Victorians | Life in Victorian times | Victorian Britain | Afternoon plus | 1980

A shortened version of the original programme. Mavis Nicholson chats to some prominent politicians, Authors and pioneers who were born in the Victorian era, on what it was like in the back in the 'good old days' compared to 1980's Britain.
Lord Fenner Brockway - 91 years of age
Sir. V. S. Pritchett - 80 years of age
Juliette Huxley - 84 year of age
Baroness Barbara Wootton - 83
Lord Emmanuel Shinwell - 96 years of age
First shown: 11/01/1980
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Quote: VT22253

[@AdamandtheIntros]

It's impossible to stress how valuable footage like this is

[@stretfordender11]

Get footage of your older relatives about their life.

[@jbess6505]

Agreed but if you think this is valuable, you should check out the film archive footage from 1927, 1928 & 1929 footage from a great few in their 90's and a couple centennials!

[@simonamasna6414]

as valuable as chicken

[@randallpmcmurphy7501]

Perhaps you mean it’s impossible to over stress it. It’s perfectly possible to stress it.

[@ivo3598]

@@jbess6505 some link?

[@Brandon_O]

“I find it distressing this hunger for speed, speed, speed.” This woman knew what we were in for long before it came

[@kayeanne9134]

That caught my attention as well

[@grisamaro9036]

Absolutely! Shes so right.

[@marklola12]

True but it's called progress, without faster things over time...everything plods on and not getting better, like with everything...progress

[@poolbath8281]

Farenheit 451 Anyone??

[@CalcuttaGreen]

And the thing that you need to walk the world to get to know it!

[@andyt8216]

And the presenter Mavis Nicholson is now 89 years old. Older than those being interviewed. Time passes in the blink of an eye!

[@tombixler3512]

Andy, you spoke to my heart. It seems like only yesterday my grandmother came over often to visit and to babysit. In the interim I grew up but revered her and through the years she and I grew only closer as friends. When she was 84 years old she and I began writing to one another by hand in "snail mail" each week. She passed away 5 years ago at the age of 94. I will never forget her. I realized back in 2014 that at that time, that I still had my grandmother in my life when I was 50 years old. That is truly a gift. Yes indeed. Time passes in the blink of an eye. -Tom

[@LeeZYComparisons]

Andy T one of the interviewed is 96

[@tombixler3512]

@steady eddie You're right eddie. I'm going to have to celebrate what would be my grandmother's 100th birthday this year on June 2nd, 2020. Her favorite color was yellow. So, yellow roses for sure, other flowers too, as I plant my garden in my sweet friend's honor. My grandma was one of the best friends I've ever had. -Tom

[@tombixler3512]

@steady eddie Thank you dear man. God bless you. It's wonderful when men can say hey and talk a bit, share a little, just say hi, give one another a bit of comfort, and share their hearts.

[@travislewis2991]

@@tombixler3512 That is wonderful :)

[@gilaschannel1855]

As a child and teenager, I used to love asking my great aunt - born in 1892 and lived until she was 92 - about how life was like for her. When I was learning about suffragettes at school and told her this, she immediately told me that their colours were white, purple and green. Never learned that at school, only from my great aunt who remembered them. She had to leave school at 13 and went to work at a dressmaker, making whalebone corsets for Edwardian ladies.

[@michelleryan1861]

Incredible! I would have loved to have heard all about that

[@Zoe-dr5ps]

That's so cool. You're so lucky

[@helenbartoszek243]

Funny you should mention dressmakers as I have just finished reading a book titled The Corset. It is by Laura Purcell and loosely based on a true story.

[@CardinalBiggles01]

Fantastic. My grandma Lilly told me about her mother who she described as a suffragette. Gran Lilly was 11 at the time but she she said mother "spent ages trying to get arrested". I never understood that statement until later when apparently the police were instructed to avoid arresting these "troublesome women" because it would look bad in the papers 😂

[@MFvanBylandt]

Fenner Brockway died 8 years after this was recorded, he lived to 99. Juliette Huxley died in 1994, aged 98. Barbara Wootton lived to 91, dying in the same year as Brockway. Pritchett died last in 1997, he was 96.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

Thanks for the research.

[@natasamladenovic1765]

Resilient people, back in those days, if you hadnt died as an infant (or later in the two wars), there was a great chance you would live to be 90. These days, our parents are healthier than we are, we already have bad backs etc in our 40s

[@ThePianoreed]

the interviewer Mavis Nicolson is now 90yrs old

[@MFvanBylandt]

@@natasamladenovic1765 That's not true. If you lived to be an adult you would usually die between 60 and 80. The chance to live to 90 was very small.

