Feb 15
Decimal Day
Britain switched to decimal currency. Shillings and pence gave way to new pence. Shopkeepers accused of rounding up. Grannies were confused. The old money — crowns, florins, half-crowns — vanished.
🇬🇧United Kingdom · 70s
Decimal Day
Britain went decimal, Rolls-Royce went bankrupt, and the Open University opened minds.
What happened
5 milestones of 1971
Jan 2
Ibrox Disaster
66 fans were crushed to death at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow during an Old Firm match between Rangers and Celtic. A stairway collapsed as fans left. It was Scotland's worst sporting disaster.
Stadium disaster — honour the victims with deep respect
Feb 4
Rolls-Royce Goes Bankrupt
Rolls-Royce, symbol of British engineering excellence, collapsed financially. The government nationalized the company to save the aero engine division. National pride was wounded.
Jan
Open University First Graduates
The Open University began teaching. Founded by Harold Wilson, it offered degrees to anyone regardless of qualifications. Students watched lectures on BBC2 at dawn. Education was democratized.
Aug 5
Industrial Relations Act
Heath's government passed the Industrial Relations Act to curb union power. The unions boycotted it. Strikes increased. The battle between government and organized labour was just beginning.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Get Carter
Mike Hodges — Michael Caine in Newcastle. British crime at its coldest.
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick — Malcolm McDowell. Ultraviolence. Kubrick withdrew it from UK cinemas.
The Go-Between
Joseph Losey — Julie Christie and Alan Bates. 'The past is a foreign country.'
Diamonds Are Forever
Guy Hamilton — Connery's Bond return. Las Vegas. Slightly camp.
Sunday Bloody Sunday
John Schlesinger — Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson. Bisexual love triangle. Groundbreaking.
What was on TV
The Old Grey Whistle Test
1971-1988 — Serious rock music on BBC2. 'Whispering' Bob Harris.
Upstairs, Downstairs
1971-1975 — Life above and below stairs at 165 Eaton Place.
Open University broadcasts
1971 — Lectures at dawn on BBC2. Education for all.
The Two Ronnies
1971-1987 — Barker and Corbett. 'And it's goodnight from him.'
Elizabeth R
1971 — Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I. BBC costume drama at its peak.
How much things cost
Currency: GBP
Pint of milk5p
Loaf of bread9p
Pint of bitter12p
Average house£5,632
Gallon of petrol33p
Cinema ticket30p
Inflation: 9.4%
Decimalisation confused everyone. Inflation accelerating. Strikes increasing. The comfortable sixties were over.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Pint of milkONS
1971 (GBP)
5p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Loaf of breadONS
1971 (GBP)
9p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Pint of bitterBBPA
1971 (GBP)
12p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Average houseONS
1971 (GBP)
£5,632
→
Today's value (£)
--
Gallon of petrolAA
1971 (GBP)
33p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Cinema ticketBFI
1971 (GBP)
30p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Technology
Decimal currency
New pence replaced shillings — technology of commerce changed overnight.
Microprocessors
Intel 4004 chip — the first microprocessor. The future was silicon.
First email sent between computers — communication revolution starting.
Concorde testing
Supersonic test flights continuing — commercial service approaching.
Pocket calculators
Electronic calculators shrinking — soon they'd fit in a pocket.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Glam rock emerging — platform shoes, glitter, satinHot pants and maxi skirts coexistingFlared trousers becoming standard
Slang
New pence— Everyone still said 'new p' years after decimalisation
Right on— I agree (counterculture)
Hassle— Trouble, annoyance
Behavior
- Decimalisation caused national confusion — '15 new pence for what?!'
- Glam rock gave teenagers a new identity after the hippie era faded
- Industrial unrest created an atmosphere of conflict and division
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