What it was like to live in Great Britain in the 1950s

[@C1tyground5155]

Born in 51 ,I had the best music ever,50s,60s and 70s.wow take me back.

[@GailBanks-oq5ke]

It may have been hard, but people were kinder and cared about one another.

[@malcolmbogie]

Born in 1948, the 50s were a wonderful time to grow up and being a teenager in the 60s was fantastic. How lucky I was.

[@Htdobb458e]

Whichever way you look at it i think id rather go back to that time.

[@mattiewilcox8463]

The 50"s was a Magical Time to be a teenager ⭐⭐⭐🎶🎵🎶. So lucky to have experienced it

[@brianpope5243]

What great days these were , rock n roll taking over from our parents music & it’s still going strong today

[@belladonna6624]

This brings back memories, lots of happy memories!

[@dalebenton3354]

People dressed up really smart back in the 1950's,How I get dressed up smart for a Job interview or a wedding or something to be posh for,Strange how fashion changes over the years

[@Julia-fo4tk]

People dressed smartly especially on Sundays. They had pride in their appearances.

[@michaelketley1252]

I joined the RAF at 15 yo in 1956. In 1959, not quite 18, I headed to Billy Briggs motorcycle shop in Salford and, for £245 on HP, having never ridden a motorcycle in my life before, I bought a 500cc Triumph Speedtwin in Meridian Red and took it by train to RAF Valley in Anglesey.

[@Ballinalower]

We are the same age. I was born August 1941 in Southport, but when you were in the RAF, I was a kid at boarding school.

[@ruthlanwarne8978]

Thank you for the memories. I’d forgotten the individual attention in shoe shops! Life was so different then.

[@LondonPower]

You are so welcome!

[@terrycallow2979]

Born in 51 remember it well.Happy times but cold.

[@Alexooooo11]

No heating ?

[@IVAN-bs5bq]

Yes , ice on the inside of windows , but we still went out to play every day !

[@ruthlanwarne8978]

@@terrycallow2979 Very cold 🥶

[@susangailcortes8006]

People actually look happy then & knew how to enjoy life.

[@LondonPower]

They look more healthy and confident True

[@colinmccarthy7921]

I remember the 1950’s.❤.

[@barbarakemp1796]

I remember it well. We were poor but happy. A time gone with the wind

[@billmurray2525]

So lucky to have been brought up in the 50s plenty of clubs to go after primary school had to be in home at 8PM remember the coal fires and fog in the winter remember after school my mum on hands and knees scrubbing the local dairy shop for bit extra money no violence like todays scale wish we could go back thank you for your great post Memories 😊

[@briannickson6631]

I lived through these times and despite its faults and problems, I much preferred it to today’s life.

[@griswald7156]

You had your youth and vitality you were forever young..and you know now you were safe..

[@arthurwebber-g4l]

ME TOO.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

Do you remember the polio epidemic, millions of homes without a bathroom many without running water. Rationing, national service, the war in Korea. Did you or your parents have a car. The best part of the fifties was that it wasn’t the forties wartime etc.

[@davidcorcoran5463]

@@anthonyeaton5153 And today we have thousands of people sleeping on the street maybe with the luxury of a cardboard box, the long line ups for the National Health Service, shootings, more muggings than the fifties, few jobs for the unskilled, people unable to afford rents or food and the Covid epidemic. If I had to live in London, England again, it would be in the fifties or sixties

[@user-jn1ew8rs8r]

me too my friend......especially after we moved into our brand new council house

[@heatherbatty]

Remember my dear mum getting dressed up to visit the doctor lipstick and best coat and shoes bless her 😢

[@romystumpy1197]

Now they go in their dressing gown and slippers

[@rosiheyer5501]

Even worse: Training bottoms, shapeless and scruffy. No one seems to care any more.

[@ferrettable]

and you didn't need an appointment those days turn up and wait your turn

[@lilgeorge34]

I remember those buses in the late 50s and early 60s, such happy time then. 😊Thank you for sharing this with us all.😊

[@paulJames-bz9yy]

At 86 was lucky to enjoy that great time.I feel worried and sad for my grand kids future./

[@mikefraser4513]

I wouldn't advice anyone to have kids today.

[@cooldad4]

Discarding the fantastic pictures, I loved the music. I was born 1955 so I was bit young for some of that!

[@williamschneider2308]

Me too. As Ralph says, "These are the times we shall dream about, and we'll call them the good old days

[@TransparencyPlease]

People whistled in the streets, jokey wolf whistles from buiding sites, rude jokes that we all laughed at which would probably put you before the beak now, kids playing all sorts of games in the street, kids roaming far and wide, kids and dogs mingling together and kids doing daring things which wouldn't be allowed today, life not easy but there was freedom to go where you wanted and say what you wanted, local bobbie knew everyone and wasn't aversed to giving a wrong doer a clip round the ear and that was the end of it yet people looked out for each other.

