Clothes rationing had ended by 1949 and by the early 1950s women in particular wanted dresses and skirts made with a huge amount of fabric to make up for the meagre amounts they had endured during the war.
Men’s suits became narrower, straighter and less fussy. Most men opted for conservative grey suits and did little to stand out in terms of fashion. Instead of wearing three piece suits all day long, men would dress for business in the morning and later change into something more comfortable.
Hairstyles and Hats
Teenage fashion emerged, with girls wearing poodle skirts, swing skirts with petticoats, pencil skirts or pleated skirts.
Button down blouses with a cardigan or a preppy twin set were commonly seen on young girls. Bomber jackets, Hawaiian shirts, varsity cardigans and blue denim jeans became popular amongst boys.
1. Bobby Darin – Mack The Knife – 09-59 – Atco 2. Neil Sedaka – Oh! Carol – 11-59 – RCA 3. The Everly Brothers – (Till) I Kissed You – 09-59 – Cadence 4. Dion & The Belmonts – A Teenager In Love – 05-59 – Laurie 5. Paul Anka – Put Your Head On My Shoulder – 09-59 – ABC Paramount
6. Frankie Avalon – Why – 12-59 – Chancellor 7. The Coasters – Charlie Brown – 02-59 – Atco 8. The Drifters – There Goes My Baby – 07-59 – Atlantic 9. Paul Evans & The Curls – Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat – 11-59 – Guaranteed 10. Connie Francis – Lipstick On Your Collar – 05-59 – MGM 11. Johnny & The Hurricanes – Red River Rock – 09-59 – Warwick 12. Ricky Nelson – Never Be Anyone Else But You – 03-59 – Imperial 13. Elvis Presley – A Fool Such As I – 04-59 – RCA
And here’s the bubbling unders. Lloyd Price – Personality – 06-59 – ABC Paramount The Flamingos – I Only Have Eyes For You – 07-59 -End Wink Martindale – Deck Of Cards – 10-59 – Dot
A typical 1950s household saw mothers not working outside the home, instead concentrating on providing a safe and cosy environment for the family. Fathers were sole earners, with the average weekly wage in 1957 being £10 (compare to £420 in 2007 or £629 in 2022).
Work time to pay for a weekly basket of basic food items such as milk, butter and bread was around 3 hours 40 minutes. 1950s saw the introduction of fish fingers, electric fires, washing machine, ink and toilet paper.
Unemployment was very low in the 1950s and it was a long period of prosperity with living standards in Britain rising considerably. In the early 1950s, many homes in Britain still did not have bathrooms and only had outside lavatories. In the 1950s, a typical home had a cooker, vacuum cleaner and a plug-in radio. Only 33 per cent of households had a washing machine. Most people were still doing their washing by hand. Only 15 per cent had a fridge and freezers and tumble dryers were scarcely heard of. Only 10 per cent of the population had a telephone.
TV first became common in the 1950s. A lot of people bought a TV set to watch the coronation of Elizabeth II and a survey at the end of that year showed that about one-quarter of households had one. By 1959 about two-thirds of homes had a TV. At first, there was only one TV channel but between 1955 and 1957 the ITV companies began broadcasting.
In Britain, the health of ordinary people greatly improved when the National Health Service was founded in 1948. In the 1950s Dr. Jonas Salk invented a vaccine for poliomyelitis. The first kidney transplant was performed in 1950 by Richard Lawler.
There was growing opposition to the death penalty. In 1957 the Homicide Act abolished hanging for certain kinds of murder. It was still allowed for murder during a theft, by shooting or explosion, and for the murder of a police officer or prison officer while on duty. A person who was convicted of more than one murder could also be hanged. There were several firsts for women in the 1950s. Barbara Mandell became the first woman newsreader on British TV In 1956. Rose Heilbron became the first woman judge in Britain and in 1958 Hilda Harding became the first woman bank manager in Britain.
Transport: Cars increased in number after World War II, and car ownership more than doubled in the 1950’s. By 1955 there were over three million cars on Britain’s roads. By 1959 32% of households owned a car.
The first zebra crossing was introduced in 1949. Lollipop men and women followed in 1953. The first parking meters in Britain were installed in London in 1958.
