Jun 18
Edward Heath Wins Election
The Conservatives won a surprise victory. Edward Heath became PM, promising to modernize Britain. He would face unions, oil crises, and the Troubles.
🇬🇧United Kingdom · 70s
The Decade of Discontent Begins
Heath's government, Black Sabbath, and the Beatles break up.
What happened
4 milestones of 1970
Apr 10
Beatles Break Up
Paul McCartney announced he was leaving The Beatles. The greatest band in history was over. 'Let It Be' was their final album release.
Aug 26-31
Isle of Wight Festival
600,000 attended — larger than Woodstock. Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, Joni Mitchell. It was the last great festival of the 60s era.
Jan 1
Age of Majority Lowered to 18
The voting age dropped from 21 to 18. Young people finally had a political voice.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Kes
Ken Loach — A boy and his kestrel. Working-class Britain at its most heartbreaking.
Performance
Donald Cammell/Nicolas Roeg — Mick Jagger in a London underworld. Cult classic.
Ryan's Daughter
David Lean — Epic romance set in Ireland during the 1916 Rising.
Scars of Dracula
Roy Ward Baker — Major UK release — TMDB 6.0
The Vampire Lovers
Roy Ward Baker — Major UK release — TMDB 6.3
What was on TV
Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969-1974 — Season 2. 'Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!'
The Goodies
1970-1982 — Slapstick comedy trio. Beloved children's — and adults' — entertainment.
Dad's Army
1968-1977 — Hit its stride. 'Don't panic!' The Home Guard's finest.
How much things cost
Currency: GBP
Pint of milk4p
Pint of bitter11p
Average house£4,975
Fish and chips15p
Inflation: 6.4%
Decimalisation was coming (Feb 1971). People were dreading the change from pounds, shillings, and pence.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Pint of milkONS
1970 (GBP)
4p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Pint of bitterBBPA
1970 (GBP)
11p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Average houseONS
1970 (GBP)
£4,975
→
Today's value (£)
--
Fish and chipsNFFF
1970 (GBP)
15p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Technology
Concorde testing
The supersonic jet continued test flights — commercial service coming in 1976.
Colour TV spreading
More households getting colour sets. BBC1 and ITV in colour since late 1969.
Pocket calculators
Electronic calculators beginning to shrink to pocket size.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Bell-bottomsPlatform shoes arrivingHot pantsAfghan coats and velvet
Slang
Groovy— Cool, fashionable
Right on— Absolutely, I agree
Naff— Uncool, tasteless
Behavior
- Festival culture peaked at the Isle of Wight
- Union power was growing — strikes became common
- The counterculture was fragmenting into different subcultures
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