[@roycampbell5605]

If you think the fifties were dull .you were not there.i would sooner be in the fifties than now.we had better cars .beer was ten old pence a pint.20 Benson and hedges 1s.and 10 pence .the music was better.pubs had open fires .etc etc etc.

[@stellamariayates3776]

The nightlife in London must have been great at the time with the music so new an exciting to dance to. This is why vintage festivals are so popular!

[@abw48]

Born in Glasgow 1948, moved down to Old London Town 1967, LOVED it, but left the county in 1970, never lived there again... Long story..

[@petergalloway7978]

There were also people in the 1950s who didn’t live in London l was one of them

[@tismeagen684]

Remember those days well, had the suit, had the haircut, had little else but was happy.

[@marta70423]

Потому что Вы были молоды : молодость - уже само по себе счастье.😊

[@dalebenton3354]

This is going back some years,God knows where I was,More years before my time,Interesting looking at old history

[@haydenbretton2990]

And every "Man Jack expected to do National Service" and what did it do, "It made Men out of them"

[@dr.s.p.]

The 1955 regatta picture was taken looking onto Hampton Court Palace; my old stomping ground, when mum and dad would go to the pub and my younger sister and I would stay in the car with a ginger beer, or lemonade and bag of crisps each (with the little blue bag of salt) and our favourite comics, mine was Eagle and Lion and my sister would have Dianna and Bunty, then we would run into the grounds of Hampton Court and explore the gardens around the maze. Brought back memories.

[@rw8733]

Lovely to see. I enjoyed this so much. My mum and dad were born in the mid to late 1930s.

[@LondonPower]

That's cool!

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

Sundays were the pits, everything closed, apart from newsagents for a few hours in the morning and pubs. We weren't allowed out past the front gate wearing Jeans on a Sunday. For a child it was dead.

[@basicconcepts1d]

The Pubs were closed on Sundays. Hotels were open but you had to prove that you were a bona-fide traveller to get a drink .

[@180ballybollock]

Now every days the pits

[@richardl772]

Sundays were the best for us kids……few cars on the road so you could get on your bike and travel allover for hours!

[@heatherbatty]

Had to attend Sunday school too😮

[@Edith-t4j]

@@richardl772 I can remember us kids flying a kite along vauxhall bridge road, imagine trying to do that today.

[@johnmartin7158]

We were all slim back then and super fit. Life was great. No sitting on your I-Phone all day long.

[@angelaknight7184]

I was born 1960 ; I remember those days ,you just got on with it no drama, ❤

[@cosmicretrouniverse]

To answer the question it was our Beautiful CAPITAL City,, LONDON Full of Hope and Joy,, What The Hell has happened to it ?..

[@buntyrarebit]

The 1950s were pretty dull. Most people didn’t have money to spare. It was better for kids, who weren’t watched over like now. Go out with a bottle of water. Come home when the street lights came on.

[@AnnabelleJARankin]

WRONG! These kids a cool as f@ck, and did not need money to spare to have a great time, even though post-war England was not the most glamorous era!

[@stefanmaslaczyk1259]

I don’t think you were there. It was the decade of youth rebellion, the best ever.

[@matthewwilliams3827]

People seemed content back then, rich or poor.

[@davidkotze4140]

Much better than today im sure ...without looking at any other comments !! 😊

[@lisabland476]

My father was born in 1940 and I remember him saying it was the best in the 50s .I remember him carrying his comb in his pocket all the time .and have to say what a great era

[@bobbojones8157]

In answer to the title . Better than it is now even though times were tough just after the war .

[@Paddymayne4738]

National Service in the 1950s and 1960s. England and Australia.Made men out of boys. Gave them self respect, many a trade or profession and pride in the country and themselves. Time to reintroduce National Service. If you want to be a Permanent resident or Citizen then step up and be counted.

[@LondonPower]

British soldiers commit many crimes in Cyprus 🇨🇾 in the name of colonialism

[@roydavidlivermore4664]

The small regular army of today,would be unable to cope with a large intake of recruits every two weeks,it’s a different world.

[@ssss-df5qz]

@4:22 Was strange to see this sign post here - I've lived in Walton nearly 40 years.

[@LondonPower]

Hello! Do you remember this sign? Have you seen it?

[@ssss-df5qz]

Unfortunately I can't work out where it would be. I'm guessing somewhere around Oatlands drive, Weybridge end?

[@ssss-df5qz]

Perhaps the bottom of monument hill? Just at the top of the high street Weybridge.

