When the Peterborough Branch of Samaritans first opened in the city things were very different...
On Friday 13th November Peterborough Samaritans will be celebrating its 50th year supporting the people of Peterborough and beyond.
We've seen many changes over the last 50 years, here's a reminder of what life was like in the 1970s...
In the years that followed World War II, there was a general economic boom around the world, but things began to change in England in the 1970s. After experiencing a major increase in British manufacturing, things began to take a turn for the worse in the early 1970s.
The UK went through a major oil crisis which resulted in workers being fired, unemployment rise, strikes and high inflation. Rubbish collectors also went on strike, massive piles of trash accumulated on the streets. Nurses, gravediggers and coal miners also participated in strike action.
With all of these strikes and protests across, the police were under immense pressure. Civil unrest always brings about change, and protests weren’t always peaceful. At the end of the 1970s, civil rights riots were happening all over the country, and caused a large divide to occur.
The 1970s also saw many terrorists attacks, most of which were orchestrated by the IRA. The group was linked to more than 40 bombings during the decade.
In times like this, the support provided by the Samaritans was invaluable in helping people through these challenging times.
So, economically, things weren’t going too great in England. But, all of this unrest brought about some major changes in British society, like women’s rights and an emerging Punk culture!
A Decade of Change
Feminism was in the spotlight for most of the decade. In 1970, the Equal Pay Act was passed, but changes didn't take place until 1975. This caused some civil unrest, as women went on protests urging for the act to be implemented sooner. Women made strides, however, with contraception becoming free of charge 1974. Additionally, the Sex Discrimination Act was passed in 1975, making it illegal for employers to discriminate based on perspective employees’ gender.
Punk culture emerged in the 1970s. There was so much unrest and resentment against the government, and Punks weren’t afraid to speak their minds. This resulted in even more protesting and strikes. Punks were also known for their crazy hair styles and piercings!
New political parties began popping up too. The “People Party” focused on environmental issues and sustainability, and still exists today under the name of the Green Party.
Other significant events went on during the 1970s. The first Gay March occurred in 1970 with just 150 men marching, and the first official UK Gay Pride Rally took place in 1972 with 2,000 participants.
The first concorde flight from Heathrow airport to JKF in New York in 1977. The Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee and the entire country celebrated with her.
British Pop Culture
The 1970s are the years of Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Cat Stevens, Elton John, Kate Bush, Led Zeppelin, Queen, David Bowie, Deep Purple…to name but a few! These are the musicians who still inspire the music scene today.
In 1970, the fashion magazine Vogue claimed that “there are no rules in the fashion game now.” This is likely due to the fact that mass production became the norm, and people had endless clothing choices. This is really different from previous decades, when most people made their clothes by hand, and very few styles were available. Mini-skirts, “vintage” clothing from the 1950s, bell-bottoms, platform shoes and disco styles were the order of the day!
Much has changed over the last 50 years but the support of the Peterborough Samaritans has remained a constant