The 60s Back in Time for the Weekend

-Meet the Ashby Hawkins family.

-Oh...Daisy!

For one summer, they're giving up the trappings of their modern lives

and travelling back in time

to live through 50 years of British weekends.

Steph, Rob, Daisy and Seth

will experience a radical transformation

in how we spend our leisure time.

I'm free!

-From the formal...

-I feel like I'm going to a wedding.

..to the frivolous.

Going on holiday!

From do-it-yourself...

to doing almost nothing.

You've turned into Wham!

Starting in 1950...

-Oh, my...

-..their own home will be their time machine...

Ooh!

-1961!

-..fast-forwarding them through a new year each day...

What on earth are you doing?

We're making a massive dartboard.

It's beige.

Oh, there's a telly up there in the corner, as well, look.

..as they discover how a social...

-..technological...

-What's that?

..and spending revolution...

ALL: Oh, my God!

..has transformed our free time for ever.

-Are you ready?

-Yes!

Last time, they lived through the frugal '50s,

when their spare time was dominated by work, not play...

Oh, my God, it's revolting!

SHE COUGHS

-HORN BEEPS

-There she goes!

Will the 1960s offer up more fun for the family?

Gin and gambling.

-I messed up the fold...

-No, you didn't.

-Look, the corners aren't going into the right place.

-That's fine.

It's 1960 and the family's functional '50s house...

# When you move in right up close to me... #

..has been replaced with a more modern, colourful design,

reflecting the confidence of the new decade.

# That's when I get the shakes all over me. #

I'm here to see what the changes to their home

could mean for the Ashby Hawkins' leisure time.

Look at this.

This house is not about make do and mend,

this is about showing off.

It's all about creating an immaculate, much more modern living space,

ornamented, lots of knick-knacks everywhere,

a bit more fancy, for a family that has now got a lot of leisure time

and wants to hang out in its groovy new space.

'60s Britain was looking to the future.

New high-speed motorways connected the country.

Modernist tower blocks climbed into the sky.

With full employment and higher wages,

most families were better off than ever before.

And the proof was all over our homes.

It's much more colourful and much brighter,

much more thoughtful furniture and this is truly the electrical age.

We've come from a point ten years ago,

when all we had was a mangle and a larder.

Now there's a hostess trolley for keeping the supper warm,

there is this extraordinary thing that we've given them

which blows hot air or just normal air - basically completely useless.

There's an electric vacuum cleaner which is very exciting

and, really, most exciting of all for Steph, there is an electric floor polisher,

because what you really need is a shiny, shiny floor.

It's very '60s. I'm sure she'll be delighted.

Throughout this experiment, everything the Ashby Hawkins do

will be guided by the Family Expenditure Survey.

Over 10,000 families a year took part in this government study,

recording their spending on everything

from an ice cream to a new sofa.

The survey gives us the best clue into how real British families were spending their leisure time.

So, already I can see that around half the family's income

is still going on the essentials,

on rent, on bills, on food, but there is more cash around.

There are luxuries here.

There's a family in Belfast who have got a television on HP,

so they're using money to express themselves

and to have a bit of fun,

but they are not rolling in it.

This survey reveals a new group of consumers emerging.

Anyone 15 or over who was filling in this survey,

so we've got a good picture of teenage life.

There's a 19-year-old here who's a cinema projectionist in the Lake District,

which sounds lovely,

and he's spending his money on beer, obviously - being a teenager,

but also on dancing, haircuts, batteries for his transistor radio.

So this is clearly the age of the teenager.

I think the Ashby Hawkins are going to be noticeably better off in the 1960s.

This is the start of the you-are-what-you-buy mentality,

which governs how we live today.

MUSIC: Apache by The Shadows

I hope that the '60s is going to be freer, lots of stuff going on.

I'm really hoping that Steph and I

and kids spend a lot more time together.

'I want to have actual leisure time,

'rather than stuck in the kitchen and cleaning.'

It's time for the family to see their remodelled '60s home.

-Ooh!

-That's fabulous!

-I'm loving the wallpaper.

-It's fabulous!

-It's zingy! It's all...

-Oh, the wallpaper's brilliant, isn't it?

It just feels groovy.

Where's the TV?

STEPH LAUGHS

Get rid of that and get a TV.

-My piano!

-Sell that and get a TV.

-Sell that! Burn it!

-Yeah. Please.

The '50s house was very brown and very shabby and this feels like

it's fresher and newer and more modern.

-Deep breath, deep breath!

-Oh, my goodness! Ooh!

-That's cool.

-Ooh!

Actually, it's not that bad.

Everything's plugged in. Everything's wired.

-And a Hoover!

-Hoover!

-Not just a Hoover.

There's a floor polisher! My domestic cup runneth over!

-Ooh! Yes, we have a fridge!

-Got a fridge!

-An electric kettle.

-Old-school kettle.

-Electric! It feels so much bigger.

It almost feels twice the size.

-A-ha! You look fabulous!

-Thank you, Charles.

-How are you enjoying your '60s house?

-It's groovy.

-That's good because you've got more leisure time.

-Yay!

Here's your manual for the '60s - a very groovy manual.

Thank you very much.

Life is changing at a different pace for different members of the family.

So, Rob, you've still got your job.

The essentials are getting a little bit cheaper, though, so you're finding, at the end of the month,

you've got a bit more money spare for things that are a bit fun.

Steph, no fantastically good news for you.

It's more housework, more domestic drudgery.

Seth, you'll be free to run around and get into trouble outdoors

and have a lot of fun, but you will be expected to pick up

certain skills from your father to prepare you for becoming a man.

-And Daisy, obviously, the '60s is the decade of the teenager.

-Yay!

And according to the Family Expenditure Survey,

teenagers did have some spare money, so who knows?

You might be in a position to have some fun,

-spend some money on yourself.

-Oh, yay, fun!

-Yeah.