[@frederickhewlett9044]

Any time is a ‘fab’ time’ to be young !!! My memories are a paper round and going to as many local evening dances in church halls and school halls every week ,,,,,magical times ,,,,,,

[@roybeddard7884]

Didn't have much But what little we had we appreciated it more I was 10 @ 59 today people It's all about me !

[@vickyking3408]

born in 52 children were told to be seen and not heard, music for me has progressed of the decades some good some bad still pop music

[@GrahamHumphreys-e4l]

Apart from the fact it was a time of optimism,we kids had a great time and rock and kicked off, then

[@RogerGriffiths-nj3ro]

Give me the 50's anyday compared to the horrible world we are living in now

[@oldben5772]

I saw only one female in trousers, near the end, being rescued so perhaps they were her husband's. You should have warned us it would be 99% London.

[@BrianWillcox-qp2hr]

Newspapers are becoming a thing of the past. I remember when convenience stores were called newsagents or " paper shops," & it was pretty safe to have cigarette or candy machines hung outside on their walls 24/7.

[@v8pilot]

Teddy boys - the greatest menace to society that ever existed. But by 1960 they were all middle aged. I remember pointing out the middle aged teds.

[@noelsalisbury7448]

New Teddy Boys used to fight the Punks in London in 1977.

[@Ted-f4o077]

@@noelsalisbury7448 starting out from Sloane Square, walking down the Kings Road with the skinheads till they met the punks coming from the opposite direction. I was there in my drape jacket but one day I did fall for a good looking Punk girl and dated her for a while

[@trevorgiddings3053]

A good time to grow up as a boy and glad I was born in 1948, men were men and women were women.

[@roydavidlivermore4664]

Born in the early 1930s,we got called up in the fifties!

[@paulryan1578]

I’m a1951 model and yep the 60s were great girls in flared skirts and stockings !!remember the giggle gap guys ?top of the stocking !! You got there you were laughing 😂😂

[@LondonPower]

Cool!

[@DavidLiggins-c9d]

It Was Great In The Fifties & Sixties Unforgettable Happy Days....

[@patriciapalmer4873]

Don't forget elvis. What a time to be alive. Work was great. Plenty of choice. Hairdos. The best. Oh to be back

[@MrSofakinggreat]

Anyone got a spare seat in their time machine?, take me there!

[@brickie59]

A much Brighter time to live in London.

[@Alexooooo11]

Looks way more healthier than today

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

Whoever made the poster re. the hotel banning Edwardian Dress, obviously skipped English classes. And the photo of Windsor Castle, is actually Hampton Court.

[@kevintrace5396]

I bet it was safer than today's shit people got to put up with drugs knives etc. I tell u

[@mackfin8869]

Girls are the coolest ❤

[@brijones]

my dad was a teddy boy in the 50s

[@mrgoodintent]

To All the authentic Trad. Jazz experts out there.... please look at around 50 secs. here>> The Great reedman CY LAURIE caught in musical action brilliantly! I think the glamorous young lady vocalist could be Pam Heagren next to him.....Please feel free to correct me there if I am wrong....Great Days!!

[@Ted-f4o077]

Kids wearing Edwardian clothes not allowed into Hotel Dances in Luton in the 1950's..... Fast forward to today and Friday afternoons in Luton, they are nearly all wearing Pyjamas and carrying a magic carpet

[@andrewdudson7750]

It was wonderful, it was safer, I don’t think multi cultural has worked, in fact it’s destroyed this country

[@Respectforpensioners]

It was fantastic as we didn’t have kier Starmer pretending to be PM.

[@chas1uno]

Used to buy expensive goods on the never never.

[@icooper5236]

Better than 2024

[@Mazalinda]

Look how clean the streets were.

[@TechnoMagi-h4r]

Depends on which part of the 1950's rationing didn't really end till 1954 so on the Whole the first half of the decade was Dull ...

[@Benya-d9j]

The only thing better now is the technology. Everything else is utter shite in 2024.

[@kenmay1572]

Thanksgiving ? Harvest festival I recon

[@paulcook5226]

I rember it well

[@vickyshah3787]

Good times just before social breakdown and single mom syndrome started!!

[@mikewa2]

1950’s were awful in Uk, everyone was poor! TV was pathetic, really awful. Coal fires and scrapping ice off the inside of the windows. Everyone smoked. Rationing and no supermarkets. Unreliable cars and no sun. Summer holidays in landlady houses! Thank goodness for the 1960’s which stared bad but improved rapidly in 1963, such a great time of hope in the 60’s

[@AnnabelleJARankin]

Post-war England was not glamorous but a lot better than wartime, these kids are cool and enjoying themselves, nothing to do with having money! TV is far more pathetic today.

