I’ve recently read quite a few posts on social media where they say that the Baby Boomers (of which I’m one), have had the most change during their lifetime of all the ‘generations’ alive today. And I wasn’t sure I agreed with this until…
Talking to my husband (younger than me by 12 years) about some of the things I’m finding out whilst researching for my next series of books. I referred to the fact that when I was a child we only had one TV station and our TV was black and white. He said, ‘no – there was ITV (a commercial station for those of you not in the UK).’
To prove my point, I had to look up when the first commercial station started in the UK.
Initially, the only station that broadcast TV was the BBC; now a British constitution. But then in 1955 the first commercial contract went to a company to run a second station. However, it was only shown in London. Then commercial stations opened up throughout the UK.
So, from 1956 people who could obviously afford new TV’s, or rented newer versions were able to watch programs on other stations.
My husband grew up in the Midlands – Birmingham, and I was also in the Midlands – in Leicester. But in our house in the mid 1960s, we were stuck with our one station, black and white TV. For many years I remember going to friends’ houses to watch programs on ITV that weren’t on BBC, like ’Emergency Ward 10’ and ‘No Hiding Place’. Although, at some point we must have changed our TV to one with two channels. I remember arguing with my dad, who wouldn’t let me watch the last episode of ‘The Invaders’ a sci-fi series that I’d watched all the way through. I had to go to bed, because I had school the next day and when I tried arguing my case, got the, ‘when you pay for the license you can watch what you like’ comment! I never forgave him for that.
The reason I’m saying this is because, over the years I’ve seen so many changes, which to a point, I’ve embraced, but I can’t imagine, and don’t want to go back to the way life was when I was a teenager. But now because I’m having to research information for my next stories (the first book starting in the 1950s), and because I’m older and at times my memory sabotages me – I have to remind myself that things I’m now taking for granted just weren’t available back then. And there are in fact, a lot of changes.
For the different eras I’m writing about, I’m having to look at the cars that were popular; the age that people were when they left school; what was possible for women regarding their freedom and their access to certain things in legal terms; fashion of the time; lack of central heating; no mobile phones; which police procedures were in place; what was possible before computers (we’ve become so reliant on them), and so much more.
I’m not a historian. I live in the ‘now’ rather than spend my time looking back – though I’m not by any way suggesting that’s a bad thing, especially if history is your passion.
Although certainly not an early adopter of ideas, I’m fairly open to embrace new technologies and ideas.
I’m not sure what I miss in terms of things from my childhood. But, maybe regarding how we behave – I think due to the speed of life, sometimes courtesy goes out of the window, and we have become more selfish these days.
When it comes to freedom, I think that generally life was easier for young children, because we could play outside safely. Where I lived in the early 60s, there was far less traffic, so we could often play in the road outside our houses. We were relatively safe playing in the park – although I’m not naïve to think there were no dangers lurking around in those days – we just didn’t hear about things so quickly, because news wasn’t available 24/7. Unlike today parents didn’t always know what dangers there were, so they didn’t pass their fear onto us. Also, people tended to stay in the area they were born in which meant there was a strong community spirit and neighbours knew and helped each other. There are more people I don’t know in my road than those I know or at least pass the time of day with, and we’ve lived here for 11 years.
We have embraced new ideas; a richness of cultures and new technologies and we generally live more comfortable lives. But to me the most important thing is – we are still people; where communication and care between us is most overriding issue we should be considering.
Relationships are what I enjoy writing about more than anything, so even with the research and trying to ensure I get things right about the era I’m writing about – my characters stories are more important to me than anything else.
Are there things you miss from the past?