So you have a bit of spare money so, in fact,

you will be able to rent the really must-have item of the 1960s,

which I've arranged to have delivered for you.

GASPS

Oh, yeah!

-That's huge! We've got a TV now!

-Amazing.

So, we love it, it's going to stay. Where's it going to go?

Get rid of the piano.

-Bye-bye, piano!

-Get rid of the piano?!

Did you hear your daughter? What do you think?

Although, yes, it's old-fashioned and it's not groovy, I think

-there's room for both.

-Modernise! Come on, Mum! Move with the times!

You're dragging me into the 1960s.

But also, that is the only '50s thing in this room.

SHE PLAYS PIANO

In the '50s, the piano was the main source of family entertainment

and one of Steph's few escapes from domestic drudgery.

But by 1960, the television had taken over British living rooms.

Mass production had pushed down prices

and 70% of households had one.

We owned more tellies than the rest of Europe put together.

And with brands like Perdio Portarama and Dynatron,

you could even buy British.

There were 20 home-grown brands compared to just one today.

Yeah, we should get rid of the piano. Piano's got to go.

It's probably a good choice. That is, you know...

Getting rid of the piano - that's what people did.

In 1960, Britain was in the midst of a massive programme

of modernisation that would change the face of the country for ever.

Old houses were being demolished in their thousands

to make way for shiny new ones.

-ARCHIVE:

-Down with the old. Up with the new.

The idea that heritage should be treasured was deeply out of fashion.

EXPLOSION

'This quest for the modern continued inside the home.

'Thousands of people threw out their pianos to make room for

'newer forms of entertainment.'

God!

And once on the scrapheap,

'60s Britain came up with a shocking new way of getting rid of them.

-ARCHIVE:

-Now let's get back and see how that piano recycle's going.

When do these students break up for the holidays?

Presumably, when they've finished this piano-breaking race!

Smashing, isn't it?

-It is not going anywhere.

-It's staying here.

-We're going to smash it up! You must be up for that?

-No.

Are you going to...

I think that's a wicked thing to do to a beautiful instrument.

-It's what they did!

-I know, but I don't think it's right!

We tried to find some 1960s-style safety goggles,

but they didn't care in those days. You don't want to get a splinter of old technology in your eye.

-I'm going to take my glasses off.

-Here we go.

-Don't say that!

I don't trust Dad with that big...

Oh! Oh!

You don't like that piano, do you?

Seen as relics of the past, these old instruments were smashed up

for fun at events across the country.

I was never musical.

SHE PLAYS PIANO

'It's my piano in the 1950s, and now it's the '60s,

'and they want to move on.'

So I've got to get with the times, really.

I'm feeling really old! Makes me feel really old cos I'm, like...

I don't know. I'm not with the kids, am I?

I want us to keep the old things

and they want to keep the new things and... God, some tension there!

-Do it!

-Go on, Mum!

-This feels wrong. This feels all kinds of wrong.

Oh, that's a good one.

Oh, that's just wrong. That's bang out of order, that is!

My work here is done.

MUSIC: Wild One by Bobby Rydell

# Oh, wild one

# I'm-a going to tame you down... #

'Guilty about smashing up the piano.'

I think, no, I am smashing up the old to bring in the new.

# Come on, wild one

# Be wild about me. #

That was just simply the most awesome fun.

I will see you later in the decade.

Carry on smashing and then watch a bit of TV.

-Yay!

-See you, Charles. Bye.

Having put the past behind them,

the Ashby Hawkins can now spend their free time enjoying

'60s entertainment beamed into their own living room.

-Tea and cake. Tea and cake.

-Oh, yay!

Shift yourselves off the table.

And do not eat the teacakes in one mouthful.

I was just reading about what's on the telly tonight.

-Ooh, what is on the telly tonight?

-Er...

-Because we've got a telly now.

-Well, it is Wednesday. Blue Peter.

-Wow!

The children's television has finished.

-That started at five and finished at six. David Attenborough.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Wow.

-That's how old David Attenborough is!

-You've given up my piano playing for this?

-Yup.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it still beats your piano.

-And it was worth it.

Yeah, totally worth it.

In 1960, British audiences only had two channels to choose from,

BBC and ITV, compared to around 60 channels today.

And before On Demand, you could only watch what was on at the time.

These days, we're finding ourselves with much more leisure time

on our hands. What to do with it all?

Well, there are lots and lots of things we can do.

One thing is the increasingly popular sport of shark fishing.

Television would come to dominate British leisure time over

the decades ahead, with the average viewer now

tuning in for 28 hours each week.

# Timing

# A tock, a tock, a tock, a tock

# A timing is the thing... #

Seth, sit back!

His hat's on fire.

'Candid Camera!

'Secretly recording you in unexpected situations,

'presented by television's comedy host, Bob Monkhouse!'

APPLAUSE

Speaker sound was a bit...

Welcome to Candid Camera, ladies and gentlemen,

the show that puts you in the picture.

-There's a pitch, isn't there?

-Ssh!

-Sorry.

Cos we're out to prove that there's

no public like the British public for laughing at itself.

Turn it over?

Shut up! You're complaining about the sound.

The reason why you can't hear it is cos you're talking!

-What should we do?

-I came in with the shoe...

I don't know what's going on, really.

They're taking one of her shoes away

-and she thinks perhaps someone's walked out with it.

-This is like...

-Oh, it's like an old version of pranking.

-Yes. Yes.

-Oh, OK.

APPLAUSE

HE LAUGHS

That's just sewn-together junk!

You always have to start somewhere and I think that's a pretty good start.

-It's a start, but it's a pretty bad one!

-I think it's really well done.

-It's a really bad one!

But it still beats your piano playing, by miles.

-WHISPERS:

-Thank you, darling.

-You're welcome.

To watch a Bob Monkhouse Candid Camera episode was a real treat.

There's no remote.

Even though there are only two channels,

you still have to get up and change the channel.

