The UK was better in the old days because...

[Horizon22]

I think anyone of a certain age always looks fondly back on their youth. This has been proven by multiple generations. You forget about all the negatives of that time (Winter of discontent, poor union relations, huge inflation, poor race relations to name just a few off the top of my head). Many of the youth of today in 2010s and 2020s might find the UK exciting or their lives exciting, although not realise it yet and then they'll look back on their youth in the 2040s and 2050s fondly and forget some of the issues they had then. It's cyclical and happens all the time!

Much like older generations disparage the "youth" of their day.

 

[ComUtoR]

I'm inclined to agree. Some things I don't miss from the 'good old days' (and I am aged 69) in no particular order: race discrimination in employment and housing (Bristol buses, 'no blacks, Irish or pets' etc), putting ropes around criminals' necks and dropping them through a trap, police corruption, the lack of treatments available for diseases we can cure nowadays, deference to our 'betters', the fact that if I were born in 1932 instead of 1952, I might well have died of asthma by now, crude primitive electronics, smog, the amazing depth and extent of racism and sexism (still not gone though). Hola Camp (look it up). I could go on.

Racism and sexism was better back in the good old days. I found it was much better to your face, than behind your back. At least you know where you stood.

 

[The Ham]

I think anyone of a certain age always looks fondly back on their youth. This has been proven by multiple generations. You forget about all the negatives of that time (Winter of discontent, poor union relations, huge inflation, poor race relations to name just a few off the top of my head). Many of the youth of today in 2010s and 2020s might find the UK exciting or their lives exciting, although not realise it yet and then they'll look back on their youth in the 2040s and 2050s fondly and forget some of the issues they had then. It's cyclical and happens all the time!

Much like older generations disparage the "youth" of their day.

Indeed, and whilst my youth was a time of great things for me I'm also mindful that (as an example) there was a recession in 1992 and so things weren't great for lots of people.

I'm sure that whatever period of time you pick there's going to be things which would be able to be highlighted as causing issues in a similar way.

Whilst there's things which I'd love to be able to do again, however life is still full of things which are great.

We have one life and I try to think along the links of the more we can enjoy what we've got the happier we are likely to be rather than always wishing for something which is either in the past or is yet to be.

 

[XAM2175]

The decriminalisation of homosexuality and the achievement of marriage equality have been fairly major steps forward for modernity too, happily.

 

[alex397]

Racism and sexism was better back in the good old days. I found it was much better to your face, than behind your back. At least you know where you stood.

While the anonymity of social media has allowed various knuckle-draggers to be very abusive to others, these deranged views are mostly in the minority, but with social media amplifying their views.
In the past, racism and sexism was deeply entrenched into society, to the point where it was often considered normal.

In the ‘good old days’ people were beaten up simply because they were ‘foreign’, and if they retaliated the police would often take sides.
Women certainly had a much more difficult time too - often expected to stay at home, had to put up with a lot of ‘wandering hands’ and the like and expected to stay quiet about it. Just a few examples.

My point is that racism and sexism is no longer tolerated as much in mainstream society..

 

[GusB]

I sense the poster to whom you replied was being ironic, whereas I'm not sure you are. This idea of a "severe lack of respect" is in itself quite dangerous and suggestive of an authoritarian mindset.

A severe lack of respect for whom, may I ask? Are our political leaders deserving of respect? One might argue that they govern with no respect for the rest of us. What then about our "elders and betters"? Surely respect must be earned rather than assumed.

THC

Indeed, that was the case and it's why I included a smiley at the of my post!

 

[158747]

The quantity and variety of Air Displays ,almost any weekend from May to late September you could visit a different show ,from small scale events like West Malling to the hustle and bustle of Mildenhall ,not forgetting the R.A.F at Home days! on the same note the sheer variety on aircraft on show compared to the somewhat bland procession of various Nations F16/F18 etc !

I visited the International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford a few times back in the eighties and remember seeing such aircraft as Lightnings, Phantoms and F-111s, modern military aircraft seem quite tame in comparison!

 

[Acey]

I visited the International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford a few times back in the eighties and remember seeing such aircraft as Lightnings, Phantoms and F-111s, modern military aircraft seem quite tame in comparison!

Indeed, the International Air Tattoo is about the only show that still attracts a varied participation list ,of course many Nations military forces have a much reduced capacity ( especially ours ) which obviously impacts on the quantity/variety of aircraft on display ! Think about it ,at a B.O.B at home display you could see F4 Phantom/Lightning /Tornado GR1, Tornado F3 /Hunter/Hawk/Buccaneer/Canberra/Vulcan/Victor/Jaguar/Harrier/Nimrod/Provost and the Red Arrows and that's not including the Navy and overseas participation ! if the RAF had one now you would get ( if you're lucky ) Typhoon/Hawk/Reds and possibly the Lightning ,what a come down !

 

[MattRat]

Because politicians at least wanted to win election. Now it seems to be a contest of who is the most unelectable.

And yes, it really is that dire.

 

[Spamcan81]

On the same topic (aircraft), how about the disappearance of 747s and MD-11s.

