Strands #262 “For Our Furry...
Quizzes & Puzzles4 mins ago
History?
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
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
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Bainbrig, ‘Pal’? If that’s intended to sound tough be aware that it doesn’t. It sounds coarse and ill-mannered. That said I’ll ignore the rest of your rudeness. You clearly can’t help yourself.
No one denies that plans for an NHS were eventually implemented by a Labour government, but Labour didn’t initiate the concept. You need to educate yourself.
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Still no response to my question so I’ll assume that you have never seen, first hand, a Communist regime in action. No surprise there.
Just a thought, Bainbrig. Have you ever wondered why those who have lived and are living in the sort of society you promote are never reluctant to relinquish it?
No one denies that plans for an NHS were eventually implemented by a Labour government, but Labour didn’t initiate the concept. You need to educate yourself.
https:/
Still no response to my question so I’ll assume that you have never seen, first hand, a Communist regime in action. No surprise there.
Just a thought, Bainbrig. Have you ever wondered why those who have lived and are living in the sort of society you promote are never reluctant to relinquish it?
I can remember all the things mentioned in previous posts, except for the lack of paraffin.
Why is an author’s age relevant?
I’m currently reading a book about The Battle Of The Somme by Rupert Colley.
I don’t know how old Mr. Colley is, but he’s still alive. Does this mean I’m reading a pack of lies?
Why is an author’s age relevant?
I’m currently reading a book about The Battle Of The Somme by Rupert Colley.
I don’t know how old Mr. Colley is, but he’s still alive. Does this mean I’m reading a pack of lies?
//And as far as the old lie about dead bodies not being buried, just that, a lie. There were some delays in grave digging etc., but most of it was (wouldn't you have guessed) just hysteria whipped up by the anti-Labour press, then as now.//
//Happy days. And extremely accurate memories.//
Really? I don’t think so.
The “Winter of Discontent” (1978-79) was the culmination of five or six years of industrial strife. After Christmas 1978 eighty gravediggers employed by Liverpool City Council went on strike. The Council rented space in a factory in Speke to store the corpses until they could be buried. Up to 25 bodies were being added every day and there were over 150 bodies stored at the factory at one point. The gravediggers eventually settled for a 14% rise after a fortnight's strike. The strike caused widespread distress in and around Liverpool. Mrs NJ has relatives there and one of their in-laws was among those stored in the factory.
I lived and worked in London throughout the Seventies. At one time, because of a dustmen’s strike, the entire centre of Leicester Square was filled with putrid, rotting household waste to a height of about ten feet. You needed to keep your bike clips on because the area was alive with rats. This is no sensationalism or hysteria. I walked through the square every day.
The “Three Day Week” was not a publicity stunt. In late 1973 the National Union of Mineworkers held a ballot for strike action to support a claim for a 35% pay rise. There’s plenty you can read about that episode but shortage of coal (upon which the country relied for virtually all its electricity) meant commercial users were restricted to only three days’ supply each week. The problem also led to residential users suffering power cuts.
At some points in the early to mid 1970s fuel was short. Lorry drivers had been on strike variously during that time and eventually it spread to tanker drivers. Many petrol stations ran out of fuel regularly and rationing was seriously considered. Mrs NJ and I both still have the petrol coupons that were issued. As I recall you collected them at the Post Office where you had to present your vehicle’s log book to obtain them. They were never used.
You don’t have to rely of individual testimonies. These events are well documented by reliable sources. The 1970s was a horrendous time. You never knew from one week to the next who would be on strike and how your life would be affected. The Trades Unions’ grip on the nation’s affairs was thankfully ended by Mrs Thatcher who was elected to office largely because of the chaos that was prevalent throughout the 1970s but particularly during the winter of 1978-79.
//Happy days. And extremely accurate memories.//
Really? I don’t think so.
The “Winter of Discontent” (1978-79) was the culmination of five or six years of industrial strife. After Christmas 1978 eighty gravediggers employed by Liverpool City Council went on strike. The Council rented space in a factory in Speke to store the corpses until they could be buried. Up to 25 bodies were being added every day and there were over 150 bodies stored at the factory at one point. The gravediggers eventually settled for a 14% rise after a fortnight's strike. The strike caused widespread distress in and around Liverpool. Mrs NJ has relatives there and one of their in-laws was among those stored in the factory.
I lived and worked in London throughout the Seventies. At one time, because of a dustmen’s strike, the entire centre of Leicester Square was filled with putrid, rotting household waste to a height of about ten feet. You needed to keep your bike clips on because the area was alive with rats. This is no sensationalism or hysteria. I walked through the square every day.
The “Three Day Week” was not a publicity stunt. In late 1973 the National Union of Mineworkers held a ballot for strike action to support a claim for a 35% pay rise. There’s plenty you can read about that episode but shortage of coal (upon which the country relied for virtually all its electricity) meant commercial users were restricted to only three days’ supply each week. The problem also led to residential users suffering power cuts.
At some points in the early to mid 1970s fuel was short. Lorry drivers had been on strike variously during that time and eventually it spread to tanker drivers. Many petrol stations ran out of fuel regularly and rationing was seriously considered. Mrs NJ and I both still have the petrol coupons that were issued. As I recall you collected them at the Post Office where you had to present your vehicle’s log book to obtain them. They were never used.
You don’t have to rely of individual testimonies. These events are well documented by reliable sources. The 1970s was a horrendous time. You never knew from one week to the next who would be on strike and how your life would be affected. The Trades Unions’ grip on the nation’s affairs was thankfully ended by Mrs Thatcher who was elected to office largely because of the chaos that was prevalent throughout the 1970s but particularly during the winter of 1978-79.
"Nobody said [NAOMI WAS] a pompous lady etc..."
"Naomi. Take a look at yourself, pal. “...never having received the courtesy of a reply...”! Is this just an act, or are you really turning into an elderly colonel from Tunbridge Wells? Don’t be so pompous!"
Perhaps your long-term memory is as reliable as your short-term memory?)
"Naomi. Take a look at yourself, pal. “...never having received the courtesy of a reply...”! Is this just an act, or are you really turning into an elderly colonel from Tunbridge Wells? Don’t be so pompous!"
Perhaps your long-term memory is as reliable as your short-term memory?)
-- answer removed --
With regard to the Tanker driver strike. I recall a garage in the Harrow Road W.9. displaying a sign outside saying 'Police and Hospital staff Only' on the rare occasionwhen a 'scab' broke the strike to deliver petrol . There was,also, a garage owned by Charles Ronson in the Old Marylebone Road which used to phone Paddington Green Nick in the middle of the night to alert them of a rogue Tanker delivery driver.
The duty office would allow us ,one by one,to fill our cars up when on night duty.Petrol coupons were also issued at Post Offices. There were Newspaper announcements as to when certain motorists were supposed to collect them. I believe by alphabetical surname order. We never actually were required to redeem them in the end.
Brainbrig has indeed a very short selective memory.
The duty office would allow us ,one by one,to fill our cars up when on night duty.Petrol coupons were also issued at Post Offices. There were Newspaper announcements as to when certain motorists were supposed to collect them. I believe by alphabetical surname order. We never actually were required to redeem them in the end.
Brainbrig has indeed a very short selective memory.
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