The TV kind of just shuts everyone up,

and sometimes, that's what you need, rather than

constant conversation, like it was in the '50s.

It's 1961! Yay!

Seth, you'll be delighted to know that, as it's 1961, we have...

..sliced bread!

I have Weetabix.

MUSIC: Rubber Ball by Bobby Vee

# Rubber ball I come bouncing back to you

# Rubber ball I come bouncing back... #

-In the 21st century, Rob usually makes the breakfast.

-Ooh!

But in this era, all the household chores fall to Steph.

# Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy

# Just a rubber ball... #

Seriously, if I had to do this every day of my life,

-I would be on Valium, like most of the '60s housewives.

-What's Valium?

Valium is a tranquiliser that takes you to a happy place.

And millions and millions of '60s...

particularly '60s housewives got addicted to it.

# Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy... #

Ten years earlier,

the average housewife spent 75 hours every week doing housework.

By the '60s, thanks to a host of new electrical gadgets,

this had finally fallen to a mere 44 hours.

And what better use of all that free time than

a bit of self-improvement, '60s-style?

-ARCHIVE:

-A girl can't be too careful.

She must try to be exactly right everywhere.

As the French say - they said a lot of things -

it's necessary to suffer in order to be beautiful.

In fact, it may be torture, but it'll be worth it in the end.

Putting false eyelashes on.

I have never, ever done that in my life before. I haven't got a clue.

-Seth?

-Yeah?

-Come here a sec.

As women spent more of their spare time

and money on their appearance, between 1959 and 1966,

the value of Britain's beauty market nearly doubled.

Hold it still.

-That's not right, is it?

-Actually...

-There's glue everywhere!

-It's OK.

It looks like it's sort of crawled onto your eye!

The Financial Expenditure Survey reflects this growing trend,

like this housewife from Norwich,

who spends five shillings on a tin of creme puff make-up.

I know what I look like. I look like a drag queen! Marvellous!

As well as looking good,

'60s women were also expected to be the perfect wife and mother.

# Men say they know just what would go

# To make up an ideal woman

# They talk about hair The clothes that you wear

# As part of the ideal woman

# I've got to find a man

# Who loves me as I am. #

Women and Home.

"Tips to keep your kitchen sparkling."

Lovely, just what I need.

The top-selling women's magazines were full of other useful advice.

"Don't forget to look attractive

"and bright as possible for him.

"No rollers in your hair.

"Be interested in his day,

"but don't be hurt if he doesn't ask about yours.

"If there is something wrong,

"look inside YOURSELF for the cause

"before you decide if it's your partner who's wrong."

This is about glamour whilst being subservient.

There's a whole new layer of expectation here.

VACUUM WHIRS

I think that if it were me living in the '60s in this situation,

I might have actually resented the people around me a lot.

Lift your feet up! Lift your feet up!

Sorry.

Put bluntly, what's in it for me?

I just don't really think there's much in this life for me, really.

But I've sent the Ashby Hawkins something from the '60s

to put a smile on all their faces.

HE CHUCKLES

Oh, my God!

That is fabulous.

This is like my very first car.

By 1961, 30% of households owned their own vehicle,

opening up a world of possibilities for family days out.

That's the best thing ever!

# Hit the Road, Jack

# And don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more... #

The Ashby Hawkins are now the proud owners of a Mini,

the '60s icon that would become the most successful British car of all time.

# Don't you come back no more... #

During this decade, Britain was the fourth biggest car producer in the world.

Today we're 11th, just behind Russia.

The Family Expenditure Survey reflects the rise in car ownership during the '60s

like this family of five from Chorley,

putting a down payment of £9 and ten shillings

on the loan for their new car.

You look like you've just won it in a quiz. "Well done, madam. Off you go!"

But it's not Steph who'll be in the driving seat.

Only one in ten women... HORN BEEPS

..had their licence in 1961.

It's beautiful.

Look at that, look!

SHE CHEERS

I love it.

"Dear Rob, this is a manual for your newest purchase..."

My newest purchase, thank you very much.

"..your first family car, a Morris Mini.

-"The car would have originally cost you £497."

-Wow!

"That's over ten grand in today's money.

"Today you'll have to perform some basic maintenance..."

Oh, no! I've got to perform basic maintenance checks!

"Good luck."

This is as easy as putting on a pair of false eyelashes, trust me.

-You reckon?

-Yeah..

-TELEVISION:

-'These days, garage costs are so high,

'you just have to do the work yourself.'

On Saturday mornings across the country,

men could be found tinkering beneath car bonnets.

Unlike today, when you need a computer to fix your car engine,

in the 1960s, if you didn't mind getting your hands dirty,

car maintenance was something almost any man could do.

Check oil level and top up if necessary.

So, where do you think the engine is?

Bonnet.

There we go, that's it.

An important part of being a '60s dad was teaching your son practical skills.

It's called a dipstick.

-What?

-A dipstick.

It's like a stick that you pull out.

So today, Seth is Rob's apprentice.

What about that thing there?

-Dad, that thing there.

-Yeah, yeah.

It's exactly like it. Oh, it's that, by the way. I was just testing.

-"Check coolant in radiator."

-Coolant.

That's the radiator,

we need to see the water going into the radiator, which is this thing.

"Check coolant in radiator."

When you say that, I know what the radiator is!

-Are you ready?

-Yes, turn it.

Yes, that's good.

That'll do.

Check that one off your list.

HORN BEEPS, ROB LAUGHS

We've got a car, which is pretty cool.

I really like it.

You maintain your own car.

There are experiences and bonding to get out it.

You can bond with people if you do it yourself.

It's 1962 and the Ashby Hawkins are making them most of their new motor

and taking a trip to the seaside.

And Rob's mother, Jennifer, has come along for the ride.

Are we ready?

# We're all going on a summer holiday

# No more working for a week or two

# Fun and laughter... #

By 1962, the average worker was enjoying four bank holidays

and two weeks' paid annual leave,

fuelling a boom in the British holiday industry...

