changing quality of life

popular culture and entertainment

cinema

• ‘The pleasure garden’ 1925

  • 2 women drift away from trad. expectations of womanhood and wifehood

  • Reflects women’s rights (1918 re. of the people) and acceptance of flapper culture

• ‘James Bond’ 1960s

  • Most successful British film franchise

  • People inspired by him, the action, women and his luxurious life (due to economic boom)

• ‘Saturday night Sunday morning’ 1960

  • WC man who hates his class status and is a consumer

  • Represents the experience of consumption of newly affluent WC

• ‘'A clockwork orange’ 1970s

  • Depicts violent crimes including rape and murder

  • Violent crimes increased throughout 1960s, anxieties of ‘hooliganism’

music

• The Beatles 1957

  • 1964 single ‘she loves you’ sold 750,000 copies in a month

  • Cheerful, optimistic music reflected the times

• David Bowie 1969

  • Alter ego Ziggy Stardust, androgynous, make-up and ‘camp’ mannerisms made him a unique artist

  • Rejections of male heterosexuality

  • Influential for the next 2 decades

• The specials 1970s

  • Ska — variant of reggae and punk

  • Jerry Dammers wrote music that reflected the lack of opportunities for black and white people

• The sex pistols 1970s

  • Punk subculture, angry music

  • Youth unemployment, ‘music of the dole cue’ — frustrated at living standards and opportunities

television

• Elizabeth II’s coronation 1953

  • 8 mil viewers

  • TV license holders doubled by 3 mil (had rented a TV to watch and wanted to purchase one after)

• 'Til death us do part’ 1960-70s

  • Followed a working class family headed by anti-socialist, racist man

  • Realistic and tackled political/social issues but often misinterpreted as fans who related to the racist main character

• Porridge 1973

  • Prison-based comedy

  • Reflects more permissive, anti-authority society transformation

• Faulty towers 1970s

  • Basil Fawlty, middle class prejudice, social mobility, ‘no riff raff’

  • Sybil — strong woman, reflects sexual discrimination act 1975

Overview of Television:

• Cost of TV meant that not many people had it, only 20,000 affected when turned off in 1939

• Affluence and post-war consumer boom = TV becoming affordable, important and mainstream

• 1960s — outdated and elitist tone to programmes

  • That was the week that was showed decline in deference, changing class attitudes in shows and dark issues like homelessness in Cathy came home but didn’t have widespread sucess

radio

• BBC news

  • Relationship with state (licensed under gov) which impacted the way news and entertainment was transmitted

    • Did not reflect people’s views or interests and the quality of life they experienced in the 1920s and 30s

  • John Reith 1920s

    • 1927, BBC given a royal charter and became a publicly owned state broadcaster with Reith as first director general

    • Lectures, concerts, programmes — beneficial to ordinary people

  • Pirate radio 1950s-60s

    • Radio Caroline — 10 mil listeners by 1964

    • Unlicensed broadcasters who used ships moored outside the UK, hard for gov to stop them

  • BBC radio 1 1967

    • Pirate radios had huge teen audiences (played the latest music)

    • Light, home and third programmes changed to radio 2, 3 and 4 with new Radio 1 catered to young people

    • Pirate DJs hired by radio 1 and became national celebrities

youth culture and teenagers

Baby boom — around 1 mil births a year after the war. In 1950s, this generation was becoming teenagers, there were new markets based on American culture, films, music and clothing.

• Leaving age 15 in 1947, going to uni, 1948 conscription ended in 1960s

• Full employment and apprenticeships meant teenagers had money to spend on luxuries, like fashion trends and transistor radio

• Top of the pops 1964, ready steady go (aimed at mods) for teenagers

Youth cultures:

• 1960s

  • Rockers, leather jackets + motorbikes, listened to rock

  • Mods, Vespers/scooters, Italian suits

• British pop music like beetles and the hollies creating rhythm and blues

• 1970s

  • Mods —> skinheads, short heart, reggae and ska music

  • Punks, Mohican hair, chains, torn clothes

  • Commercially targeted, Abercrombie docs martins etc. worn by skinheads

• Youth cults wanted to be noticed and be shocking

• Young people became hippies, rejected social values of materialism but often transitional until they needed to earn a living

Young people and violence:

• Teddy boys accused of wrecking cinemas where rock and roll hits were shown

• 1964: mods and rockers at the seaside vandalised and fight each other — 76 arrests in Brighton

• Football violence among skinheads, into the 1980s

Most young people were not violent and just had different interests. 1945: scouts incl. girl guides, cubs and brownies had over 470,000 members which rose to 540,000 in 1970.

leisure

spectator sports

• Start of 20th century: sport + leisure reserved for wealthy upper class —> grand national 500,000 spectators 1920s

• Upper class tennis + golf, Fred Perry winner of Wimbledon and Ryder cup attracted 50,000 people