[@MFvanBylandt]

@@ThePianoreed According to Wikipedia she will be 90 next year. But thanks for the info.

[@philipmorris6427]

The 80s are the "good old days" to some now. It just goes round in a loop.

[@wildplumbeauty]

I don’t think there is much left to celebrate about these days. I think what we do still have is our beautiful planet. I’m not an environmentalist (I still have a car, use airplanes, have electronics etc) but I think a few decades from now something as common as the honeybee will be extinct. That’s my two cents anyways😊

[@admiralackbar9307]

Well the 1980s were the last good decade, everything has been crap since 1990

[@Maya-tv6kf]

@@admiralackbar9307 I totally agree.

[@serinadelmar6012]

Mrs.G if the honeybee goes extinct soon after so will we be.

[@serinadelmar6012]

Admiral Ackbar The 90s were exquisite.

[@dominiquebrodoteau5135]

So nice to see the people on the panel being civil and courteous and not shouting at each other.

[@ewan.cartwright]

It’s because they’re very old and talking about their memories, not having a heated current affairs debate. Nothing to do with people being more civil in the past. For Pete’s sake have some sense of context.

[@lillymay3632]

They are not talking over or interrupting each other; such an irritating habit these days.

[@Dorian-lq3up]

@A A "New britons" shush with your dog whistles, they may have disagree with your words I imagine.

[@poolbath8281]

the lady in the blue kept getting interrupted

[@michaelgoulding6609]

@@ewan.cartwright people from this generation had def more manner,s than a lot of women today,i could listen to this generation for ever,but most of todays generation,i would rather avoid,cos most of todays people would make you ill just listening to them,a lot of women today,can,t cook,unless it comes out of a packet with instruction on how to cook it,they say that they,ve done the washing,etc,( the washing machine does the washing,) they haven,t a clue how to do anything,they just want a purse full of money,

[@rahulvinalnarayan9743]

Their level of eloquence in the way they speak and manners they display is extinct now

[@multistfan7924]

just like them

[@rahulvinalnarayan9743]

@@multistfan7924 and your manners

[@daniellewright7957]

They aren't at all, there exist the tiniest pockets of hope in a few places. I come from old English missionaries to the British West Indies. We grew up poor, but extremely well bred.

[@charliefarley9221]

Truth. Too many chavs and leeches around today. All expecting that life owes them.

[@marialindell9874]

You do know that there people cursed and talked just as casually as we do now, right? The largest difference is that we have (in all kinds of languages) invented new words, loaned them and come up with new slang as dialect grow by time. I speak in a newer version of Tampere dialect compared to my father or his brother because language grows and changes with time. Ofcourse culture and "accepyable manners" change and have been different too, but don't think that people only spoke eloquently or is a posh manner. This is but an interview, where people naturally would like to appear well mannered so people wouldn't think badly of them! Why do you think they are wearing formal-like clothing and have prettied up for this!

[@dominiquebrodoteau5135]

"It's distressing, this hunger for speed!" She nailed it!

[@vascoemyer]

How lucky I am to live in a time that affords the opportunity to glance back in time and experience albeit through someone else's eyes, life so many decades ago. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing this discussion, thank you for the upload.

[@annabizaro-doo-dah]

So true. Previous generations could only rely on books.

[@edwardoleyba3075]

Vascoe Myer. So true, and much better than books.

[@petercumpson6867]

This means we have nobody to blame if we don't learn from them...

[@daphne4983]

I'm nostalgic about these long gone people being nostalgic

[@edwardbergman1603]

Online roulette bot

[@thelordchancellor3454]

Interviewer: What do you miss most about transport? Interviewee: *S O C I A L I S M*

[@bmc9504]

Probably not in that way. 🤣

[@BrandyIsadora]

Viva socialism!

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

PVEntertainment - Hahaha! 😂 F.B. was wonderful.

[@ruthbashford3176]

He was probably hard of hearing. He was 91.

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

ruth bashford - Ignoring questions and turning the conversation to what interests you is the secret to longevity...every centenarian I know does it and I don’t think it is because of any infirmity of old age: I think they’ve always done it. The ones that didn’t are dead. I often suffer through long conversations on topics which are of no interest to me whatsoever. I do it out of consideration for others but at this rate I don’t expect to live long past fifty (if they air more reality shows, likely closer to forty-five).

[@tommyboybr]

Wow, they were talking about something very interesting about walking and being in the moment, being present, to smell the scents of flowers, of foods being prepared in a restaurant, and everything that happens around us, and it really is not the same when you are in a car, they probably enjoyed more of the simple things in life, no distractions with phones and so on. Nowadays a lot of people feel the need to wear noise canceling headphones to stop the chaos around us.

