The Changing Quality of Life

After the war PM DLG promised…

‘homes fit for heroes’

Death toll of WW1

700,000

When was the post-ww1 economic boom?

1918-20

What was the economic pattern in 1918-39

Boom → Crisis → Recovery

What was the 1919 Housing and Town Planning Act?

Why was it significant?

How did it fail?

Aim of 600,000+ houses

Marked gov responsibility for housing

Only 213,000 built -> housing shortage (leaving lassaiz faire)

What were the aims of the 1923/24 and 30 Housing Acts? What did they achieve?

• ^ housing. All act together -> 1 mil houses built

• 1930 Act – cleared slum housing, rehouse overcrowded areas with new suburbs/’cottage estates’ with rail to Ldn (metroland). Quality of housing ^ e.g plumbing, gardens ect 

How many houses were built in total 1918-39?

What is the limitation of this?

4 million built

1 mill council houses, rest private

How many were unemployed by 1920?

1 million

Give an example of regional divide of unemp in the 1930s crash

Decline in heavy indust → 1932 (peak crash) 11% unemp in London, 40% in Wales

Why were deficiency so common in deprived areas?

There was a shortage of meat and fresh vegetable

In 1933 a survey found out what about unemployment benefits?

Not sufficient to maintain the basic food requirement suggested by ministry of Health

What group most suffered from hunger/health issues? Why?

Working class women

• Prioritised their children and husbands

Give examples of new chains that funded the consumer boom in the 1930s

Marks and Spencers, Sainsbury’s

‘T…’ culture was beginning to emerging in the 30s which → ^ consumer boom

Teenage

Post war there was a variety of food available e.g Fish and chips was …p. (Affordable for even poorer people)

3 pence

Across 1914-1938 house ownership increased from …% → …%

10% → 32%

Areas often occupied by middle class, emergin around Ldn with good connections in London e.g Amersham

Metroland

List 3 items other than food that was rationed in WW2

• clothes

• soap

• paper

• fuel

What substitute to regular bread was created in an absence of white flour?

National Loaf - grey-looking bread which was agreed to be horrible to eat

Why did some evidence show health ^ during war-time rationing?

• Food was supplemented by vitamins from Ministry of Food

• Infant mortality decreased during war (subsidised milk and heating fuel for mothers)

When did rationing start? What products were first rationed?

January 1940 - bacon, butter, sugar

Why did pay for the average British worker ^ during the war?

• New jobs created

• Negotiations with unions

During the WW2, mass bombing accounted for how many deaths and how many houses destroyed?

• 40,000 deaths

• 2 million houses destroyed

When was the first evacuation? how many children were evacuated? What did evacuation lead to?

1939 - 1.5 mil children, ‘learning how the other half lived’

Why did Labour have to continue rationing?

Br was bankrupt

• 55% br food imported

• Br had wartime financial lifeline with USA that X in Lend Lease agreement 1945

Lab vs Cons view on rationing in manifesto → cons win 1951

Lab accepted rationing vs cons committed to ending it

Solution to homelesnesss due to destruction during WW2

wooden pre-fabricated houses (cheaply, easily, quickly assembled)

Flat blocks

Issues with Pre-fabs

• cold

• damp

• small

• often meant to last for set period (e.g 10 years) with many still standing today

however many people were acc happy with their pre-fab homes

Explain the New Towns Act and give its date.

1946 - 14 new towns (e.g Telford) in Br to decr overcrowding. Huge ^ for many wc families.

Key factors → ^ living standard 1951-79

• global eco boom

• Br welfare state

• consensus commitment to full emp

• ^ average wage since 1945

average wage ^ x… 1950-59

x2 (wages doubled)

What allowed wc to indulge in consumer spending?

relaxed rules on consumer credit in 1954 → allowed to borrow money for luxuries (during war it was expected to live within your means)

New towns still emerging in 60s often with luxuries such as…

• central heating

• gardens

• green space

• hot water

How many living below the poverty line in 1967 often with poor quality of life, poor diet, dirty housing etc?

7.5 mil

Domination of what companies → fear of ‘Americanisation’ in Britain?

• Heinz

• Hoover

• Ford

High Rise flats were developed in 1960s? The problem with them was…

Many flaws - e.g Explosion in Ronan Point flats, Ldn killed 3. It was found builder had used old newspaper instead of concrete in parts of the building → structurally unsound

In 1914-1930 the number of cinemas ^ from … to … with some seating up to … people

In 1914-1930 the number of cinemas ^ from 3000 to 5000 with some seating up to 2000 people

What does the BBFC stand for and what was it?

