Stop the world
There are some days when it just seems an awful lot of effort to scrape by - I managed most of the day doing normal things, but i really can't face being clever, witty, or even moany this evening, so I'm going to send you all off to watch "protect and Survive", the 1975 public information film shown on the BBC to teach us all how to behave when the nuclear war started.
I say when, because I remember the 70's well enough to know that we were living under the certainty that it could/would happen any moment. When I think of the terrible things GWB has done and is doing, I can usually mollify myself with the thought that at least he probably hasn't got his finger hovering a few millimetres away from that big red button.
I also remember the ridicule this film recieved when it was shown - although we still had bomb drills at school (hiding under the tables in a wooden school seemed pretty stupid even to the 5/6 year old me!) I love the idea that closing the windows & curtains will save you from fall out, and two days under a couple of doors should bring the post nuclear-war world back to normal.
Of course, I lived in East London - we knew that when we heard those sirens we were two minutes away from total annilation, but nobody in power was willing to say that.
But even now, when I hear those sirens, my heart goes cold. It's not that far away yet.
I say when, because I remember the 70's well enough to know that we were living under the certainty that it could/would happen any moment. When I think of the terrible things GWB has done and is doing, I can usually mollify myself with the thought that at least he probably hasn't got his finger hovering a few millimetres away from that big red button.
I also remember the ridicule this film recieved when it was shown - although we still had bomb drills at school (hiding under the tables in a wooden school seemed pretty stupid even to the 5/6 year old me!) I love the idea that closing the windows & curtains will save you from fall out, and two days under a couple of doors should bring the post nuclear-war world back to normal.
Of course, I lived in East London - we knew that when we heard those sirens we were two minutes away from total annilation, but nobody in power was willing to say that.
But even now, when I hear those sirens, my heart goes cold. It's not that far away yet.
posted by Juggling Mother @ 7:01 pm
3 Comments:
At Monday, February 27, 2006 7:37:00 pm,
Anonymous said…
I remeber back in the late fifty's a lady from the now disbanded civil defence came along to my school to show how to white wash our windows to save us from fallout and also how to cook in a flowerpot in straw when there would be no gas or electric supplies. She never mentioned the water would be undrinkable or how e could paint out the windows in less than 4 mins.I remeber even then us girls laughing hystericaly and the teachers barely able to keep a straight face. they dont even bother to pretend theses days. But can you imagine the continuity of the human race relying on the few who have access to fallout shelters.(lots of bush's and blairs forgenerations to come.Ugh!!!!!
At Monday, February 27, 2006 10:09:00 pm,
CyberKitten said…
I too remember living through my late childhood/early teens with the ever present fear/dred of nuclear war. It feels SO weird thinking back to that time.
At Tuesday, February 28, 2006 8:01:00 pm,
mig bardsley said…
The abject silliness of the whole 4 minute warning thing set the seal on my cynicism about governments of all kinds. After those films and white papers and solemn interviews I realised once and for all that it is impossible to govern the human race adequately and only liars could possibly pretend they were doing it.
Or something like that.
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