Following the 1944 Education Act all children had to sit an exam called the 11 plus. Those who passed went to grammar schools while those who failed went to secondary modern schools. Meanwhile, new sweets were introduced, Bounty (1951), Munchies (1957), and Picnic (1958). Also, in the 1950s young people had significant disposable income for the first time. A distinct ‘youth culture’ emerged, with teddy boys. A revolution in music was led by Elvis Presley and Bill Haley, and it was the decade of jive, skiffle and rock’n’roll.
Leisure: People spent most of their leisure time at home – reading, listening to the radio/gramophone records, watching television or pursuing hobbies. The most popular hobbies were knitting and needle-work for women, and gardening for men. Children spent a lot of time playing with other children outdoors, and enjoyed a range of hobbies such as stamp collecting. Families enjoyed playing board games such as Monopoly, Ludo, and Snakes and Ladders. In the 1950s Lego became a popular toy. Mr. Potato Head was invented in 1952. Skateboards were first sold in 1958. Barbie dolls were invented in 1959. There was a craze for yo-yos, 3D-spectacles, I-Spy books and hoola hoops in the late 1950s.
Pop Art started in London in the mid-1950’s depicting images from popular culture, including comics, advertising images, and celebrity portraits. The best known artist of Pop Art is undoubtedly the American artist Andy Warhol.
This is the first of the 50s years where I actually knew enough songs for it to warrent a top 13 on its own merit.
A lot of these classics have stood the test and time and are still played on the radio six decades later. Others featured in movies like “That’ll Be the Day” and appear again and again in any show set in the fifties.
1. Peggy Lee – Fever – 08-58 – Capitol 2. Big Bopper – Chantilly Lace – 10-58 – Mercury 3. Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode – 05-58 – Chess 4. The Platters – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – 12-58 – Mercury 5. Perry Como – Catch A Falling Star/Magic Moments – 02-58 – RCA 6. The Everly Brothers – All I Have To Do Is Dream – 05-58 – Cadence 7. The Teddy Bears – To Know Him Is To Love Him – 10-58 – Dore 8. Tommy Edwards – It’s All In The Game – 09-58 – MGM 9. The Champs – Tequila – 03-58 – Challenge 10. The Coasters – Yakety Yak – 06-58 – Atco 11. Eddie Cochran – Summertime Blues – 09-58 – Liberty 12. The Crickets [with Buddy Holly] – Oh Boy! – 01-58 – Brunswick 13. Connie Francis – Who’s Sorry Now – 03-58 – MGM
And a few bubbling under: Elvis Presley – One Night – 11-58 – RCA Ricky Nelson – Poor Little Fool – 07-58 – Imperial Conway Twitty – It’s Only Make Believe – 10-58 – MGM Little Richard – Good Golly, Miss Molly – 03-58 – Specialty The McGuire Sisters – Sugartime – 01-58 – Coral
While we wait for Ken (just over a week to go), here’s some teasers in the syle of Popmaster questions. Not long now my lovelies. And if you’d like to challenge me, I’d love to hear your questions.
Rationing continued after the end of World War II: sugar, butter, cheese, margarine, cooking fat, bacon, meat and tea were all still rationed when the Queen came to the throne in 1952. Sugar rationing ending in 1953 and meat rationing in 1954. The meagre choice of ingredients and flavourings, whilst concentrating the cook’s mind on creating filling and satisfying meals, would preclude even the best of cooks from creating cordon bleu dishes. Food was seasonal (no tomatoes in winter for example); there were no supermarkets, no frozen food or freezers to store it in and the only takeaway was from the fish and chip shop.
Meat and two veg was the staple diet for most families in the 1950s. It was the age of spam fritters, salmon sandwiches, tinned fruit with evaporated milk and fish on Fridays. Sunday lunch was a roast, then ham salad for high tea, followed by trifle or fruit cake. The only way to add flavour to this bland cooking was with tomato ketchup or brown sauce. Salad in the summer consisted of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes, and the only dressing available was Heinz Salad Cream. In the winter, this was replaced with a coleslaw of thinly sliced white cabbage, onions and carrots, coated in Salad Cream.
The average family rarely if ever ate out. The closest most people came to eating out was in the pub. There you could get potato crisps, a pickled egg, and perhaps a pasty or some cockles, winkles and whelks from the seafood man on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening.
Things started to change when the UK’s answer to the burger bars in America arrived in the 1950s to cater for that new group of consumers, the teenagers. The first Wimpy Bars opened in 1954 selling hamburgers and milkshakes and proved extremely popular.
