O/T Best decade to live in Britain

[WanChaiMiller]

I hear many people talking about how great Britain was prior to joining the Common Market in 75 (then subsequenty signing up to the Thatcher inspired Single Market in 93). They comment on how the country has gone down the pan since we joined.

Im wondering whether its actually true? And, if so, when? What in your opinion was the best decade (10 year period) to be living in Britain.

[mikemiller]

What in your opinion was the best decade (10 year period) to be living in Britain.[/QUOTE]

Definitely pre-Thatcher, so I'll say 1960s (stretching to the early 1970s). Life was getting better for working class people - improvement in real wage value, better pensions, retirement age coming down, grants for those who qualified for higher education , nationalised industries/ railways, better public services generally, etc. Had a positive knock-on effect into music, art, etc. Quality of life was better and people had a more optimistic view on life generally.

We COULD have that back again if enough people want it - tax the rich!... and scrap the royal family, nuclear power/weapons industries for starters...

[monty_rhodes]

1963-1978 (yes, I know it's more than 10 years). Most of people I met at uni (including my wife) were from working class families and off council estates. Plenty of jobs. Houses were affordable. Music etc great. Opposition to Vietnam War brought lots of us together and there was a general feeling of optimism and hopes of social progress. Royal family considered a bit of a joke and most thought it would soon become an irrelevance. All went wrong and imo downhill ever since.

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

1960's more fun, better music.

[WanChaiMiller]

For me, from a personal perspective, it was from my late ****s (75 to 85). Probably more a case of youthful optimism and enjoying life without responsibility.

But the backdrop to the economy through that period told a very different story.

[frogmiller]

Starting my working life in the 80's on a YTS wasn't a great start for most of my generation. The destruction of apprentice was a long-term disaster but I survived it. The music of the era still makes me smile and sing along out of tune. I also met my wife in 88 so that worked out well.

I'd have to go for the 90s though. I did what Tebbit said and got on my bike and found work. I managed to forge out a good position in the industry that I fell into. I got married, had our first kid and bought a house that I'd only dreamt of being able to. The music wasn't as good as the 80's but the nights out with people who have become real friends really made it for me.

Politically, Going backwards into the unknown is a dangerous move. The world has moved on but the basic needs of people haven't.
Equality can never be but having equal rights and opertunities should be fought for.

[ragingpup]

Interesting question. I think that we're pretty much 'hard wired' into feeling that the period from ages 12 - 25, with the excitement of youth, open possibilities, fully functioning bodies, still young close family, less responsibilities etc will have been the best to be alive and so interpret a question such as this accordingly - that this was the best period of society in general that there was in our lifetimes.

Not sure how you can separate our own younger lives and how we enjoyed them from an attempted objective opinion on when was the best time to be living in Britain.

For me, it was 75 - 85, bit younger than my identified profile (I would have been 8 - 18 in this decade!) but I'm usually biased towards the music of that period!

[mellowmiller]

60s and 70s for me so I'll say 1965 to 1975 and for similar reasons to those stated in a few of the posts above.
Great days, great memories.

[great_fire]

50s definitely.

20s was good as well but no antibiotics so 50s preferable.

60s not too bad either, great music.

People generally say the time when they were young though hence the people saying 70s when the economy was knackered, there were strikes, power cuts and we had to be bailed out by the IMF, not to mention wingtips, platform boots and living rooms in brown and orange.

[jocksgloves]

19 60's, plenty of cash in pockets. More free time for families. Start of package holidays. Britain leaders in new culture and sport.