The Post-1955 Nostalgia Fest
My first book, The Same but Different, takes a light-hearted look at how things have changed since I first graced the World with my presence. Topics covered are likely to resonate with anyone living through these years, and while at times I describe my own experiences, the aim is not to entertain you with these, rather to unleash memories of your own.
It is not a book to be read cover-to-cover, but an entertainment to be dipped into, skipping those of the forty-one topics that look uninteresting. You’ll find an abundance of subjects ranging from the way we watch TV to growing awareness of environmental issues, from how we take our holidays to the way we educate our children, from the food we eat to changes in our political system. If that’s not enough, other themes include our weather, humour, fashion and pubs.
Consider the world as it was in 1955:
The world population was 2.8 billion, it is now 8 billion.
Food was grown or supplied locally. Fruit and veg were only available in season and kitchen appliances like freezers, microwaves, coffee machines, air fryers and so on didn’t exist.
Britain was the world’s second largest motor vehicle producer. More than 95% of the cars on our roads were made in the UK.
We had only two television stations, broadcasting in black and white and only for a limited number of hours a day. No computers, game consoles or Internet.
Environmental awareness was pretty much non-existent and the idea that the earth’s resources were finite and could one day run out would have appeared laughable.
Decimalisation was years away. We had pounds, shillings and pence; we had pounds, ounces and stones; we had feet, inches, yards and miles; we had pints. Maybe nowhere near as logical as the alternative but it was our system, British and somehow comforting.
Recorded music was only available either through the radio or by playing vinyl discs on a record player.
Nuclear conflagration was considered a serious threat and we regularly received instruction through public service broadcasts or leaflets as to how we should react in the event of a nuclear strike. The USSR was a military superpower covering nearly a sixth of the globe, yet now it’s gone.
The direction that the rest of our lives would take was decided through a junior school exam, the Eleven Plus. University education was limited to around 1% of senior school pupils.
Most Brits took their holidays in the UK while a small minority might head for the South of France or the Caribbean. A few brave adventurers would go skiing.
To see a recent film you had no option other than to go to the cinema. New releases were a major event and might never come around again.
The NHS was in its prime and patients had easy access to medical support, dentists and opticians. GPs would even make home calls at the weekend.
If any of this has whetted your appetite, to read the opening chapters of the book, or maybe even buy a copy click HERE.