British Board of Film Censors - regulations that films had to follow (43 grounds for censoring a film by 1917)

• Why did the 1927 Cinematograph Films Act come into place?

• What did it enforce?

• What did it change to in 1935?

• Fear of Americanisation of films

• 7.5% of films shown had to be British

• percentage rose to 20% in 1935

How did people view cinemas in 1918? How did that view change in 20s and 30s?

Initially viewed as dirty and unsophisticated.

20s and 30s made them more appealing and respectable. Idea of ‘picture palaces’ attracting more mc. Eg The Empire, The majestic

In 19…, [fraction] of the population went to the cinema once a week.

In 1930, ½ of the population went to the cinema once a week.

Who was the highest paid actress in Britain in the 1930s, who was northern wc and often played the northern wc heroine, known for comedy and singing?

Gracie Fields (box office draw)

Between … and … cinema provided more than 50% of all entertainment’s tax revenue

Between 1937 and 1939 cinema provided more than 50% of all entertainment’s tax revenue

Cinema provided mass entertainment and escapism. What groups of people still may not indulge in it?

Older men (preferring drinking and gambling)

Wc women (often no time or money)

Give an example of an interwar film reflecting life issues.

The Firstborn 1928 - exploring themes of illegitemate children, unfaithful marriages

Give an example of escapsism comedy films

Laurel and Hardy Slapstick comedies

What kept cinemas open during the war (despite an initial attempt to shut them down)?

How many Br films were produced during the war?

Popular demand

500

Give an example of a war time film that encouraged patriotism

In Which We Serve - 1942

Explain the contrast of 40s/early 50s films vs films in the 60s

Earlier films were more focused on patriotism and strong war time community rather than seeking pleasure through substances and sex which many later films portrayed

Name a film that challenged the class system and portrayed inappropriate sexual activity.

What new genre of film was this film?

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning - 1960. Provided gritty view of every day wc life. Showed materialistic Arthur Seaton who slept with his colleges wife, got her pregnant and drank a lot. However did end with him marrying a respectable woman.

Social realism (‘new wave’ of films representing every day lives of wc)

Example of films that didn’t reflect change (Hint: a franchise starting in 1958)

the 29 carry on films - often based on working class humour, wc heroes and relatively unadventurous plots

Why were 50s/60s war films so crucial?

To reassure Br population of Britain’s patriotism and war record, especially after loss of empire, world status, eco decline and ^ in immigration

Name a war film with near disaster but ultimate success

The Dam Busters - 1955

When was ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’? What did it portray? How did it reflect feeling of Br people?

• 1957

• Br officer captured by Japanese → building a Bridge in Thailand that was blown up by allies → Guinness (officer)dying

• Noble but fruitless endeavour

What did Spy films reflect?

Give an exmple?

Improving living standards of 1960s or aspirational fantasies

James Bond - expensive cars, travel, clothes

How did film begin to change in the 70s? Give an example

Portrayed darker visions of Br as eco problems ^ → ^ crime and permissivness

Get Carter - 1971 - gangster seeking revenge for death of his brother. Relaxed film censorship → portrayal of drugs and prostitution

When were dance halls popular? What was one of the biggest ones?

1920s and 30s

The Regent in Brighton - accommodating up to 1,500 dancers

Who were the dance duo seen on screen that inspired people to dance?

Fred and Ginger

Br dance bands influence by US jazz musicians such as…

Duke Ellington

When did Rock ‘n’ Roll emerge?

50s/60s

Name 2 bands from the 60s who popularised British pop music?

• The Beatles

• The Kinks

• Rolling Stones

The craze of the Beatles was known as…

Beatlemania

David Bowie

1. Name of his alter ego

2. often dressed …

3. rejected …

4. associated with the musical style of…

5. came from a … background

1. Ziggy Stardust

2. androgynously

3. male hetrosexuality

4. glam rock

5. working class

Reggae music gained popularity in the…

1960s

Reggae emerged from…

traditional calypso music

What was roots reggae? Give an example of a song

A genre of reggae music displaying racism faced by black immigrants

All Wi Doin Is Defendin - 1978 by Linton Johnson (member of Race Today Collective) - reflecting anger from immigrants in Brixton

What was Ska and who developed it?

a more aggressive version of Reggae adapted by Black and White musicians.