[@s.proulx166]

Mk3 hence the modern-day concept known as ‘mindfulness’ that many feel the need to practice these days.

[@tommyboybr]

@S. Proulx Exactly, and that is very good, imagine living in a world full of conscious people, aware of themselves, of their true powers, and the world around them. It would be beautiful.

[@MDsteelpans]

Yes live was slower and there was less distraction I guess, so people where more connected to their inner self. In a more natural way. Whilst in the modern world we seek to re-establish this connection forcefully almost.

[@peacenow42]

@@MDsteelpans back then they were blocking out/were ignorant of all the problems outside their little bliss. Now we bring them to our inner headspace with the computers. And you wonder why the inner bliss is gone.

[@Karlalovescandy18]

Noooo. Just be poor and don't own a car like me. THEN you'll understand 🙄🙄🙄

[@dan292009]

Lord Shinwell would have been so disappointed if he saw what little progress we have made as a society since 1980. He’s right in everything he said in the clip.

[@esclad]

Barbara Wootton, Baroness Wootton of Abinger, CH was a British sociologist and criminologist (14 April 1897 - 11 July 1988). Archibald Fenner Brockway, Baron Brockway was a British socialist politician, humanist campaigner and anti-war activist. (1 November 1888 - 28 April 1988). Juliette Huxley was a Swiss-French sculptor and writer. She provided lifelong support to her husband, British naturalist Julian Huxley (6 December 1896 - 1994). Sir Victor Sawdon Pritchett CH CBE FRSL was a British writer and literary critic (16 December 1900 - 20 March 1997).

[@tombixler3512]

I absolutely love these older shows (now documentaries I would say) where ordinary people of past generations were interviewed and where they shared their opinions and their memories. This piece shown here is a treasury. When I was a 14 year old boy, I fell truly in love with the elderly. I had loved them prior to that through grandparents and great-grandparents, but an elderly local lady who hired me as a teenage boy to work in her garden often spent more time with me chatting over lemonade, iced tea and crisp molasses cookies in the hot and humid Missouri summers over a three year period while asking why I didn't also bring my dog to see her of a particular day! She absolutely loved my little dog, and my dog became an instant puppy again in her presence. She shared so much with me; she has now been gone for 37 years. I went on to write a short story about her that I hope in retirement I will have the courage to publish some day. -Tom

[@docyoutv5020]

Try out kzbin.info/www/bejne/poi6hYGClLpsoNk. Love to know what you think (interview with a 94 year old about her life)

[@dragonof10jc63]

I hope you do, I am sure it is a wonderful read. Good luck.

[@gerardcollins6621]

"I think I've been in prison in five continents" XD

[@searchlostsounds]

Gerard Collins 💀

[@isaacramsey845]

Absolute mad lad

[@Latbirget]

The interviewer asked the man if they were more active then and he said he has always been an activist! She moved onto another question very quickly and didn't want to correct him!

[@Dstew57A]

Boy how life has changed...they loved to walk so they could see things and talk to other people..he didn’t want to take a car because he could see or talk to the people around him.....different world....now you can’t get people out of their cars, houses, off their phones

[@Mikathedog100]

There still would have been many people always "with their heads in books" and others who didn't leave the house. I'm sure there were also many who didn't like walking. This is one person's account of what HE liked, the other gentleman liked to read on a train.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

Not all liked to walk all the time.

[@melanieh3022]

But we have to travel further distances now for basic tasks

[@itsmeanne]

How wonderful to listen to well spoken people having a civilized conversation!! It seems to be a lost art nowadays

[@lilbebegirlxx]

I wish I could speak this eloquently. So beautiful

[@marklauzon186]

Being an American who has had the pleasure of living in both London and Stratford upon Avon and being a HUGE fan of the British Royalty starting with Queen Victoria THIS was incredible to watch. I am always questioning folks who say they long for "the good old days".....good for whom?? These gentle people have backed my argument.

[@Al........]

My Grandmother was born 1895 and the other 1915, I am 53... my Grandmother (1915 born) always said she hated to sit with old people when they said 'good old day's)... they were not good she would say.

[@maguffintop2596]

Well, perhaps people were less critical, less prone to perpetual fault-finding like today.

[@briandelaney9710]

Mavis was a wonderful interviewer

[@WelshWebb]

My grandmother received a horse and buggy for her 16th birthday... the "sports car" of her days!

[@UlfilasNZ]

Her family must have been wealthy!

[@davago84]

I'm not English but I love listening to British English - so pure - and so beautifully spoken by these elderly people :))

[@toffeeghirl3062]

The majority of us do not speak like that.

