Half a century ago... what were you up to?

16, just met my future husband and life suddenly seemed shiny. I'd also like to revisit and make changes!!

Where, not were... don't know where my spelling went!

July 1973
Summer holiday job - waitress at a restaurant.

In my last year at Uni with absolutely no intention of settling down and busy learning about alternative lifestyles to the one I was brought up in thanks both to learning for a degree and being in the Womens Movement and active in student politics.

Four children , one just out of PoP splint for her hip , bid for freedom , went back to work

I was excitedly looking forward to spending the Summer in the Soviet Union as part of my college course. All funded by my local authority - how times have changed.

Though I’m guessing I’d just have had my smallpox jab, so was probably in bed sweating and hallucinating.

School Baltic cruise which included a visit to Lennigrad Russia.

I was a full time mother, with a boy aged 2 and just about pregnant with another. It was a happy time.

Just coming to the end of my first year in teaching, and absolutely exhausted! And just about to become engaged to a handsome young teacher I met in the staff room. Then a holiday with him in Cornwall - in separate rooms!

We had just got engaged 💍

It was a Sunday, I had left school on the Friday, and getting myself ready to start my first full time job on the Monday.

I was stay at home Mum to my 4yr old daughter and 5 mths pregnant with my second daughter. Was a happy bunny apart from sharing a house with the in-laws.

I was 19, working in London. I'd been with my first "real" boyfriend for a few months when he suggested we should go travelling around Europe, we couldn't do it that year but aimed for the following year when he finished his articles and taken final exams. My savings were hampered somewhat by too many purchases in Biba and probably too many nights out. It was an effort to save anything really but, well he did and I added my lesser share but between us managed to get enough money to spend the entire summer travelling around, not the whole of Europe, but France, Switzerland and Italy at least! Those were the days!

I was married, expecting my first child and about to juggle a singing career with family life.

Just finishing first year as a student nurse in London, ‘2+1’ course so pretty intensive.
I didn’t enjoy being in London as had very little money but I did become quite resourceful in finding free events and museums to visit- I walked absolutely miles!

Successfully completed my nurse training and had a five year old daughter. My then husband & I opened a residential home for learning disabled adults. It was a completely new venture for the time and enabled people to leave long stay hospitals. A big learning curve for us.

I had left 6th form and was still deciding what to do. I had some great temping jobs, walk out of one and straight in to another and because I had plenty of qualifications there was no shortage of jobs.

By an absolute coincidence I am this evening meeting up with a friend who I have not seen for 50 years and her brother and sister. They all holidayed here every summer as children but only just got in touch again via FB. Looking forward to it. Where has that half a century gone?

Oh, if I knew then what I know now..............

Married with a one year old daughter. In USA on fellowship and just driven across USA from East to West. Rented a rather pretty house in Berkeley suburbs for the summer.

This time in 1973, I was a young mum, home after an emergency section, on 3rd day (transversal breech) without any help and trying to work it all out for myself.

Just left school, knew I wouldn’t get into university as my exams were awful and didn’t know what to do

Just finished school, waiting for my O level results and looking forward to going to college to do my A levels. Life was good!

Just finished my penultimate year in school and going to be a bridesmaid to my sister, she was going to wear a Bruce Olfield dress when I had a Laura Ashley one.

I was 24. Married with a four year old daughter. Happy days.