Macbeth, smoking, school

My school (a reasonably respectable grammar school) was putting on a performance of Macbeth – I had a minor part in it which involved rushing (with loads of others) from the back of the hall, through the audience, screaming and shouting as we stormed the stage; we mainly shouted “Avjo”, it being a battle cry of the school incorporating the headmaster’s first name.  Moving around the school grounds whilst my towering histrionic talents were not required, I did what many 14 year old boys did in those days – had a cigarette; a master walked the other way and his only action was to say that I probably should not be doing that.

Manners and politeness

Manners and politeness were more important in the fifties than now – or that is how it seems to me. Broadly, children or teenagers would not have been rude to any adult and would have sworn a lot less; the thought of people swearing at the police (and even now, I am inclined to capitalise Police) back then is inconceivable. Schoolboys would raise their caps as they greeted and adult and would automatically remove them inside a building; many men (I think most) wore hats or caps and they too would raise them in greeting. It was normal for a child, when walking down a street, to give a polite greeting to any adult passed; adults would politely greet each other too – whether or not they knew each other. Normal too for a male to open a door for a lady or indeed any female and also to offer their seats in a bus, tube or train to any female or older male. I have seen schoolboys raise their caps to schoolgirls. I guess feminists would abhor the practise but I think it was rather nice. In those days, smoking was very widespread but it was normal, out of politeness, to ask the person in the next seat (bus, train, cafe, tube, wherever) if it was OK for them to light up. One might argue that the politeness was ritualised, maybe it was, but the result was a more polite society where it seems to me that people were less focused on demanding respect as a right than they were in simply being polite. I think that table manners were a lot better, maybe because the majority sat down at table with their family.

Smoking soothed your throat in the 50s

Can't remember the exact words but there was an advert for Craven A (a brand of cigarettes) which had the punch lines something like:
'Sore throat? Soothe it with Craven A.'
Other brands had claims that they were specially formulated not to harm your throat.
Umhhhh

Air Travel in the 50s and 60s

Most people had not travelled by air in the 50s. As a schoolboy, my tales of regular air travel were listened to with interest and the relative merits of the Viscount Turbo Prop or the twin engined Elizabethan were knowledgeably discussed by friends who had only seen pictures. Smoking was allowed although cigarettes had to be extinguished on take off or landing. I think it was only in the 70s that some separation of smokers and non smokers took place with the smokers sat in the back of the plane - but with no physical separation. Air hostesses used to hand out sweets on take off and landing to ease the ear pain caused by pressure change. Meals, included in the fare, were served on china plates with metal knives and forks - starter, main and pudding were the norm - and coffee or tea were served in cups with saucers and real glasses, not plastic, were used where appropriate.

Smoking in shops

Strange as it must seem to today's 'youngster' smoking in shops was common. Pushing a trolley around an early supermarket with a fag in the mouth was quite normal. Of course, not just in shops but in cinemas and theatres too - the ashtray was on the back of the seat in front.
You will see a number of posts concerning smoking - this is not because the writer is in favour of smoking but simply because it was such a part of life back in the old days.

Doctors in the 50s

I remember doctors in the 50s routinely making house calls and often having the requisite medicines with them; they seemed prepared to come out in the evening or at night if the patient needed it. My doctor used 2 of his own house rooms for his surgery – one as a waiting room and the other as his surgery; he seemed to deal with all his own paperwork, records and filing; an ashtray was on his desk and he used to smoke during consultations. I am pretty certain that 'back then' smoking was normal in the waiting room too!