Life in 1960s/70s Britain: The Comfort Foods That Kept Us Going - Sugar Sandwiches

 

In the 1960s and 70s, when jam wasn’t available, children would often turn to sugar, in the form of sugar sandwiches. It was the meal that kept children happy and dentists busy. A sweet treat made with two slices of white bread. Every sandwich seemed to be made with white bread back then. They were cheerfully cheap and satisfied the sweet tooth of the nation.

The sugar sandwich delivered empty calories while giving an energy rush that stopped hunger in its tracks. Many adults who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s may still smile at the memory, although I doubt most wouldn’t dream of eating one today.

It was a snack designed for comfort and convenience.

And just like a jam sandwich, they were so easy to make. As a boy, even I could make them. I’d return home from school at lunchtime, hungry for a sandwich and with a plan in mind as to what I wanted.

“What are we having to eat?” I would ask my mother.

“There’s cheese, spam, some corned beef left …”

“Do we have any jam?” I asked, ignoring all the more nutritious options on offer.

“Jam? Not until I go to the shops.”

“No jam? I wouldn't mind a sugar sandwich. I can make it.” I said with hope.

“Sugar sandwich? I suppose so, but don’t blame me if you get a toothache.”

Wise advice often ignored.

Did You Know… Life in 1980s Britain: Council Housing in Transition: Tenants as Owners and the End of Affordable Housing

 

 

For much of the mid-to late 20th century, council housing was to become a cornerstone of British life. That all changed after the election of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in 1979. In 1980, they introduced a policy that would see one of the most significant housing reforms in modern British history. 

From the start, it was controversial. Council tenants were given the legal right to purchase the homes they were living in. The policy was called “Right to Buy”. And tenants were often given a substantial discount to market price to do so. Traditionally, council housing was there to provide cheap, affordable housing to rent, not to buy.

That was about to change.

But first, how did we get there, and why?

The Post-War Council House Boom

After the Second World War, Britain needed new housing and lots of it. Housing stock that had been damaged and destroyed by the Luftwaffe needed to be replaced. There was also a need to replace the rundown, ageing, privately owned housing stock that was no longer fit for purpose.

Not for the first time, Britain had a housing crisis. The same call to build homes fit for heroes had gone out after the First World War. For the most part it failed to deliver. Britain’s housing stock for the masses was poor, but in 1945 a Labour government committed itself to building decent-quality, affordable housing to rent. 

They were called council houses.

From the end of the war, up to 1980, over four million council properties were built in Britain. They provided secure, affordable homes, and for many, renting from the local council became the norm, something that was desirable. It offered stability, community, and a sense of belonging that stretched across generations.

But in the 1980s, that changed.

It was something that would reshape not only how people lived but also what they thought about homeownership, wealth, and society itself.

A Radical New Idea — The Right to Buy

In housing, there was a shift to the ideology that the market knows best. 

The Writer's Life: The Hospital Clock

 

One thing about getting older is that you spend more time at the local doctors surgery or, occasionally, a hospital visit. Even if you’re fit and healthy, you can end up needing a check-up now and then. And this is the second time this year I’ve found myself at a local hospital — nothing serious, but I still needed to go in for tests.

I have written before that writers tend to look at the world differently; everything is potentially a story. 

That was the case on this visit as well.

My appointment was for two thirty in the afternoon, the letter saying that I should allow for two hours. I arrived at the hospital with thirty minutes to spare. I made my way to the department and was surprised to see that the reception was empty. The only person there was seated at the reception desk working away on a computer.

I thought, ‘Lucky me, no one is waiting; I should be in and out in no time.’ I handed in my letter to register that I had arrived. Unfortunately, I soon found out that I was not so lucky after all, as all appointments for that day were to be seen on the first floor.

“Go out this door, turn left and up the stairs. The door directly opposite is where you need to go.” Said the receptionist.

Life in 1960s/70s Britain: The Comfort Foods That Kept Us Going - Spam: The Meat That Refused to Disappear

 

Love it or hate it, Spam, canned pork and ham, has become one of Britain’s most recognisable foods. At least there was a time when it was recognisable. Today when Spam gets a mention, it is often more to do with spam emails or online scammers than food.

Introduced in the 1930s, it gained enormous popularity during rationing in wartime because it was readily and widely available. By the 1970s it remained a cupboard staple in many homes. That was certainly the case in my home. 

And it was cheap, around fifteen to twenty pence a can. 

Is it still popular? I must admit, I haven’t eaten it in years. In fact, I wondered if it was still available. You don’t hear spam mentioned much these days as a desirable meal or part of the weekly shop. And I don’t remember seeing it on the shelves at the supermarket.

So, I had to check. 

Of course, it is available, and it still comes in a tin can. An odd-shaped tin can. It was also a can that used to come with, if memory serves me, its own little key that you would use to wind the lid off (or maybe that was corned beef in a can?). That could be tricky if you got it wrong.

