News, current affairs, and cultural issues from the 1970s
There’s a small number of rock and pop albums that impacted me like no other. As a teenager I stuck the vinyl on the turntable, placed the stylus down, and was blown away. The albums concerned are a varied bunch from punk to indie and prog rock. Yes – prog rock. Tell me which albums…
Imagine a beautiful old house burning down and the fire brigade turns up. The firefighters ask if there’s anybody inside. The answer is – no. The firefighters climb back into their fire engine and drive off leaving the fire to rage through the entire property reducing it to a smoking ruin. Thousands of pounds worth…
It’s sad to have to post this on my blog about the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s – but I’ve noticed a sharp increase in nostalgia and history posts on social media clearly designed to fuel racism through a kind of toxic nostalgia. For example, show old film footage of London in 1985 and this is…
I lived through the 1970s – aged seven in the first year of the decade and seventeen when it ended. And I’m still struggling to figure out what I think about the 1970s. Your thoughts would be very welcome. On balance, I believe it was a fascinating time full of amazing music, movies, and other…
It’s hard to believe in our digital age but there was a time – back in the 1970s – when family entertainment for all generations centred on board games. The main upside of board games was that all ages could get involved bringing the family together for hours on end. The downside was that some…
Millions of tourists and pilgrims who visit the Vatican marvel at the statue of the Virgin Mary holding the dead Jesus that greets you near the entrance to Saint Peter’s Basilica. But in 1972, it was a scene of horror. A madman claiming to be Jesus Christ took a hammer and began smashing the beautiful…
The bank cheque book was part of our lives in the late 20th century but now it’s hard to remember having a cheque book in your pocket. Let alone using one. While the credit card arrived in the 1970s – with the launch of Access – in my experience, most of us didn’t start running…
The British Extreme Right has a long history of violence and riots going back to the early twentieth century when Jewish communities were its main target. But it was the 1970s, that saw groups like the National Front and British Movement become a menace on the streets of Britain. Many of those who have shaped…
The Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif provoked howls of outrage when she won her boxing bout in under a minute at the Paris Olympics 2024 – with unfounded accusations that she wasn’t a biological woman. Once again, the whole issue of transgender athletes has divided opinion and created a social media storm. But this is…
In June 2024, countless thousands of LGBT people will celebrate Pride in London with a huge parade, parties, and an outward display of their sexuality. This is a far cry from the Gay Pride marches of the 1970s where incredibly brave people took to the streets more in the spirit of defiance than celebration. And…
