Do you remember March 1968?

Springfield Old Boys substitute John Oakes made footballing history in March 1968 when he was ordered off without even playing. In the only incident in a tense game between Kingsley Youth Club Oakes ran on to the pitch with several spectators when a skirmish developed between players and fans. The ref ordered him from the field and to the dressing room. Had a Springfield player been injured, Oakes still wearing a track suit could not have been bought on.

The after effects of the Foot and Mouth epidemic that had hit Staffordshire earlier in 1968 were gradually becoming overcome. The first distressed sale of cattle after the outbreak took place at Waterfall. It should have taken place the previous November. Another sign of a return of normality was the first wedding after the epidemic which took place at Rushton Church when Miss Christine Knowles married Roland Sales. Endon Secondary Schools annual cross country took place with a slight change of route because of the disease. One school record was broken when John Lockey romped home some distance ahead of the second place runner getting back in 14minutes 38 seconds.

The Easter school leaver had plenty of choice with many companies vying for their employment. All the major employers in North Staffs were featured in a 8 page spread with particular large adverts from Slimma, Wardles and White's . The most attractive opportunity for the young person in North Staffordshire at the time was probably the apprenticeship at the Michelin with opportunities in draughtsman, craft and technology and business administration. Perhaps the most poignant promotion was a full page spread for the National Coal Board- “Coal's heading for a bright future -be part of it”. Of course from the perspective of 2013 we now know that Coal in North Staffordshire had under 20 years before the last pit closed. The advice of the local paper for the young worker was as telling then it is now “ The Easter school leaver would be wise to look ahead . He will be tempted by the job that paid the most money. However, if he is wise he will look further ahead In a technological world the man without skills will be in an increasingly difficult position”

Language of 1968 used to describe vulnerable people would make people today wince if used now. Take the group that would be referred to as people with learning difficulties the words used then were brutal. Reporters were taken on a visit to the Adult Training Centre where “ subnormal and socially inadequate” young people were made work ready. The unit offered training in self reliance, work attitude and abilities to work without supervision. The ATC had contracts to supply work for the GPO amongst others. The article noted the importance of relationships between “ the normal and the subnormal” which can be beneficial to both. Normal youngsters learn to understand that there are people less fortunate and there is satisfaction obtained from helping others”

A distinguished visitor to Leek High's prize giving was the Speaker of the House of Commons Dr Horace King who spoke to the pupils feeling that he had to explode one of the myths about Parliament that it “consists of faceless men belonging to the party block without minds of their own. No two Labour men and no two Tory men are the same.” He was probably correct in that the Parliament of the 60s contained such giants as Enoch Powell and Michael Foot as well as people with great experience of life in peace and war.

Councillors discussed whether the controversial film of the novel “Ulysses” should be shown in Leek. Reluctantly they agreed that it should be shown. Some Councillors felt that they should protect the public from itself. Cllr John Sales believed that if people wanted to see the film they ought to be allowed “ to roll in your own moral and intellectual excreta”.

Do you remember March 1970?

1970 saw the passage of the equal pay act a major step in women's rights . The legislation was the result of the pressure applied to the Labour Government by actions such as the strike at Ford's Motor Company over equal pay- the subject of the film “Made in Dagenham . Job adverts of the time are a good place to start looking at the obstacles that females faced in the workplace. In Leek women with families were encouraged to apply for the “Housewives Shift” , an innovation in employment practices, at Weston Street Mill. Female typists were required for Thomas Boltons at Froghall and at Gush and Dent a “keen young lady” was needed. The evidence that men and women were paid differently was apparent. In March a report of the Association of Manufacturers and Dyers published their minimum pay rates for a 40 hour week, for Men the rate was £14 and for women £11. It should be said that local Trade Unions were not overtly concerned in closing the gap as they tended to be male dominated

An unspoken social problem was domestic violence and the 70s saw it for the first time being debated openly. During March 1970 the local paper reported two cases in Leek and Cheadle. One of the incidents was described as a “domestic tiff” The book “ Scream Quietly or the neighbours would hear” was published in the decade. Erin Pizzey detailed her experiences of establishing a woman’s refuge in West London. (Her belief that the problem of violence against women was widespread is born out of my own experiences in Stoke. As a child I once see a woman attacked in the street.}  As she wrote in the introduction to her book “ as long as the myth of the Princess and the frog continues then young women will believe that a good woman can save any man and the ugly frog will turn into a Prince”.