Oh, this is smashing.

# We're going where the sun shines brightly... #

..and more than half of all holiday-makers travelled by car.

# We've seen it in the movies... #

But the increase in road traffic created a new problem for '60s families -

the bank holiday traffic jam.

By the middle of the decade,

seven-mile tailbacks weren't uncommon.

In 1966, the AA recorded 1,500 cars leaving London before 5am

in an attempt to avoid the jams.

# ..For me and you. #

To get a taste of a '60s seaside resort,

the Ashby Hawkins have come to an amusement park from the era.

There's a helter-skelter!

Great. It's a beautiful day, we're in Margate,

what's not to like?

It's going to be nice.

-Urgh!

-Lovely.

Don't do that in public. It's disgusting!

Pedal faster, mum! Pedal faster!

-There we go.

-This is so much fun.

It's so cool.

That's brilliant.

Rob's even brought his new Super 8 camera along

to capture the day.

The Family Expenditure Survey reflects increased spending

on days out and holidays,

like this family of three from Birmingham,

who in 1961 splashed out three shillings on the funfair

and thruppence on ice creams.

It's nice to see everyone out of the kitchen and out of the shed

and actually communicating and having a conversation.

It's really, really enjoyable.

For once, I'm not miserable about doing something

with my mum and my dad and my whole family.

I'm out and the sun's shining

-and I'm with my family...

-# Sunshine! #

-..and it's great.

-Yeah.

-It's good. It's good.

-It's lovely.

I feel free.

# Come on, let's twist again

# Like we did last summer

# Yeah, let's twist again

# Like we did last year

# Do you remember... #

Ha-ha!

No! No!

# Yeah, let's twist again

# Twisting time is here. #

Good fun. You just forget who you are and you just scream out!

-All I could hear was my mother in the back just laughing.

-Cackling!

She was, wasn't she?

STEPH CACKLES LOUDLY

It's like being on a ride with Sid James.

It was brilliant, it was really good.

SHE LAUGHS

This is what leisure time is.

-This is fun.

-Proper leisure.

-Proper leisure, pleasure and leisure. All in one, isn't it?

-More!

That's it, I'm here.

-Oh, Mum!

-STEPH:

-Take my handbag.

And for Steph, it's a real holiday.

Takeaway fish and chips on the beach means no dinner to prepare.

My day is complete.

Can I just say, here's to your mum not cooking for the first time.

Yay!

-I would say cheers.

-Cheers!

-There we go.

Here's to other people catering, yay! Woohoo!

I'm free! I'm free!

Oh, God, it feels so good.

It must be the thing that you looked forward to every day of your life.

Thinking, when am I going away next?

In the modern day, I wouldn't normally spend this length of time with my family,

unless we were all forced to go out

and then we'd probably all be on our phones if we had the chance.

The only option is to have fun with your family.

# Do you love me? #

In 1963, with full employment and high wages,

most families were enjoying a better standard of living than ever before.

80% of teenagers left school at 15

and most had full-time jobs.

They had money to burn and splashed out on clothes, magazines

and, in particular, music.

-TELEVISION:

-'Groups of youngsters like these had teamed together

'with one ambition - to top the hit parade.'

In 1955, four million singles were sold.

By 1963, it was 61 million.

The Family Expenditure Survey is full of teen spending,

like this 17-year-old from Birmingham

who buys a record and music magazine

for eight shillings and thruppence.

# For goodness' sake

# I got the hippy, hippy shake... #

To understand how teenagers spent their leisure,

historian Polly Russell has come to meet legendary DJ Tony Blackburn,

who began his radio career in the 1960s.

Tony, what was life like for teenagers in the '60s?

It was all based around music.

That's all we were interested in.

It was, what's going to be number one in the charts,

what are we going to go out and buy next week?

That is all geared around that.

The record business was enormous, you know.

And this is the first time,

really, that there's a definable identity of teenagers, isn't there?

-Yes.

-There's a market for them, there's things for them to do,

there's things for them to buy.

We didn't have quite so much from the point of view of technology,

and what we had, we were enjoying,

like these record players and going out.

Have you got the latest Beatles or Rolling Stones records?

Or Drifters or Jackie Wilson?

That's what the conversation was about.

You'd go round to somebody's house

and listen to their record collection.

-They'd come round to yours, that was it, really.

-Fantastic.

Yes, it was great.

It as the start of the teenage revolution,

but at the same time, it was quite innocent.

-Shall we play?

-Yes.

There we are.

That should drop down. There we are.

# Sweets for my sweet

# Sugar for my honey... #

There's the tone.

# Her sweet kiss thrills me so

# Sweets for my sweet

# Sugar for my honey

# I'll never, ever let you go. #

To give Daisy a taste of a leisure pursuit enjoyed by '60s teenagers,

I've sent her her own portable record player.

It's perfect for sharing her music collection with her friend Ella,

up in her bedroom and away from the old folks.

Wow, that plays...

That's really good!

# I like it

# I like the words you say. #

OK, so...

-Clap.

-Wait.

Then clap.

Cross your hands...

Oh, yes, this is so easy.

THEY CLAP IN TIME

And then what's this?

Machines like this Dansette gave teenagers the freedom

to enjoy their music when and where they wanted.

The same way, then you do this.

'Having my own space and being able to go upstairs and get out

'and listen to this awesome music

'that's just so happy and fast.'

I feel more like a teenager more than a mini-mum.

It's really nice, cos it separates me from my parents,

cos obviously, my parents don't listen to this music,

so it's really lovely.

# I like it, I like it... #

Daisy! Daisy!

Daisy!

'Yes?'

Can you turn up, please? Cos... # I like it! I like it! #

I think as '60s parents, we probably wouldn't have liked it.

But I like it.

# I like it... #

So does he!

# I like it

# I like the funny feeling being here with you... #

I am really enjoying the 1960s.

I've got new stuff,

I've actually changed, Mum has stayed the same.

