North South Divide | Living in the 70s | The cost of living | inflation | This Week | 1973

AN INVESTIGATION ABOUT ORDINARY PEOPLE'S OPINION ABOUT GOVERNMENT PRICE POLICIES.
IN THIS EPISODE WE SHOWS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LIFE STYLE IN TWO COMMUNITIES: ONE IN THE YORKSHIRE ARE MUCH MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PRICE POLICIES AFFECTING EVEN THE EVERY DAY LIFE COMPARED TO THE WEALTHIER SOUTH EASTERN COMMUNITY LIKE GUILDFORD WHERE PEOPLE THINKS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICIES ARE RIGHT, BUT THEY ARE AFFECTING THE HOUSING MARKET.
First shown: 15/02/1973
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Quote: VT:7425

[@Weeflowerofscotland]

Watching in 2022 and it’s no different. Rich getting richer poor getting poorer!

[@davidgalea6113]

Except now you have additional strain on resources and additional crime/cultural decline due to the migratory flood

[@BorisBoris-sl1sf]

a trite, worn-out remark. One gapes at the lack of insight and understanding.

[@davidkmatthews]

At 5:10 the chap talking about house price differentials between the north and south was spot-on. In 1973 my Dad was earning around £3,800 a year when we moved from Bolton in the north to Guildford in the south. Our house in Bolton was a rather grand semi-detached with three bedrooms, large front and back gardens and a garage and in a nice, fairly opulent area. We sold it for £4,000 in the December of '73 - in other words it was worth just over one years' worth of Dad's salary. When we arrived in Guildford in January 1974 we were shocked to find that the asking price for a two-bedroom terrace house with a bit of garden and no garage was £19,000 !!! (We moved back north soon afterwards!) So the cost of housing in the north was very reasonable back then. However in 2017 the Bolton house sold again, this time for £178,000 - clearly way beyond most people's annual salary. Something has gone terribly wrong with housing right across the UK in the last fifty years.

[@helmethead72]

Ordinary workers haven’t had a proper wage rise, adjusted for inflation, since 1980. Meanwhile the cost of living and property has skyrocketed. None of the people in this segment would have been saddled with the kinds of debt that people have in 2021.

[@marklola12]

exactly, i am on minimum wage and the amount it went up in april is negligible

[@pmrose18]

doesnt stop them being way too fat today though does it, life is easier now than back then

[@helmethead72]

@@pmrose18 not when the only exercise they get is swiping their phone across fast food delivery apps, then lumbering to the front door to get it. A sad state of affairs..

[@mickeyshooter5298]

@@helmethead72it is like “1984”. Uncannily so in some respects.

[@mn4169]

the crisis in 1973 decided my fate in 1979. After struggling to get education and a job I left the UK in 1983 and moved to Sweden. I have never looked back, now I have a house in the country, a car, 4 well educated children, and an university education. not everyone was so lucky and my heart bleeds for the working classes who are trampled and trod on by tory policies.

[@ianhawdon3680]

Dont feel guilty you had the balls to make a good decision,this country has not changed since then the rich get richer the poor get fucked

[@nicholasgargano7396]

I support the red team I support the blue team😂😂😂😂😂

[@Puppy-ew4be]

Stop blaming Tories. Labour were just as bad. Such an ignorant comment.

[@theresapierce3934]

Labour sold out the working classes years ago. New Labour, really were the new danger.

[@anthonyfaucy2761]

​@@Puppy-ew4beBoth are awful its just Tories are more awful

[@lovarols5161]

Omg they still have the same problems except prices of housing has gotten unbelievably higher

[@hmq9052]

And people think they're better informed today...Can you imagine going into a pub now and asking people about the economy or politics. You wouldn't get this level of insight.

[@CA999]

I don't think the pub visit would even be contemplated but the media managers and owners. Even if it was it would be heavily edited and stage-managed. More over the pub management probably would not want the tension or concerns about loss of patron privacy or their pub's reputation.

[@hmq9052]

@@CA999 You're not wrong buddy

[@leedstory6595]

Depends where you drink.

