop of doyley.