There is much to say about modern living with the technology we have and the ability to travel to almost any part of the world we choose, but one thing which is sadly lacking nowadays is simple good manners and behaviour.

Being a youngster during the 1950’s, we were taught to behave and be courteous to people. These are some of the thing’s I grew up with.

As a male, you would always stand up when a woman entered the room.

You would always, without fail, offer a woman a seat on a busy Bus or Train. Although this is often done now, some women take it as being sexcist !

Many men wore hats, see the photographs of Football Crowds from those days, so it was always deemed the correct thing to do by raising your hat to a hat upon greeting a woman or tapping the side of it when it was a friend. You would always take it off inside a building.

‘Speak when you’re spoken to’, a common expression now but not used in the same context. Whenever visiting elder family or parents friends houses, you would remain silent until asked a question.

Even if a couple had been married for thirty years, if they had a Car, the man would open the passenger door for the woman to get in and out.
This also applied to Doors in Shops, when you would allow the other person in first, holding the door open for them.

Discipline

The big difference between now and then is probably in the ‘blackmail discipline’. How many times from mid November onwards have we heard a young child being yelled at by a parent in the High Street with the words “You do that once again and I’m telling Father Christmas not to come this year”.
Back in the 50’s, for many, that was true, he wouldn’t come!

When your parents told you to do something, you’d do it and well betide you if you didn’t. I’m not one for smacking, but very occasionally it did work I have to admit, as it did in School when you got ‘six of the best’!

Clearing your plate is another thing. You would not be allowed to leave the table until everything had been eaten. If you didn’t, you either had to sit down for a set period of time thus not going out to play, or you’d go without tea or have whatever it was you left, for tea !

You would not leave the table until everyone had finished their meal and even then, wait until you were told to.

All in all, you knew where you stood, you knew that if you got found out for doing wrong you would pay the price and not by just a ticking off.

Discipline was more drilled into you. I guess a left over that many children of the 50’s had Father’s who fought in WW2 and it was through that which gave them a better chance of survival.