Gypsy Creams

Woman’s Own Archive

The Perfect Twin Tub

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

Servis give women yet another reason to celebrate the humble washing machine. And that’s all I’m saying.

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New Zealand Cheddar

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

According to this ad, New Zealand Cheddar is the ‘Master of Tasty Surprises’. My boyfriend makes much the same boast. He doesn’t try to make Cauliflower Cheese and Macaroni Cheese look posh by giving them foreign names, though.

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Another Nursing Ad

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

I know, but I couldn’t resist. Here’s another attempt to sell nursing as anything other than a noble vocation, with salaries of £700 being waved in front of young women. Just two years later, an average weekly wage for women of £20 was being quoted in this title, which makes £1040 a year. So the nursing wage isn’t necessarily *that* amazing. You might get 6 weeks holiday a year, but a 42 hour working week means that you need it!

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A Purring Golden Blonde

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

“…but she was so catty about my mousey hair, I could have sloshed her.” Why didn’t you, love? Snotty-looking cow.

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After Eights

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

I’m trying to work out what the message of this ad is. I’m drawing a blank so far. Are they trying to tell women that buying After Eight mints will turn them into middle-class bores?

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Eat Eggs, You Mothers!

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

Don’t you just love emotional blackmail? This instructive ad, which includes the famous Fay Weldon line “Go to work on an egg.”, also includes the line “…children who start the day with a proper cooked protein breakfast feel, look and behave so much better than those who don’t.” This reminded me of the famous line from Brass Eye: “That is scientific fact. There’s no real evidence for it, but it is scientific fact.”

Although some studies have certainly found that breakfast is beneficial for overall health, there’s no suggestion that a cooked protein breakfast is necessary. If you’re interested in what you should eat for breakfast, take a look at the British Dietetic Association’s advice.

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Heinz Salad Cream

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

…and APPLE? *vomits in corner* And bacon and egg? *vomits in the middle of the floor*

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Cambridge Formula Dietary Loaf

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

Ladies! Lose weight by eating our over-priced bread! To help you put the incredible price of 1/9 into context, Rimmel nail polish was advertised at 1/10 a bottle in the same magazine. Zowzers. I don’t know if you lost lbs on this diet, but you certainly lost £s…

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Not Half?

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

No, no, NO. It’s “not ‘alf”, you blithering idiots. I bet Fluff would have pissed himself laughing if he’d ever clapped eyes on this ad…

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Twiggy Style

Woman's Own / 14th July 1967

Whilst we’re on the subject of being skinny, this comes from a longer interview with Twiggy’s mum, which is alarmingly unguarded by modern standards. I can’t imagine a publicist nowadays allowing a model’s mother to talk about her daughter’s financial affairs, or so much about her personal life! I thought this page was particularly striking, and handy for anyone wanting a bit of make-up inspiration.

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