[@jackkruese4258]

I’d love to see them interviewed again today nearly 50 years later, those who are still around off course.

[@nicolalaws8340]

They'll all own their own homes and be slating younger generations for not working hard enough to get on the property ladder....

[@boomboxbadboy1]

"of"

[@ianskelly6911]

@@boomboxbadboy1 Not really needed that correction was it ?

[@hyltonforeman8532]

The circle of generations not alot has changed

[@dreadfulspiller8766]

At least the bar owners were doing good then.

[@420pilz]

The government came for them eventually

[@unitedbolts8053]

Until taxation arrives...

[@32446]

So similar to today. House price rises, cost of little living. Nothing changes.

[@absaly]

pegged to interest-based banking ......scam of all ages

[@Traveller69]

Round and round we go. Identical rhetoric to that we hear today. Nothing has changed.

[@MrGoneTroppo]

Those were the days, when the respectable working classes on a Saturday night dressed better than the aristocracy.

[@th8257]

Mate. It's 2023. Nobody cares. It's all gone. A lot of the people on the video will be dead. We still have a long way to go, but thank god so much of the nasty class obsession that there was back then is also dead.

[@tancreddehauteville764]

The 'respectable' working class is now the lower middle class.

[@MrGoneTroppo]

I wish that was true but unfortunately you can still immediately identify someone's background within three seconds!@@th8257

[@heinkle1]

Fantastic Barnsley accent

[@doktoruzo]

For a little perspective, £30 average weekly wage in 1973 is the equivalent to about £375 in today's money. (source: Bank Of England inflation calculator) Inflation started to rise in 1973 to about 10% due in part to rising oil prices which caused the fuel crisis. Inflation continued to rise during the following 2 years peaking at 26% in 1975.

[@yellowbelly06]

The average weekly wage in 1973 was not £30, the report states that many in the village featured do not earn more than that. The average weekly wage that year was £40.90 which is the equivalent today of £527 (Source:Bank of England). But you are right about inflation though - just two years later inflation had reduced that spending power by 31%, thus requiring pay rises equal to that just to maintain living standards.

[@samanthahardy9903]

@@yellowbelly06 I think my mum told me that back then her wage was about £13per week and her rent was about £4 per week. Men earned slightly more than women who were doing the same type of job. My dad was earning about £15 per week.

[@nicolagraham1678]

Thanks for that.

[@420pilz]

people were better off back then

[@solidstateresistor2485]

@@samanthahardy9903 That was not the average wage. Maybe for a factory worker but not average over all.

[@patricaoreilly2143]

Miss the community spirit of the pub. I thought i was looking at Liam Gallagher .

[@xyg6543]

Thank you for the upload. A very interesting look into the past!

[@sarahnewton2550]

The past?

[@alexac3098]

@@sarahnewton2550yes, 1973 was 51 years ago. Unless you’ve come here in a Time Machine, that was the past.

[@saborfrancias]

Tv and smart phones have destroyed the way we socialise

[@chriso8485]

I've given up on all social media media and it's great

[@mathewgallimore1484]

@@chriso8485 stated on an online social media platform......... I'm the same and I too comment here. Oh the irony.

[@danielbrown8556]

what was this broadcast on mate

[@chriso8485]

@@mathewgallimore1484 I don't consider KZbin to be social media. I don't use it to be social, just add a few comments when I can be bothered

[@anh7807]

@@chriso8485 if you are having conversations it is a social platform, no matter how you personally want to categorize it.

[@wideawake2759]

History repeats itself

[@dianabrown1409]

How sorry

[@bobrew461]

Because certain people engineer it to...

[@neildavies4332]

Same shit!... Different decade! Surely, we must see a repeating, controlled, prescription of disaster by design?

[@catkendall5680]

UK here, absolutely same story just different decade!!

[@MrPabsUk]

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

[@anthonyfaucy2761]

The new boss same as the old boss

[@Fractalite]

really interesting how these working class people dress up to the nines to go out socializing with a beer , wearing suits and ties , while the professional middle classes probably go to wine bars and dress down casual .