Language was an important weapon in objectifying women. Young women attending a weekend Duke of Edinburgh course were referred to as “Dollies”. The Dollies in question -28 young women- spent a weekend at Ilam Youth Hostel taking courses on make up, cake decoration and fashion. Even in well meaning examples, the words used can be jarring to the modern ear. The principal of Leek College congratulated Leek woman Catherine Turner who had been selected to visit the USSR and study education methods going on to say that “she was part of a memorable band of housewives who had pioneered day classes for GCE exams”.

Domesticity was a quality prized and it was a attribute nurtured across the area by Women's Institutes- at the height of their popularity- where there was a perceived need to pass on housewifery skills across the generations. The WI had branches in most communities. In Rushton they had a talk on the new decimal coverage starting up the following February. Greenaway Moor were shown a film of Max Bygraves promoting Dutch Cheese, Tean a session on cake making. Mothers Union added to the sense as they pledged to perform their duties “they owe their husband, their children and their God”. At schools girls were taught domestic science concentrating on home making reinforcing the traditional role of women

Leek Ladies Hockey team were going from strength to strength in the early spring of 1970. After defeating Newcastle they had become the undisputed champions of the county. In this victory they had relied on three goals from Patsy Allen centre forward, The reporter was of the opinion that they had won because, “they had greater fire power up front and they commanded the centre of the field with the authority of an all conquering army”

Ali Barba's Club in Milton were running regular strip shows on a Tuesday alternating with a stag comedian. One can presume it was not a very sophisticated night out and little prospect of the “Second Sex” or “Female Eunuch” being discussed

October 1962- Cuban Missile Crisis recalled

We are coming up to the 50^th anniversary of a time, which was nearly the end for humanity in October 1962. It was the occasion that the Soviet Union and the United States almost went to war over the siting of Soviet missiles on Cuba the Caribbean island off the coast of Florida. President Kennedy issued a series of ultimatums to Soviet President Kruschev demanding that the missiles, which could easily reach cities on the eastern seaboard of the United States, be removed. The US Navy began a naval blockade of the island with the tacit threat of firing on any Soviet ships. October 24^th was the peak of the crisis. The Soviets relented and the possibility of a nuclear war passed. It was a close thing

I was 7 at the time. I can dimly recall the tense atmosphere of the time when the threat of nuclear war was a real possibility. A physical reminder of those nervous times was evident just across the road from where I lived. Somebody had painted on a war close to Stoke Railway station in large letters the slogan NO WAR OVER CUBA. The graffiti was so discernible that it stayed there for many years.

However reading the newspapers of the time there is no evidence that fear gripped the populace although it is likely that fears were deliberately surpressed by a Government keen not to panic the general public. The burning question for example that animated the parish councillors of Tean as the real prospect of atomic Armageddon approached was the fear that local couples were making out in a local telephone box. A Horton farmer Mr Bailey had photographed an odd shaped vegetable- a potato that looked like a rabbit. A letter from Rushton WI warned of the dangers of fireworks

However after the event passed realisation dawned that we had a narrow escape did dawn on some

The possibility of a nuclear holocaust remained a real one during the period of the Cold War- we again claim close in November 1973 when President Nixon put US forces on a high state of alert. And with the appalling availability of fissionable material possible falling into the hands of terrorists arguably the terrible prospect continues to haunt humanity.