I think change is always good.

I'm still not getting the leisure vibe.

I know we went out yesterday and we had a lovely time...

..but today it's Saturday night...

..and I'm in without any wine,

having had a most revolting Vesta curry.

And I'm washing it down with a cup of tea and a Tunnock's teacake

and that's as exciting as it gets on a Saturday night.

SHE SIGHS

# What a kooky little paradise

# What a kooky little paradise... #

1964.

DOORBELL RINGS

I've sent Rob one of the more popular men's mags of the decade.

HE CHUCKLES

Wow!

That's fabulous.

By the mid-60s, DIY was not just for functional repair work any more.

It's now about aspiration and modernisation.

Leading the way was TV's Barry Bucknell,

whose series had an estimated five million viewers tuning in for advice every week.

Hello, I want to talk about pelmets this week.

And it's surprising, you know,

what a difference a pelmet does make to a room.

As thousands of people turned dated old properties

into contemporary modern homes,

weekends were spent getting rid of the period fixtures and fittings

we now pay a premium for.

"Dear Rob, here are some instructions

"for transforming your fireplace to make a..."

SETH SIGHS, STEPH LAUGHS

"..to make a very modern living room."

I'm really thrilled.

There's two of them.

There's covering the door and boxing in a fireplace.

It's going to be finished with an electric fire in front.

-Wow!

-You mean instant heat?

Out of this world!

-We love a bit more electricity.

-Are you going to help me with it?

-Yes, OK. Why not.

-I need someone to blame in case it goes wrong!

Unlike the majority of '60s men,

DIY isn't something Rob usually chooses to do at the weekend.

That way.

Yes!

-There we go.

-I know what I'm doing.

They've boxed everything up in the '60s and come the '80s and '90s,

we unbox it all again. It's like a little Christmas present.

I suppose it was the fashion of the time.

Wallpaper first, Seth. What do you think?

This could be awkward if your walls aren't square.

If we have real trouble cutting a fine edge,

we'll just push the rug closer to the fireplace...

What we're trying to achieve is a nice, smooth, buckle-free finish.

What do you think? Stand back.

-That looks...

-It's actually not that bad.

When it's cut off,

you can then use the gauge to square off the edges.

Now when your glue's thoroughly dry,

you can then trim around the edge

to remove the extra eighth of an inch.

BANGING

-STEPH:

-Cor, noisy!

I'm coming in to see how you're getting on... Wow!

-Hello!

-Hello! I've got a new lamp, as well.

-Fantastic.

-Ready?

Oh, yeah.

-That just...yeah. Are you happy with your lamp?

-I love it.

What about your fireplace surround?

I've never, ever wallpapered in my life.

I think it's really ugly.

You've done a...a thorough job of it...

but I just think it's really ugly.

You looked really hurt, actually, when I said that.

You looked... You're threatening me with a hammer!

You looked really, genuinely hurt

when I said that I thought it looked horrible.

# Right, said Fred

# Both of us together

# One each end and steady as we go... #

-BANGING

-Oh, yes.

# Tried to shift it

# Couldn't even lift it

# We was getting nowhere

# And so we had a cup of tea and

# Right, said Fred

# Give a shove to Charlie

# Up comes Charlie from the floor below... #

Seamless.

# After straining, heaving and complaining

# We was getting nowhere

# And so we had a cup of tea

# And Charlie had a think... #

-You can have one or the other, you can have cabbage or sweetcorn. Which one?

-Cabbage.

But in 1964, it wasn't just our houses that we were modernising.

-RADIO:

-'This afternoon, Her Majesty the Queen

'invited me to form a government, which I'm now in the process of doing.'

New Prime Minister Harold Wilson had seized on this zest for the new in his election campaign,

urging Britain to embrace "the white heat of technology".

No building reflected this change more than London's Post Office Tower...

..which opened in 1965.

-TELEVISION:

-'In ultramodern works like the Post Office Tower,

'now reaching up over Central London,

'many skills combine as the engineers climb upwards

'into the world of tomorrow.'

At 600 feet, it towered above London.

-TELEVISION:

-'First, the high-speed lift to the 35th floor and the cocktail bar.'

'The lift is now travelling at 1,400 feet a minute.'

Oh, ear pop!

That is quite fast.

I'm meeting Nicola Millard, innovation specialist for BT,

to find out what this amazing building actually did.

Well, basically, the BT Tower is a very big antenna.

It was the heart of the microwave radio network.

So, that was the principal transmission means

for the telecoms network in the 1960s.

In the days before satellites and fibre-optic cables,

the tower was at the heart of a network

that beamed phone and television signals around the country.

Microwave radio was really one huge solution

to actually making sure that we could route both television calls and TV broadcasts.

And the tower was absolutely critical to that.

It's amazing that it actually did stuff.

I'm sure people just looked at it and thought, "Yes, nice building,"

and then didn't give it another thought.

Absolutely, and I will say, you know,

it's symptomatic of how absolutely critical it was

that it was an official secret almost as soon as it opened.

It didn't actually stop being an official secret until 1994.

What, you mean people weren't allowed to know that it was here?

-It was not on any Ordnance Survey maps.

-You're kidding!

I'm boggled by that.

You were supposed to walk past it, sort of...shading your eyes?

What was the secret?

It was so core both to the telecoms network and the broadcast network

that work that it was regarded as a very critical piece of UK property.

Despite the huge expansion of the telephone network,

few people in the mid-'60s had their own phones.

The Ashby Hawkins are among the vast majority of the population

who still have to leave home to make a call.

-Now...

-Wow. Look at that, that's so cool.

Are we going to be calling some people?

I hope so.

I'm surprised and a little disappointed that you knew what it was.

-Well, it says at the top.

-So it does.

So you need that information.

-This is a thing with which you're familiar?

-Yes. Yes, yes.

They have them on the street. It's where people wee in when they get drunk.

But once upon a time, people used them for making telephone calls.