[@helmethead72]

They had a great deal of pride in themselves and their community.

[@Fractalite]

@@helmethead72 You've nailed it.

[@th8257]

@@helmethead72 it's because it's all they had.

[@th8257]

Terrible class obsession that was so rife back then. Working class people "dressed up" because a) it separated them from the "unacceptable" working class that they thought they were superior to and b) it's all they had. Putting on a tie on a Saturday night allowed them to imagine that's what rich people did.

[@anthonyfaucy2761]

The rich act poor and the poor act rich. Its always been like that with very few exceptions

[@fredflintstoner596]

Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view!" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?"

[@michellefalleur960]

You Are Mental

[@xueya2188]

When you realise our problems are their solutions, the penny has dropped.

[@murkydepths181]

Life as it used to be before we were being replaced

[@Edgel-in6bs]

"Replaced". Utter turd.

[@minixtvbox]

Tory Britain

[@cw3728]

Was gonna say the same thing, now we have all this but with less jobs due to legal and illegal immigration.

[@BoxersRealty]

I worked in a pub called the Boston Arms in Tufnell Park, sometime in the late 70s. 35 pound per week but my accommodation and "food" was included. I was 16 and thought it was a ton of money. I started off with 30 pounds and was promised a raise if I were good as a bartender. I served several customers very quickly and asked for my raise. The owner laughed and gave me the raise. Great job and wonderful learning experience of life. Several years later, I boarded a plane for NYC and never looked back Working at the Boston Arms, gave me the courage and fortitude to board that plane to NYC. Still have fond memories of the Boston Arms and the owner Mike Courtney, who advised me to return to Ireland (after the summer) and finish my secondary school education.

[@cyberhype5495]

2022: inflation is shooting us all to bits

[@anthonyfaucy2761]

Inflation is just another tax for the poor

[@faisalahmad4455]

Thankyou. Respect

[@liammcooper]

those haircuts are astonishing

[@buddha1736]

Don’t worry folks, the conservatives are coming again for the North with cheap Flats made from Paper at a cost of 1million per Flat lol. 😂

[@MrPabsUk]

Exactly. When Boris said he`s all for levelling up, it means he wants property up north to be as unaffordable for the working man as it is in London..

[@louiseowusu246]

It is almost as if they've predicted 2022..

[@user-oh4zh8go9f]

This was when the hub of the community was the local pub. Now they've all been run out of business.. now there's no community.. classic divide and rule.

[@graemebrown1191]

This need's more views! Basic economy expanded 101✌ Truths

[@gerberjoanne266]

Inflation rising faster than incomes, the price of housing doubling or even tripling ... these conversations could be happening today!

[@jennytaylor3324]

Lovely old regional accents.

[@flyinghedgehog3833]

Wow this took me back in time..well can anyone afford to buy a property in London 2021? Not many ..especially from the north.I need a decent pint now!

[@damianmcdonagh7908]

Reminds me of living in Ireland in the 1980s. I moved to New York in 1988.

[@paulgaskins7713]

I’m seeing a lot of ‘nothing changes’ comments. The 30’s the 70’s and now the 20’s are all very similar for similar reasons. We have a choice like every generation but unlike the last ones we can maybe choose the better option. The depression of the 30’s ended because of Ww2 and the stagflation of the 70’s ended because of the innovation and market changes of the 80’s and the 30’s could have ended with peace and the 70’s could have ended with world war and almost did. You make the choice for the future not your government

[@davestevenson9080]

trouble is there are millions of unwanted asians and africans leeching of the uk now. it's very much not the same

[@JJVernig]

TBH, there is a difference,.we've been expecting a lot more as standard of living. And most are still better of than the early 80s, not to mentioned the real bite and living circumstances of the great depresssion (more families in one home was the standard).

[@stefannicholson852]

Good journalism in those days.

[@richardmurphy8350]

Scary that after 14 years of Tory rule we are closer to this than in 2010.

