As the Coronavirus slowly tightens its grip on life here in the UK, as it has done in many parts of the world already, I find myself thinking back to huge calamities, which affected the whole of the UK when I was young.
I can't think of anything scarily mega viral like Corona - although flu and smog may have surfaced big time in the Sixties, but I just don't recall - but there were some seismic economic events, which I do remember.
The biggest has to have been the three day week in 1974. It came as a result of a global oil crisis and in the UK a coal miners strike. The shortened week stopped electricity flowing freely and we had power cuts. These cuts were during the day and I recall some meals being ruined as my Mum battled with our cold hob. I was once presented with fried kidneys - a delicacy at the time - which were not fully cooked I don't think! It won't have bothered me much I doubt as I was 13 with a head full of Bruce Lee and heavy rock. I'll have rode off on my Raleigh chopper chewing half-cooked offal as happy as Larry.
We also had the Winter of Discontent in 1978-79, where a general strike paralysed the country. Even gravediggers were on strike for a while. The thing I remember the most were the rubbish bags piling up everywhere because the bin men were striking too. I lived with my older Brother then in a suburban flat. Our rubbish bin was overflowing with empty Irish Stew tins, Heineken cans and Mateus bottles.
I have a memory of people being terrified of rats swarming all over the bin bags but I'm not sure if the rats materialised. It was a really cold winter and that probably helped. Any snow around and young kids will have been out sledging, probably down snowy slopes of split rubbish bags! I was 18 at the time and my new surge of testosterone will have powered me through it all. Besides, when you're 18 you don't really notice what's going on around you much.
But as I say, I can't think of anything medical like Coronavirus affecting everyone back then in the UK, so it is different and now I'm fully grown up, nearly an "OAP" and lacking that escapism of youth its really quite concerning. I do worry about our second Moonbase Junior, a granddaughter, arriving in the world in the next 4 weeks over what may prove to be a viral Easter lock-down and a silent Spring.
I wish readers well. Stay safe in these crazy days. Keep blogging.
No, I don't remember anything like this ever. But, as someone recently said, our parents fought in WW2, surely we can manage to wash our hands and stay at home?
ReplyDeleteYou would have thought so Kev. a fortnight at home sounds fine on paper but I can see problems for people who need prescriptions - like me and the Missus - if I can't get an extra amount before the lock-down. Food is an issue too. People who haven't panic purchased will run out and someone will have to get them some.
DeleteI remember when in my twenties, that I thought I would probably die before I was 30 in a nuclear conflict (cheery thought). We have at least avoided that at present.
ReplyDeleteWorking at home, and with a partner who has asthma, I think it is going to be a very quiet, insular time. Good luck Woodsy and all.
I agree. Its not going to be as easy as it first seems Andy. The legendary British community spirit the government are banking on seems in short supply judging by the empty shelves in the shops. Good luck to you and yours too.
DeleteI think the situation has been fanned into panic by social media. The current guidance of 'Catch it Bin It Kill It' is just the same as the material issued for the Swine Flu epidemic some years back. The resurgance of Foot and Mouth Disease around the same time was worrying too, I recall driving through Yorkshire and seeing huge palls of smoke on the horizon from piles of burning cattle. I lost my mum due to pneumonia brought on by flu, so this current media car crash brings up unpleasant memories anyway. But as kev says, its just common sense measures, it isn't the Andromeda Strain after all!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your Mum Wote. Lets hope as few families as is possible have to experience that.
DeleteThere were a few scary moments growing up that I recall:
ReplyDelete1/ October, 1962. Cuba had Soviet missiles ready to launch. We went to the market for canned goods, practiced living in the basement (!), plus I vividly recall going with my father to shop for an underground bomb shelter for the back yard!
2/ November, 1963. The murder of JFK. Hard to believe it now, but after school was closed and we kiddies were all sent home, there was a real fear of being bombed by the Soviet Union!
3/ November, 1965. Mass power blackout on the East Coast of the U.S. No power for almost a day.
4/ March, 1979. Three Mile Island atomic power plant accident. Living nearby, there was a moment when mass evacuation was seriously considered.
Fun times! When I think about it, '62 through '65 were scary! No wonder I was a bundle of nerves back then!
Fascinating Rob. I didn't experience JFK as I was too young but I've heard all about the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis and can imagine the tension. It must have been scary living near Three Mile Island too, blimey! I hadn't considered the Cold War either. There are a slew of nuclear strike movies like The Day After and When the Wind Blows so it was a real threat. I suppose when Corona settles down next year, if it does, we'll have to face the Climate crisis head on. I'm a bundle of nerves myself now! I need a beer!
DeleteI remember the Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968, which also originated in China. All of us ended up with the horrible thing. My Mother first, and then it infected the whole family within a week. The last two to catch it were my Gran [at a sprightly 68], and me, last of all. We had no Supermarkets then, and when we were all incapacitated, those of our kindly neighbours who were not infected, helped. I remember one teenager, who was called Kelvin; didn't catch it! - He must have earned a fortune during that time, as in the end, he was doing the weekly shop for everyone!
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What I find uncredible, is that now, we are directed to self isolate. We did exactly the same in 1968. No direction to do it, it just seemed the sensible and right thing to do. And because there was no panic buying in our area, there were no shortages. I'm sure Woodsy will concur, society was altogether less selfish than now.
It was a horrible illness to have; my balance was also affected, even laying down wouldn't make it go away. Ultimately, the Hong Kong flu pandemic resulted in an estimated one million to four million deaths worldwide. And we didn't run out of toilet paper, soap or paracetamol!
I know things are a lot worse in other countries, and at present NZ only has eight cases, but from tonight everyone coming in to NZ has to go into isolation for two weeks. No cruise ships allowed to dock until the end of June. More steps to come this week. A bit scary, I can not remember anything like this before, certainly not in NZ. There was the fuss about the change over from 1999 to 2000 and what that might do to computers, but at least nothing came of that. Certainly people are losing their jobs already. Food and medicines are going to be the big problems for many in isolation. My best wishes to Woodsy, Mrs Moonbase, and everyone. Take care.
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