Born in 1962? What else happened?

… But after that, I realized that I really knew very little about these parents of mine. They had been born about the start of the Twentieth Century, and they died in 1970 and 1980. For their last 50 years, I was old enough to speak with a bit of sense. I could have talked to them a lot about their lives. I could have found out about the times they lived in. But I did not. I know almost nothing about them really. Their courtship? Working in the pits? The Lock-out in the Depression? Losing their second child? Being dusted as a miner? The shootings at Rothbury? My uncles killed in the War? Love on the dole? There were hundreds, thousands of questions that I would now like to ask them. But, alas, I can’t. It’s too late. Thus, prompted by my guilt, I resolved to write these books. They describe happenings that affected people, real people. The whole series is, to coin a modern phrase, designed to push your buttons, to make you remember and wonder at things forgotten. The books might just let nostalgia see the light of day, so that oldies and youngies will talk about the past and re-discover a heritage otherwise forgotten. Hopefully, they will spark discussions between generations, and foster the asking and answering of questions that should not remain unanswered.

In 1962. Hitch-hiking was still safe for all concerned, it was generally conceded that doctors could refuse home visits at night, and the wonders of The Pill were being extolled. And condemned. Terylene swimsuits for men were being exposed, there were some people who were suggesting that a link between smoking and cancer of the lung, and death of cracker-night was a great relief to dogs. Many people were concerned that we were being Americanised. They would prefer the current Pommification. Most people still hated the Japs, but there were occasional voices urging acceptance.