Hello
I was born in 1940 and schooled and worked in Cambridge till 1974. I have holidayed in Wales since 1944. First in North Wales and from 1957 in Mid Wales.
Since 1957 here, as I now live there, the countryside has changed immeasurably. The hills here then were all covered in Gorse and Heather. Grouse, Snipe and Peewit were all over the place, plus Buzzards. Streams ran constantly and never flooded, and many different species of Butterflies and Moths abounded.
Then, in the 1960s , farm subsidies led to all the hillside being grubbed up, land drainage installed and foreign grasses planted for sheep. The Grouse, Snipe and Peewits all disappeared, streams dried up and flooded after rain and now there are very few Butterflies, just Ringlets and Meadow Brown and Small White-nothing else this year, though normally Red Admiral, Peacock and Tortoiseshell visit the Buddleia (sic).
Fields are Limed, neutralising the natural peat and altering the flora.
The bird population in the garden has changed too. No more Yellowhammers, far fewer Song Thrush, but from about 10 years ago lots of House Sparrows and Starlings. The Tree Sparrow has gone. All the Tits arrive plus Chaffinches, Magpies get more and more and also Pheasants are here most days. Out and about Skylarks have all gone, but Meadow Pipits are increasing, as are Red Kite and the Buzzards are a constant. Even saw a Goshawk a year or two ago.
I lived in Bedford before moving here and all the House Sparrows had disappeared there, also Kestrels from the rural roadsides and I wondered whether the different chemical make up of Unleaded Petrol was to blame for this as its introduction seemed to coincide with this?
Of course there were lots of other changes since 1952. Cars for one. All built on Chassis then but soon to be monocoque and lighter. New engines, short stroke and higher revving and built of better steel and Aluminium, leading to better economy. 30MPG used to be good. The 1.8 litre engine in my 15 year old car gives me 50mpg now on longish journeys and 48 mpg locally.
Cameras have got smaller and lighter and now Digital. We all have computers now, with e mail replacing letters and book and article writing much easier. Landline phones are being replaced by mobiles, though in Rural areas this will take years, as will the advance of fibre optic broadband. Here in mid wales we are lucky to get a speed of 2 mbs, and often get cut off altogether mid dialogue! We have seen a total revolution of clothing materials and styles and cooking foods, drinks, coffee outlets; the decline of rural Pubs. Policemen and Politicians are all too young as well!
We have seen the burgeioning of TV, with endless digital channels diluting quality, and the same with radio, though not to the same degree.
National railways have gone in favour of privatisation-some will say this this was not good, and a lot of rural lines and communities were destroyed by Beeching.The privatisation of energy is a doubtfull benefit as well.
None of the abandoned lines round here are either footpaths or cycleways. I am near the Moat Lane to Brecon line here, which, if it were rebuilt, would be a great tourist attraction. Especially steam drawn!
Life expectancy has increased and medical advances are all greatly appreciated and I expect the great costs debate will sort itself out once we stop talking ourselves into a permanent recession and realise how lucky we are to live in the UK.
Unknown said:and realise how lucky we are to live in the UK.
Couldn't agree more!
Cheers, Linda.
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