Re: Post War Britain Circa 2013

it's a small island with a big population - reminds me of overcrowded rats in a cage turning on each other?

Re: Post War Britain Circa 2013

Good analogy Davo.....

Re: Post War Britain Circa 2013

Don't get me wrong - I have very warm feelings towards the country of my birth and happy memories. As a teenager I lived in Cheshire which was a healthy lifestyle apart from ICI churning out fumes and crime was non- existent.

and there is that great divide between city life and rural life - give me the rural anytime. so the populations is skewed - too many down the centre from Glasgow to London and less on the East and West coast and deep south.

I went to Barmouth in '99 on a visit and was so saddened to see a once prosperous seaside resort built for the rich Victorians empty and forlorn and worst still with boarding houses with their windows boarded up. The beach was long and expansive and empty with one lone family sitting on the sands having their fish and chips lunch. The town had certainly seen better days. Nevertheless the Welsh countryside was as beautiful as ever and I climbed up a small mountain and talked to the manager of the estate and saw lambs sitting on the doorstep of the vacant shepherd! magic moments really just before the foot and mouth outbreak!

I also went down to Devon and supped a pint of cider and meandered around small Devon lanes that hadn't changed in years. But to live there ya need brass lad!

Re: Post War Britain Circa 2013

Seaside towns went downhill mid 70's on, due to cheap flights abroad... I love Cornwall - have not been to Devon. Could not go now due to traffic congestion - part of the holiday lost, sitting in traffic.....

Re: Post War Britain Circa 2013

when I was over in 2000 I hired a car and decided to stay off the motorways and purchased a giant AA map book and stuck to the A and B roads - seemed to work quite well. the drive down the winding hill into Barmouth was majestic

Re: Post War Britain Circa 2013

I suspect that population is not at the base of the problem there are far more crowded populations elsewhere in the world with far better social cohesion. Something caused the chaos in the first place, personally I think Thatcherism is a big reason aided by loss of face (Empire), unfulfilled promises ("You've never had it so good") and appallingly bad leadership.

As I said before, the GFC has provided devaluation and a fresh (if poorer) start.

Australia on the other hand is a victim of its own success - an overvalued dollar, high interest rates leading to high production costs combined with low inflation. The pain is yet to come but come it will. Let's make hay while the sun shines.