Remembering the 1950s

BY GRAHAM HAWKES

While catching up with friends it was mentioned their granddaughter had been visiting and had enquired about her school project ("The Way We Were in the 1950s") and seeking items she could take to school that reflected the era.

Finding bits around the house included coins, memorabilia from the Queen's visit and an egg cup.

Ella, the granddaughter, had no idea what an egg cup was for.

Daphne duly demonstrated by boiling an egg and making a slice of toast cut into soldiers and showed Ella exactly how we all enjoyed boiled "googey" eggs, by dipping our soldiers into the said egg and devouring them mercilessly.

It got us all thinking about the '50s which for me were about a lot of things of a bygone era, including trams around the city area. The enormous cake granddad made being paraded through the city.

Other memories included NAC and the DC3s travelling from Dunedin to Invercargill, our own water supply from the tanks, the long drop behind the garage, preserving fruit, making pickles, the 6 o'clock swill, Mum knitting while listening to Dad and Dave, hoola hoops, the jukebox in the milk bar, milkshakes from the Savoy Milk Bar, international car racing at Ryal Bush, the Saturday evening sports publication (with the pink cover), It's in the Bag, Uncle Clary, the Soper's playing the Boyle's rugby teams, the pie cart, Dexter Dutton, Highland Dancing, wood chopping, the Otautau sports day, the Queen standing on the balcony of the Grand Hotel, Godrey Bowen and his shearing successes, the BBC home service, tilly lamps, Friday's baking day in the kitchen for Mum, stovepipe jeans, 4YZ and 4ZA, bring and buy sales at the local church, Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, TT2s and Eskimo Pies, Thomson's soft drinks, Enid Blyton books, the Goons and if you were lucky enough we got to play with uncle Kevin's meccano set, Jack Thompson and Gill Desh, Old Folks at Home (on Sunday evenings), gobstoppers, the gorgeous smells permeating when you went passed A C Millers and Langes on Tay St, Teretonga and the dredging of Bluff Island Harbour, catching the Wairua across to Stewart Island, the sound shell on Riverton beach, the Truth newspaper and buying a ticket in Tatt's.

Another vivid memory I have of the '50s was of going to visit friends of our family for a holiday in Temuka. The four of us kids were huddled into the backseat of the 1934 Buick with the flagon of soft drink and a tin of Mum's baking for the day long journey.

I recall it seemed to take forever to get there but none of us would have been game enough to ask if we were there yet, so avoiding a clip around the ears, we played eye spy for hours on the journey there and home but the fondest memory of the trip was my favourite in the tin of baking, Mum's date square.

Rural Heritage Day is on today at Donovan Park on Bainfield Rd, where checked frocks and cardigans will be the suitable attire or perhaps you could enter the Marilyn Munro look-alike or do your best for the Elvis wannabees in the milk bar area.

Other activities included in the Rural Heritage Day will be carriage and pony rides, lots of children's competitions and entertainment along with farmyard animals, home crafts, story telling, lots of vintage machinery and working horses in action along with a display of 1950s racing cars.

A great family day's entertainment is assured for all.

So today in celebration of "The Way We Were in the 1950s" let's make Mum's date square.

RECIPE: Mum's Date Square

Ingredients

• 200g stoned dates
• 1 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp sugar

For the pastry

• 500g butter
• 250g sugar
• 750g flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder

For the icing

• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp melted butter
• 2-3 Tbsp hot water

Method: Chop the dates and place in a microwave suitable bowl, add the sugar and the water and microwave on medium for 5 minutes or until the dates have softened and absorbed the water.

For the base and the topping cream the butter and the sugar until it is light in colour and very creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

Lightly knead the pastry and cut in half.

Roll each piece of pastry to fit a 25cm by 40cm slice tin and place one piece of pastry on to the greased and floured slice tin.

Top with the dates and place the second piece of pastry on top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180degC for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.wAllow to cool and ice with plain white icing.

For the icing: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the melted butter and the hot water to mix into a spreadable icing.

Bon appetit

Note: This makes a large slice tin. For a standard household slice tin or jam roll tin use half the amount of pastry.

- © Fairfax NZ News