As I mentioned a few weeks ago, post-war Britain was a dour, depressing place. It was also the home of a renewed hope, knowing that we had retained our national character, and were in the process of rebuilding. As a young boy, I can recall the wonderful feeling of travelling to many rural locations. The glorious countryside, with thatched cottages, water-mills, and narrow country lanes flanked by flint walls and fields of sheep.
Looking back, I am wondering just how realistic those recollections are.
Okay, there are still quaint cottages with thatched rooves, and flocks of sheep, but just not as common as they once were. I know that time doesn't stand still, but why does it have to rob us of what we once loved, and deprive future generations of pleasures past? I hate to say it, but the changes in urban areas aren't always for the best either.
Before I get started, I will just say this; please don't worry about me, I just get like this sometimes!
So, let's start with the roads. Why we had to turn town centres into infuriating labyrinths full of needless one-way systems, and one-way streets, is beyond me! Yes, there is so much more traffic on the roads these days, but why just confuse matters? Just in my local area, one could drive straight through Sutton, but Sutton High Street is now largely a pedestrian area. The same with Mitcham, other than the little one-way system at the Cricket Green. Wimbledon Broadway used to be a straight drive up to the High Street. Kingston-upon-Thames is probably the worst. The first time we went through Kingston after the new one-way system was introduced, we couldn't even find our way over Kingston Bridge!
Although the pubs I spoke about yesterday were all "in town", country pubs have been suffering the same fate. It's not just the pubs, though. Tiny villages would have their own cricket green, where you could always watch the natives engaged in a friendly game. A lot of those are now lost.
Of all the things that have changed in the last thirty years, the one that angers - and hurts - me the most, is what has happened to churches and churchyards. The Britain in which I was raised always boasted that, "the church is always open". In other words, christian churches and churchyards were accessible to the public every minute of the day. If one was in need of prayer, or even just a little solitude, a walk down to the local church was the thing to do. Now, as a result of senseless crime and vandalism, that no longer. The thought of vandalising churches and cemeteries makes me sick.
As a city-dweller, here are a few of the other things that have been lost in recent years, or at least, are a dying breed.
Telephone Boxes
There was always something magical about the bright red phone boxes! Obviously, cellphones have reduced the need for such items, but in city centres, most of the old-style boxes have been replaced by boring grey things.
Police Boxes
American knowledge of Police Boxes would probably be confined to those who watched the BBC's classic kids show, Dr. Who! The time-travelling Doctor's Tardis was a police box. Basically, it was the equivalent of a regular telephone box - in blue - for police use, or for the public to contact the police. There used to be one at the top of my road.
Police box by kit is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Taxi Ranks
Once a common sight, there are still a few around. Traditionally, this was a simple parking area for licenced taxis (which of course, still exist worldwide), but accompanied by a small wooden hut. This was a place where drivers could keep warm and dry, and where they could grab a cup of tea. It was these huts that were so special. You can see a typical one in the image below.
Snowy church scene in Notting Hill Gate by Angelina Archer is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Underground Public Conveniences
Okay, so they were just public toilets, but there was something grand about the underground variety, once so common in the London area. The brick-built ones simply didn't possess the atmosphere of the ones underneath our feet. Maybe it was the steep tiled staircases, or the lovely little railings around the entrance, I don't know, but again they were a big part of our culture.
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