Facial hair was socially acceptable.
(And there's no apostrophe in "70s".)
Writing scenes set in the 1970s Page 2
Power cuts. They happened a lot. So set it in the dark.
Everything I know about the seventies, I learned from Life On Mars and that episode of Giles Coren and Sue Perkins in the 70s.
Wasn't Abigail's Party set in the seventies?
Quote: Deferenz @ October 23 2008, 3:25 PM BSTMike, apart from the obvious fashions of the time here are a few things I can think of that you could consider so as to get a feel of your scenes (note that these are from my own experience of growing up in Birmingham):
There was no political correctness to speak of, so speech patterns were less self censored than you'd find today. Some of the things people said, which were quite ordinary back then, would be considered unbelievable in todays climate.
Women really did potter about with rollers in their hair.
There was a big racial divide - The black or Asian family at the end of the street was a great distraction for the idle gossips.
A one parent family was looked down upon. They were treated as somewhat less than a regular family. The word 'Divorce' was a very derrogatory term.
People smoked everywhere; in bed, on buses, in cinema's etc
Many shops closed half day on wednesdays and there was no sunday shopping.
There were 3 television channels and they all came to an end around midnight. The BBC would play the national anthem and the announcer would remind you to pull the tv plug out and have a safe night.
I recall sport clothing being very basic. Just the colours and a badge as opposed to todays technical fibes, designer branding and sponsorship.
It was a thrill to have a telephone in your house.
It was impressive to have a colour tv set.
The insurance man came to your house to take the weekly subs and write it down in your insurance cover book.
A lot of the houses I knew of and visited ( older parents and grandparents) were still decked out in much older decor ie 1950s
There were lots of people who stored up food in the larder. My nan, her sister and many of their friends all did this. Because the war was reletively fresh in their minds they wanted to ensure they always had plenty of tinned food on standby.
Contrary to popular belief you could not just 'leave your back door open'. There was as much things to fear then as there are today. Youths carried knives in this decade too (although recent media reports would suggest knife crime was only invented in 2007!).
I'm not sure if the above is the sort of thing you wanted?
Def.
Thanks so much for that, really helpful.
Quote: zooo @ October 23 2008, 3:29 PM BSTWhat's all that about?
Is this just poor people?
I'm not sure if it was just poor people. Whereas today you could pay insurance via direct debit, back then no such mechanism was available (for us poor folk!). Therefore the man from the Pru' would visit your house once a week and collect your installment. You would have a small book a bit like an Abbey or Nationwide savings book you see today. The guy would take the cash and sign the book as a record of payment. As it was the same guy visiting your house ever week you got to know him quite well.
It were much different back in them days, more sense of community...blah...
Def.
Quote: Deferenz @ October 23 2008, 3:45 PM BSTI'm not sure if it was just poor people. Whereas today you could pay insurance via direct debit, back then no such mechanism was available (for us poor folk!). Therefore the man from the Pru' would visit your house once a week and collect your installment. You would have a small book a bit like an Abbey or Nationwide savings book you see today. The guy would take the cash and sign the book as a record of payment. As it was the same guy visiting your house ever week you got to know him quite well.
That's the plot of Ricky Gervais's next film, isn't it?
Quote: chipolata @ October 23 2008, 3:35 PM BSTPower cuts. They happened a lot. So set it in the dark.
Quote: Deferenz @ October 23 2008, 3:25 PM BSTA one parent family was looked down upon. They were treated as somewhat less than a regular family. The word 'Divorce' was a very derrogatory term.
It seems that I am the 1970s.
Quote: Aaron @ October 23 2008, 3:57 PM BSTIt seems that I am the 1970s.
Aaron is a derrogatory term?
Def.
Well yes. But I look down on single parent families.
My poor cousins. *shakes head*
Quote: Deferenz @ October 23 2008, 3:45 PM BSTI'm not sure if it was just poor people. Whereas today you could pay insurance via direct debit, back then no such mechanism was available (for us poor folk!). Therefore the man from the Pru' would visit your house once a week and collect your installment. You would have a small book a bit like an Abbey or Nationwide savings book you see today. The guy would take the cash and sign the book as a record of payment. As it was the same guy visiting your house ever week you got to know him quite well.
It were much different back in them days, more sense of community...blah...
Def.
Our man from the Pru was called Eugene. He used to come to our family parties.
Eugene is a brilliant name.
I like the one in Grease.
The High Street was the center of town - individual shops to get your stuff...greengrocer, butcher, sports shop.
Also - the dentist was a lot more painful! The drill was a fearsome combination of cables and pulleys, like something from the inquisition -- and I don't know about others, but my dentist never numbed my gums first - just thinking about it 25 years later is brutal. He was probably working some angle with his National Health payments!!!
Eugene looked like Gerald Sinstadt, but with bigger sideburns, and he wore a blue parka. AFAIK he was never caught in an erotic cinema.
I think Big Brother's Eugene is in Dead Set. Zombie Davina McCall kills him.