The Past was Better?

I had a Twitter debate last night with a man who considered life was better back in the past.  That is, he looked back to the early 50s, a time when you could leave your door open, people did not knife you in the street, and life was generally better all round.

I disagreed.

I too look back to the early days of my young life and consider life was better then.  However, we had had a war that killed 52 million or so, nuclear bombs were beginning to become popular, and we had an even larger police force than we do today, so was it better? 

Our childhoos was occasionlly bothered by the 'Penny Gang,' a group of yobs who came up from 'over there,' causing trouble and bothering the world.  Was this what he saw as 'better?'  If we had gangs so did he surely.  My dad could not take a day off work for flu, and I mean flu, because he would lose £1 and mum could not feed us if he did, so he went, and it was not an easy thing for him to do in winter and walking miles to deliver milk.  Was this better?

Certainly free school milk. the NHS, polio jabs, and other benefits, from a Labour government, remember them, improved life.  But crime existed, murders occurred, thieves stole.  What was different bar the perception that things were improving? 

After two wars and the depression certainly people looked to create a better world.  The residue of a Judeo-Christian society meant a form of agreed culture covered much, but not all, of the land.  For many after the war a sense of 'right and wrong existed, especially for those who had seen the results of the Nazi regime.  

The main difference I wonder could be the loss of the agreed Judeo-Christian moral stance, even if a loose one, and wealth!  When the nation loses the need to work together to survive and wealth covers the land people lose morals.  Having enough they now want more.  Producers offer more and we desire every glittering thing on offer and come to believe we have a right to obtain this.  With no agreed God laxity in morals creeps in over time, the results, aided by greedy incompetent politicians lies before us.

The world looks worse than in the past, however, what we see now lay just under the surface awaiting a chance nto escape.  Encourage the lowest moral outlook and you find it everywhere.

Murdoch plays a big part in this, the so-called sexual revolution helps, easy divorce and lessening ofresponsibility, though that was often avoided before, and crime is encouraged as there is no agreed morality.  Parents less keen to teach children, happy to defend them more.

Human nature lies at the root, and that never changes.

 

Christmas has certainly changed.  When I was young in never cost me a penny!  Now I am emptying the piggy bank!  However, the cards are almost done, all the presents to go have gone and been received, and I am now watching the van drivers knock on my door to bring things for me!  This is good!  

One mug, one book and one bottle of Single Malt, 'Jura' no less. has arrived.  With this I am well pleased.

Less pleased when the driver had to ask my year of birth before giving the box to me.  It took me a minute tor ecall that far back, which made him laugh!  I suspect I will see him again soon with another book expected.

Life is not bad at all really, in spite of the bad things that are always with us.

Old TV

                                              Pure Energy

I was reading Max the other day and he brought back memories of the days of long ago, back when it was 'always now' and the days longer, sunnier and energy never lacked, until nasty parents forced you unwillingly inside to feed and push you to a far too early bedtime. 

Not that you could get up in the morning mind.

Max spoke about the TV of the 50's and that brought to mind the old 'Ferranti' tv that we obtained, by rental, from either 'Currys' or the 'Leith Provident' (who, being a 'Co-op' gave a dividend!).  This model found here on 'Pure Energy' is very like the one that arrived in 1958 in the corner of our house.

The programme on while the TV was being installed was 'The Army Game,' a comedy set in an army barracks laughing at what life the majority of men, and many women, had endured during the war only a dozen years before.  

In those far off days, much further far off than I would like, there was a choice of two TV stations, BBC and STV.  I cannot mind the actual numbers but I think to change from one channel to another meant getting up, turning the dial from '10' to '8,' then standing back to ensure the picture was not rolling up or down.  This meant playing with the knobs at the rear until the picture settled.

However, as Max reminded us we had such fine Historical dramas to entertain us as kids, 'The Lone Ranger,' 'Gunsmoke,' and many John Wayne westerns.  I remember 'Robin Hood' and 'William Tell,' all with dynamic leading men, a woman who did little, fast action, dramatic music, and an audience of millions around the nation.

It was many years before we realised the actual 'History' offered in such programmes was nil!  By the mid 60's, once we were all at work, we realised the 'Wild West' was not fought with 'Colt 45's' blasting Indians (now called by white middle classes 'Native Americans,' though they all had their own tribal nation names anyway), Indians who fell off their horses, always forward, and by the dozen, at the firing one one bullet from a man looking backwards while riding a horse at the gallop!  

As for 'Robin Hood' and 'William Tell,' well!  

The BBC at the time had a high reputation for journalism, especially after the war when the Beeb had stood up to government pressure, Winston wanted to take it over Geobells style, and gave as honest a news service as possible without giving away secrets.  The new style news programmes such as 'Tonight' which offered decent, popular much liked presenters, interesting and often humerous reports from around the nation, as well as more serious topics in a sensible manner.  Cliff Michelmore and Fyffe Robertson became household names, and not like the 'celebs' of today.  

TV started in the evenings only, Scotland did have the 'One o'Clock Gang' in which Larry Marshall and his gang offered repeats of jokes told many times before, as well as a song or two, also repeated often.

The afternoons may have featured the boring black and white coverage (all was black and white until the early 70's) of cricket, that most boring of games, that was made more boring by being in black and white, with Peter West, a racist Englishman who did not like Scotland, commentating in a frightfully English manner.  I went out and played football night after night like the majority of schoolboys and ignored such appaling TV.

However, some programmes were unmissible.  'Hancock's Half Hour,' which on radio had 25 million listening weekly transferred to TV and the audience followed.  Imagine 25 million watching any programme today other than the World Cup Final!  The result was conversation the next day which always began with the TV from the night before.  The nation had something to keep them together, although TV also helped divide them.  

The 1956 Suez crisis would have been seen by many on TV news.  This brought a sharp division and soon a new Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan.  He was one who could make use of TV and was keen to do so.  A new situation arose, words on radio were no longer good enough to get elected, you had to look the part, not just sound it.  Many were slow to accept this. 

Today, TV is something I never watch.  The output on 50 Free channels is usually vile, tepid, repetitious or banal.  I watch football via the laptop and occasional programmes only, I miss nothing.  Few can converse regarding last nights TV as almost all watch different poor quality trash.  Many young folks are on video games, older folks also, and music means more to young than TV.  The BBC, especially in these last dozen years, has failed to report in a journalistic manner.  UK news is tainted with Tory propaganda, ITV and Sky follow suit, social media is the way to get news today.  Boris and his cabal already own the major press, now they have quieted the TV output.  Whoever owns the major news, press, TV and radio, can keep the people under.  The majority, though suspicious, will never react in the hope they can survive and not get blamed. 

 

Wiki