[@masteryoda7207]

Thank you :)

[@ruaidhri_5474]

@@toffeeghirl3062 most unfortunate

[@dreamthedream8929]

@@ruaidhri_5474 well you can listen to scottish people if you wanna hear something different

[@jean2740]

Yes today the English accent is Al.ost diapered cos of millions of non English who now live here our English accent dead and buried 🤣

[@jc.1191]

My grandmother told me how it was when electricity came through. That is insane to me. And really that length of time is a blink.

[@kuchikopi4631]

Mhm, from a lightbulb to computers/ all the knowledge in the world in our palm. Weirdly scary :D

[@Vokabre]

I'm most impressed at how upon clicking i expected this talk to be a "pleasant" casual talk on horse trams and steam engines, but instead it was a very deep conversation on socio-political changes.

[@foreignparticle1320]

I was born the year this was filmed. I look forward to the day, about 40 years from now, that I am interviewed about what life was like before the internet - and being watched 40 years later by some 40-year old guy awed by the fact that his own life marginally overlapped mine.

[@celtspeaksgoth7251]

I doubt that

[@2flewover1]

I so much appreciate the intellectual honesty. It is too often missing nowadays, even among the "educated".

[@penduloustesticularis1202]

I miss the Thames tv introduction. Simply wonderful.

[@OdinOfficialEmcee]

What I wouldn't give to be able to talk to people not only like this, but from every period in time. It is so wild to believe that these people remember the beginnings of *last* century

[@MsBiggles51]

You can't talk to them, but you can read what they wrote.

[@Sleepysidney]

This is first class KZbin content. Bravo!

[@talesfromthecrypto1]

27 mins, so profound. We have become transient. We don't rely on each other, we rely on what we are told. The decline of character. All our needs are met so we become like drops of water... So eloquent.... All of them. But I enjoyed him particularly and am. So curious about his life. Walking through Spain and speaking to the people. Learning their real stories and history, not a fabricated one that has been sold to people. I feel enriched listening to them. How people's education and self knowledge has suffered today. What a contrast.

[@basilbrush9075]

Did you see the bit qbout how there's no such thing as the good old days?

[@James-oo1yq]

Looking back at the "Good old days" watching people talk about "The good old days" nothing much changes....

[@ash-qw6jf]

@Adam Grzybek *Exactly.

[@kazbar7611]

No such thing as the good old days.

[@MrLukasboys]

People only remember the good stuff after a couple of decades and not the bad stuff and at the same time take every new good thing that's come in for granted while only looking at negative developments.

[@MrLukasboys]

@Constantine Palaiologos Yeah, that's a no from me. Lot's of nice fluff from you, though.

[@jnnakle101]

Old people are always nostalgic about old times. It’s human

[@ianjohnson1920]

Fascinating. These people lived through massive change.

[@ASTPlumbing9090]

This panel of folks are brilliant and how refreshing it is to see how they treated one another with much civility.

[@renhoek3851]

'Have you got a wish for the next ten years? A rather quick answer' 'President Eisenhower once said...'

[@kylewit924]

Several intelligent thoughtful people with interesting life experiences, happy to talk about their experiences too and still with sharp minds. Such a nice well spent 20 minutes

[@florencegay3215]

I so enjoyed watching these incredible women and men sharing their memories and opinions with us. They have such decorum, they are eloquent and articulate and Mavis did a tremendous job of leading the discussion, I feel she really drew out their personalities. I am a little in love with Lord Fenner. I wish I had recorded my Nan and my Grandma (born 1908 and 1900 respectively) and later recorded my beautiful Mum (born 1930) as she spoke of her days during WWII. I would love to be able to hear their stories now. Thank you for this. Florence.

[@henryottis295]

I bet your mother's stories are fascinating.

[@garethsinclair8981]

Absolutely fascinating social history. Some of them remembered horse drawn buses.

[@jasminflower3814]

Yes, that was so cool. ;-)

[@TheVintageApplianceEmporium]

Amazing to think that these incredible people witnessed the Social Revolution and were just on the cusp of the Microchip Revolution. What they saw and experienced is astounding!

[@JN-wr9he]

And still so admirably engaged with the happenings and trends in the world in a broad sense, not just from their own narrow perspectives

[@moedge63]

How beautifully they spoke

[@morrisonscott702]

Hello, good evening and i hope all's fine with you there? Hope to hear from you soon... Ok

[@leslielutz6140]

Here to say thank you for posting. Love from America.

[@drgrounder]

the woman in green has such amusing body language, she reminds me of a classic disney character

[@tillytopper904]

Absolutely fascinating and how much we can learn from them. Their observations so pertinent today.

