A broken country?

We were just entering the Cold War and people were terrified of a "Commie" attack. Right-wing groups marched with impunity and were responsible for murders. Parts of the country had very bad crime rates and were almost "no go" areas. I vaguely remember Suez and the fear that we would all be called in a nuclear attack

I think you must have grown up in an extremely rightwing environment, growstuff!

Can't say I was scared of 'commie' attack, more of the US & the USSR unleashing a futile nuclear Armageddon on the world. To innocent me, 'communism' sounded a bit like the way of life advocated by Christianity (very christian upbringing)

I was quite amazed by your post, though, such a difference between the political philosophies of yours, mine and *trisher's families. (Mine was in the middle of you two)

I was born in a NHS hospital. Obviously in the minds of some here I must be the lowest of the low. However, when I was born the NHS was respected, it was the jewel in the crown of the welfare state and people generally felt lucky to have it. People like my father and mother ( and my grandparents) were proud of it. I was given the best of care in their eyes. It was safe.

Pity I cannot say the same now.

As for Private schools in the 1960's. Well my mum once said that the only people who went to them went there because they were ashamed to be seen with the rest of us at the local schools. Those who could went to grammar schools. Those who didn't make it to grammar school but had wealthy parents went to private schools which were generally, in my area, considered inferior to the state schools of the 1960's and 70's - just saying, that is how it was seen where I lived.

Fwiw, I remember a lot of what Gabriella G54 says in very much the way she says it. I was a child in the 1960's and 70's.

It feels right to me too, so I dont think its just her personal account.

Really growstuff? I wasn't born in an NHS hospital either, because such things didn't exist. I was born in a charity hospital which existed for women who were too poor to pay and who had some health risks. The ones who didn't qualify and couldn't pay could give birth anywhere (including sheds). The hospital was integrated into the NHS in 1948 and then it was available for everyone.
I never remember being terrified of a "Commie" attack in fact I knew a lot of people who were members of the communist party. I grew up in and then worked in a lot of poor areas when I qualified as a teacher and I don't remember any being 'no-go'areas. Many of the people I went to school with lived in houses which have since been demolished and were the first in their family to ever have secondary education.
The picture you paint has very little to do with the life I lived.

I really don't agree that the country felt safe and secure. We were just entering the Cold War and people were terrified of a "Commie" attack. Right-wing groups marched with impunity and were responsible for murders. Parts of the country had very bad crime rates and were almost "no go" areas. I vaguely remember Suez and the fear that we would all be called in a nuclear attack.

I wasn't born in the 1940s but my parents and grandparents didn't have anything in common with unions or the Labour Party. I wasn't even born in an NHS hospital (although I could have been) because my mother would have preferred to have given birth in a shed rather than in the local NHS hospital. I won a scholarship to a private school, but my parents had already made plans to pay school fees, if I hadn't passed the entrance exam. As a child, I remember many of my parents' friends having the same kind of attitude. I really can't claim that they had any common goals.

A 17% interest rate is still very small compared with a 2% interest rate on a property which costs 10 or more times more.

Good post Whitewave, I agree with you completely. The only consolation we have is in the 40’s & 50’s, the country felt safe and secure and we just worked to repair war damage, and there was a general feeling of common goals and a certainty that we were progressing to a better future. I can’t imagine how the present situation will turn out. I voted to remain, but feel we should leave for democratic reasons, and I have a dread that we are being led off a cliff to save a political party, not for the good of the country.

Yes, Eloethan it is disgraceful what has happened to the Chagossians.
But, because this is a small minority in a little known part of the world, few know about it.
I didn't know about the 'marine reserve.

I don't remember that. We paid 15% on our mortgage in the early 80's with a building society.

That was hard enough!

Interest rates did not peak at 15%, at least as far as mortgages were concerned. We were paying 17% in the early eighties.

Harold Wilson was good to me he created inflation at 25% - why good?.

Because interest rates peaked at 15% so it paid to borrow as much as you could . Then Thatcher came and spoiled it all, but by then house a had doubled in value and interest rates had halved.

I think Wilson was a great prime minister, although he was apparently hated by left wingers (which I consider myself to be). I think it has to be acknowledged, though, that he achieved so much in the UK.

However, I do acknowledge there were things he and his government did that are, in my view, unsupportable. Agreeing to forcibly remove the Chagossians from their islands so that an American military base could be installed on Diego Garcia was a disgrace. I can only think that some sort of pressure was put on Wilson to accede to the US's demands. Its record of fomenting economic and political destabilisation would give most politicians pause for thought.