These are some popular dishes in the 50s:
1950: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Because sweet treats were in short supply during the years after the war, this amazingly colourful bake was welcomed with open arms when it burst onto the foodie scene in 1950. Made with tinned goods, pineapple upside down cake was an easy thing to whip up with your butter and sugar rations, and could make its way round a big family if sliced thinly enough.
1951: SPAM. While fresh meat was still being heavily rationed, SPAM provided an unlikely source of protein to thousands of British families during the 1950s. Love them or hate them, SPAM fritters were the dish of the year. These crispy morsels were coated in batter, deep-fried and served up for many a supper.
1952: Baked Alaska. To be a true child of 1952 you’ve got to have had a baked Alaska or two in your time. This science-defying pud wowed the masses when it was introduced in the 1950s with its hot outside and freezing cold inside. Made with a sponge bottom, a thick layer of jam, a mound of ice cream and a baked meringue shell it really was an impressive party centrepiece.
1953: Devilled Eggs. Liberated from egg and sugar rations but still firmly in the grips of cheese and meat rationing British cooks of 1953 were keen to make the most of their new found culinary freedom. The result? Devilled eggs! These curried canapés were a real favourite for serving up as part of a party spread.
1954: Burgers and milkshakes. 1954 saw the end of rationing altogether and the opening of the first Wimpy Bars, selling burgers and milkshakes to Britain’s teenagers – and they loved it.
1955: Black Forest Gateau. With its layers of chocolate sponge, whipped cream and cherry syrup, Black Forest Gateau was the dish of the moment in 1955, after being invented in Germany some years earlier (known by its German title, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte). It appeared in recipe books everywhere following its inclusion on a list of best-known German cakes in 1949, and aren’t we so glad of it? This classic cake is still a favourite for many today.
1956: Coronation Chicken. Coronation chicken was invented for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 and gathered popularity with every year that passed. In 1956 this exotic mix of cooked chicken, mayonnaise and curry powder and truly become one of Britain’s favourite lunchtime sandwich fillers and could even be found on the shelves of grocery shops, pre-made.
1957: Rice Pudding. Ah, Rice pudding, a deliciously creamy dessert that was traditionally made in a pot but somehow found its way into a tin during the first world war. Despite the tinned version coming years earlier it was 1957 that marked a huge step change for the most popular brand, Ambrosia, when it had to open up a whole new factory to cope with the demand for its famous tinned pud.
1958: Chop Suey. A rise in immigration during the 1950s and 60s gave Brits a real taste for strong flavours from further afield. 1958 was the year Chop Suey was introduced to the menu of Butlins’ holiday camps – making it officially a British favourite!
1959: Arctic Roll. Birds Eye inherited Arctic Roll in 1959, when it bought an Eastbourne ice cream factory and went on to have great success with this freezer staple of the time. Much like a traditional Swiss roll, this ice cream filled alternative captured the hearts of those who couldn’t face having to make a pudding every evening.
A definite move away from crooners as Rock ‘n’ Roll dominates the charts. A couple of these have made it into my top 13 because of their association with favourite movies: True Love from High Society (1956, with Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly), Jailhouse Rock (1957) and On The Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady (1964 with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison). Also, That’ll Be the Day (1973, starring David Essex and Ringo Starr) gave me Wake Up Little Susie & Great Balls Of Fire. And finally, Dirty Dancing wouldn’t be the same without Baby and Johnny lip-syncing to Love Is Strange, or the moody Still of the Night (not to be confused with the phenomenal Whitesnake version – same title, different song).
1. Doris Day – Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera) – 07-56 – Columbia 2. Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel – 03-56 –RCA 3. Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers – Why Do Fools Fall In Love – 02-56 – Gee 4. The Everly Brothers – Wake Up Little Susie – 10-57 – Cadence 5. Mickey & Sylvia – Love Is Strange – 02-57 – Groove 6. Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly – True Love – 10-56 – Capitol 7. Vic Damone – On The Street Where You Live – 06-56 – Columbia 8. Jimmie Rodgers – Kisses Sweeter Than Wine – 12-57 – Roulette 9. Johnny Mathis – The Twelfth Of Never/Chances Are – 09-57 – Columbia 10. Fats Domino – Blueberry Hill – 10-56 – Imperial 11. Carl Perkins – Blue Suede Shoes – 03-56 – Sun 12. Buddy Holly – Peggy Sue – 12-57 – Coral 13. Johnny Cash – I Walk The Line – 11-56 – Sun
And the ones not quite cool enough to make the grade The Five Satins – In The Still Of The Night – 09-1956 – Ember Jerry Lee Lewis – Great Balls Of Fire – 12-57 – Sun Bill Haley & His Comets – See You Later, Alligator – 01-56 – Decca Little Richard – Long Tall Sally – 04-56 – Specialty Johnnie Ray – Just Walking In The Rain – 09-56 – Columbia Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock – 10-57 – RCA Billy Williams – I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter – 07-57 – Coral
Quick quiz: Who released the theme tune to Friends TV show – I’ll be there for you?
