Anyone else wish they could live in a different time period?

originally posted by: AndyMayhew

originally posted by: audubon quality of life in the UK officially peaked in 1976.

If you liked queuing up at the standpipe for water and sharing a bath (we didnt have showers back then)

I remember it well. The ice lollies were good

After that we went on to power cuts, rubbish in the streets, no trains ..... and then Maggie saved us

Are you sure you didn't live in the 1800s? I've no recollection of standpipes being 'a thing' in the 1970s.

You might have a confused memory of the great drought of 1976, when some reservoirs ran dry and there was emergency water distribution in some areas. (It was hot enough to fry an egg on a car's metalwork, and most of the grass in Britain turned yellow).

You might not have had a shower fitted in your bathroom, but they did exist, and they weren't a luxury either. They were just viewed as a bit of a pointless frippery, because - here we go again! - water rates were affordable and there was no particular pressure to save money by showering instead of bathing.

Similarly, the duvet made its, er, debut in the 1970s (and was regarded with such suspicion that it was referred to as 'the continental quilt').

The only thing that changed was that the new generation who were growing up at the time decided they liked showers and duvets, and so candlewick bedspreads and bottom-sheets went into the dustbin of history, along with the 12-inch-deep steaming-hot bath that lasted an hour. The change was cultural, not socio-economic.

It's true that the 1970s were notable for industrial action. But the worst of it - the three day week, candles, fuel rationing (!) and 10pm closedown for broadcast media - occurred under the Heath government (1970 to 1974) rather than the 1979 "Winter of Discontent", which was more like a 'Winter of Mild Irritation'.

originally posted by: audubon
I wouldn't swap the present for anything, but I wish the UK would get over the misconception that the 1970s were a bad time. They were quite nice, and quality of life in the UK officially peaked in 1976. If we could drop the post-Thatcher phobia about the 1970s, we could learn a lot from them today.

More romantically, I quite fancy the middle-to-late Georgian period (1750 - 1820 or thereabouts), or the late Mediaeval. But those would be on the conditions that (a) I was well-off, rather than living in grinding poverty with around 80 per cent of the population and (b) I could nip back to the present PDQ if I caught the plague, or needed dentistry!

I remember that year 1976 - hottest summer on record. Being on school holidays for seven weeks, sometimes watching the weird people on Open University and sometimes just seeing the testcard with that girl, chalkboard and funny clown with orchestra music being played. "Butterflies" was the most watched series. Sitting in the back garden of our triplex apartment block with our neighbors having a picnic. Watching Blakes Seven, Tomorrows World, Battleship Galactica. Getting Sci-Fi annuals for Christmas presents.

Remember the power cuts due to industrial action too. Our apartment was right on the border between two electricity distribution substations. Each substation was assigned a color code; red, yellow, green, blue. Each color code would have a blackout for that night between 6pm and 6am.
We didn't get the memo. One minute Mum is preparing hot cocoa, I'm holding a giant bar of chocolate, next minute we're in darkness, fumbling around, trying to figure out what just happened. TV off, lights off, electric bar fire dimming out, outside view just a night and a black silhouette of all the buildings.

a reply to: nightbringr

You get a star for the deodorant comment. I have said for years that I want to go back to the 1800's. Only problem I have with that is the BO.

As a hunter, I smell some nasty chit. Body odor is the one thing that turns my stomach... #ing nasty!

a reply to: audubon

That was HOT!!!
But you are correct. We had duvets (but Mum made us sleep with it over one thin sheet so she didn't have to keep taking the cover off to wash it), we had a shower but it was a collection of rubber tubes connected in the middle and the thing that went over the tap was like something off a farmers milking machine!

The Alpine man delivered pop in big bottles that he collected the following week. We got our first colour TV and sat watching a test card til it started in the morning. Freezers became fashionable and we would get half a pig delivered from the butchers and five chickens. All the giblets were bagged up separately but nothing got wasted. Hehehe.

All taken for granted these days.

I have thought about this before. I think I would have liked the 50's in the US. The beginning of rock and roll, cars with some power, the economy booming, medicine making great strides, it was a good time to be alive. Of course we thought the Russians were going to nuke us any second but we did build bomb shelters for just such an occasion. It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty damn good.

a reply to: Regalius

I wish I could live in the Iron age , a time of small communities who knew everything about the land but little of the world.
A short but full life I'm sure.

Ahhhhh 1976...

Butlins in Filey... burned my bloody back to buggery...

Monorails and the mile long walk to Scarborough or Reighton sands on the beach fossil hunting and lobbing stones at giant dead jellyfish....

Nostalgia at its best...

Warmest

Lags

a reply to: stormcell

originally posted by: audubon
I wouldn't swap the present for anything, but I wish the UK would get over the misconception that the 1970s were a bad time. They were quite nice, and quality of life in the UK officially peaked in 1976. If we could drop the post-Thatcher phobia about the 1970s, we could learn a lot from them today.

More romantically, I quite fancy the middle-to-late Georgian period (1750 - 1820 or thereabouts), or the late Mediaeval. But those would be on the conditions that (a) I was well-off, rather than living in grinding poverty with around 80 per cent of the population and (b) I could nip back to the present PDQ if I caught the plague, or needed dentistry!

