'So cool': 9 things to make you feel young again if you grew up in the 60s or 70s

• Do you remember school shoes that came with a hidden secret?
• Do you pine for the ‘delicious’ dessert that was sadly discontinued?
• If you grew up in the 60s or 70s, these memories are bound to take you back to your childhood

If you grew up in the 60s or 70s, there are some things that will instantly transport you back to your childhood.

Whether it’s the sounds, tastes or fashions of the era, they are familiar to everyone of a certain age.

The photos, videos and recollections below will undoubtedly get your synapses sparking and rekindle those memories, for better or worse.

They include popular treats, sneaky visitors and shared school experiences.

How many of these nine things do you remember?

Jamboree bags

Before Kinder Surprise eggs, children had jamboree bags, or lucky bags.

For a few pennies, you got some sweets and a small toy.

What exactly you got was down to luck, but youngsters loved the element of surprise, and for many of them it was the first thing they spent their pocket money on.

One person recalled: “I used to buy them with eager childish expectation. I was always disappointed.”

Another said: “My grandad used to say they were a waste of money, but I loved them.”

As for the contents, many people remember an uninspiring selection of sweets, including ‘bullet-hard’ toffees and ‘chalky’ candy, while the toys you got were usually cheap plastic tat, like a dog with a nodding head, sunglasses or fake teeth, but that didn’t stop some children from cherishing them.

Milk thieves

Milk deliveries were still the norm in the 60s and 70s, before most households started buying their pints from the supermarket.

When people went to collect the bottles from their doorstep, however, they sometimes had a nasty surprise.

Birds had a habit of pecking through the foil lid and sucking the cream from the top of the bottle.

Blue tits were among the biggest culprits, especially during the winter months, when food was scarce.

Most people didn’t mind occasionally sharing with their feathered friends, thankfully.

Football’s GOAT

The debate about football’s GOAT (greatest of all time) didn’t begin with Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, despite what some millennials might think.

If you grew up in the 60s, you were lucky enough to witness two of the game’s greats at their peak, in Pele and George Best.

They both dazzled on the pitch, but Pele certainly made the most of his talent, helped by being part of one of the all-time great Brazil.

Best, it could be argued, failed to make the most of his supreme ability, despite winning the Ballon d’Or, the European Cup and two First Division titles.

Top of the Pops albums

Top of the Pops was one of the most popular shows on TV during the 60s and 70s, with millions of viewers settling down in front of their sets each week to watch the chart countdown.

Between 1968 and 1985, Hallmark Records cashed in on the show’s popularity by releasing a series of Top of the Pops compilation records.

There was no official connection with the TV show, but the record label was free to use the name as it was not trademarked.

Rather than featuring the real thing, the albums contained anonymous cover versions of the latest hit singles, while the cover designs often featured women in skimpy clothing.

Elton John was among the singers lending their voices to the records before he became famous.

Wayfinders shoes

If you thought school shoes were boring, you never owned a pair of Wayfinders.

Wayfinders shoes were particularly popular during the late 60s and early 70s.

They may have looked like ordinary shoes on top, but the heels featured animal tracks and, best of all, a hidden compass, meaning you’d never be lost if you had a pair.

While children loved them for these features, parents were seduced by the six-month guarantee.

One fan told how Wayfinders were their favourite shoes as a child, and even the box they came in was ‘so cool’. “I kept the compass for decades, long after I'd grown out of the shoes,” they added.

Comparing BCG scars

BCG vaccinations were introduced at schools in Britain in 1953 to protect against tuberculosis (TB).

They were eventually discontinued in 2005, as the risk of TB was so low.

Anyone who went to school in the 60s or 70s will remember queuing up for their jab, and, no doubt, comparing scars afterwards with their friends.

The coal man

Coal fires were still the primary source of heating for many homes in the 1960s, before central heating became more widespread.

People who grew up then will remember visits from the coal man, dropping off the vital supplies that would help keep Jack Frost from their doors.

Back in those days, many youngsters were tasked with refilling the coal scuttle and keeping the fire topped up.

Instant Whip

Bird’s Instant Whip, launched in 1955, felt like alchemy to children and was a godsend for hard-pressed parents.

You just tore open the packets, whisked it up with cold milk, and in a matter of seconds you had a creamy mousse-like dessert.

Popular flavours included strawberry, vanilla and raspberry, but for many children of the 60s and 70s, butterscotch ruled supreme.

Angel Delight came along in 1967, starting the debate about which was best.

You can still buy Angel Delight, but Instant Whip was sadly discontinued in around 2004.

Three Blind Mice

Learning to play Three Blind Mice on the recorder was a rite of passage for schoolchildren in the 60s and 70s.

Many youngsters can still recall the screeching cacophony that erupted when a whole class attempted to master the simple nursery rhyme.

Thankfully, schools have learned their lesson and gone easy on the earbuds of parents, pupils and parents.

Although you can still find recorders at some schools, they are not as ubiquitous as they once were.

If this list has you pining for the past, you might enjoy our look back at some of the most dangerous things we did in the 60s and 70s.