[@angc.8810]

Well spoken, intelligent people who spoke calmly and respectfully towards each other when I was growing up. I miss those days

[@Greenwillow]

Out of all these people and after googling them, Fenner Brockway is the one I admire the most. To stand by your principles and not be bullied into a War you did not create is by far the bravest thing. And knowing the way it was in WW1 could not of been easy. Great Man.

[@GrahamCLester]

Amazing to think that he was actually imprisoned at the Tower of London at one point!

[@michalbock7648]

I cannot respect a man who avoided a service to the country in times of crisis. He refused to serve in British army during WW1. If everyone were like him, GB would never win the war.

[@michalbock7648]

@@GrahamCLester Because he was a coward who refused to serve his country in times of crises. Many people died in that war and they also wanted to live, but they fulfilled their duty. These fallen soldiers deserve much more respect than Brockway.

[@Greenwillow]

@@michalbock7648 Those soldiers are commemorated with monuments and with poppies and remembrance Sunday in November. They will never be forgotten. Men like Brockway are not acknowledged and unjustly so in my opinion.

[@michalbock7648]

@@Greenwillow Be honest and tell me who really cares about WWI soldiers nowadays? Not many people. Ask someone about this war - just simple questions, when WW1 broke out? when did it end and how, which countries were allies and which coutries belonged to Central powers if they know what it was. I respect Mrs. Wootton. She lost her husband and brother in the trenches - they were heroes. Brockway is - was a common socialist. These people make me sick.

[@Mike8981]

How lucky we are to live now, with the wonderful KZbin, allowing us to watch all of these delights!

[@andynixon2820]

That's an excellent discussion and mavis is always a brilliant interviewer .

[@HowBrownPhiladelphia]

Anyone born during the Late Victorian Period would still be considered a Victorian culturally. Regardless if they were 1 month old or 80 years old, the prevailing social atmosphere was Victorian and would influence anyone born during that period. Victorian attitudes would continue for years, perhaps up until the First World War when the world changed and the Age with it.

[@jeaniechowdhury6739]

I get it. I miss my childhood in the 1960s/70s. I love to go back for a few months. I’m sure I’d be rejuvenated! ~ Thank for posting this lovely video!

[@abutterfly7975]

Me too !!

[@marcomanino9172]

Now if that interviewer is alive she’s the age of these people she’s chatting with. God bless them all.

[@hildaelson4203]

‘As late Elizabethans, what do you miss the most?’ ‘iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and my Apple shit’ ‘We had these apps, and we would compare ourselves with unrealistic, embellished images of others’ ‘Oh yes, those were the days’

[@anenglishmanplusamerican7107]

When her Majesty died, I was watching everything on the television, and felt so real and emotional and marvellous at the same time. Are those days. I had that 62 inch LCDTV And we used to have a thing called sound bar, which was like a chocolate bar and it played sound.

[@gruezihave4131]

@@anenglishmanplusamerican7107 dont forget all the memes that came with it

[@anenglishmanplusamerican7107]

@@gruezihave4131 all the tick-tock. The best meme ever.

[@caroliner2029]

This is like listening to your great grandparents reminiscing about their lives. Thank you for posting this footage 🇭🇲

[@SkinnerNoah]

It's really mind boggling when you think about what these people had seen change. They were born in a time when Africa was a mysterious frontier, when men who fought alongside Napoleon himself were still alive. There's a good chance that a few of the elders at their childhood church were born in the late 1790s. Not to mention that smallpox went from a massive plague to an extinct virus

[@SkinnerNoah]

@Jaguar true. I imagine the last of these interviewees passed on around the time I was born.

[@jasminflower3814]

WI-FI TV very interesting info, thank you. ;-)

[@royalhero4608]

They were born in the 1890s, I can't imagine any Napoleonic veterans were still alive then sadly

[@confidentialconfidential3941]

@@royalhero4608 There would probably be a few, there were a few people who lived to 100 in those times.

[@toffeeghirl3062]

“When Africa was a mysterious frontier”? You utterly ignorant prick.

[@sofiadimaggio4815]

The very opening statement by the man is insane. He misses the comradery people used to have. Imagine if he were alive today and experienced the type of "transport" we have, where restaurants now no longer even have to see the customers they serve. It's crazy to me that I work in a coffeeshop where some "regulars." are the uber orders we get through mobile orders, picked up through the drive through, and delivered to some distant name I never put a face to. It's so sad. He would die if he knew there is even less comradery today.