I agree the 1970's were actually a good time but it is the industrial action's that the public remember, the quiet Sunday's, better family life over the weekend.
Not perfect but a lot nicer than today in some way's.

My poor eyesight and lack of practical skills would make living in any other time period somewhat problematic for me.

a reply to: Blue Shift

I'd be dead already without modern medical interventions, so I too am quite satisfied with living in the current era, thank you very much.

a reply to: Regalius

I think I do live in a different time period judging by how badly I fit in here.

I just remembered something else that helps put the 1970s into perspective.

Nowadays, conservatives (UK and US) try to convince people that the 1970s were some golden age for slackers and skivers, and that workplaces were less efficient because of it. The implication being that the new models of production were better for the economy (and, more subtly, that those who objected were in some way harming the brave new world of liberated capital).

But during the 1970s, these things were called 'Spanish Practices' and were condemned by all responsible adults. Idling, seat-warming, taking long breaks, fiddling 'the clock', taking uncleared leave, coming in late, sleeping on the job, etc, etc, were all things that were associated with those idle Europeans and their hot weather and siestas.

This term was even used on the TV news, because everyone knew exactly what it meant. It was the sort of thing that had turned Spain and Portugal into economic basket-cases, and was viewed as distinctly un-British.

"Spanish Practices"! Just the thought of those words being said in a stern and disapproving tone of voice makes me chuckle. Can you imagine getting away with using that phrase today?

I used to be all Mesolithic, but now i'm strictly Paleolithic.

I'd carve bones and make cool clothes, set up a nice cave with some groovy art inside and charge peeps bearskins and pretty stones to go in and chew mushrooms and strange roots.

It'd be ace

originally posted by: audubon
They were quite nice, and quality of life in the UK officially peaked in 1976. If we could drop the post-Thatcher phobia about the 1970s, we could learn a lot from them today.

Let's put it this way; there was a reason why Labour did not win the 1979 election. And it wasn't Russian hacking.

a reply to: DISRAELI

True, but before the "Winter of Discontent" the Labour Prime Minister at the time (James Callaghan) was considering an early election, in October 1978. He had a commanding lead in polls of voting intention, and if he had called an election then, he would have won - no question - and Mrs Thatcher would probably be nothing more than a footnote in history.

Quite why Callaghan didn't call the election when he had it in the bag has never been clear. It must rank among the stupidest miscalculations in post-war British politics.

The Conservative Party saw its chance and absolutely hammered Callaghan as though he had caused the strikes himself, and Mrs Thatcher got elected as a result.

The point being that the electorate was generally quite happy with Labour, until there was a bit of a panic.

originally posted by: InceyWincey
a reply to: Regalius

Nope, I like modern comforts such as hot showers, antibiotics, universal healthcare, I could go on, but you get my drift.

Don't forget dentists! The only thing that would put me off ever going back in time, if I somehow had the chance, would be the thought of getting toothache.

50's-60's70's.

They both normalized and experienced the idea of middle class lifestyle and retirement and destroyed it at the same time.

a reply to: liammc

Lol yes! Dentists are covered here in the UK, just a contribution if working and earning over a certain amount.
I wouldn't want to live in pre tax payer assisted Britain days either.
[/shudders]

originally posted by: LABTECH767

originally posted by: audubon
I wouldn't swap the present for anything, but I wish the UK would get over the misconception that the 1970s were a bad time. They were quite nice, and quality of life in the UK officially peaked in 1976. If we could drop the post-Thatcher phobia about the 1970s, we could learn a lot from them today.

More romantically, I quite fancy the middle-to-late Georgian period (1750 - 1820 or thereabouts), or the late Mediaeval. But those would be on the conditions that (a) I was well-off, rather than living in grinding poverty with around 80 per cent of the population and (b) I could nip back to the present PDQ if I caught the plague, or needed dentistry!

I agree the 1970's were actually a good time but it is the industrial action's that the public remember, the quiet Sunday's, better family life over the weekend.
Not perfect but a lot nicer than today in some way's.

I remember quiet Sundays. Buses not running until after lunchtime. No shopping on a Sunday because the only shops open were the newsagents. Only three TV channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV). all of which shut down at midnight or earlier along with t a goodnight message

No VCR's, video tapes, DVDs or CD's. Laser discs were going to be the future. It was the 1980's that brought in Sunday shopping, DIY stores.

originally posted by: stormcell
No shopping on a Sunday because the only shops open were the newsagents.

Don't forget the eternal annoyance of half-day closing on Wednesdays!

"Oh for crying out loud, we've run out of milk. I'll be back in ten minutes."
(walks to the local shop)
(Finds door locked and blinds pulled down)
(Looks at watch - it is 1.05pm)
(Realises what day it is)
"Oh, FFS!"

And pub opening hours left over from the Defence of the Realm Act passed during WWI. These restrictions firmly embedded the culture of 'drinking against the clock' into British society, as everyone stormed the bar at just before last orders to squeeze in one last round.

Unless I'm mistaken, 'last orders' was at 9.50pm, with the bar closing at 10pm sharp. This may have been different in London, where I think it was 10.30pm due to more efficient public transport. I'm not clear on when the 11 o'clock cut-off came into effect.

And don't even think about drinking on a Sunday, when you should be praying all day instead!