• Football for the working class, 1920s: teams like Aston Villa, Blackburn often had 20,000

• Greyhound racing at Walthamstow stadium, over 100,000

• British public demanded stadiums stay open during ww2 to boost morale

The growth of live spectatorship:

• Mass transport and communication made national leagues like football association 1888, regular working hours and Saturday half-day allowed men to take part + was encouraged as healthy

• Newspapers = interests

• 1910: 12,000 clubs to FA

• Low prices, 2.5p in 1914

• 12,000 teams in 1914 —> 41,000 by 1985

• 23,000 attendance at top matches 1914 and 31,000 1938

The decline of live spectatorship — mass media:

• BBC shows like sportsview 1954, match of the day 1964, meant peak of 41.2 mil ticket sales 1948-49 dropped to under 30 mil 1969-79

• 32 mil watch 1966 world cup, colour TV and camerawork made it more enjoyable

• 1938, FA sponsorship on shirt advertisements

The decline of live spectatorship — affluence and economics:

• Hooliganism and violence due to older relatives or colleagues not going because hard to get tickets

• British rail cancelled ‘soccer specials’ because train carriages destroyed

• Advertising money —> £1 mil 1966 to £16 mil in 1976

• Footballers wages capped at £4/week 1914 to £20/week in 1961, meant ticket prices low and clubs couldn’t buy success

• Professional footballers association threatened to strike and ended wage caps

• 1978: Kevin Keegan reported in Sunday times to have earned £250,000 from advertising

  • Undermined ‘amateurism’, top teams and athletes gained all this money and left lower league spectator sports not as financially viable

Sport and gender:

• Men made up 60-70% of audiences 1960s

• 9% of men participating in sport 1961 to 30% in 1979 and only 6% to 17% for women

• Women not allowed to join leading golf clubs or sports governing bodies

• Over 500 sport centres 1979, access to pools, equipment and cycling was popular previously

• High court 1978 overturn of ban on a girl playing for Muskham united under 11s

travel

• The rise of ‘free time’ and holidays 1919-45:

  • 20th century: reserved for luxury —> grand tour for classical civilisations, travel guides made by Michelin reviewed expensive hotel and restaurants

  • Holidays with pay act 1938 — 3 consecutive days of paid holiday. 1.5 mil to 7.5 mil eligible for holiday leave

    • Blackpool, Margate, great Yarmouth

  • Upper class went to Isle of Wight

  • 1930s: wc able to get cars and travel, e.g to Scottish Highlands or Lake district

  • 1936 ‘holiday camp’ Butlins in Skegness. ‘A week’s holiday for a week’s wages’. First package holiday with accommodation, entertainment and activities —> 100,000 visitors a year, by 1960 there were 6 more camps

  • 1939-45, ‘wonder’s week’ Lancashire, ‘trades fortnight’ Scotland, guaranteed time in the sun for manual labour force despite rationing of petrol

• The decline of Butlin’s holiday camps:

  • Less appealing in late 60s due to regimented nature

  • People wanted more individual holiday experiences and growth of foreign holidays

  • Butlins changed its strategy to target young adults + teenagers but tabloid stories or drinking and antisocial behaviour ruined family reputation

• The growth of foreign tourism:

  • 60s: most businesses offered fortnight annual leave

  • Spain and Portugal high rise holiday hotels, restaurants etc.

    • Cheap accommodation and flights, hot weather — popular for British holidaymakers

  • Mediterranean holiday, 1968 4% of all holidays to 8% in 1971

  • 1960s, gov prevents from taking more than £50 out of the country a year to limit scope of holiday making and how many a year

  • Holiday boom when allowed £25 per trip, 1971: 4 mil went abroad to 13 mil in 1981

Leisure time and affluence meant men spent more time with families, working men’s club and pub declined in popularity as home ownership and television in family life. Gardening and DIY became popular for homeowners

Forms of tourism:

• 60s: caravanning. in 1934, 90 models of caravan, ownership increased after the war by people who wanted a less communal holiday

  • Increase in car ownership and homes with driveways

  • 20% of all holidays in 1960s

• The ‘hippy trail’ — alternative ideas about travel in 70s, young people wanted ‘authentic’ experiences over materialism

  • Small number of people taking route compared to Majorca or Ibiza

  • Went across Europe and Middle East to India and Nepal (safe places allied with western countries)

  • Drugs like opium in Afghanistan and Nepal

  • Demonstrated changing living standards and leisure, different expectations of life

Cars:

• 1923 — 200,000 horse drawn carriages —> 12,000 1937

• 1934 — 2.5 mil cars

• 1920s — Rover 10/25 cost £250 1929 (£11,000), extremely expensive for avg family

• Great dep, became second hand purchases. Morris minor car £100

• 2nd hand car syndicate for wc to car share

• Government roads — encourage road trips, safety legislation. 1934: 86% of deaths caused by motorists. Road traffic act 1930 —> insurance, highway code, license

