Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: An Irreverent View of Eternity

The speaker has clearly been bossing people about while still alive. The cloud and the halo don’t seem to be an adequate compensation for what he has lost.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Contemporary Dilemma

This is not the first cartoon in which we see house occupants hiding from unwanted visitors. The vogue for huge picture windows and minimalist furniture makes this difficult. The mouse has created an intolerable dilemma for the woman hiding (for the moment) successfully. But, for how long will this continue?

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Her Interpretation

Clive is not disposed to disagree.

I must admit that sometimes Mrs M. is inclined to include me in some such sentiment without actually consulting me. I like to think that I am not often as out of it as Clive.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Another Young Hopeful…

Clearly the guitar playing young hopeful was already to be seen as early as 1960. So many hopes, so few were realised.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Stuck for Ideas

It isn’t funny: we shouldn’t laugh. We can see that it is late on Saturday night and there needs to be a sermon ready on Sunday. It would indeed be difficult to think of something new and interesting to say every single week.

There were books available containing sermons given by celebrated preachers. No doubt these days there are websites dedicated to satisfying this need.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Another Unlikely Scenario

Anton has gone surreal. These toffs haven’t dressed themselves up to the nines in order to perform acrobatic feats. Not to say dangerous – look at her winkle picker shoes.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Getting That Carefree Hair Look

This fashion clearly passed me by. If anyone I knew indulged in it at the time I’m afraid I missed it completely.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Another Football Joke

Surely it is bizarre to suggest that a football club director might under any circumstances actually play football?

All the spectators are wearing hats again I see. Not many with cloth caps and they are ALL blokes. Was it really like that in 1960?

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: We Know the Answer!

A nice little picture. Both women seem to be drawn from life.

Re: The Pages of Punch

1960: Post-Colonial

This cartoon is quite funny but it is a complete travesty of what actually happened.

Firstly, the post-colonial participants didn’t look like that. The new rulers all dressed like Europeans. The former colonial administrators had also modernised their clothes. Pith helmets were definitely out.

Secondly, those that ‘stayed on’ (as the saying went) were there because the new rulers genuinely felt in need of their expertise. It didn’t last long but they really did help to make the transition work more smoothly.

Unfortunately their legacy didn’t last, largely because of the nature of politics in the newly independent countries.