Have you ever used a telephone box?

No. I've got a mobile.

Are you aware that at this time in the '60s,

75% of people didn't have a telephone?

What, really?

They had to use this. A telephone call at that time cost sixpence.

-It's worth about 50p now.

-Really?

You got about a minute for that.

-So...

-I spend, like, an hour on the phone.

So, that would be...

ten minutes is five pounds, so an hour would be £30.

-Have you got £30 worth of stuff to say to your friends?

-Nope.

Right.

-Who's going in first...

-Seth.

..to this terrifying piece of technology?

It is a bit cramped.

It's quite disgusting. Your phone is your phone and you do what you want.

But this is everyone... everyone touching it.

Why don't we make a phone call? Dial your own phone number.

That's not how you make a telephone call!

You've got to lift the receiver.

DIAL WHIRS

That is the sound of the '60s.

-Quite slow.

-This is very long.

It's a world away from their smartphones,

but in the '60s, a public phone box was the closest thing to social media.

I use my phone for about four hours in the evening.

What do you say to them?!

We just talk about stuff.

-So you just phone up and talk rubbish because it's free?

-Yes.

In those days it was expensive, so you had to think about what you wanted to say

to make it worthwhile to make a phone call.

I did kind of miss my actual mobile

because I just felt like it would be a lot easier.

I didn't actually have to remember people's numbers off by heart

or look them up in the GIANT phone book.

MUSIC: Match of the Day Theme

It's 1966, a year fixed in the mind of England fans across the country.

Sir Trevor Brooking, one of the era's sporting heroes,

is bringing a game that capitalised on the nation's obsession with football.

-Hi, Rob.

-Hello, Sir.

-Nice to see you.

-Thought I'd bring my Subbuteo along. Is that OK?

-Oh, wow. Come on in.

You are most welcome to my house. Come on in, please.

Gentlemen, I give you Sir Trevor Brooking.

-This is Seth, is it?

-Yes.

-My son, Seth.

-Very good.

-And...

-Harvey.

-Yes.

-There we are.

I've got my Subbuteo here, do you fancy a game?

BOTH: OK.

I'm not very good at it, but, er...

Well, it should be a good match, then.

It will be us versus you, then.

THEY LAUGH

Subbuteo was the Fifa 16 of its day.

The new 3D figures introduced in the '60s

sent sales rocketing with 300,000 sets sold each year.

With miniature versions of all the teams,

'60s boys could play football indoors with their heroes.

Let's think about this strategically.

-Where are you going to play it?

-(Let's get some of these guys...)

I'd like to point out, lads,

that you can't have a 30-second discussion during the match

about what you're going to do!

You've got to do this instinctively.

In the '60s, a million people attended live matches every Saturday.

-TV:

-'Saturday afternoon is the peak of this boy's week he'd never miss.

'He's the first and, behind him, there's a whole army.'

And, at just 20p a ticket,

it was an affordable way for fathers and sons across the country

to enjoy quality time together.

-TV:

-'Everyone forgets their own worries.

'If their team wins, they too will feel the achievement of victory.'

REFEREE'S WHISTLE

From the terraces to the dining room table,

it was a golden age of football.

Sir Trevor began his career in 1965, signing for local team West Ham.

Well saved!

'64, won the FA Cup, '65, the Cup Winners' Cup.

And then, all biased West Ham fans will tell you, of course,

West Ham won the World Cup in 1956!

I've actually heard that, yeah.

Because we had three players in the team.

-TV:

-'Reaching to beat the whistle,

'Geoff Hurst saw an opening in the defence

'and achieved a hat-trick.'

The game's popularity reached a high point in 1966

when England triumphed at the World Cup.

-CROWD:

-We won the Cup!

CHEERING AND WHISTLING

The success of '66, the whole country was buzzing about football.

Then, of course, in the East End, the actual parties, street parties,

went on for days, really.

But, of course, as years gone by,

the significance of it grows even greater because,

I've got to say, in 1966, we thought England

would always be in contention,

and there were other World Cups to follow.

-Come on, come on, come on!

-Unlucky, Harvey.

And they think it's all over...

-ALL:

-Oh!

What a save.

# It's not unusual to be loved by anyone... #

With the house overrun by football obsessed men,

Daisy and friend Ella are heading off to try the teenage craze

available in phone boxes across the country.

# But when I see you hanging about with anyone

# It's not unusual to see me cry

# I wanna die... #

GIRLS GIGGLE

# It's not unusual to go out... #

On a modern smartphone, you can stream music

and store thousands of songs.

In 1966, phones started playing pop music on demand too.

If you didn't mind calling Dial-a-Disc on 160,

and listening to the track playing that day.

-BOTH:

-# It's not unusual... #

THEY MUMBLE THE LYRICS

# No matter what you say... #

'60s teenagers loved it.

Within a decade, it was receiving 70 million calls a year.

Do you love it? I do love the whole dancing in a phone box.

It's a good way to get away from your parents.

You can storm out of the house, call a number, and dance.

And that's quite fun, I think that's a really good thing.

OK, OK, yeah, yeah.

-Yes! Yes!

-You're good at just touching it. All right.

THEY SCREAM AND LAUGH

Harvey took the glory, he should have left it to Seth.

That's a good shot, that's good,

because you've got a player in the 18-yard box.

Yeah!

TREVOR LAUGHS

I was thinking, shall I be gentle? Then I thought, no, be ruthless.

I'm sure they'd have been exactly the same.

It's all part of the learning curve.

# But when I see you hanging about with anyone

# It's not unusual to see me cry

# I wanna die... #

It was amazing.

To play Subbuteo with the fabulous Sir Trevor Brooking.

And it has inspired me to take Seth to a match.

After today, I think it would be really nice if I took Seth

to go and watch West Ham, to see what Trevor was talking about.

To see the Hammers in action.

It'll be good seeing you mow the lawn.

-It's normally me who mows the lawn.