[@sethescope]

i think this kind of bemoaning for the "good old days" can lead to misunderstanding what camaraderie means. do I think there is some value lost in how faceless some transactions and situations in society are? of course, but I think the problem is how all of that facelessness and disconnection is a product of the exploitation of capitalism. it's not that people are becoming disconnected and it was all so much better in the old days. it's that we are trying to survive, and the rich people who are continuing to get richer are doing so by dehumanizing us and going along with that is the only way we have to survive. and it's also important to remember that getting things delivered is not some kind of modern invention. yeah, Uber eats is a modern thing, but that's just the modern iteration of paying someone to bring something to you. people have been doing various forms of that for centuries. it's just more widespread and common and accessible now. why was it okay for only rich people to do then, and now it's not okay once pretty much everyone can do it? nostalgia is silly. the world has always had shitty aspects. the more things change, the more they stay the same, etc. and it's also important to remember these people are just individuals with individual experiences informed by their own blinders and limitations. he might think or feel that people had more camaraderie in his day, but there are many others who would say camaraderie is easier and more common now. modern life is not perfect and I'd never say it is. but the past was imperfect too, and in many of the most meaningful ways, it was more imperfect than the present.

[@daniellamarquez9482]

@@sethescope Every thing you said is ass backwards.

[@celtspeaksgoth7251]

@@sethescope You miss the relevance of their comments- they grew up in Britain that was No1, at its peak & saw great political & social movements, lived through huge military conflicts in their youth & prime. Mrs Huxley was of the elite. Her husband won the Nobel Prize, cousin to author Aldous Huxley.

[@sethescope]

@@daniellamarquez9482 if you have anything substantive to actually offer, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. clearly, you care enough about this to write a comment to tell me I'm wrong, but just telling someone they're wrong doesn't give them anything to work with. why am I wrong? why should I reconsider my initial reaction to this person's comment? I can't say whether I'll ever agree with you but you haven't even given me the opportunity

[@sethescope]

@@celtspeaksgoth7251 I would be interested in hearing more about your perspective. I don't see how the types of changes they saw in society and in the geopolitical landscape are much different than the changes I've seen in my own lifetime. The Soviet Union fell in 1992, the year I was born, so I grew up during a time where the international landscape was forming and reforming after the cold war. Sure, it was only fifty years, give or take, but that's fifty years of the constant threat of nuclear war, of a system of global power built on the concept of mutually assured destruction, on the idea that the only reason we don't try to wipe each other off the planet is because no one would survive that -- not because it would be the wrong thing to do. how is that not a fundamental shift to live through, a fundamental shift equal to or perhaps exceeding anything that has come before? I don't say this as a way of saying you're absolutely wrong or something. I say this to communicate that I am very conscious of and appreciative of history and the importance of understanding it, and I'm not convinced that the interesting times that others have lived through are somehow more interesting (for better or worse) than the times we are living through now lol

[@ryanblack844]

People were a whole lot tougher back then because they had to be. Today we've become creatures of comfort and ease it seems.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

So we create our own problems. And now its the "first world problem" thing.

[@lexm17]

@ryanblack844 You make it sound like that’s a bad thing. Plenty of ppl live in hardship now, it’s just different to what they faced because times have moved on. Doesn’t mean ppl have become soft, that’s just u bring on your high horse

[@dollop6213]

I find it so nice to hear the stories of the children seen in Victorian England footage

[@MamaLinz123]

Glorious footage and so priceless. Thank you for sharing.

[@morrisonscott702]

Hello 👋how're you doing?

[@meghanh2511]

Fascinating. I love their RP/Queen's English and hearing stories about the 1800's. Also, Fenner died just 7 months before his 100th birthday!

[@velocityjet1884]

Very well mannered people, more patient, more calmer, they don't over talk on top of each other, what amazed me is some were not fussed about public transport, they rather walk, so a time frame wasn't to important, neither was speed or time a concern, they would much rather enjoy and indulge they're travelling time, taking in the fresh air, observing, the scenery to they're destination.

[@Gryvix]

I like walking for about the same reason they had and had lots of comments on why I'd rather walk 3-4km than going by bicycle or bus. It is half an hour of no stress. You don't have to pay much attention to traffic, unless crossing a street. you can observe things, look at birds, nature,... have a think about something,... and have a bit of exercise. by bicycle you have to pay attention in a city, no time to look around or daydream. Unless in the countryside. And yes, bus, train, car, you are enclosed, but it is fast and dry when raining, but to be fair when walking only the first few minutes of rain are annoying, after that it is all fine. once you are wet, you are wet.

[@butter_nut1817]

Interesting that they mentioned they were poor. Imagine running into a 'poor' person with an accent like that.

[@jnnakle101]

Interesting

[@kittyelgato4246]

In those times, "poor" people's British accent was re-educated for them to have better opportunities in life. Depending on the part you were, you would probably hear a Cockney accent.