Friday 3rd March was a sad day for people all over the UK who have stopped what they’re doing at 10:30 each weekday morning to challenge their knowledge of pop music with the kindest, most generous of hosts, whose gentle Scottish brogue and sharp wit have been a bright spot in uncertain times.
Like thousands of others, I’ve tuned in for a daily fix of warm, irreverent good-humour and a reminder about everything good about living in the UK as Ken entertains with witty throwaways. His gentle disparagement of the ridiculous schemes conjured up by those who think they have power over us always raises a smile as he puts the worst excesses into perspective, having the courage to say what those of us with a working brain cell are thinking. But it’s all done in the best possible taste as a certain Mr Everett would say.
And what can you say about Popmaster? Other than the fact it’s really hard, except on the days it’s quite easy! The one time I got through, over a decade ago, I never got to speak to Ken, but I was responsible for Zoe Ball’s first tie-break on only 12 points. Thankfully, it was short and sweet as I bugged out on the first question – something to do with Eurovision. And that question above was the one I couldn’t remember on the day, but now will never forget – The Rembrants. Woulda got me another 6 points in the bonus topic of Hits from TV.
I must say, it’s been quite a poignant swansong, ending as it did with the phenomenal Piano Room Month. For most of February, my daily five-mile walk has been accompanied by the fabulous shows featuring artists as diverse as Michael Ball, Raye and Haircut 100.
For us oldies, there was Richard Marx, Belinda Carlisle and Simply Red – a real treat on Valentines’ Day, covering Stylistics’ You Make me Feel Brand New and Wings’ My Love. If you haven’t listened to them, I can thoroughly recommend every single show – I even enjoyed Stormzy’s tracks. Steady on, girl!
But he did wrap the whole thing up with a beautifully soulful rendition of Oleta Adams’ Get Here. And for those of you who love a quiz but don’t immediately recognise her, there’s a snooker theme to the right hand pix which might help you guess the identity of the middle performer.</
Also in February, Ken featured Chris Packham’s Tracks of My Years – an eclectic mix which started with Puff the magic Dragon, Thunderbirds theme, and included Bowie, Eddie & the Hot Rods, and Psychedelic Furs. You have 9 days left to listen here. During the show, they chatted about the wonderful BBC Two documentary – Inside Our Autistic Minds. It features stories of two peoples’ struggles with Autism, and one was Ken’s son Murray. Well worth a watch, and you have 11 months to follow the link.
Ken feels like family to me – well I have been listening to him spinning discs for over half my life, so I got up in time to listen to all the fun. What an absolute gent. Professional to the last, Ken Bruce showed those less-than executives at the Beeb why he’s the Nation’s, if not the World’s favourite radio presenter.
And what a day! I was already wobbling by the last half hour of Zoe’s show and I have to say, she and her listeners did him proud. After playing Holding Out for a Hero, she described “the Mighty Bruce” as a super-smart class act, so supportive of everyone at Radio 2, self-deprecating, a true gent with razor-sharp wit and genuinely hilarious. She then played a tribute created by a couple of listeners, Dear Ken.
During his show, various people hijacked with tributes, including a clip from Rob Brydon’s April Fool show. After some decidedly dodgy maths to calculate approximately how many hours he’s invaded Ken’s show, Jeremy Vine said this: “I’m gonna miss you so much. I’ve worked with some great people and you’re the best. I know you don’t like praise, but you’re the most generous, intelligent, talented colleague. For the presenters at Radio two, you are the Charlie Watts – the presenter we all want to be like.”
So now I have a long wait while the short-sighted people at R2 have put Ken on gardening leave because they’re not happy about giving Greatest Hits Radio free advertising. They must be livid about losing Popmaster, even if they don’t give a damn about any of their listeners over forty – or is it fourteen?
