STAGGERING PRICES OF THESE ‘DOS’

HE trend for having hen and stag parties abroad comes at a cost, I reported. The average price per person is £350.

This was a bit different to mine, I reflected, when I lived in Blackpool 50 years ago.

Back then, few people even went abroad for their honeymoon. For my stag, a group of us visited a pub, a club and a late night restaurant.

This prompted Dave Whitworth of Mount to recall his own: “I was amazed at the ridiculous amounts of money being spent,” he says.

“It all contrasts with my ‘do’ back in February 1961, which was more in line with yours.

“I was almost at the end of a four year diploma course in electrical engineering at the Huddersfield College of Technology, now the University.

“I was just coming up to the final exams and could only manage a few days off for a honeymoon in London.

“My stag do consisted of walking along to The New Inn, which was at the corner of King Street and Cross Church Street, with my classmates at lunchtime.

“After a few drinks over an extended lunchbreak, we returned to the college where the head of department held the door open for us as we filed past, breathing beer over him.”

When I had my stag do in 1967, a pint of beer cost less than 10p and the national average wage was about £900 a year, or £18 a week.

In 1969, Maria and I booked a two-week hotel holiday in Spain for £32 apiece, which is the equivalent of £368 today, close to the price of a stag or hen party abroad.