[@trudilm3864]

Most of us spoke that way.

[@lindagbadamosi1622]

None of them were remotely poor. Juliette Huxley, in particular, who was a poet and sculptor, and the wife of Julian Huxley, brother of the writer, Aldous Huxley, enjoyed a very good lifestyle.

[@ShahidKhan-ke8fe]

One of them mentioned travelling on an aeroplane. Air travel was the exclusive preserve of rich people in those days.

[@brianellory28]

A lot of sense spoken about walking and I am struck by their excellent diction .

[@Red-Revolution708]

Do you know listening to these people has made me smile so much, their intellect and stories are fantastic.

[@1971_happylifedog]

As a historical costumer I absolutely love this! These people are a breath of fresh air! Young people should watch these. They would view history so differently. We all would. Wonderful!

[@donaldobama7204]

All these people still lived for some time after this clip, impressive.

[@ThistleandInkwell]

The 80’s you say...which 80’s? Lovely group and so well spoken and sharp.

[@dribblemyspit2831]

Im 46. This vid makes me miss my grandparents so much 😢. My grandparents was wonderful lovely caring people. I only knew 3 of my grandparents unfortunately as my dads dad died a few months b4 i was born in 1974. He was a lovely caring man with a brilliant character i was told and I wish id known him.

[@andree824]

Love the way they spoke, no umms.

[@Im_so_Retro85]

Here we have people from all walks of life having a civilized conversation and expressing their various views on all sorts of issues respectfully. They are all so well mannered and well spoken. My, how we have strayed so far from this...

[@henntendo]

1940 was as far back to them as 1980 is to us is now. 1900 was as far to them, as 1940 is to us. Tick tock. Tick tock.

[@oh-offendi6461]

Inspiring people, and I love the serene pacing of the discourse.

[@abisarh7031]

There are quite a few comments regarding the social class of the people being interviewed. While it is true they represent a narrow slice of society, however life expectancy for working class people was extremely low during the Victorian era. Many lived in extremely polluted cities with dangerous factories. Many spent their days doing backbreaking labour on farms, digging canals, laying railway. Many who could have potentially lived to be interviewed here died during the First World War. While there may have been an element of class snobbery at Thames TV at the time (as there still is in Britain today), a significant reason for the narrow class selection is in part due to the frankly horrific conditions the Victorian working class endured.

[@zaftra]

That's not quite right, life expectancy was low due to a lot of infant deaths, it you lived till adulthood, you had a good chance of living a normal life span.

[@toffeeghirl3062]

Still not representative. My ancestors lived and worked in appalling conditions and lived until “old age”.

[@smallbeginning2]

Farmers are well fed and in shape. My farming ancestors haven't failed to reach 90 as far back as 1790. Lost a lot of children along the way, though, and as adults to war.

[@mitchamcommonfair9543]

@@zaftra Are you suggesting infant deaths don't matter? Or that they are not an indicator of poverty?

[@zaftra]

@@mitchamcommonfair9543 read and re read my comment, nope, not stated anything of the like, that is your invention. Let me make it simple for you, if you had a sample of 30, 10 live till they were 70, 20 died at 10 - life expectancy here would be around 30 for the group. 10 x 20 = 200 10 x 70 = 700 200 + 700 = 900 900/ 30 = 30.

[@randallpmcmurphy7501]

13:10 old boy essays a profound rejection of Liberalism and The Enlightenment. “We’ve had all this education and yet we don’t seem any better off culturally or socially”.

[@yashathebelgianmalinois348]

Also, experiences build character and today people seem to float through life. Paraphrasing there, but these points just go to provide evidence that people don’t change through time and any amount of effort towards social engineering isn’t going to impact innate human nature.

[@MrEurochannel]

…referring only to the U.K., where culturally and socially the country seems unable to progress, unlike its near neighbours Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands who definitely have advanced culturally and socially.

[@Silviaeb]

Thank you so much for posting this!

[@mattc2094]

Good to hear from these people who are no longer with us

[@drumrue]

I surf for hours and hours on Thames TV clips here. One positive of modern technology is that we have access to see these gems of the past. Amazing to just listen in awe. We have forgotten so much about those generations before us

[@lindainglis8506]

Wonderful documentary, thank you.

[@kylewit924]

This is incredible thank you for uploading!!

[@TheKaris9]

Wonderful footage, so interesting. Thank you for posting! :)

[@fl570]

Such great footage. Thank you for uploading!

[@zebedep]

Wonderful footage. Thank you for uploading this.