• 1960s —> full employment, 1966 Barclaycard

• Mini 1959, 1.2 mil sold

• Cars had faults due to poor labour relations, Callaghan returns 2 ministerial cars from Rover for having 24 faults

  • Overseas cars, 1/3 imported 1975 from Volkswagen and Datsun

• 1959, M1 London —> North

• Beeching axe — rising operating costs = trains not making profit (£104 mil loss by 1962), 1963 reduction of 5,000 miles of railway

changing quality of life

Income and employment:

• Post war recession — wages fell, people living under £2 a week, prices of food fell faster than wages (real cost of living went down 1/3 1920-38)

• Contraception = smaller family sizes meant wage went further

Health and diet:

• Over 1.6 mil wounded. 1921: 1 mil receiving disability pensions

• 1914 defence of the realm act: decreased alcohol consumption, also due to continued peacetime pub opening hours and popularity of other forms of entertainment

• Rationing — healthier diets and 1914 education act gave meals to needy children

• WW2 evacuees refused to eat vegetables, shocked host families

• 1936 study Food, health and income led by Rowett institute found avg. diet improved from 1914 (however, large variation between different classes)

  • Decline in industry

  • Unemployment — 3 mil 1932-33, Beveridge — 85% of long-term unemployment located in the North

Consumption:

• Car ownership, 20% of households in South, only 12% in North

• Electricity consumers increased from 700,000+ to 9 mil 1920-38. 66% of homes had electricity in 1938

• Homes in south avg. 861kw/h 1938, homes in north less than 400kw/h and used for lighting more than labour-saving

• WC couldn’t participate in consumerism until wages increased and prices decrease, couldn’t make purchases on radio, iron, fridges etc. which was largely an mc phenomenon in interwar period

Total war - housing and health:

• Towns like London, Coventry, Birmingham etc. were damaged, 2/7 houses destroyed and 60 mil changes of address

• 80,000 civilians killed by bombs

• Over 1 mil children evacuated = increased concern of wealthier hosts about living standards

Total war - diet and consumption:

• Loss of shipping to German submarines, rationing to level out food consumption

• Gov. price control = access to wider range of goods (previously unaffordable to wc), increased wages double during war. Ration coupons for food and ‘British restaurant’ hot meals

• ‘Dig for victory’ turned gardens and parks into allotments

• Clothing rationing levelled previous fashion divide

• Encouragement of music and arts 1940 council supported theatre productions during the war

• Austerity — disciplined lifestyle, consumer expenditure controlled by rationing (1/4 in 1946) and bread rationed 1946-48

Housing:

• 1.1 mil council houses built in interwar period, 90% on new estates

• 1914: 10% of population own their house, 1938: 32%

• New houses in London £450, older houses in less affluent areas £125

• 2 mil houses destroyed in war

• Prefabricated housing — cheap, quick housing designed to last 10 years. Excalibur estate 1945-46 by 1944 housing and temporary accomodation act

• New towns act 1936 — 14 new towns to relieve overcrowding in WC areas like in London, New town Stevenage

• 1961-67 new towns created including Milton Keynes

• Wages 130% increase 1955-69

• 1967, 7.5 mil on poverty line, 1963 Manchester 80,000 slum houses without water or heating

• Elderly living alone (1.5 mil 1965) on small pensions and poor conditions

overview

• Diet:

  • 1910s:

    • 1914 education (provision of meals) act for needy children

    • 1914 defence of the realm act decreased alcohol consumption

  • 1920-30s:

    • 1920s, more foreign food imported. Basic foodstuff like tea, vegetables price decreased

    • 20,000 fish and chips shops with 2p fish, 1p chips

    • 1933 — unemployment benefits insufficient to provide minimum diet in survey

      • Deficiencies like rickets

    • Women starving to feed their families

    • 1933 ‘light industries’ → household appliance boom

    • Critical study 1936 Food, wealth and income found avg. diet better than in 1914

  • 1940-50s:

    • 1940 ministry of food rationing of food and essentials

      • Food was supplemented with vitamins and minerals meaning health improved

    • 1942 — restaurants restrictions

    • Unappetising national loaf

    • Host families shocked by poor diets of some children

• Consumption:

  • 1930s:

    • ‘Teenager culture’

    • 1930 — 200,000 vacuum cleaner sales a year, up to 400,000 in 1938

    • 300% increase in sales of electric cookers 1930-35

    • Electrification of homes

  • 1939-51:

    • Rationing and travel restrictions

    • Communication of rationing and austerity culture

    • Relaxed rules on consumer credit 1954

    • Demand for TV increase 10% 1955

  • Late 1950-60s:

    • £1.5 bil spending on consumer goods by 1960

    • 1959 wages 2x 1950

    • 1955: 17% of homes had a washing machine, 1966: 60% → changing role of women