Paul Robbins and the 1960s

In March 2023 Edenbridge u3a welcomed Paul Robbins who gave a talk on the 1960s. He opened up with film clips of The Shadows and it soon became clear that his topic was close to the heart of many of those present. Paul then started his talk by saying that it was an era when, although poverty existed in some areas, for most people things were getting better, echoing Harold MacMillan's statement that ‘You've never had it so good’. The Country was finally recovering from the post war depression. The NHS was getting better, free milk for children and new housing estates were cropping up. It was also a time when many children could, and did, happily play in the streets. He then went through the decade year by year dealing with entertainment, politics, music, fashion, advertising, and many other aspects of that time. This was interspersed with film clips of television programmes such as Hancock that many well remembered with affection. However, it was probably the music that stirred many the most with the occasional humming breaking out, and some were tempted to repeat dances we enjoyed then such as the twist! He ended, perhaps appropriately, with ‘The last dance’ by Engelbert Humperdink guaranteeing more than a few tears as memories came flooding back.
It certainly was a nostalgic trip for the members present and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.