Between Christmas and the New Year.

Between Christmas and the New Year.

Author: Ray’s Rants UK December 28, 2025 Duration: 37:25
Between Christmas and the New Year. Christmas is over. We've done Christmas Eve, Christmas day, Boxing Day... Now, we only have the New Year to see in. And then, it's time to look forward to the spring! 

Step into a time machine made of memory and anecdote with Ray’s Rants Life in the 1950s 1960s 1970s Great Britain. Hosted by Ray’s Rants UK, this isn't a dry history lesson, but a vivid, personal tour through three transformative decades. You’ll hear the crackle of pirate radio stations like Caroline breaking the monopoly of the airwaves and feel the beat of a British music explosion that brought Jimi Hendrix to London and made The Rolling Stones household names. The atmosphere is in the details: the distinctive taste of a Watney's Red Barrel in a crowded pub, the sweet fizz of a Babycham or Cherry B in a nightclub, and the swish of flared trousers and miniskirts on a Saturday night. This podcast digs into the full texture of everyday life, from the humdrum realities of the workplace and the cars people drove, to the family dynamics around the television set and the simple pleasures of English holidays. Ray rants and reminisces about what school was like for kids back then, the challenges and freedoms of family life, and how social norms for girls and women were shifting. Each episode is a conversation starter, a collection of stories that paints a complete picture of society and culture in post-war Britain. For anyone who lived through it, or for those curious about how it really felt, this podcast offers an authentic, ground-level view you won't find in textbooks.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 200

Ray’s Rants Life in the 1950s 1960s 1970s Great Britain girls England family UK work school British music night clubs pubs fashion pirate radio Caroline English holidays television
Podcast Episodes
Further Education, Technical College, Adult Classes in the 1960s [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:27
Back in the 60s, many people who had left school were keen to go back to college to learn a trade. Women wanted to learn secretarial skills such as typing and shorthand. Men could learn bricklaying, car mechanics or many…
Midweek Message 170. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:50
The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is quite delightful... That's a Christmas song, and you'd think it was winter here. Rain, wind, cold... Stone the crows! No point in moaning about it, but I will!
Trip to Pulborough Brooks. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:02
In this episode, Tricia and I visit the RSPB reserve at Pulborough in West Sussex. Visit their website here. Also, what were pubs like back in the 1960s? Were they just boozers? Or, were they an integral part of the comm…
Midweek Message 169. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:33
Do you remember recording music from Pick of the Pops on a Sunday evening? The old reel to reel tape recorder whirling away, recording your favourite tracks. More on nicknames, gardens, the doctor... and more!
The Great Storm of 1987 plus What's In A Name? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:37
Do you remember the great storm of 1987 here in the UK? What a shock it was! The National Grid sustained heavy damage, leaving thousands without power. It was astonishing that the weather reports failed to predict a stor…
Midweek Message 168. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:34
This Sunday, I'll be chatting about people's names. Old names, new names, double-barrelled names… How many Christian names do you have? Also, I'll be recalling the events during the storm of 1987 here in Britain. Please,…
Things We No Longer Have Or See In The UK. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:09
Who remembers the iconic Hoovermatic Twintub washing machine? A staple in British homes during the 1960s, it was incredibly popular. And what about the Rolls Dishwasher that perched on the kitchen draining board? Join us…
Midweek Message 167. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:58
Who remembers the iconic Hoovermatic Twintub washing machine? A staple in British homes during the 1960s, it was incredibly popular. And what about the Rolls Dishwasher that perched on the kitchen draining board? Join us…
Traditional English Food, Pubs, Shops... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:27
What is traditional English food? Dishes like bubble and squeak, meat and two veg, toad in the hole, shepherd's pie and fish and chips come to mind. In this episode, Tricia chats about classic English meals, going all th…