When did punk emerge? What did it often reflect?

70s - growth in youth unemp of 70s, declining living standards

Give an example of a punk band and their appearance

Sex Pistols - torn jeans, piercings, spiked hair

TRUE OR FALSE: appeal of punk and ska was widespread

FALSE

What genre of music had the widest appeal?

Disco/ pop such as Bee-Gees, Elton John and Queen.

What was the 2nd top selling album of the 60s?

The Sound of Music Soundtrack

Name some working class heroes of the 60s and 70s

• David Bowie

• Christine Keeler

• Micheal Kaine

• Beatles

When was the BBC set up? Who was the first Director General? What was his view on the purpose of radio?

• 1922

• John Reith

• It was there to ‘inform, educate and entertain’

Initially the BBC tended to reflect what?

Values of the government, not necessarily the lived experience of Britons

How was the BBC elitist?

Often employed public school/oxbridge graduates

Despite being politically neutral who did the BBC tend to side with? Give an example.

Conservative - Sided with them during the general strike

What were the illegal and unlicensed broadcasters who would broadcast off ships just outside British waters called? Give an example of these broadcasters? Were they popular (give a stat)?

• Pirate radio

• Radio Caroline

• Yes - Radio Caroline had a Br audience of 10 mil by 1964

Why did the BBC end up broadcasting pop?

Millions (largely youth) listen to pop on pirate radio as they couldn’t listen to it anywhere else. There was no effective way to stop them.

How did commercial radio challenge the BBC?

It emerged in 1957 and could appeal to niche groups of people, sustaining themselves through adverts

When was the BBC’s first TV broadcast? How successful was it?

1936 - small audiences due to high cost of TV

Which event first attracted mass TV audiences? What date was it? How many viewers did it have?

Queen’s coronation in 1953 was broadcast live on the BBC. Nearly 8 mil viewers

How was the BBC impacted by the post WW2 consumer boom?

TV ownership ^

Who was the BBC’s director general in 1960? What was his views/aims with the BBC?

Hugh Carlton Greene - he thought BBC was elitist and outdated. Wanted BBC to be more egalitarian.

BBC began broadcasting shows depicting social issues. Give an example of a show depicting illegal abortions.

Cathy Come Home 1966 depicting illegal abortions.

Were shows depicting controversial social issues the norm?

No, critics argue that shows such as Cathy come Home were not common and most people preferred escapism e.g Faulty Towers and Dad’s Army

What was the most successful show on ITV i the 60s?

Coronation Street

What act allowed commercial TV? When was it? It led to the start of which channel?

Commercial Act of 1954 → ITV

How did ITV try to differ from BBC?

Tried to more more modern and steer away from class enforce.

How did people view ITV?

Mc saw it a ‘vulgar and common’. Showed elitist attitudes were emerging.

When did teenage culture emerge? Why?

50s -

• School leaving age raised to 15 in 1947 but more and more stayed on to unis,

• conscription ended with decr in military commitment in 1960

• full emp → money to spend on luxories

• goods aimed at teens

• TV aimed at teens ‘Top of the Pops’

• Baby boom

Describe demeanour and appearance of Teddy Boys

Gangs in the late fifty’s, slicked back hair, listened to rock ‘n’ roll, suits. Often associated with violence

2 aims of many youth groups

• shock elders

• exploit businesses that tailored for their styles/materialism

give a counter to materialism of Teddy Boys and Skinheads etc.

Hippies rejecting materialism (however this was a small group)

In 1964 gangs of mods and rockers vandalised seaside resorts. How many were arrested in Brighton?

76 (however do note most youths weren’t violent)

What is a counter to this ^ challenging popular culture?

Older/poorer people more consertavtive pass times, walking the dog, chats with neighbours. Church attendance was still high (although lower than pre-war), Sunday was still viewed as a day of relaxation.

How many attended professional football per year in 1920s and 30s?

22 million

In Walthamstow how many people would show up for Greyhound races a night?

100,000 (more of a wc sport)

In the great depression which sports struggled to continue and which didn’t. Why?

Wc sports clubs - rugby, football, cricket struggled. Decr ticket sales and price tickets

Mc sports - tennis, show jumping, golf. Larger audiences continued.

What ^ mass support and engagement of football?

1936 BBC broadcasting football matches live