In 1940s Britain the wireless was one of the key sources of home entertainment and news. Since the 1920s – when the first musical broadcast was aired from the Marconi Research Centre in Chelmsford – the wireless radio provided the backdrop to family life. Once the BBC received its Royal Charter in 1926, becoming theContinueContinue reading “Listen while you work”
Tag Archives: World War 2
Hooligan, vandal or just plain bored?
Before we look at what youngsters were getting up to during the 1940s let’s consider some of terminology that we are so familiar with today – words that we tend to associate with young people… HooliganOrigin late 19th century, first found in British newspaper police-court reports in the summer of 1898, almost certainly from theContinueContinue reading “Hooligan, vandal or just plain bored?”
Books that shaped a decade
For the first half of the 1940s Britain was in the grip of war, followed, once the war ended, by years of austerity and hardship. So what about reading habits during those years? Was there still an attraction in the escapism offered by a good book? It seems the answer was ‘Yes’. Despite paper rationing,ContinueContinue reading “Books that shaped a decade”
A victory for the workers
When Britain entered the Second World War in September 1939 the country was governed by a National Government, a coalition of all the political parties, as well as a number of individuals who belonged to none of the parties. Conservative politician, Neville Chamberlain, was Prime Minister but by spring 1940 he bowed to pressure toContinueContinue reading “A victory for the workers”
A ticket to ride
Ever since the first steam locomotives of the early 19th century, the UK railway network benefitted from extensive expansion. By 1923 most of the railways were grouped together to form the ‘Big Four’ – namely, the Great Western, the London and North Eastern, the London, Midland and Scottish, and the Southern Railway companies. Other smallerContinueContinue reading “A ticket to ride”
The importance of making things
With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, Britain morphed from a society dependant on the land for work and income, to a burgeoning working class who clocked in for daily shifts in factories. For a time, Britain led the way across the world, with the textile industry, iron and steelContinueContinue reading “The importance of making things”
75 years of gardening know-how!
If you tune in to BBC Radio 4 this afternoon at 3pm you will have the chance to listen to a panel of experts answering gardening questions as diverse as whether it’s possible to plant a tea plant in the UK from which to make a cuppa, through to tips on how to let offContinueContinue reading “75 years of gardening know-how!”
More than a day out
Nowadays, for many people, an annual holiday – or even several annual holidays – are not just welcomed, they are accepted as the norm. Indeed, when the Covid pandemic meant that we were restricted to our home territory, at times even to our home town, then we felt hard done by. On the top ofContinueContinue reading “More than a day out”
A newcomer in the family
From the 1920s onwards the wireless set provided an increasing number of families with an opportunity to listen to music, drama and news broadcasts. Around half of the British population were able to settle down in the evening and enjoy a musical variety show, a comedy, or a play, while reading the paper, or doingContinueContinue reading “A newcomer in the family”
Feeding the nation
During the Second World War years there was a critical need for Britain to find ways to be self-sufficient in terms of food. With enemy blockades around our shores many of the goods that were usually imported were unable to reach us. By January 1941 the usual food supply coming from overseas had fallen byContinueContinue reading “Feeding the nation”
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