Look at Life - "On The Meter" (1968) HD

Look at Life - "On The Meter" (1968)
"Look at Life" was a regular British series of short documentary films of which over 500 were produced between 1959 and 1969 by the Special Features Division of the Rank Organisation for screening in their Odeon and Gaumont cinemas. The films always preceded the main feature film that was being shown in the cinema that week. It replaced the circuit’s newsreel, Universal News, which had become increasingly irrelevant in the face of more immediate news media, particularly on television with the launch of ITN on the Independent Television service, which began broadcasting in parts of the United Kingdom in 1955

[@andrewhubbard4044]

The days when motoring was cheap and cheerful unlike today its costly and a bloody nightmare

[@barnabyhughes5643]

I love these Look at Life programs, Every one of them. I could weep that I wasn't born in 1929.

[@lesleylovell8933]

You’d be pretty much dead if you were born in 1929 😂

[@barnabyhughes5643]

@@lesleylovell8933 Absolutely, and enjoying my time in Heaven with my savour.

[@user-dc1dw2np1w]

Dont you wanna go back in time to the '60 ? ❤ i do , best times ever ....and i even never lived back then 😢

[@kolbpilot]

I was 10 years old when this was made. Enjoy looking at the cars of my youth for I was in Holland during the summer & the cars are quite similar.

[@nedmarc]

Uniforms like these may seem over the top today, but they conveyed training, attention to detail, and legitimacy. Thanks for posting!

[@Khayyam-vg9fw]

They also indicated that you were dealing with a person who belonged to an organisation that was accountable to, and accessible to, members of the public.

[@user-pj8uj7wx3s]

Postmen and women also had quasi military uniforms in order to command respect.

[@dimensionxii]

These videos are amazing. Love it

[@johnathandaviddunster38]

BRILLIANT documentary

[@bertiewooster3326]

Today the traffic warden is ...not born in the UK, speaks very little English, uses terms like racist,is vastly overweight , or I cut your throat !!

[@rugosetexture2716]

That was a hoot! Thanks for putting it up.

[@johnnycassettes1228]

Very welcome. Its great isn't it?

[@geoffcrisp7225]

When it was easy driving around London and easy to find a space in the evening. No cycle lanes or cameras just common sense.

[@battmann7089]

Good to see David Williams assisting with the training.

[@tangerinedream7211]

Looking at these old films there's very few cars not made in the UK, bit different now.

[@truthseeker6923]

Yes the same goes for the people. Very sad

[@user-zm1zv1xw5y]

No congestion charge ilez ecttt

[@bendingspring]

Our lovable revenue raisers! So sweet.

[@ianmangham4570]

AWESOME FOOTAGE

[@dodgydruid]

Would not surprise me that Ford Galaxie at 3:50 wasn't my old uncle Wally Hanmore's as he was renowned for being the chap on the Kray's firm who drove the big black Galaxie... He grew up with his 12 siblings next door to prize fighter Lenny McLean in Hoxton, proper gentleman villain was Wally and sorely missed in this day and age as he was a real east end character :D

[@richardemms3050]

At 2:10 you can see a weird oval German export plate on what looks like a BMW 2002.

[@CycolacFan]

Lot of foreign cars in that film, countless Alfas, an Opel, 1962 Thunderbird and a right hand drive '65 Ford Galaxie amongst others. And that lovely vintage Rolls that drove past behind Harry Secombe's Shadow I.

[@ricbonnici4878]

Great video, people seem too have much more energy years ago

[@ifcukin8mufc168]

Many of those meters were robbed daily back in the day ! You were lucky to find any that hadn't been broken into !

[@postscript67]

I wonder if warden, husband or son are still around. I wouldn't have recognised Martin Jarvis as the narrator if he hadn't been named.

[@Dark_Nemesis4300]

Looking on Ancestry, Eric D Harris married Irene K Lock in 1954 in Camberwell, and their son VIncent came along the following year. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any family trees containing them, as this would be a lovely surprise if they were part of my family tree!

[@johnwaller2886]

5.59 he's got a Protar 1/9 scale motorbike model.

[@derekmillar318]

Thought harry seacome was going to burst into song there....that roller should have two meters......

[@annother3350]

Those old meters could he topped up with a few jabs of the right size screwdriver...

[@PHlophe]

which is why they got sturdier ones.

[@harbourdogNL]

They got "about £16 a week in central London". Hard to get a martini for that now.

[@78a67h]

Glimpses of how things were back in the glorious (or is it swinging) 60s. The cars were simple, robust, stylish, and each had its distinct character; not like today's plastic electronically managed contraptions, which all look the same (rubbish).

[@tobyfletcher6803]

5.34 looks like a spiv than a ambulance driver

[@patrickcannell2258]

Carry on please! In other words, balance the municipal budget!

[@kenneth2656]

The good old days when you could live in a nice house in London on £16 a week.

[@johnathandaviddunster38]

out of £16 a week £3 pounds a week RENT?

[@keithbird8910]

Lovely Rita, meter maid...

[@derekmillar318]

Wow Eric landed on his feet there...shes a honey

[@paulallenMacca]

I’m wondering which one is Lovely Rita.

[@growlerthe2nd712]

You’ll have to inquire discreetly 😂👍

[@paulallenMacca]

@@growlerthe2nd712 I was only joking Lovely Rita is a Beatles song - Lovely Rita Meter Maid.

[@ianmangham4570]

"I've never seen so many white people" Jon Snow Channel 4 news.😮

[@andrewhubbard4044]

VOTE FOR REFORM UK 🇬🇧

[@ianmangham4570]

@@andrewhubbard4044 They don't stand a chance, first past the post rigged system

[@johnathandaviddunster38]

did Eric have a son called Vincent and A Vincent black shadow motorcycle??

[@iandennis1]

Martin Jarvis narrating

[@bizzjoe]

No seatbelts back then

[@patrickcannell2258]

Ambulance driver riding a motorcycle! Hope he does not need the ambulance! Nice but injuries are ouch!

[@johnathandaviddunster38]

BLOODY JASPERS ....!!!!!

[@Sidneyyoungblood75]

Very few traffic lights. Technology took jobs that people once had. Sad but Fait accompli

[@annother3350]

Who wants to direct traffic for a living?

[@bretdouglas9407]

Lovely Rita meter maid

[@davidfreesefan23]

My thoughts as well!

[@thegerman3480]

road tax, parking tax, fuel tax, VAT, why are motorists so ripped off

[@jacksugden8190]

Does help not to have a sense of humour to do a job like that + try not to smirk at the motorists

[@patrickcannell2258]

Meter maids.

[@wanderinggoliard]

They're hot.

[@shamrockshore6308]

@0:23, I was expecting him to launch into the 'Rivers of blood' speech.

[@britturk123]

56 secs " She is one of the girls who in theory no motorist loves though more often than not she's a motorists wife or girlfriend ", So I guess women were not driving in the 60's?, HA you gotta laugh at the sexism back then.

[@josephomalley1526]

She was driving in the film !

[@johnearthheart4614]

If you watch through it all, you'll see that she is driving!

[@Maccaxxx]

What are all those white things walking about ?.