History?

[bainbrig]

Well in French, une histoire is a story, and it seems the original meaning is creeping in here.

A journalist, Babita Sharma, has currently got her book ‘The Corner Shop” on R4, in which she bangs on about life in England in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Now, as in 1970 I was in my twenties, I can claim some first-hand knowledge of all those decades, and unless I’m going senile, it weren’t like that!

Queues for paraffin at my local shop? Nah. The 70s, a decade plagued by power cuts? Not in London, anyway. The 80s, plunged into deep economic recession? Well, no worse than now.

Turns out Ms Sharma wasn’t born until 1977,

But it makes you wonder just how much history is bull.

BB

[Maydup]

...... and like me, you will have stuck the stamps in the book for her TTT?!

[Baldric]

From early 1950's until mid 1980's the Family home was between Oxford and Newbury. Although I was away for quite a big chunk of that time due my time as a RM, I was aware of 3 day weeks affecting business in Oxford, Reading, Newbury and Swindon, long power cuts and fuel shortages. I sure family and friends didn't just make it up just to entertain me when I came home.

[THECORBYLOON]

MAYDUP, you stuck in the stamps for TTT's mum?

[david small]

I for one queued for paraffin at my local garage. It ran out, so did the next supplier etc. Power cut down south were endured, local pub seed a windup till, shops closed if power off. Interest rate skyrocketed leaving many in dire financial circumstances. There was a sort of, we are all in this together feeling. I made my own candles as shops sold out quickly. I think sugar was hard to get for a while. It was inconvenient but not unendurable.

[retrocop]

I lived in the single quarters in Molyneux St Paddington in the 70's. I used to walk to the next street and drink in the Laurie Arms Crawford St W.1. in the evening. We regularly carried our candle to the pub because the power cuts were announced at what time a London area would be outed. There were certainly bodies left unburied and freezer units were placed in hospital car parks as temporary morgues. I recall the fuel shortages, the dustmen's strike ( Army filling the role). In the 80's I recall a shortage of bread for some reason, an Ambulance strike (Police,St Johns and Army stood in) and of course the infamous Firemen's strike ( Operation Burberry where Army,Navy and Airforce all took part). I have no loss of memory when we had a socialist governent at the helm.

[ToraToraTora]

yeah maydup, coop and green shield stamps, we used to scour all the tills for dropped stamps etc, some "well off" people gave us their stamps.
Yeah retro, BB must have been in another dimension.

[bainbrig]

I lived in a tumbledown flat in E11. We both got paid weekly, and ran out of money by the Tuesday. Our car was an old banger. Our camping holidays were in the UK.

Happy days. And extremely accurate memories.

Perhaps we just liked living more than the rest of you, and enjoyed everything life threw at us.

Still do, come to think of it.

[ToraToraTora]

fine BB don't try and tell us the above did not happen.

[Baldric]

// Perhaps we just liked living more than the rest of you, and enjoyed everything life threw at us //

Go tell it to The Marines!

[david small]

He told you Balders:)

[THECORBYLOON]

BAINBRIG, will you be contacting Babita Sharma and Radio 4 about their errors?

Perhaps you could write a book about your version of life in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s?

[woofgang]

I have to say I gave up on the Back in Time tv program when it got to the 50's because it was nothing like the life I remembered...not the historical facts but general family and lifestyle stuff.

[bainbrig]

Can’t say I’m keen on the way a discussion on the distortion of history has quickly degenerated into personalities, although perhaps there is a parallel after all.

[Peter Pedant]

// Mind you, I was a small child in the 70s so maybe my recollection is very vague.//

I wasnt - Heath took on the miners and lost 1973
there were power cuts
as a final year student we all went out and liberated ( Vietnam War donch know) storm lamp - not battery operated but fuel
and you cold make a clear glass cowl from a milk bottle

None of the Hospitals had generators
and cdnt be idnentified so that those sectors cd be spared

so you had a flashing system
whereby the sector was warned there might be a cut

Patients in ITUs were on electric or gas driven ventilators.
They were lightly sedated and new the warning
As everything went off - the vent went foodl foodle foodle meaning that it had been switched off but the patient kinda knew that because he now wasnt breathing - alone with ten other people

Lilttle nursey ran to a school bell and rang it like hell

and anyone who could would run to the ITU to hand ventilate the patients til the leccy went back on....

[Peter Pedant]

and so every hospital had to install an emergency electric system which was tested every month - at huge cost

so if you were working ITU over a week end
everything went foodle foodle foodle ( off)
and there was a ten second gap ( eek) to wait until the generators clicked in

honestly things were like that

[BigT65]

I remember the power cuts well.

[THECORBYLOON]

BAINBRIG, you're the one doubting the events described by the author. You're the one who mentioned her age. You're the one describing some responses as cobblers. You're the one claiming to have an accurate memory.

If you're not willing to accept that the incidents happened, so be it but it does not affect reality.

[Peter Pedant]

I remember the 1959 election - you havent had it so good

someone described Darzett aaaargh! as a 'rural slum on the way to Devon'
and jesus that is how I remember it

[Peter Pedant]

boyzandgurlz

history is a social construct and is re-written in every generation - a god see the amritsar thread for that one !

[bainbrig]

PeterP. Thanks. The recollections of a medical professional are one thing - respected, and acknowledged.

Those of a bunch of permanently angry blokes (and women) are something else.

BB