[@808music3]

We all can argue on wages in todays time, but this segment shows a lot of high taxes which was prevalent with cooperation tax at 45% and income tax 20+%. You would see celebrities running towards less taxed countries to ovoid paying at that level in Uk. Yes it’s a crisis time in 2022 and people will need to understand that, Human Resources are in less favourable in the covid times.

[@jamesandolini1087]

Love those strong Barnsley South Yorkshire accents. I had family in Silkstone in the 70s and the locals all talked this way (the blokes like Geoffrey Boycott). I think they are a lot milder these days.

[@maggiemay6625]

Jesus wept how thing have not changed

[@bobrew461]

24:19 Buying a house can make you very unhappy indeed! Especially when there's a rates rise...

[@sthelenshistorychannel]

I was going to say the general 'standard of living', is better now, but I would change that to 'standard of existence'.

[@mickeyshooter5298]

Precisely. These people lived far moreso than most today. Just listen to them speak.

[@ianwylie9064]

history, when it doesn't repeat itself, certainly appears to rhyme. Yea re in a right spot now eh? Iain w glasgow

[@ianwylie9064]

*we are in a right spot now.

[@anthonyfaucy2761]

History - His story Its right in the word. History is written by the victors

[@erotocrat]

As someone who lives New York. I find these accents quite charming. As far as inflation is concerned, it’s too expensive to be an alcoholic in New York.

[@mozdickson]

What Maggie inherited. Never forget that.

[@hereandthere4763]

1973 my basic wage was £27 a week, with piece work and hard graft I could get that up to 70 quid a week.

[@user-oh4zh8go9f]

This has been going on for years. All thats changed is the date.! Its like were in a time loop..only being able to eat and going without. The whole system is a con...and now it is 2024..and we're fighting against inflation..!

[@SuperTed19021]

It is *even* worse now! So things simply hasn't changed in half a century. England *simply* now need a federal government system and London-centricity needs to end!

[@oddities-whatnot]

House prices were crazy back in the 70s. In general, people with a decent job could afford to live somewhere nice. It’s totally unfair how one generation was able to do this yet now you need to buy as a couple with a huge income between you in order to buy in a nice location. House prices will not rise so much ever again. A £10k semi back then that may be worth £300k now, if you bought a £300k house now it’s not going to be worth £600k in years to come. Smug boomers are so full of themselves because they were lucky to get on the property ladder and were able to buy their first house, sell it at huge profit, use the money to buy a bigger house, sell it huge profit, use the money to buy another etc etc etc. Unless you are already very wealthy you have no chance of doing that anymore. A terraced house could easily cost £250k in an urban area within easy commuting distance to a city (up north, I don’t know about house prices down south). A single person on the average salary of about £35k simply cannot afford it. A house like that is simply not worth anywhere near that much but if people with plenty money keep paying those prices, they wont ever come down to a level of affordability in relation to wages that existed before about 2003. A disgraceful greed driven society that is creating an ever increasing divide between the rich and poor.

[@Truthseeker1515]

Today, central bank rates are artificially low to allow governments to repay their debt. Normal BOE Interest rate should not be at 0.5%!

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

The BOE has listened to your concerns about the low level of interest rates and are now looking to put that wrong to right. Enjoy.

[@mwd331]

This aged well…

[@AntarcticaTelevision]

Jonathan Dimbleby goes hip.

[@boayoon8715]

History is repeating itself. The government is awful.

[@raymondmcdonald355]

The more things change..... the more they stay the same

[@avalondreaming1433]

Wow, they talked all over the 'chaotic' lady and wouldn't let her get a word on. 😮

[@user-fn6vz2ed2r]

Учение Карла Маркса всесильно. Потому что это истина. Капиталист и рабочий. Вот два класса

[@BorisBoris-sl1sf]

So many people have zero interest in watching this video with an open mind and with an interest to understand the past, but rather, they are in a blind rush to make the most depressing, trite remark about how horrible things are today. As the clever gentleman said @11:10: "I wouldn't call it living from "hand-to-mouth", when you're not only able to clothe and feed yourself and your family, but to then also have colour television, motorcars and all these things which are now regarded as necessities. In 1938, the working man then would have thought that this was the Millenium, and I think we ought to view it relative to historical standards." All over the comments, whingeing, negative people are just waiting to complain and pat themselves on the back at how pessimistic they are. Having done nothing of note, they console themselves that at least they have been great victims of life.