I remember 10 years ago both types seemed commonplace, and were a bit different to most aircraft being 4- and 3- engines respectively. Now (let's call 'now' 2019 to prevent recent events clouding the discussion) both types seem to have more or less disappeared.

More of a military man but if we're mourning civilian types it's VC10, 1-11, Trident, Viscount, Vanguard and Britannia for me. Remember the first 747s arriving for BOAC and whilst impressive due to their size, IMO they didn't have the style/class of VC10.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2022 ==

Indeed, the International Air Tattoo is about the only show that still attracts a varied participation list ,of course many Nations military forces have a much reduced capacity ( especially ours ) which obviously impacts on the quantity/variety of aircraft on display ! Think about it ,at a B.O.B at home display you could see F4 Phantom/Lightning /Tornado GR1, Tornado F3 /Hunter/Hawk/Buccaneer/Canberra/Vulcan/Victor/Jaguar/Harrier/Nimrod/Provost and the Red Arrows and that's not including the Navy and overseas participation ! if the RAF had one now you would get ( if you're lucky ) Typhoon/Hawk/Reds and possibly the Lightning ,what a come down !

It's the same elsewhere. Norwegian AF is about to become an all F-35 fighter force, the Dutch are heading that way, the Belgians are getting it as are the Italians so it will be a row of F-35s at RIAT instead of a row of F-16s before long.

 

[Acey]

More of a military man but if we're mourning civilian types it's VC10, 1-11, Trident, Viscount, Vanguard and Britannia for me. Remember the first 747s arriving for BOAC and whilst impressive due to their size, IMO they didn't have the style/class of VC10.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2022 ==



It's the same elsewhere. Norwegian AF is about to become an all F-35 fighter force, the Dutch are heading that way, the Belgians are getting it as are the Italians so it will be a row of F-35s at RIAT instead of a row of F-16s before long.

What a thought,a row of similar ugly grey jets

 

[nw1]

More of a military man but if we're mourning civilian types it's VC10, 1-11, Trident, Viscount, Vanguard and Britannia for me. Remember the first 747s arriving for BOAC and whilst impressive due to their size, IMO they didn't have the style/class of VC10.

Shows it's a generational thing; of these, the only one I remember is the 1-11. Remember them being noisier than the average jet, and also remember travelling on one as late as 1992 with Dan-Air (who remembers them?)

 

[birchesgreen]

Love the 1-11, first time i flew on my own was on one of those, BHX to Copenhagen. Much more fun than the stuff you get these days.

 

[Gostav]

Past twenty years, developing countries, especially China, did not occupy as many resources as they are now. Maybe you can’t feel it, but the fact is that China now spends more money to buy the world’s meat and natural gas which means in the West The era of cheap food in the country is over.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Things I miss:

• school uniforms not being ubiquitous, and strictly enforced
• underage drinking in pubs
• hop picking
• going to university for the experience, not just to get a qualification
• kids leaving home as soon as they finished school
• bombsites
• Butlins
• Newcastle Mayfair
• The Berln Wall, which was actually very interesting

 

[DarloRich]

The Berln Wall, which was actually very interesting

Perhaps not so much if you were on the wrong side of it!

By extension that shows one of the vast improvement over them olden days: No cold war and no threat of impending nuclear Armageddon.

 

[simonw]

Perhaps not so much if you were on the wrong side of it!

Or even on the 'right' side of it, if you were a German resident of West Berlin.

 

[DarloRich]

Or even on the 'right' side of it, if you were a German resident of West Berlin.

I think being a West German resident was marginally better than being an East German resident! I think neither had an appreciable advantage when it came to the cold war turning hot ESPECIALLY in Berlin.

 

[simonw]

I think being a West German resident was marginally better than being an East German resident! I think neither had an appreciable advantage when it came to the cold war turning hot ESPECIALLY in Berlin.

It was, but the sense of being fenced in in West Berlin was not a pleasant one.

 

[DarloRich]

It was, but the sense of being fenced in in West Berlin was not a pleasant one.

I am sure. Better fenced into a western enclave in the east with free travel to the west than being fenced into a communist utopia with no chance to leave

 

[gordonthemoron]

It was, but the sense of being fenced in in West Berlin was not a pleasant one.

I have met a few West Berliners who would prefer that the Wall had remained

 

[simonw]

I have met a few West Berliners who would prefer that the Wall had remained

I know of Ex-East Germans who think the same.



The past always seems better, whether or not it was as we forget or diminish in our minds the impact of the downsides and play up the things we miss. We also forget the impact of fears and uncertainties we had in the past as we know the actual outcome.

The thread on the BBC and ITV and how they were better in the past, is driven by this. A quick look at old copies of the radio times shows the amount of dross that has always been on TV and yet people stil l say TV was better in the past.

Also as we age, there is a tendency to be less optimistic in out look, this colours are memory of the past.

