To those of you who were young in the 60’s - was it really ‘swinging’?

The question of trousers was brought up in the school where I taught in the early '70s, Senior Mistress, great job title, thoroughly disapproved, twin sets and pearls for her. One colleague decided to challenge this and wore trousers, in the Staff Room she asked the Head Shall I wear them or take them off?, it was never an issue after that!

MissAdventure

I'm intrigued by eel pie island.
I didn't know it existed until I was in my 40s.
Would love to see it.

Well it's still there but where the old hotel and dance hall used to be there's a '70s housing development. If you google Eel Pie Island there is a lot of info plus a film with many of us who used to go there talking about it. The music was mainly blues orientated, though I did see Pink Floyd there in 1967. In today's Guardian there is a little piece about it in an article about favourite museums: the Eel Pie Museum gets a write-up. Happy times!

Oh thank you.
I'll enjoy that

Oh that reminds me of my first teaching job, the message went round that we needed to cover for a colleague who was skiving off to get tickets for us all to go to a gig at the university, half a crown each. It was Elton John!
When I look back I feel really sorry for today's teenagers who seem to be so infantalized by their parents, the other site often has questions about Can I leave by 14 year old in the house for an hour?. I don't see them being allowed to wander round London, Manchester etc at 14 or 15.

Fantastic time, I was born in 48, would bot have missed it

Not have missed it

Paperbackwriter
If fate had taken a different path I would have lived on Eel pie island.
My father applied for a job ( maintenance/ ferryman) on the island. But it wasn’t meant to be.

I was born in 1951 si was a teenager in the 60s. The music and the clothes were amazing. Everything was changing so fast. I loved it. power

Born in 1947 and moved to London in 1966. I loved it.

I always managed to spend all my salary in the first week of being paid so did a stint working as a barmaid in the evenings at the Whitbread brewery tap in Chiswell street. Worried that I was turning into an alcoholic because whenever a customer bought me a drink I'd accept the drink, rather than keep the money.

Then I worked 7 evenings a fortnight as an usherette at the Cameo Poly in Regent Street. This was the very first place were a film was shown although it has had many transformations since it first opened.

There were many pubs that had free music rooms - you just paid a bit more for your drink.

London was amazing access to cheapish culture. Several cinemas showing foreign language films. Lots of clubs for music. I remember that you only needed to book in advance for the first and last night of the Proms.

The largest venues were cinemas like the Hammersmith Odeon and Finsbury Park Astoria.

The first time I queued for anything was the Masada Exhibition on the South Bank.

One or two things annoyed me - being criticised by older male colleagues for my hair cut (Sassoon) and for not having a "mumsy"perm and not being able to wear trousers to work.

Re drugs - I can't remember how I them but I often used to hang out with a group of guys. When they offered me a joint I refused - I'm not taking drugs. Anyway, I became quite giggly and so did start to smoke dope. We later tried cooking banana skins (which didn't work) and then drops of LSD on sugar cubes (before Sergeant Pepper). I remember needing to wash my hair and one of the guys volunteered. It was so enjoyable that he kept massaging my head for so long that my hair became completely tangled.

I met my OH in 1968 and have fond memories of tripping in various places. In particular Mwnt in Cardiganshire late one afternoon. The sun was setting and there were a few sheep. It looked just like Holman Hunt's painting of sheep. Absolutely beautiful.

I loved it, born in 47 I was at the age to enjoy it. Moved to London, lived in a flat in South Ken, had a full time job and a part time job in one of the West End theatres and lived life to the full. Then worked abroad and hitch hiked around Europe. Wasinto flower power, good causes and a good time

It was truly wonderful as regards diversity of music and art. But looking back some of us were terrifyingly innocent. The total of my 'sex education' - when mum realised I was no longer a child she said 'You'd best keep away from men.' That's it, that's all. The rest I picked up here and there. At the same time I was hitchhiking round Europe (and the UK) camping out any old where etc. At college in 1969, got engaged, a well informed house mate coached me on what to say to the Doctor to get on the pill (only for respectable people, fiance had to accompany me for the interview) - the world sure has moved on.

Has anyone mentioned Radio Caroline?

Before that it was Radio Luxembourg on a transistor radio, sometimes listening under the bedcovers at night when I was supposed to be asleep ready for school the next day.

I was born in 1958 but had a brother ten years older who was always playing great music and bringing home his dishy friends, who I had various crushes on

I was born in 1950 and left school and started work in 1966. I worked in central London. It was FAB! It was a whole new world and freedom for me. For the first time in my life I had money to spend. I shopped in Carnaby Street, The Kings Road, Biba, Mary Quant and even Harrods. I wore hot pants, mini skirts, maxi coats, white knee length boots, baker boy caps and platform shoes. I listened to the latest hits in record shop booths, and Radio Caroline of course, and idolised the Beatles. It's still my favourite era of music. I never smoked (cigarettes) or used drugs, but I spent a lot of time in pubs!! I met people from all walks of life and backgrounds. I fell in love for the first time, and got my heart broken. The 60's was probably the most exciting time of my life.