History repeats itself as I’m reminded of poor old Simon Mayo’s disgraceful ejection back in 2018 from the drive-time show which is now an area I avoid like the plague along with many of my contemporaries.
Looking at the plethora of GHR ads, his nose must be a tad out of joint, but GHR have billed themselves as “the home of Simon Mayo” for two years since he joined in March 2021. Interesting that when I searched for posters advertising this, they’re nowhere to be found. Just saying.
But R2 seem determined to continue with this foot-shooting. That’s me finished with daily shows.
You’d be surprised by the number of inventions stemming from the nineteen fifties, I certainly was. This is by no means a full list, but it gives you an idea of how ahead of their time some people were.
1950 – Credit card – Frank X McNamara
1951 – Power steering, Super glue – Francis W. Davis 1951 – Videotape recorder (VTR) – Charles Ginsburg 1951 – Festival of Britain – this event marked the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851. The festival generated demand for new fashions in furniture and furnishings. The exhibits introduced new styles of pottery, ceramics, fabrics and furniture made from revolutionary materials – fibreglass, plywood, formica and plastics.
1952 – The first jet aeroplane to carry passengers, called Comet, began a regular passenger service. The small jet could not carry many people.
1953 – Black box flight recorder – David Warren 1953 – The summit of Mount Everest was reached for the first time by Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tenzinf, his Nepalese guide.
1954 – All rationing comes to an end 1954 – The first nonstick pan produced
1955 – Lego – Gotfried Kirk Christiansen
1956 – Velcro – George de Mestral 1956 – First hovercraft – Christopher Cockerell 1956 – The first computer hard disk used
1957 – The space Race began with the Soviet Union launching the first vehicle to orbit the Earth, the satellite Sputnik 1, on 4th October 1957. This was followed a month later by the launch of Sputnik 2. On board was the first living creature to travel from Earth into space, a dog named Laika.
1959 – Barbie Doll 1959 – Britain’s first motorway, the M1, between Birmingham and London, opened. 1959 – The Mini is launched, designed by Alec Issigonis, and becomes the best-selling British car of all time. It cost £496 – about the amount of money someone earned in a whole year.
So we’re still firmly in the years of Mum’s choices, not mine, and because she and Dad met while ballroom dancing, everything is heavily dance influenced. These were the songs I heard mostly in my early years – possibly even from the womb in 1959!
Mambo was king, and I challenge anyone not to strike a Tango pose when Hernando’s Hideaway starts. Or if you prefer your tango Argentinian … The movie Moonstruck affirmed my number 1 from this era. After all: “When the Moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie …”
1. Dean Martin – That’s Amore – 11-53 – Capitol 2. Archie Bleyer – Hernando’s Hideaway – 06-54 – Cadence 3. Perry Como – Papa Loves Mambo – 10-54 – RCA 4. Rosemary Clooney – Mambo Italiano – 11-54 – Columbia 5. Doris Day – Secret Love – 01-54 – Columbia 6. Dean Martin – Sway – 08-54 – Capitol 7. Frank Sinatra – Young-At-Heart – 02-54 – Capitol 8. Tony Bennett – Stranger In Paradise – 12-53 – Columbia 9. Bill Haley & His Comets – Rock Around The Clock – 05-55 – Decca 10. Hank Williams – Your Cheatin’ Heart – 01-53 11. Sarah Vaughan – Whatever Lola Wants – 05-55 – Mercury 12. The Platters – Only You – 10-55 – Mercury 13. Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby – 12-53 – RCA Victor
And couple that got away … Chuck Berry – Maybelline – 08-55 – Chess Frank Sinatra – Three Coins In The Fountain – 06-54 – Capitol Dean Martin – Memories Are Made Of This – 12-55 – Capitol
Yet again, certain songs seem to catch the imagination of the record publishers (if not the public), resulting in two or three copies of the same song released within a few years of each other. For example in 53: Crying In the Chapel by Rex Allen/David Glenn/June Valli. Then in 55: Unchained Melody by Les Baxter & His Orchestra /Roy Hamilton/Al Hibbler and The Ballad Of Davy Crockett by Bill Hayes/Tennessee Ernie Ford/Fess Parker. And one with a slight name change – and I’m not talking about the singer! Oh My Papa – Eddie Fisher/Oh, mein Papa – Eddie Calvert
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