What we do not remember, even if we tell ourselves we do is what it actually felt like back then.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2022 ==

I am sure. Better fenced into a western enclave in the east with free travel to the west than being fenced into a communist utopia with no chance to leave

We are off on a tangent, but West Berliners needed to buy a visa to travel through East Germany if they wanted to travel to the West. Russian troops still continued to exercise their right to patrol in West Berlin as the allies did in East Berlin. when we visited East Berlin from West Berlin in the mid 60s, our West Berlin hosts were not permitted to join us.

 

[geoffk]

18-year olds are adults though, presumably no-one would have any right to tell him where and where not to go (as long as he wasn't breaking the law or behaving antisocially) once he reached that age!

Going back to my experiences aged 9 (this was the early 80s) - and I was a 'young' 9, probably looked even younger - I remember chatting with a park warden in a local beauty spot. I had no worries about him, and he didn't lecture me about being out on my own 'Where are your parents? What are you doing on your own' etc etc etc.

Mind you the following year I was out on a walk with a similarly-aged friend and got stopped and grilled by the police (on a rural road) about being out on our own. Luckily we were allowed on our way and weren't forcibly transported back home.

When I was 13 in 1960, I was allowed to go on 40-mile train trips on my own from home in Bristol - so Swindon, Gloucester, Newport, Taunton and Templecombe! And we didn't even have a phone at home. And I used to go into town on my bike on a Sunday when there was hardly any traffic. If I left the bike it was always there when I got back.

 

[nw1]

When I was 13 in 1960, I was allowed to go on 40-mile train trips on my own from home in Bristol - so Swindon, Gloucester, Newport, Taunton and Templecombe! And we didn't even have a phone at home. And I used to go into town on my bike on a Sunday when there was hardly any traffic. If I left the bike it was always there when I got back.

Indeed, as mentioned in another post, aged 11 I was allowed up to Stafford on my own from Surrey. Also was allowed to spend the day at Reading station, some distance from where I lived, multiple times aged 12.

 

[bspahh]

I remember cycling half a mile from my house when I was 7 years old in 1974.

When my son was 7 years old, he had never ridden his bike without stabilisers because we lived on a road with parked cars and a reasonable amount of traffic. We moved to a cul de sac, and he was riding it within a couple of weeks.

When I watch episodes of the Goodies from the early 1970s, the most obvious difference is the lack of parked cars on suburban streets in Ealing.

 

[nw1]

I remember cycling half a mile from my house when I was 7 years old in 1974.

When my son was 7 years old, he had never ridden his bike without stabilisers because we lived on a road with parked cars and a reasonable amount of traffic. We moved to a cul de sac, and he was riding it within a couple of weeks.

When I watch episodes of the Goodies from the early 1970s, the most obvious difference is the lack of parked cars on suburban streets in Ealing.

Aged 7 (a little bit later than 1974, but still a good while ago) I walked about two miles round trip to some wooded hills above the village where I lived in southern England.

*Admittedly* I didn't tell my parents, who thought I was just walking around the village! At that age, the woods seemed incredibly wild. What I do remember is, on another walk on my own in another direction of the village, chatting to a resident aged perhaps 55-65, who wasn't worried about a 7-year old being out on their own. The 'never talk to strangers' diktat had been drummed into me though, so for a good while afterwards, I actively dissuaded my parents from doing that walk as a family to avoid being 'found out' ! Can't remember what excuse I gave though.

That said, two years later I was allowed into the same woods, and further, openly on my own.

 

[MattRat]

Perhaps not so much if you were on the wrong side of it!

By extension that shows one of the vast improvement over them olden days: No cold war and no threat of impending nuclear Armageddon.

At least there was a good side to be on and a bad side. Now it's just all bad.

 

[Paul Jones 88]

Britain was better in the old days because :-
It was less crowded.
It had a gentler pace of life.
Work was more straightforward.
There was less violence.
There was something decent on the telly most evenings.
Football tickets were much more affordable.
Property prices were much more realistic.
EPBs south of the Thames.
302s north of the Thames.
Father's big Jag which I could borrow.
Mother's Sunbeam which I could borrow.
Jumping off the back of a Routemaster outside Charing Cross then chasing an EPB along the platform and actually getting on it.

 

[Gareth]

No there isn't. There is a complete lack of respect for the expectation that certain people should be respected simply for their perceived status. White middle aged men being one of them. Many such men were brought up with the expectation that they would be "kings" - it is hard for them to understand that the world they saw/absorbed from their fathers ( that of the man being "king" in his own home/family and not being open to challenge) has changed. Their expectations have turned out to be illusory and that is hard for some people to process.

Respect is earned. It isn't assumed or inherited. A badge or status does not by existence alone generate respect.

Really? Because to me, it seems to me that is the demographic that gets it in the neck these days. Bonus points for "working class" and "heterosexual", also.

And as a white not-quite-middle-aged man, I simply cannot relate to the "king" thing, although if there's one place I expect to be allowed to be left in peace, it is, indeed, in my own home.

 

[Mag_seven]

Provided I was back by a set time (which was enforced on pain of death I might add!) I was allowed by my parents to go almost anywhere. There was none of this being wrapped up in cotton wool stuff that we get from parents nowadays.