Dinahmo I used to drink in the Whitbread in Chiswell Street sometimes, it was on my way home from work. We may have met!!

Definitely remember Radio Luxembourg. My evening listening on my marvelous trannie.

I got the pill by flashing my engagement ring at the doctor, although it was available at university in the early 1960s, if you knew which doctor to see at the university medical centre.

I wouldn’t say it was swinging ( in my Northern home town) but it was definitely great fun.
Coffee bars and pubs and dances, the student bar at Uni and the cheap Chinese meals available in town.Cinemas were cheap too.Shift dresses, boots and hairpieces and wigs all the rage. I had long hair but for some reason bought a very short style wig.Stuffing all my own hair inside it was a real job and a half and I always worried it would pop off my head (mid snog.)

I was born in 1941 i Liverpool and what a time to be a teenager in the sixties, I was a student Nurse and had a wonderful life, it really was the swinging sixties

Wonderful time. I arrived in London from abroad in 1963 and had a fabulous time visiting all the shows. I lived in Holland Park so very close to Kensington High Street with the beautiful walk through the park. Carnaby street, Kings Road, the food markets and so much more. I just loved London and despite only supposed to stay here for 12 months I never went back home permanently. I would not like to live in London now though.

I was born in ‘47, in West London, but was living in Epsom in ‘63, which wasn’t the most “happening” place at the time! Nevertheless, I would go to the local dance hall every Friday, and hang out in the local coffee bar, eyeing up the talent. At 16, I was still under Dad’s curfew - 10pm on weekdays and 10.30 pm at weekends.
By ‘65 we had moved to Hammersmith, which was much better, and at 18 I had more freedom too. I got in with a crowd from Acton, which included four guys who played in a reasonably successful band, and had regular gigs at the Overseas Visitor Club in Earls Court, or Kangarooland as it became known. This was great fun, we would all pile in their dilapidated van, and acted as roadies to get free entry to the club. It was also close to The Troubador, a trendy coffee bar (which is still going, and renowned for the guest singers they host).

My wages didn’t stretch to Biba, and while Twiggy was my icon, I was a little more curvaceous and her, so couldn’t really wear her dresses.
But I did wear Mary Quant, and loved her make-up, especially the “Shaders” as mentioned above! Face sculpting is nothing new! And I loved the shoes I bought from Ravel - low-heeled patent pumps with a bow, and strappy slingbacks. We had such pretty shoes then.

I also went to some of the Soho clubs, the Marquee, and the Bag’o’Nails, and remember one trip to Eel Pie Island.
Never took any drugs, though I was aware some club goers did, not my scene at all.

The era of the 60s has to be the most amazing time, nothing before, or since can really compare. We had the BEST music!

I was born in 1943, left school in 1960 so was well into the swinging 60's! My parents were only in their mid 40's and were very sociable lots of friends and evenings out, theatre, dinner etc. I was at College in Oxford and I too had a ball. Very happy home and very happy days!

I loved the sixties, tge music was great, but being young I think I would have enjoyed myself which ever decade I was in. With my parents I still had to be in when they said and they never left me alone with a boyfriend, but as I was always out dancing, it didn’t worry me. Happy days.

Paperbackwriter

I was born in 1950 so my teens were in the mid-late 60s. Loved it all. Early on in the 60s I was a mad-keen Beatles fan (still have my fan club membership card) and then later discovered Stones etc. I had a Saturday job in a library so read everything going. Bought clothes from Biba and Bus Stop, shoes from Anello and Davide (quite cheap Mary-Janes, dancers' character shoes). Spent Sunday & Wednesday nights on Eel Pie Island watching blues bands. Sometimes went to the Arts Lab in Covent Garden. Great times. I was living in SW London but for my cousin who lived in the north - all this totally passed her by!

Oh my goodness me I actually lived on Eel pie Island in 1970 in the derelict hotel, it was a sort of hippie commune at the time .I lived there for a few weeks and then I got a job as a mothers help in Twickenham… and I saw Pink Floyd in Hyde Park..

There was also a boat on the Thames that a lot of the hippies used to hang out on,it was called “The China tea steam navigation company”I’ve never forgotten that..

I started my nurse training in Belfast in 1966. It was really very strict in the hospital and living in the nurses' home was a bit like boarding school. We were allowed to live out in our third year so life became much more fun with student parties etc. Sadly, just before our finals in 1969 ' the troubles ' started in N.ireland so,as very young nurses, we suddenly had to deal with serious injuries and trauma which was a very growing up experience.