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”.

Did You Know… Life in 1960s Britain: From Wembley 1966 to World Cup 2026 - How Football Went From Affordable Glory to Premium Prices

 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now well under way, and for those of us of a certain age, it’s hard not to think back to another summer that still holds a special place in British sporting history.

1966.

The year England last won the World Cup.

That was the year when commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme said the immortal words:

“Some people are on the pitch… they think it’s all over… it is now!” as Geoff Hurst hit the fourth goal that gave England victory over West Germany, 4–2.

And sixty years later, England opened their 2026 campaign with a 4–2 defeat of Croatia. The scoreline is a coincidence, but a reminder of 1966, as England try to end “sixty years of hurt”.

Time will tell.

But there is one very noticeable difference about the 2026 World Cup, compared to 1966. How much it now costs for fans to actually watch a game in person. 

2026 is the year when ordinary supporters attending the biggest football tournament on Earth might just need to take out a second mortgage to finance their desire to watch football. For the fans of the two teams that get to the final, following them all the way will cost a small fortune.

One big change in the game of football since the 1960s and 70s, is the impact of money on the sport, especially big tournaments like the World Cup.

It is now a commercial extravaganza.

The World Cup in 1966: The People’s Game — Football for Everyone

When England hosted the World Cup in 1966, football was still very much a working-class game. People would attend games in their working clothes. Some still wore a cloth cap, with a rosette pinned to their chest, a scarf around their neck, and a rattle in hand.

And to attend a game at the World Cup back then was cheap. Football fans today might be surprised as to how cheap it actually was.

As today, ticket prices varied depending on the match and seating area, but contemporary reports show that some supporters were able to buy tickets for as little as five shillings (25p in pre-decimal currency). Even the best seats for many World Cup games cost only a few pounds.

And yes, there were tickets for the actual final, priced at five shillings.

That may sound impossibly cheap today, and by comparison to 2026, it was!