Wilson has been long gone but the deceit and manipulation continues to this day. Due to pressure from the US (as evidenced by Wikileaks), and despite the High Court eventually judging that the islanders should be allowed to return, it suddenly became vital that a "marine reserve" be established in the Chagos Islands. Once again the islanders have been prevented from returning to their home.

Sorry, I've gone right off the point.

Eloethan in regard to your post @18:51 today and on a lighter note, you spoke of Harold Wilsons time as Prime Minister who if stories are correct was the greatest pragmatist this nation has ever possessed.

He was famous for inviting the union leaders of the day to Downing Street in times of large industrial disputes for "Beer and Sandwiches" which often smoothed ruffled feathers.

However, what was not so well known was that close to Parliament there is a pub named the Marquis of Granby where Wilson would instruct his Labour ministers to meet the trade union leaders of any nationalised industry where he perceived that any given situation could escalate into a major industrial dispute.

It was often talked of in trade union organised workplaces during that time of the deals that were struck over more than a few pints and a pie, such were the times.

With these meetings taking place away from the glare of publicity, It was said that Wilson himself would often turn up at the pub and settle down with all and sundry. Often all would stagger merrily away with the deal in nothing more than their heads which they often had a job remembering exactly what that deal was next morning.

That was a very different world from today.

grapefruit

??The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

No No No, there is no sense of superiority. The dear lady is superior and knows everything and is never hurt , nor does she have any doubts.

There we have it.

anniebach I believe you no longer support Labour but previous to this decision you often stated that you had been in the party for many years.

I wonder then why confine your analysis of the 70's to striking workers and why your apparent dissatisfaction during those times did not lead you to resign from the Labour Party then.

Labour was in power (Wilson) during part of the 60's and 70's.

During that time, under Harold Wilson, the government:

Introduced the breathalyzer test

Liberalised laws on censorship, divorce, abortion, homosexuality

Abolished capital punishment

Created the Open University

made higher education more attainable for "working class" people

Introduced travel concessions for pensioners

Created new conservation areas

Created regional development areas and increased spending on regional infrastructure. In his book The History of the British Labour Party, historian Andrew Thorpe wrote that the period 1963 to 1970 produced "the most prolonged, most intensive, and most successful attack ever launched on regional problems in Britain."

Moved several government offices out of London, eg the Royal Mint and the DVLA, to Wales

So, not just striking workers.

60s >> means 60s onwards, for those who aren't up to speed.

No it doesn't. In this case 60s means "well I'm certainly not going to apologise for insisting I was right when in fact it was the 70s, so I will make another attempt at demeaning others. Honestly GG54, where do you get off with your sense of superiority? Rude or what.

Fiachna I have English family from Southport to Devon and an English son in law and GD .I and the rest of the independence movement ..including Nicola Sturgeon who has an English granny have no intention of abandoning those families and friends
.All WE want is control of our own affairs ,to run OUR country ourselves insteadof living with the mess that Westmonster has made for centuries.The Independence movement is cross all sections of the community ,Labour for Independence ,Veterans for Independence ,Navy not Nuclear for Independence etc etc etc.After Indepndence you can vote for the aprty you always voted for because THEN and only then will they truly be Scottish Tories or Scottish labour and not just a branch office of the WM party who pull the strings .

Of course IF you are happy with the mess happening now thats your choice ..but think of the next generation and the one after and let them have the say that you and I never had in how our country is run .

Your post is all spot on but we have to keep our hope and sense of perspective. I too feel dismayed over the state of our country's politics, finances, law decisions, etc etc.
But I thank every day that I am fit and mentally able to follow the news and can have an opinion.
if nothing else, it gives us plenty to talk about.
Keep positive.

Far from it.
I have an extremely high pain threshold so the needle is ineffective.

Must apologise, I was thinking re broken country as obviously Britain but Scotland being a part of this. Just to explain my posting a bit in answer to Paddyann, who is a supporter for a second referendum on Independence. For myself, we had it, people voted to stay with our neighbours and friends on these isles. Its done.Though the SNP have their own agenda. I personally don't want another referendum on anything. The first Scottish Independence referendum was bad enough and I never want to go through that again. Anyway, I will leave you to post content that you may feel is more relevant than my views. Good luck to all.

I think we can safely assume most people, indeed all of us can keep up.

60s >> means 60s onwards, for those who aren't up to speed.

I suppose the people who "fall through the net" and can't quite embrace the utopia you speak of Gabriella are collateral damage.

Brilliant description Grandad. It's amazing how long some choose to go on remembering the propaganda.