[@iainlindsay5687]

2024 and here we go again.

[@davehendry8056]

Can't afford food but there all on the lash in the boozer lol

[@jameswillett7186]

For you people in the UK 1973 was the bad old days. In the USA 1973 is the very year that our standard of living peaked. 1973 is also the year that our manufacturing peaked.

[@rabbitskinner]

I was a kid back then. The way my parents struggled didn't exactly give me much hope for the future.. As it happens, I did struggle for the majority of my life.

[@HighCarbDiabeticV]

I don't understand how they complain so much but have enough disposal cash on alcohol and tobacco.

[@theguitarsurgeon6213]

@ 3;15 its laim gallghers dad

[@MartinAhlman]

Wages stay the same, and prices go up. But it's good for "business"...

[@ainsleystones4600]

I live about 10 miles from Worsborough.... and I need subtitles! Pity the rest of you! 😂👍

[@thefettfan3994]

Nearly all of the people interviewed for this TV documentary are consuming alcohol in a public house, yet their struggling with food prices and the general cost of living. Was alcohol free of charge in Britain back in those days?????

[@edmiliband2806]

So you're saying that people shouldn't enjoy themselves when they're struggling?

[@user-pd7ki5qs5i]

Thames liquored up the interviewees so they can be more open about their thought on inflation.

[@Biozene]

The man who starts speaking at around 10 mins has an... interesting take. "Cars and colour TV are considered essential now, but not in 1938, so don't complain if you are struggling to afford them, because we have to measure our well being relative to the past". Take that to its logical conclusion, buddy.

[@JJVernig]

This, and now (2020s) we've been setting new essentials, like internet, living alone in a complete houses, central heating. Not to say there isn't real poverty, but the average is again lifted when comparing with the early 70s.

[@felix_five]

Basshead: 1st comment.

[@richardtheeighth4431]

🥈🤝🤷

[@gavinsyme1571]

44.30. Listen to that...the poor..no problem, no issue, the north no issue...but my woman works for the civil service and if they strike it is the beginning of the end. Self interest only. 1973 or 2024...

[@bryn494]

High inflation. They have no idea, hyperinflation by the end of the decade and 12.5% mortgage rates :(

[@cooper7031]

This prob is happening worldwide!

[@djdissi]

It sure is

[@rugbyf0rlife]

Echoes of the past....

[@jackdshellback3819]

Doesn't change much does it?

[@brianmarshall4753]

Young Jonathan Dimbleby

[@jamiedalton2623]

'She wants a pound!' xD

[@gavinstapleton7294]

First

[@richardtheeighth4431]

🏁🪙🤝😁

[@Bill-cv1xu]

☝️👆🖕

[@marklola12]

Them saying they have had to change how they live yet al sat in the pub with plenty of money to smoke and drink...nothing changes

[@moominmay]

Probably all they can afford to do though

[@balthiersgirl2658]

Stuck up nowt you are

[@Dilley_G45]

Well it was a lot cheaper then now and you couldn't afford plane tickets or fancy cars anyway. Inflation was high so putting a few bucks in the bank wouldn't help you. Also this was the place to socialize instead of being home and paying for Netflix etc. Agree the smoking is the one thing I don't miss from the 80s

[@mmtransport]

It was pennies to smoke and drink then....

[@marklola12]

@@mmtransport it still was not cheap when you factoring in the low wages lol

[@mistofoles]

Is that Johnathon Dimbelby ?

[@mqb5151]

What's changed??? Fk all

[@nikitanokia1249]

Well is Already Chaos! & we R in 2022, ACTUALLY MUCH WORSE🤑🥶😵‍💫😪

[@pmrose18]

good to see theyd cut down.......5 pints a night an 50 giggies a day!!

