Here we go - back to the future again. Not only are the railways carrying more passengers now than at any time since the postwar demobilisation, they're managing to be slower than they were in the 1930s. This shouldn't surprise us retroprogressives - but what did surprise me was the footage used to illustrate this story on the London news the other night. This showed commuter trains steaming into Waterloo in the 1930s, and the surprising thing was that, on each occasion, as soon as the train had stopped (or even slightly before), a high proportion of the passengers leapt out and sprinted up the platform at speed - a far cry from the dispirited shuffle of the modern workbound commuter. Why was this? Were they that keen to get to work? Was there some specific reason for getting off the platform sharpish? Was it the dynamic spirit of the age finding concrete expression (like Mussolini's high-speed marches)? Or was it just convention, part of 1930s commuter etiquette?
And here's another puzzle - the increasing popularity on this side of the Atlantic of the cloying, high-fat, mouth-puckeringly sweet, shockingly overpriced American cupcake, with its thick heavy topping of luridly coloured icing, plus all manner of cutesy shapes and sprinkles. First Krispy Kreme Donuts - now this. I suppose it's all part of the general infantilisation of our culture. Maybe hard times will reverse that trend and turn us into proper grown-ups again, sprinting up the platform, clasping our hats to our heads...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In the early 60s, when your train stopped at Carlisle you could nip off, approach the trolley on the platform, get a warm welcome from a good-natured lass, a good mug of tea, and a fine, hot Scotch pie; then you reboarded and chuffed off to your destination. Them was the days, pie-wise.
ReplyDeleteTrue that Nige, never yet saw a soup kitchen giving away Kunzle Cakes, crusts maybe but chocolate goodies, no.
ReplyDeleteAs for good old British Rail, the reason for the sprint up here was that the station platforms were roofless, deluge avoidance.
Occasionally used the Maidstone to Charing X rattler in the sixties, high speed cattle trucks.
just found out im a retroprogressive! cool
ReplyDeleteagree totally with your comments om the cupcake 'craze'. all this infantalised rubbish is all over the food sector at the moment. I blame innocent smoothies myself, their packaging has become the model for all the other pap-like Soma we are now bombarded with
argh yes smoothies - don't get me started... And all these things are carefully aimed at women - odd isn't it?
ReplyDeleteNot so odd that these things are aimed at women. They seek in food what they don't get from men.
ReplyDeleteSad but true I daresay Madfolly - but why isn't there an equivalent for men? Or is it booze?
ReplyDeleteAre you sure it wasn't one of those black and white films that make everything look speeded up?
ReplyDeleteNot sure about cupcakes. I can't stand another import: those muffins you see in coffee bars, vile toastool-shaped gloop in horrid colours when what one really wants is a bacon butty or a steak sandwich. These two are perhaps for men the equivalent of the cupcake? Sad echoes of the glory days when a freshly slain deer would be dragged back to the cave ...
ReplyDeleteI can imagine you on your way to work in the morning, dashing down the street, one hand holding your cravat in place while the other grips a toasting fork with a still smouldering hunk of bacon on the end, freshly plucked from the fire and eaten on the run ...
Perhaps you could be fired for being late in those days. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteTalking of London transport...
hi nige,
ReplyDeleteI've name checked you and this post on me blog!!
www.ruminatics.blogspot.com
There's something on there that makes cupcakes look brilliant in comparison
Equivalent for men? Zoo and Nuts.
ReplyDelete...and lets not forget the womb-like allure of a good garden shed.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the equivalent for men is sports.
ReplyDelete