[@missyglittervlogs3543]

Wow,I love these kinda videos! Hearing what it was like to live back then! I find this so fascinating to listen to!

[@edkent8140]

I could watch this all day. Some wonderful contributions. Victor Pritchett in particular very entertaining.

[@rachelnstephens]

This is so absolutely vital that people who was poetic about "the good ol days" watch this.

[@complexlittlepirate3589]

I love what I learn from watching footage like this. Reading about the careers of the people interviewed here expands my awareness so much.

[@freewill4499]

real English people! I dreamed of seeing them. Thank you!

[@RADIUMGLASS]

Mavis was 50 in 1980, now 89 as of December 2019.

[@crozwayne]

and still as sharp as a razor!

[@hannahhorsch7260]

People are people and we never change. Think back to the Greeks and Romans. They were complaining about all the same things we do now. lol

[@mariogamefreak1]

Hannah Horsch I don’t think they had a good plumming system

[@citizen1163]

@@mariogamefreak1 Wealthy Romans had underfloor heating!

[@RADIUMGLASS]

The Greeks and Romans weren't complaining and throwing a fit about wifi not working on airplanes.

[@citizen1163]

@@RADIUMGLASS 😂

[@RADIUMGLASS]

@@mariogamefreak1 the Romans wiped with sponges on a stick and would share it. the dirty sponge would be dipped in a tub of water to wash it off and off it went onto the next person.

[@jk2219]

Jesus I can't believe Lord Emmanuel Shinwell is 96 in this video, he looks better than most in their mid 60s! Also he seems very sharp he talks so well

[@ant697]

Time ticks on. The Interviewer Mavis Nicholson is over 90 years old herself now.

[@antoniofrazaomendes4817]

Wonderful discussion with notable people

[@joshdangelo7186]

interesting how she remarks the need for speed as becoming “distressing”

[@dylanG6683]

I'm not from the UK but I appreciate the value of this film.

[@itsmebrie7347]

This is fascinating! They're all so witty and funny in their descriptions. (ASMR)

[@kimsmith3982]

... when people who appeared on TV had an intellect and could speak properly. How far the UK has sunk to be obsessed with the likes of TOWIE and most modern celebrities.

[@MrEurochannel]

It’s about the people chosen to appear as guests on programmes. Television production was once dominated by a middle/ upper middle class establishment who only chose their interviewees in their own image. They didn’t think to invite many ordinary people on to their programmes. This is why we tend to think everyone spoke ‘so nicely’ ‘in those days’. Television today is more real - that may or may not be more appealing- but wider society is better reflected.

[@jasminflower3814]

What an interesting show. I wish my grandparents were still alive. I use to love talking to them.

[@Heykittygirrrl]

I find this SO interesting. I love hearing about history from the people who have experienced it. Thank you for uploading this

[@musicfan6575]

The Lady in the Green, her Voice reminds me of Queen Elizabeth.

[@Industrialist2015ofUk]

Not really.

[@mathildebezencon]

Totally agree

[@Dr.D00p]

I'd have thought comparisons with the Edwardian age would have been more insightful as all of these people were young or very young children during Victorian times and I really don't think they could have had many actual memories of the time...

[@deutschesmaedchen]

Yup, they’re not Victorians at all

[@playgirlc]

it's funny but on first sight i thought the woman in the black dress looked kind of formidable and scary, but actually she turned out to be quite lovely

[@bojack40]

Fenner speaks of the fellowship that exists is shared adversity, poverty etc. the absence of that amongst the ordinary man and woman is a sign of political success.

[@Ethentent]

Why do these old people seem sharper than old people today? And look at that Barbara lady, so sharp and eloquent and sitting with her legs stretched out casually as if she were much younger.

[@jnnakle101]

Maybe the food was more fresh

[@momosaku16]

they sound above average even in 1980. just the fact that they were well travelled, which isn`t normal for most people in those times. I also think the fact that they grew up without television and were therefore reading much more than people nowadays has something to do with how sophisticated they sound.

[@we-qs2vd]

Modern medicine artificially extends the lifespans of old people who are unhealthy and declining who would’ve died much younger had they been born earlier. There are plenty of sharp and healthy old people today, we probably just know more who aren’t

[@matthewrussell8590]

Can you not honestly work this out for yourself ?? You think out of a tiny sample of a handful of exceptional individuals, that as if by magic all 80-90 years olds born pre 1900 were as energetic and sharp as these ??? ....honestly.... Do you also believe that things made in the past were better made than modern equivalents because they have survived and been passed down? Or could it possibly be that this is only because good examples survive whilst all the crap did not. Engage brain

[@heidiscarrott9183]

They were more active and probably didn’t eat so much rubbish and sugar.