There was then the challenge of getting the meat out of the tin. Often, it didn’t move, and I would end up slapping the bottom of the tin. There was an art to doing it right that my mother seemed to know.

Now Available - The Wisdom of The Garden: Life lessons From Roots to Meaning

 

What can a garden teach us about life?

The Wisdom of the Garden offers a series of personal insights and reflections. Each chapter is a story from the author’s life, a memory of what was and what might be. It is not a how-to manual or about giving instructions but a book of our relationship with the garden.

Themes emerge, of patience and responsibility. The garden becomes a place where effort meets uncertainty and where the outcome can surprise. Along the way, the author learns that gardening shows lessons we often miss in today’s busy world.

Tales From The Simulation: Part Six - The Mandela Effect, James Bond, Moonraker and Dolly's Braces

 

I saved the best one for last.

Let’s recap.

What is simulation theory?

Philosopher Nick Bostrom proposed that advanced civilisations might one day create simulations that are no different from reality. If countless simulated worlds exist, statistically, we might inhabit one ourselves. And, if our universe were a vast computer simulation, any update, patch, or correction might leave a trace of what existed before behind.

This might explain something called the Mandela Effect.

What Is the Mandela Effect?

It describes a memory where large groups of people remember an event or detail from their life differently from how it actually happened and/or exists now. It has been explained as a form of false memory, but some believe that these shared memories hint at something stranger.

Furthermore, it might be evidence that reality itself has been changed.

Fiona Broome, a paranormal researcher called it the‘Mandela Effect’ after she discovered that many people, including herself, had incorrectly remembered Nelson Mandela dying in prison during the 1980s. In reality, Mandela was released in 1990 and became president of South Africa. He died in 2013. At least, that is what most people, including myself, remember. When I first read about the “Mandela Effect”, I assumed it was a false memory.

One possibility was that people were remembering the death of the famous anti-apartheid activist, Steve Biko. He was murdered in police custody in 1977, and his death was reported worldwide. The musician Peter Gabriel even wrote a song about it, which became a worldwide hit in 1980.

Since then, countless examples of the Mandela Effect have emerged, with many people insisting they remember details that simply don’t match reality.

The Writer's Life: Monday Morning Trivia - What's in a Word? Ageing or Aging?

 

Ageing or aging — that is the question.

Grammar — does it matter? 

The Writer's Life: Monday Morning Trivia - The Day I Became a Millionaire

 

In theory, and in fact, I was once a millionaire, just not in a way that was life-changing or meaningful. Let me tell you how I reached that status, because everyone can do it.

Many years ago, I collected coins and banknotes from around the world. Old and new ones. I was never a serious collector, but I did like the design, colour, and numbers on them. Some can even be valuable to a collector, but like stamp collecting, most are not worth much, if anything at all.

When I was a boy, I would find them at rummage sales. While they have long gone out of fashion, rummage sales were great places to find a bargain. Any old coins and banknotes I found would be tucked away in an old Quality Street tin box. I’d dream that one day in the future they might be worth more than the pennies I paid for them.

Tales From The Simulation: Part Five - There's Always the Sun

 

My latest encounter with the 'is the world a simulation' happened a few days ago. 

Like previous stories in this series, it was one of those coincidences where chance and randomness seem unlikely. The odds of it happening would be so high that most high street bookmakers would be happy to take a bet on it. For them, it would be money in the bank.

For me, it’s a good story, so here goes.

I had been writing about the summer of 1976, a time of record temperatures (until this year) in Britain. I was in search of a title, something that had a summer vibe to it. I started to think about songs about summer and the sun.

The Writer's Life: Is Imposter Syndrome and Procrastination Killing Your Creativity?

 

 

At some point in the writing journey, every writer knows the feeling.

You sit down with the intention of writing. The computer is on, the laptop open and waiting, and the ideas are somewhere in your mind. But instead of writing, you make another cup of tea or coffee. You check emails or scroll endlessly on social media. And there is always another YouTube video to watch.

Or maybe there is something else that needs attention. 

A little tidying up at home, or a visit to the shops. You decide that perhaps you’ll write tomorrow, when more inspired. But when tomorrow arrives, it looks remarkably like today, or the day before.

For many writers, procrastination is not always about laziness. It is about self-doubt and fear. A voice inside the mind that asks uncomfortable questions. Am I good enough? Has everything worth saying already been written? Who would want to read what I have to say?

And that voice has a name. Imposter syndrome, and it can fuel procrastination. For the last week or so, that has been the case for me. It started when I was reading through and editing a chapter from another project. I couldn’t get into it. What I read was a mishmash of words that were not coming together.

It felt easier to do something else.

Imposter syndrome affects writers of every level, from inexperienced to bestselling authors. It doesn’t matter where you are on the journey, because even writers who have had success find it still happens. The self-doubt and the fear of being “found out”.