[@belladonna6624]

I disagree the 1950s in London were inspirational. Post war the country was rebuilding itself as for you moaning about the TV it was a magic box for many children, me included.

[@rosiheyer5501]

Yes, can still remember "watch with mother". on the (awful) TV. We thought it was marvellous. What kind of memories will today kids have?

[@johnmartin7158]

All those things toughened us up and mentally and physically We weren’t all obese like the modern generation.

[@artrandy]

Whoops, a couple more errors! One @ 4.27, the street scene is at least 1940s, but more likely pre-war, the 30s!! Some of those vehicles look to be from the 20s😀. @ 5.18 those are 40s hairstyles, but could be as late as early 50s I suppose, if they were a group of young mothers striving to be unfashionable. Look at the lady's hat to the left, 40s I should think. And @ 7.29, that is also 1940s, in fact its WW2. The sign to the right references the Home Guard.😀Thanks for the good fun as usual.........

[@v8pilot]

There were lots of cars from the 20's and 30's in the 1950's. Everybody was skint and you had to be really well off to buy a Morris Minor. My neighbours had Austin 7's from the 20's. My dad who was a well paid civil servant had a 1936 Riley (like the one at 4:27).

[@stellamariayates3776]

Worth considering that not every car on the road was new so there would be older vehicles on the road at the time. The same applies to hairstyles and clothes as not everyone is up to date and would hang onto what they are familiar with.

[@alfredroyal3473]

It was (1) civilised (2) still Britain.

[@paulryan1578]

There was no greater London ,no M25 ring road Walton on Thames was in the sticks same Wimbledon and Mitcham a works beano as we called them went to Brighton or Southend 😂😂

[@oliveringram3056]

Back in the days when you danced with your partner, not 10 feet apart....just sayin

It was a terrible time for gay men. 1953 especially. Imprisonment after imprisonment. A witch hunt.

[@petermartin7350]

The Tories returned to government in 1951, not 1950. The great thing about the 50s was that they weren't the 40s! It's all very well to look back 60+ years - the past is another country, they do things differently there. Impossible really to compare then and now.

[@inspirationdynamics]

Before Britain was invaded

[@lastshovel5287]

Oh that music! Can't...... sit....... still........ must..... dance...!!!!!

[@Ann-fi6ep]

It was hell to get on a bus with tight skirt and stillettoes

[@johnlennox-pe2nq]

did teens dress in edwardian clothes - banned on the hotel sign

[@tuckedup]

circa 1956 it was approx sixpence or ninepence to get a short back and sides haircut sixpence is about 5 pence in modern money.....5 out of the 100 in the pound

[@peterfinn1160]

And they think it's so much better now?

[@plentyofnothing]

Must have been a lot of PTSD - but never acknowledged - stiff upper lip. Lot of community - we're all in this together - but that spirit gradually faded.

[@johnminshell7595]

It was Great get yourself a Motor for Just 50 quid and go out 7 nights a week my knee hurts a bit now 😅 and I cough a bit due to all the Fags we all smoked .

[@Signaman-z9d]

Drug's destroyed it all .✌️

[@LondonPower]

You mean cigarettes alcohol and TV 📺 ? 😄👍

[@johnmartin7158]

@@LondonPowerTotally. Cheers from NZ.

[@freeserve1942]

In my experience, a lot of so called ‘Teddy Boys’ were thugs !

[@gametime9277]

Peace be upon you, this is good news for all Muslim friends who are in a country where there is no religious madrassa to learn the Qur'an, or if they have small children and cannot understand Islamic sciences, they should contact us so that Thank you for teaching them religious studies online

[@gametime9277]

@Melroy Ambrose hi

[@gametime9277]

@Melroy Ambrose how r you?

[@gametime9277]

@Melroy Ambrose me also fine....

[@gametime9277]

@Melroy Ambrose ???

[@MrDaiseymay]

INTERESTING PHOTOGRAPHS BUT, LONDON, ISN'T GREAT BRITAIN.

[@johnlennox-pe2nq]

skin heads in the 50's... or was it the 60's

[@LondonPower]

60s

[@johnlennox-pe2nq]

@@LondonPower zackly, we were taught wrong fings when i was a scalped teen

[@garyproffitt5941]

Addicted to nicotine.

[@MELVYNANDERSON]

crap that's what it was like

[@michaellawrence2762]

The fifties were shite .

[@normanparke1587]

I was in Egypt 50 / 52 doing National Service, when I got back it was like I had been left behind,

[@GeeCeeWU]

7:19 I think I would have rather stayed where I was than walk across that dodgy narrow plank.

[@frederickhewlett9044]

Any time is a ‘fab’ time’ to be young !!! My memories are a paper round and going to as many local evening dances in church halls and school halls every week ,,,,,magical times ,,,,,,