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

Massive rain storm, heatwave on the way, town centre shop closing, moaning and complaining, stress... Join me for a good old natter!

We know all about the past, what happened when and where. But, what about the future? AI, will authors and playwrights be out of a job? Will we need to learn to drive a car? Cars will be driverless! Will shops exist? Order everything online. Join me this Sunday for a chat. 

It's hot, too hot! I mustn't complain about the heat. After all, I've been moaning about the cold throughout the winter and now it's summer. I hope you're keeping well and not overheating... like me! 

How has your town and your life changed over the years? Buildings have been demolished and replaced by monstrosities. Your life has changed in many ways, some good some bad. Remember the fairground visiting your town? Happy days! Working from home, does it work?  Join me for a good old chat this Sunday.

Computers, don't you just love them? Let's retire and relax... Hah, a chance would be a fine thing! Stress, avoid it at all costs! Last but not least, small houses in Britain. We live in a box! 

So many things have changed over the years that England doesn’t always feel like England anymore. Plus, do you use too many words to describe something? Brevity is lost! Please, join me for a good old chat this Sunday. 

Dinner parties in the 1980s, dens of iniquity, boring podcast episodes and more... please, join me for this week's Midweek Message. 

In this episode, I bang on about relationships breaking up where people lose possessions, very often including their home. Pressing wild flowers, collecting things and more. Please, join me. 

What have you lost during a relationship break-up? A house? A car? That's something I might talk about next Sunday. Trespassing in the woods, fishing, politics... no, not politics! Stone the crows! Join me for a chat about this and that.

Car salesmen, transistor radios in the good old days, Hi-Fi equipment… do youngsters today know what quality audio sounds like? It’s all about the bass! The 1950s and 60s when teenagers wanted a TV in their bedroom, a transistor radio and a record player. These days, they want the latest iPhone.  How sad. Join me for a good old chat.

The Highway Code back in the 1930s, a cat deterrent, the weather, your emails and more. Please, join me for a chat. 

Crittal windows were all the thing in the1950s. Then, double glazing came along with pushy salesmen entering our homes. Want to buy a fridge or a dishwasher these days? What a palaver! It was so easy back in the good old days. In this episode, I have a good old moan and rant! Join me, if you dare!

Do you find yourself making excuses when someone invites you out, say, to a certain restaurant you don’t like? Or are you the type who’s upfront and simply says it’s not your scene? Sometimes, a small white lie feels like the polite way out... but is it really the best choice?

During our Isle of Wight trip this year we went on a boat trip, visited Osbourne house, Shanklin Chine, the Donkey Sanctuary, Quarr Abbey and much more. Please, join me for a look at the island.

School kids walk to school in the pouring rain wearing just a shirt or blouse with no coat. Do you remember being told... Go out in the rain and you'll catch your death of cold! Rubbish! In this Midweek Message, I won't be boring you with stories from the Isle of Wight... I'm saving that for Sunday.

I'm hoping that it will be a lovely day weather-wise when you listen to this Midweek Message. Because, I'll be on holiday! The sun will be shining, the sky blue, the real ale flowing... Haha, happy days!

Society today is very different from the good old days. In this episode, I compare then and now and wonder whether things were better many moons ago. Please, join me.

Hello, I'm back from Milton Keynes. We had a great time looking around museums but we're pleased to be home.

Sunday roast dinner, Queen Victoria, oast houses. Queen Matilda and more... What a mixture this midweek message is! I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed chatting.

Were you physically punished when you were young. I got the cane for bunking off school! Happy days!

Gardening, car washing, window cleaning, hat making... What? Hat making? A chap I in knew was a milliner. He laughed at me because I was a TV engineer and he made hats! Happy days!

Did you have a Saturday job when you were at school? For many kids, a paper round was the first step which often lead to a Saturday job and, sometimes, something even more exciting. I’ve got a couple of stories about Saturday jobs that turned out to be quite special.

Did you have a paper round when you were young? It was a popular way of earning money back in the old days. I had to get to the paper shop at 6 in the morning... strewth! That was early! Happy days!

Do you remember school assembly? The head teacher would stand on the stage moaning and groaning about this and that before ordering us to sing a hymn. Were you a hippie? I remember coming across a load of hippies in the woods... happy days! Please, join me for a chat.

Bring back the old days! I hear people say, almost daily. People used to laugh at me when I said I wanted to go back to the 1950s. Now, they're saying it!