20th century Britain

Research: 20th Century Britain

1950's

Just 5 years after the 2nd World War the UK was still showing the effects of the fighting. In cities like London there were still bomb-sites, un-repaired houses and gardens that had been made into allotments.

At the time the countryside had been dotted with military bases now abandoned.

The army had a much bigger role in British life then they do nowadays.

The typical British family had a grandfather who had served in the 1st World War, a father who had fought in the 2nd World War and a son who were being called up for 2 years of national service. 

"There were four times as many servicemen in the early 1950's then there are today" *2

After a full decade of war and it's issues politically and financially, Britain had been left with high taxation. The standing income rate for tax was 9 shillings (more then twice today's rate). Basic things like butter, meat, tea and coal were still rationed and although bread was now freely available, the de-rationing of sweets in '49 needed to be abandoned because the demand was too much. Rationing encouraged people to grow/produce their own food in gardens and allotments. 

There was a follow on of the war mind set of 'make-do-and-mend' due to severe shortages of a lot of consumer products.

The population in 1950 totalled 50 million, a '51 census showing that only 3% of the population had been born overseas.

"The first post-war immigrants from Jamaica had arrived in Britain, on board the Empire Windrush in 1948, but there were still fewer than 140,000 blacks and Asians in Britain in 1951."*2

Nearly half of the population lived in privately rented accommodation and less than a third of all houses were owner occupied. There were virtually no high rise buildings and the concrete was only used really in military buildings.

Britain was the most "urbanised" and industrial country in the world (meaning it was the most polluted at the same time. The London smog started in 1952 and lasted 5 days, it killed more then 4,000 people from heart and lung diseases.

In 1950 the UK accounted for a 1/4 of the world's trade in manufactures.

1960's

By the 60's the first teenage generation free from conscription (being automatically drafted into the army) and with the ability to have their own voice and freedom to do what they wanted, emerged in Britain. Their parents were from a generation where they had spent their teenage years fighting in the Second World War, and had wanted their children to be able to have freedom.

A big aspect that defined the 60's was music, it was in the 60's that the emergence of 'British Invasion' bands like The Beatles came to England. These bands had albums that heavily encouraged young people to stand up for their beliefs and their own individuality.

Another thing that the 60's was known for was recreational drug use, however it was more common in the later half of the decade.  Festivals like Woodstock were common place were people would regularly be seen high on things like LSD, the people involved in the music industry were more often then not involved in drugs and therefore, directly influenced young people listening to their music.

In terms of Fashion the mini skirt became massively popular, with it's availability in many different colours and geometric shapes gave women a feel of femininity as well as liberation. By the later 60's psychedelic prints and vibrant colours became more popular on clothes as the "hippie movement" gathered pace.

The idea of Feminism became more influential as more jobs became available for young women in the sixties, allowing them to move away from archetypes of female duties and become more independent. The contraceptive pill became legal in '67. The Woman's liberty movement started around '68, when the Dagenham strike of 850 women happened in protest over in-equal pay (this led to the equal pay act being passed in '70). In '68 Barbara Castle was the first and only woman to be appointed first Secretary of State. *1

Picture from the Telegraph

I did this research as it allowed me to know what state the UK was in when the people we were interviewing came over/when their parents came over in some cases. 

It will allow me to come up with questions related to the environment they were arriving in, in our initial interviews we've already had people say that there were a lot of chimneys and they were surrounded with smoke.

Examples like the London Smog could've affected their families and this could be an interesting talking point.

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*1 "The 1960s The Decade that Shook Britain" www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/

*2 "Britain in the 1950's" www.historytoday.com/roland-quinault/britain-1950