-I'm not hearing drum rolls!

SHE SINGS A FANFARE

As the man of the house,

it's Rob's responsibility to maintain the garden.

MOWER ENGINE STARTS

Ooh, it purrs like a...kitten.

In the '60s, the back yard transformed from a place to grow veg

into an area that was as stylish and modern as the rest of the house.

-TV ARCHIVE:

-'The lawn is an essential and dominant feature

'of any good garden. A good lawn is not difficult to maintain.

'But it does need careful and regular attention

'throughout the year.'

In the quest for the perfect striped lawn,

the 1960s gardener harnessed the new technology of the day.

From highly poisonous chemicals to keep the weeds under control,

to a state-of-the-art petrol mower

to produce those beautiful, straight lines.

-TV ARCHIVE:

-'The direction in which the machine is used

'should vary from cut to cut.'

The Financial Expenditure Survey

reflects this growing passion for gardening.

Like this family in Lincoln, who spent nine shillings threepence

on liquid manure, grass seed and pest control powder.

# Down the road I look and there runs Mary

# Hair of gold and lips like cherries

# It's good to touch the green, green grass of home. #

Loving it, absolutely loving it. Now I can see the lines coming through,

it's worth doing.

# Beneath the green, green grass of home. #

What do you think, what do you think?

Steph, if you could just walk down on that path, that way.

And when you come up, just walk up on the left.

Now, the light colour is down.

You didn't do it clear enough, Dad.

Hour-and-a-half I was out here doing it.

-It's nice, huh?

-Looks lovely.

It's neat and tidy, thanks to Rob

and his meticulous efforts with the grass!

And this, now, is a nice, big room added to the house, so, it's lovely.

A very different feel than '50s, very different.

It is about leisure, isn't it?

With the lawn beautifully maintained,

it's back to the washing-up for Steph

as the men of the house settle down for some must-see viewing.

With only three channels to choose from in 1957,

a series on origami became appointment to view.

ORIENTAL-THEMED MUSIC INTRODUCTION

And a very big welcome to the inner sanctum.

Now, you can't do origami without paper.

-White side up, and fold this corner to that corner...

-OK.

Make a little cross in the middle.

Now, having done that corner, do this corner.

-It's going too quickly.

-Now, fold all the corners to the middle.

-Oh, God, I messed...

-You haven't, quick.

-Hold those into the corner.

-I messed up the folding.

-You didn't.

I did, the corners aren't going into the right place.

If you're not catching up, well, never mind,

perhaps you will next time. I think you will if you try.

No, I can do it again.

No, you won't, you're going to miss it.

Fold the whole thing in half like that.

-It doesn't work.

-Done it. Oh, I messed up what he did then.

Fold that side the middle. Like the door of a long cupboard.

-What?

-Now, hold it like that, please.

SETH GASPS

And fold it in half diagonally across there.

Put it round the other way and you'll find it stands up like that,

-and really looks jolly good.

-SETH LAUGHS

There is a water lily.

A beautiful decoration.

Whoo!

Huh? Not bad, is it, first time?

Today was great because me and Seth have spent some time together.

We've always had a really good relationship,

but he's coming to that age now

where he's just off out with his mates now.

So, a lovely day, really nice, love being with my son.

Ladies, it's 1968.

Ooh!

In 1968, Swinging London was setting trends around the world.

Today, Daisy and Steph are going to meet a '60s icon

who was at the heart of it all, Sandie Shaw.

# Like a puppet on a string... #

Best known for her pop hits, Sandie also ran her own fashion label.

-Daisy and Steph.

-Yes. Hello!

-Hi.

-Good to meet you. Hello.

-Hi.

-Oh, I love your hair.

-Thank you.

-It's amazing.

She's going to show Daisy how '60s teenagers

kept up with the latest styles.

So, the '60s was an amazing time,

because it was the time of the teenager.

We started doing our own fashions,

as they weren't in the shops straight away.

These are the kind of colours that remind me of that time.

They're kind of a bit ugly.

There were no pretty-pretty colours,

no pastels or anything like that.

I'll show you some pictures.

This is like the first, the beginning of the '60s.

-You see the length of the dress.

-Mm. It's really nice.

This is the middle of the '60s, where it crept higher.

-Your famous, famous dress.

-Yes.

And this one is how it reached by '68,

that was in my own dress range.

It's really short, isn't it?

-Very short.

-Did you have to wear really big knickers?

No, you didn't wear knickers, you wore tights.

STEPH GASPS

-And no pants?

-No.

-Whoa!

-I'm sorry, is that a bit rude?

The main thing about it is that we didn't look like our mums.

Whatever it was you wanted to do, you'd have to make yourself.

That was the fun of it, because you were making this whole new world

and they didn't know what it was about.

We thought we could change the world.

We thought we could change politics.

Do you know, we didn't just stop,

we started going outwards by '68 to see how we could

-change how things were, to make it more suitable for us.

-Yeah.

It was the freedom to say and do, think and feel, as you thought fit.

It was that.

MUSIC: All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

By the end of the '60s,

teenagers had become a powerful cultural force.

One in 20 teens were now going to university.

The availability of the pill was shaking things up.

And the young took to the streets to make their voices heard.

This generation's coming-of-age marked a shift

from the old, conservative values,

to the more liberal, progressive Britain of today.

Even if they weren't marching, '60s teens could still demonstrate

their independence with what they wore.

# Eagerly pursuing all the latest fads and trends

# Cos he's a dedicated follower of fashion. #

Inspired by Sandie, Daisy's having a go at some do-it-yourself fashion,

with mum Steph's help.

Beautiful, straight stitching, and you'll be done.

The Family Expenditure Survey shows this family in Watford

splashed out double their monthly mortgage payment

on a new sewing machine for their daughter's birthday.

DAISY SINGS A FANFARE

The mod skirt.

Wow!

The '60s must have felt like this exciting time,

because everything's changing. And it's more targeted at teenagers.

