And now for something completely . .

Hair Peace and a second bed-in was held in Montreal in May at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The room in Amsterdam was later renamed the John And Yoko Suite in their honour.

And now for something completely different... irreverent comedy classic Monty Python’s Flying Circus launched on BBC2.

It was going to be called Owl Stretching Time at one point and John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman and American illustrator Terry Gilliam introduced viewers to the knotted handkerchief-wearing Gumbies, crunchy frog chocolates and dead parrots.

Other comedy favourites that launched in 1969 were In Loving Memory with Thora Hird as the head of a family of undertakers and the Benny Hill Show featuring Hill’s Angels.

Pre-school children also got a new programme with the launch of Sesame Street on American TV on November 10, which saw puppet characters help youngsters learn letters and numbers.

Production of the new seven-sided 50p coin started in October under the watchful eye of the Royal Mint’s chairman Lord Fiske.

It joined the new 5p and 10p coins already in circulation with copper coins making an appearance on February 15, 1971 to complete the new series of decimal coins.

And on the fashion front, the maxi-dress replaced the mini skirt as the trendy garment to wear and actress Una Stubbs got married to Nicky Henson in October wearing a full-length maxi outfit with a matching headscarf which she designed herself.

The Rolling Stones played a free concert in London’s Hyde Park on