While one war was over it seemed that another was to begin - a 'cold war' between the superpowers of Russia and the US. One without combat, but a conflict nevertheless. The term 'cold war' might be first attributed to English writer, George Orwell, who wrote in The Observer of 10 March 1946: '...after theContinue reading "A cold wind"
Crossing the world
After the Second World War Britain saw arrivals of folk from all across the globe - many from Commonwealth countries who were intrigued to discover what the 'mother country' was like. But it was also a time when some British people decided to leave - to emigrate. The situation in Britain was dire. For someContinue reading "Crossing the world"
Better than a tin bath
When I dig around in my tin of old photos I find a picture of my brother - just a toddler at the time - standing in the kitchen sink to be washed. In 1940s Britain this would have been a typical scene in many houses as few had indoor bathrooms, with the only runningContinue reading "Better than a tin bath"
All washed up!
Imagine yourself in 1940s Britain, when it was more than likely you would be sharing an outside toilet with other houses in the street, or sharing one on the landing of your block of flats. The kitchen sink might have doubled up as a bath for the little ones in the family, and the luxuryContinue reading "All washed up!"
What a ball!
After the six years of the Second World War, when sport of any kind was certainly limited, and at times and in certain places, non-existent, the cessation of hostilities brought fans of every sport flooding back into stadia. The archetypal English game of cricket saw its first full season in 1946, and even the weatherContinue reading "What a ball!"
A new shopping experience
The food shopping experience of the 1940s was very different from that of today. Customer making a purchase in a grocery shop during the Second World War. Interior view of a grocer's shop with goods piled high on and behind the counter. The grocer offers a product to a woman customer. Egg substitutes and mixturesContinue reading "A new shopping experience"
When will the snow melt?!
Nowadays we are familiar with severe weather events - climate change has altered our seasons resulting in populations across the world experiencing forest fires, floods and droughts. But back in 1940s Britain such dramatic weather was unexpected. What's more, there was little in the way of weather forecasting available for the average family - certainlyContinue reading "When will the snow melt?!"
What a show!
Perhaps it was the darkness of the war years that drew people to the lightness and creativity of British theatre. Although what some have called a period of 'modernism' started years before the 1940s - in fact, elements of modernist approaches to art, design and theatre can be traced to the period between the twoContinue reading "What a show!"
Dreaming of the ‘mother country’
In June 1948 the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury Docks bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean who were hoping for a new life in Britain. During the Second World War, thousands of Caribbean men and women had been recruited to serve in the armed forces. Some had been to England during the war yearsContinue reading "Dreaming of the ‘mother country’"
What’s in the charts?
The 1940s brought many much-loved 'crooners' into the homes of millions, via gramophone records and via the wireless. Families put their 78rpm vinyl record on their turntable, or tuned in to the BBC Light Programme to listen to the likes of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. Amazing to think that Bing Crosby's WhiteContinue reading "What’s in the charts?"
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