Britain in the 1950s and 1960s

Life in Post War Britain was very different from that of the 1920s and 1930s. The 1950s and 1960s saw many scientific advances, the rise of the teenager and teen culture, rock music, foreign food…

Welcome to our new section of articles about Post War Britain; everyday life and events in the 1950s and 1960s.

For those of you who remember these days, we hope you will enjoy reminiscing! Please share your memories by contributing to the comments sections at the foot of each article.

For those of you too young to remember this period, we hope you will enjoy a little window into the ‘good old days’…

The 1960s – The Decade that Shook Britain

If the Fifties were in Black and White, then the Sixties were in Technicolor…

A 1950s / 1960s Childhood.

“It’s Friday, it’s Five to Five and it’s CRACKERJACK!”. Gob stoppers, The Dandy, the sixpenny rush and hiding behind the sofa from the Daleks: memories of childhood in the 1950s and 1960s…

Schooldays in the 1950s and 1960s

A short insight into life at primary school in the 1950s and 1960s…

School Dinners in the 1950s and 1960s

School dinners in the 1950s and 1960s…

A Girls’ Grammar School in the 1950s and 1960s

A short insight into life at a girls’ grammar school in the 1950s and 1960s…

A 1960s Christmas

What was it like to celebrate Christmas in the 1960s?

The Great British Seaside Holiday

The great British seaside holiday came into its heyday in the post war years, the 1950s and 1960s…

The Mods – a 1960s sub-culture

Vespas and Lambrettas, Ben Sherman shirts and fish-tail Parkas: the Mods had a style of their own and a reputation for wild behaviour…

Bonfire Night Celebrations in the 1950s and 1960s

In 21st century Britain, Bonfire Night is usually celebrated with a trip to an organised bonfire and firework display. Not so in the 1950s and 1960s: Bonfire Night was a hands-on celebration with friends and family…

Recycling in the 1950s and 1960s

Recycling was a way of life in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps you remember the original rag and bone man, the daily deliveries by the milkman, or returning the ’empties’ to the off licence…

The 1950s Housewife

For a woman, were the 1950s and 1960s the best of times or the worst of times? The role of the housewife has changed greatly since those days…

Food in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s

The developing tastes of Britain in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s; how the nation changed its eating habits and embraced new foods and tastes…

WKPD

The Coronation 1953

On 2nd June 1953, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place and the whole country joined together to celebrate…

That was the year that was…1953

In 1953 Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey, and Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing became the first people to climb Mount Everest…

Festival of Britain 1951

The Festival of Britain 1951

Six years after World War II, Britain’s towns and cities still showed the scars of war. Promoting a feeling of recovery, the Festival of Britain opened on 4 May 1951…

Next article

Schooldays in the 1950s and 1960s

By Ellen Castelow

We all have strong memories of our first few days at primary school, although nowadays most children tend to go to pre-school, so it is not such a shock to the system for them as it was for the children of the 1960s!

Read story