On 29th January 2026, our guest speaker Dean Dixon took us on a Nostalgic Journey back to the 1950’s.
Everyone who grew up in Britain in the 1950’s will have unforgettable memories of their childhood, from the first taste of welfare orange juice to the birth of rock' n’ roll.
Housing remained quite poor, with families living largely in terraced properties or prefabs. Most homes didn’t have a bathroom so people would either wash in a tin bath by the fireside, or take a weekly trip to the local municipal baths. Toilets were usually outside.
Although black and white television sets became available, most families didn’t have one until the very late-Fifties. This didn’t really matter because children could play in the streets without the fear of traffic. Buses and bicycles were the most popular modes of transport. There were few cars in Britain, but the iconic Morris Minor was very popular.
Children were able to enjoy the freedom of outdoor life. Games were simple, girls would skip in the street and play hopscotch, and boys would play conkers. Boys also played lots of other rough-and-tumble games.
Children were taught discipline at home, and at school and corporal punishment was freely administered for bad behaviour.
Families travelled in third-class compartments on train journeys to seaside resorts like Blackpool, and loved to sit in deck chairs all day.
It was the decade of the beginning of rock' n’roll with Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard. But while everyone remembers rock'n’roll, in reality ballad singers like Jim Reeves were also very popular.
When the Queen was crowned in 1953, food rationing was still in force, supermarkets were unheard of, and fish and chips were the national dish.
The milkman came daily and delivered milk onto your doorstep, and he would take away the empty bottles to be washed and re-used. Children were also provided with milk at school.
We thank Dean for an interesting and enjoyable presentation which was enjoyed by all.