Especially for a 16-year-old girl,

it must have been really, really exciting

because it's all about you.

# Five, four, three, two, one... #

While teenagers were busy trying to change the world,

there was a glimmer of hope for their housebound mums.

They finally had a hobby of their own.

# Five, four, three, two, one. #

Bingo.

Leaving behind her domestic duties for the night,

Steph's trying her luck at this popular pastime.

I'm out of the kitchen.

I can't tell you how much it means to me to be out.

-It's just so great.

-Scrubbing the floor?

With all my mates, I love it, cheers, ladies!

-ALL:

-Cheers.

Gin and gambling.

It doesn't get any better than that, does it, surely?

The loosening of gambling laws earlier in the decade

had the unexpected consequence of creating a bingo mania.

At a time when pubs were still a male domain,

bingo halls became a popular place for '60s housewives

to have a bit of fun

and forget about the ironing for an hour or two.

Red nine.

-Blue 48.

-Oh, my God, it's really fast!

-White 79.

White 68. Blue 58.

Yellow 38. Yellow 40.

White 64.

I'm so stressed!

White 74.

The Expenditure Survey shows a housewife in Newcastle

spending four shillings on the game.

-Oh, I've got a line, I've got a line!

-Shout!

-Bingo!

-THEY GIGGLE

BINGO CALLER CONTINUES

Red 12. Yellow 25.

He's still going.

I'm really stressed.

I don't...

This will be good for your mind.

It's the only thing in the '60s that would be good for your mind

-as a housewife, trust me.

-And the gin.

And the gin, actually, yeah. Here's to gin again.

-ALL:

-Gin again.

-Thank goodness for the gin.

I can understand why people did it in their droves, frankly.

Because, you know, it's just out and about having fun.

No men, no-one telling you what to do.

Relaxing. Drinking gin.

And maybe this was the start of actually women escaping,

and this was the thin end of the wedge in terms of saying,

"Well, I'm doing something for me, get used to it."

And, hopefully, this galvanised women into

pushing for a bit more freedom.

Once you get a taste of it, you don't want to let it go.

..42. Red 18. White 72...

# Ground control to Major Tom

# Ground control to Major Tom... #

It's 1969, and the family have invited friends round

to mark the end of the decade, and witness a very special event.

It's a space party. This is the landing on the moon.

This is, like, one of the key points in history.

It's quite extraordinary, we've gone from mangles

to landing on the moon in a handful of years.

This just extraordinary.

And if that's not worth making an Angel Delight flan for,

I don't know what is!

# This is ground control to Major Tom... #

I'm back to experience this decade's defining moment with the family.

THEY CHEER

-1969.

-July 21.

-Yep.

Eight days later, an even more significant thing will happen.

-You were born.

-Spot on.

THEY CHEER

She knows, because it was big news at the time.

THEY GIGGLE

-TV ARCHIVE:

-'Astronauts Neil A Armstrong, Edwin E Aldrin

'and Michael Collins, the three men who will make

'the next and most historic round-trip to the moon.'

On 21 July 1969,

one billion people tuned in to watch man's first step on the moon.

Even to beam the pictures from the moon to here was pretty special,

-let alone actually landing on it.

-This is absolutely amazing.

I'm getting goose bumps.

-TV:

-'If you stand on the ladder facing forward,

'the minus-Y strip is the landing gear to your left.'

INDISTINCT REPLY FROM ASTRONAUT

'Roger, we copy.'

'It's one small step for man...'

Wow.

'..one giant leap for mankind.'

THEY ALL GASP

That's amazing.

'Columbia, this is Houston, reading you loud and clear.'

That was... My heart just went, whoa!

The moon landing brought the decade to a close in spectacular style.

No party would be complete without the sausage and prawn ring.

THEY GASP

-Daisy, rude! Guests.

-No!

-Guests.

But did the '60s swing for the family?

So, how was the '60s for you, was it liberating?

Not for me, it wasn't.

Why not? You had exciting new utensils.

I had exciting new utensils, but I was still stuck in the kitchen.

All the liberation and the Swinging Sixties

was going on without me, I'm afraid. Because I'm too old.

I'm too old. I'm not 16.

# People try to put us down... #

I'm still chained to the kitchen sink. It's a slightly shinier sink.

The Swinging Sixties passed me by completely.

And here I am, just doing the same old thing in a different dress.

I think it's been quite nice, because I have

spent quite a lot of time with my dad through the '60s.

'You sort of drift away in modern day.

'You don't even know you're doing it because it happens so slowly.'

But then you suddenly realise you no longer spend any time

with your dad, which is kind of a bit sad.

# Talking about my generation... #

I do feel the sense that I have my own voice now, I can speak out loud.

I think there's a massive gateway for teenagers now

to just make this their own.

# My generation

# It's my generation... #

The '60s for me has been togetherness as a family,

and that's been lovely. It's been a coming together of the four of us.

We've done a lot more smiling and laughing together in the '60s.

And I got to play football in the lounge with Trevor Brooking.

HE LAUGHS

Compared to the '50s, they clearly cheered up.

Compared with the 21st century, yes,

they're still lacking in a few departments.

Steph is disappointed. She thought she was going to be freer.

But things will change, but slower than she imagined.

But they all acknowledge that things have looked up from the '50s

and, frankly, today, a man landed on the moon. So, anything could happen.

# Wait a minute!

# It isn't silly No, it isn't silly,

# Love isn't silly at all. #

Next time...

the family have even more time together.

-Who's looking forward to going camping?

-Yay!

-Yay!

I was not born to stand in a muddy field trying to put together

a stupid tent with no proper instructions.

And even more stuff to play with.

I've brought you a new car.

Like the conveyor belt stuff on The Generation Game,

there's this, this and a cuddly toy.

It's just, there's so much stuff.

# How can I tell you about my loved one?

# How can I tell you about my loved one?

-# I love you

-How can I tell you

# About my loved one? #