Fascinating historical post by Alistair Cooke over on the official Conservative Party blog remembering Britain’s economic troubles of the 1970s:
"To conserve vital stocks, Ted Heath’s Government put industry on a three-day week from 1 January 1974. There was no legislation: industry simply did as it was told in that very different period in our history. Under the Government’s restrictions, a 50 m.p.h.speed limit was imposed on motorists. Television closed down at 10.30 p.m. A junior minister (subsequently a member of Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet) earned instant notoriety by advising people to clean their teeth in the dark."
I love the cleaning the teeth in the dark story.
Read the whole thing here. There’s good stuff on The Blue Blog most days now. That wasn’t true when it launched. Definitely worth adding to your favourites.
Tim Montgomerie