Gone forever, the thruppenny Joey, the tanner and the florin | Nostalgia

That means £80,000 of coins now lie hidden on beaches, down the back of settees and in public parks. Time to purchase a metal detector I think.

Of course the idea of decimalisation was partly to reduce the amount of loose change in our pockets.

I am sure many of you of a certain age remember the enormous number of pennies, thruppenny Joeys, tanners, florins and half-crowns we used to carry about in bulging pockets.

In 1968 the man from the Treasury decided we would have change and change we had on February 15, 1971, yes, nearly 50 years ago. It also meant the end of the beloved ten-bob note (50p today). Imagine, you could buy five packs of 20 cigarettes at two shillings a pack for one ten-bob note.

It was estimated there were 2,031 million pennies, 1.845 tanners, 965 million shilling bits, 647 million florins and 407 million half-crowns in circulation, more than 7,300m coins.

This then was the fiendish manner in which the Treasury imposed decimalisation onto us. What they didn’t tell us was that within two to three years prices would literally double and with the introduction of 10 per cent VAT (now 20 per cent) even more inflationary prices.

It was a simple matter of deleting the /- and adding a 0p to change and double the price. I know for a fact that if something cost two shillings, within a few years it became 20p ie 4/-. Something costing five bob became 50p(10 shillings).

Basically, the whole country was ripped off big time and within a short time there were strikes for higher wages basically to cope with the higher price of living.

Of course the fuel crisis did not help matters but as I did not drive back then I cared little.

In 1973 I remember an old boss, who drove a Jaguar, complaining that he was charged 50p for a gallon for fuel. I remember thinking that was not too bad but when he told me just a few months before he had been paying 40p, I understood see why he was moaning.

I was one that much preferred the money I was brought up with, but with us coming out of Europe at the end of the month perhaps we could go back. No, I thought not…

Huge bird of prey dominated Southsea street

For some reason this part of Fawcett Road, Southsea, is still called Old Fawcett Road for reasons that have never been explained.

Taken a century ago we see the road when there was a profusion of shops on the eastern side of the road.

On the opposite side of the road was the Jewish cemetery. On the corner of Delamere Road can be seen the Golden Eagle pub with the massive eagle standing on the balustrade.

Hydroplane lands on Southsea beach

Not much information about this photograph apart from that it was taken off Southsea beach to the east of South Parade Pier and that it is a Stephen Cribb photograph. I’ve not even a date for when it was taken. I am sure someone will let me know.

The bandstand on the end of the pier can be seen. There is also a flagpole with flag attached. Did this fly to signify that a ferry was approaching the landing stage?