The darkest days
THE BLACKOUTS OF ‘74: WHEN BRITAIN WENT DARK
SOARING food bills, fuel shortages and public sector workers on strike.
It could be today’s news, but it’s actually a throwback to the winter of 1974.
Britain in the early 1970s seemed to be lurching from one economic crisis to another – prices were rising, there were food shortages and panic buying.
Shipbuilders, dockers and miners found themselves with frozen wages in declining industries and the unions grew increasingly loud and frustrated.
It culminated in the first miners’ strike since the 1930s and with the 1973 oil crisis,
Channel 5, 9pm
Britain found itself running out of power. The only way the government believed the country could cope was by imposing a three-day working week, where factories, shops and businesses were supplied power for three days.
The government also imposed nationwide household blackouts from January 1, 1974 as electricity was rationed.
The lights literally had to go off as the government launched a Switch off Something information campaign.
British workers were worse off and left literally in the dark.
In this fascinating documentary, celebrities including Billy Bragg, Janey Godley, Michael Heseltine, Neil Kinnock, John Craven, Toyah Wilcox, Diane Jordan and Fern Britton all recall their memories of living through the blackouts with unique archival footage from the time.
Sir Trevor Mcdonald says: “Nobody contemplated having to live in a time of blackouts and looking for candles. We all thought this age had passed.”
Pete Waterman recalls: “Everybody was going to France to buy candles for God’s sake, but it was exciting.”