Whitsuntide

A picture I recently received for posting on my face book page (I grew up in the 60s. http://www.facebook.com/IGrewUpInThe60s ) brought back some fantastic memories of Whitsuntide in the 60s, and prompted me to wonder whatever happened to the traditional Whitsuntide we all enjoyed so much?

As I'm sure you all know by now I grew up living in Sheffield, and during the 60s most of us kids attended Sunday school. Whitsuntide for us was a very special time, a time when we all received a complete new set of cloths, and a time when Whitsuntide was every bit as exiting as Christmas.
I attended Beck Rd Sunday school and every year a float (a lavishly decorated truck) would carry all the younger children, and the older children would follow the float on its journey to concord park.
The park would be full,as far as the eye could see, with children and family's from other Sunday schools and churches, all with equally lavish floats and all wearing their brand new Sunday best clothing.
Many Sunday schools/churches would have a band and all had a May queen.

Whatever happened to the traditional Whitsuntide? and when did it disappear?
It seems we the older generation are now only left with the memories of what was a fantastic time, memories of mum sewing, taking up dresses and memories of the Whitsuntide walk, how proud we were to be displaying our brand new attire.
Have we really progressed in this, the new millennium? I'm not so sure.

A warm welcome

Hi,
To get this blog underway I thought I ought to tell you a little about myself. I'm an ordinary working class guy who appears to have reached the age where I spend more time thinking of the past than I do of the future. I was born in Sheffield (UK) in 1958 so I have great memories of growing up in the 60s and even greater memories of my youth in the 70s. I married a great girl from Rotherham and have now been happily married for 35 years. I have 3 lovely children (although they are not children anymore) and 6 fantastic grandchildren.
We moved to a small village on the outskirts of Bedford about 15 years ago and have no regrets about doing so.
So why have I started a blog called I grew up in the 60s and 70s?, well mainly because I suddenly realised that I was going to bed at the time when I used to go out and, and was getting up at the same time as I used to come home, in short I suddenly realised I was getting old.
As I said earlier I found myself thinking more of the past than of the future, and so I thought I would start a facebook page to share the memories of my childhood http://www.facebook.com/IGrewUpInThe60s  more recently I have started a second page more focused on the 70s http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-remember-the-70s/421814491245429
I started these pages to share my memories and to be honest I have been shocked at the response. 40,000 likes on my first page in no time at all, so it seems I am not on my own in remembering the past. Feel free to take a look at these pages, there are some great thought provoking pictures and comments on there.
I will post on here on a regular basis, so please call back, I'm sure if you're a similar age to me you will find some great memories on here.