Anyone Seen the HiHi Advert?

[JohnW2]

Heck I don't remember that.

I don't remember exactly when the X-ray machines were removed from shoe shops, but I doubt that it was earlier than 1960, perhaps later.

I suspect that Clarks were probably one of the main culprits because, if I recall correctly, they were one of the few companies which offered children's shoes in varying widths, and one of the main ('intended', rather than 'playing'!) purposes of the machines was to determine whether the shoes were wide enough!

Kind Regards, John

 

[RayCaister]

I remember being taken by my mum with my younger brother to Clark's in 1957 (I was about to move up to the big school and he was about to leave the infants) and she wanted us to have proper new shoes. My parents were frugal working class people and 2 pairs of Clark's shoes represented a major purchase. The big wooden box that contained the X-ray device had pride of place between the rows of seats but when it was time for our fitting the assistant said that it was not to be used any more and our measurements were taken on a wood and brass device.

 

[JohnW2]

I remember being taken by my mum with my younger brother to Clark's in 1957 (I was about to move up to the big school and he was about to leave the infants) and she wanted us to have proper new shoes. My parents were frugal working class people and 2 pairs of Clark's shoes represented a major purchase. The big wooden box that contained the X-ray device had pride of place between the rows of seats but when it was time for our fitting the assistant said that it was not to be used any more and our measurements were taken on a wood and brass device.

Interesting. It sounds as if maybe I can remember things from a younger age than I thought!

I have good memories opf being allowed to 'play' with the X-ray machines on a number of occasions, sometimes just for amusement whilst my mother was buying shoes for herself. However, if they had stopped using them by 1957, when I was only 8, I must be remembering experiences from a pretty young age!

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, I remember them.

Never did me any harm.

 

[JohnW2]

Yes, I remember them. Never did me any harm.

You may be right, and I hope you are (and I hope the same is true of me!), but the increased risk of certain diseases often does not show itself, and/or persists, until a good few decades after exposure to X-rays or other types of radiation!

Kind Regards, John

 

[RayCaister]

I now live in Norfolk and there previously must have been a plethora of Clark's with X-ray machines to account for all the 6 toed locals.

 

[Sir-John]

I have just come from hospital where we were discussing the use of Clarks X-ray machines and the operator said that the X-rays actually emitted up through the eye piece!! Nuf said..

 

[JohnW2]

I have just come from hospital where we were discussing the use of Clarks X-ray machines and the operator said that the X-rays actually emitted up through the eye piece!! Nuf said..

I don't know about that specifically, but there was clearly limited scope for effective screening.

I also suspect that the intensity of X-rays was pretty high in those days. When, a couple of decades later, I was regularly using essentially similar equipment, not only would I always have been wearing a lead apron but, by then, image intensifier technology had advanced to the stage that usable images could be obtained using pretty low levels of X-rays.

Kind Regards, John