[@Jonnyicey]

Funny to see them in the pub smoking cigarettes complaining about the cost of living... These days a lot of people can't even afford to do that!

[@djdissi]

The prices of alcohol and cigarettes were substantially lower and way more affordable back then. The extreme tax hikes on those items didn't start until later. Anyway good for them, they worked hard, glad they were able to indulge once a week and treat themselves a bit

[@daflondon]

Here we go again

[@ValueHurts]

eventually we will go back to to a hard currency. that's the cause of all of this

[@RogerRoving]

Hard currencies were not hard. They were just fiat currencies too. Gold is just a commodity.

[@rapman5363]

Pip Pip Cheerio Bob’s your Uncle

[@blueseaswhiteskies]

The average british person were smarter than the actual generation. I wonder what went wrong

[@seagypsiesbellydancers3047]

And still the same in 2023

[@fanbatcher]

The working class would have benefited by supporting the Conservatives. Far more friendly for business

[@nigelhamilton815]

Same shot different millennium!!

[@dhartmahmed50]

'it must always be unfair with some' alright sure lol

[@TheDizzylizzy1977]

The food prices were increased to well above world prices, in order to raise them to the EEC prices. That's the issue, distorting the free market with subsidies, then because of the cost, Britain's debt was increased in order to slowly raise prices for the consumer, which they'd have to repay through taxation. So the CAP payments and adding to the Country's debt to reduce the price to align with the EEC extortionate price, was the issue behind price inflation.

[@RogerRoving]

That's just rubbish!

[@TheDizzylizzy1977]

@@RogerRoving Fantastic well informed reply.......Not!

[@TheDizzylizzy1977]

@@RogerRoving The Common Market, Effect on food prices - Thames TV Look it up ❄

[@th8257]

@@TheDizzylizzy1977 that's the danger of watching clips on KZbin and thinking it tells the whole story. World food prices shot up in the period after we joined the common market, and there were shortage of a lot of foods such as sugar. Being part of the common market gave us security of food supplies at decent prices. The massive causes of inflation in this country were the oil shock and as what James Callaghan famously said "Paying ourselves more than the value of what we produce".

[@margarettownsley9500]

They are meaning about money but they can afford to drink alcohol and smoke 😊

[@bexhill8777]

seems the public are still as daft as then...

[@jasonayres]

Although this was recorded a long time ago, in a land far away (from my current location) , I felt some tension as the interview progressed. The interviewer, who I vaguely remember from my youth, threw out some controversial questions, whilst the blokes went through quite a few beers. Plus having to raise their voices to be heard above the crowd, ironically raising their concerns about their government who they felt wasn't listening to them. Maybe the producers wanted to help them air their grievances. Maybe they thought it would make good television. Maybe a bit of both. Maybe it's just me, and some folk I grew up with. "Keep one eye on the door."

[@RuffRyder2011]

30 quid a week is 365 a week that’s more than the minimum wage now so I guess it depends on what they do if there doctors earning that then yh there takin the piss. 😂

[@astrix1014]

It make me laugh nowadays when people are charged 40% tax and people say good! People are stupid they can’t see it’s keeping people poor it’s like your limit in life it is…….your never get we where are the really rich! Give it 10 years the living will go up that much normal people will need to earn over 100k to live! Let’s see the same people say good then!

[@Moneytane1976]

Amazing even the poor had standards then, the people at the start whinging about low wages and inflation, yet they are drinking beers, smoking and all very well turned out, 3 piece suits with ties and the latest 1973 big hairdos - look at the working class today, none even own a suit and even regular bathing is a skill being lost to laziness.

[@kitswithkaren5003]

Here here👍

[@areyouserious3092]

A bit of generalisation going on there, don't you think, buddie.

[@buster7804]

same shit today nothing has changed.

[@FHIPrincePeter]

You very rarely hear regional accents on television nowadays.

[@voice.of.reason]

Yes you do, you hear it more now actually