Walter
What was life like when you were a boy, Grandpa? Were things very different then?
Mr Slade
Oh, yes. Very different. Life wasn’t so easy in those days, you know. We didn’t have a fridge, we only had a pantry. Only rich people had fridges then. And we didn’t have a washing machine. We washed all our clothes by hand in a big tub. It was very hard, very hard.
Walter
Did you have electric light?
Mr Slade
Yes, we did. Lots of people had electric light by then.
Walter
Did you have a television?
Mr Slade
A television? Oh no! Ordinary people didn’t have televisions in those days. But we had a radio – a great big radio. And we had a record player too.
Walter
What about a telephone? Did you have a telephone?
Mr Slade
No, we didn’t. When I was a child, only the doctor and the post office had a telephone in my village. For ordinary people there were only letters and postcards.
Mr Slade
No, we didn’t. Cars were too expensive in those days. But we had bicycles, all six of us.
Walter
Well, I’ve got a bike too.
Mr Slade
Yes, you’re right. But I didn’t have a 21-speed bike like you.
Walter
Grandpa, I think I’m better off than you were when you were a boy.
Mr Slade
Well, maybe you’re right. We didn’t have vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, computers or smartphones. But people were friendlier. They had more time for each other. I was never lonely or miserable. I had a lot of friends. We were outdoors all the time. We didn’t have any video games, but we played interesting games, like marbles. And there was a dance in our village every Saturday evening.
