Very good point, too - with the exception of smartphones, things really don’t look that different, do they? Back to the Future 2 predicted we’d be flying cars by now - Teslas are pretty dull in comparison.
Back to the Future 2 was also way too prescient in anticipating a Donald Trump-like figure in the US presidency at one point. It was kind of amusing then...
"You don’t have bread mongers or drug mongers." - Why did the idea of a drug monger tickle me so much?
I really enjoyed this piece, though I do have to say, we didn't really have the internet in 1994 so that is a massive change as it now dominates our lives, and also... The hair. The hair is so much different now, and thank god quite honestly, I do not have the face for a teased 90's 'do. Beyond those things, I do see what you mean. It's wild how much the fashion changed from the 50s to the 80s!
The hair is massive I agree. It’s often the hair and cars that are the only way you can really tell whether a pic is authentic or not because the filters are so good now! Thank his for Frizz-Ease 😅
I’m totally on board with all of this. And you’ve reminded me that we were trained to answer our phone with ‘Colchester 5236’ and later just ‘575236’. The last time I said that would have been 1985. Marty’s year.
Congratulations, my friend on your 100 subscribers! That is wonderful. This was a great read, though I must disagree with one point you made.
While robots are undeniably fascinating with their precision and efficiency, being made of flesh and bone is far from boring. As humans, we experience a such range of emotions that lead to deep connections. We have the ability to grow in ways that robots simply cannot because of what we are able to experience. I find so much beauty in our imperfections. I think that the unique ways in which we all experience life make us wonderfully unpredictable. It’s these very qualities that make life rich and meaningful. So, while robots have their place, there’s something truly special about being simply flesh and bone.
Thank you so much Cara! And you're right. In fact, the onslaught of tech probably means we need to emphasise and make as much as possible of our human realness. Dial up all the rough edges and imperfections otherwise we'll get lost - and everything will be forever smooth, manicured and boring.
Speaking as someone who wanted to be a lollipop lady when “I grew up” - I totally hear you. I kinda like the mix of new and old - and can often be heard quoting, “you can put the dinner on, I’ll be home in 20 minutes”
I remember when chimney sweeps came back in the UK a few years ago, reading it in the paper, and thought it was so funny. Because it always makes me think of Mary Poppins. And Carrie Bradshaw goes on about fishmongers in the new SATC show.
Always Mary Poppins yes! Ooh I didn't know that about Carrie Bradshaw, will have to check that out. I have lot more to say about artisan shops .... 😃 Thanks for reading
I'm in Dublin on a boys naughty weekend and it's taking all my willpower not to read this now. I'm saving it for when I have a quiet minute. I have no doubt it will be a great read. The photo is proof of the debauchery.
Too many English references? Definitely won't put me off, no way! It's fun to look at the comments without having read the post. Only adds to the intrigue☺️
Finally able to read this, well worth the wait, and another doozy! And such lovely language, with that final sentence the exclamation point with 'pootle on'.
How about costermongers, when was the last time you saw one of those? And haberdasher is another great word, and you see them about from time to time (I saw one in Dublin).
Thank you Daniel. Also loving 'doozy'! I love haberdasher. Another strange one is funeral parlour - the parlour bit I mean. I'm not sure I want to dwell on it!
…(sorry, pressed send by mistake) had to burn so much wood as the gaps in the leaded windows were massive. We had an artesian well in the basement as well that was utterly terrifying so we had it sealed. The whole house was a bit of a money pit.
This sounds like a real adventure! I don't think I would have been able to cope with that cold though - I definitely wouldn't have slept very well knowing there was a well in the basement, sealed or not! It does sound as if it had an intriguing history to it though - I'd love to know more. Have you written a post on this?!
You’re right ! It’s so true , and no flying cars (yet) but we are getting driverless Ubers soon 😳 the thought scare the hell out of me ! Good post Faith, really enjoyed it 😄
Chim chim cheree, a fun read, Faith! You’ve just reminded me my flues need rodding. (At least we’ve moved on from Carry On films!)
Mongers, yes! And I love the way ‘artisan’ gets added to shop branding. Mooching along a posh street in London recently I spotted an ‘artisan dry cleaners’. Contradiction in terms, surely?
We've all invited Penis Van Lesbian for a a quick once over!
I always think about photography and how 30 years ago pictures look very similar, unless they've been filtered, to now. It makes the past seem much more tangible than when it was in black and white, and ageing more poignant. People in black and white were almost a different species in many ways, harder, harsher, yet more innocent.
Black and white had wars, colour just has older technology. Even fashion hasn't changed that much in the past 30 years, as you said, so it all feels somewhat homogenous.
I agree, the poses and seriousness makes these people look like a different species altogether, it definitely makes them seem innocent, and even nicer, but I guess they all had bad uns among them.
I love black and white photos and the old sepia ones you see hanging in old pubs in The New Forest 🌳. Beaulieu Road Hotel has shedloads of them adorning their walls I noticed at the weekend.
This piece is cracking Faith! Hee hee 😜 made me laugh out loud…… and now you have a 100 subscribers which is amazing in such a short time.
I am busy trying to wade through through my Substack blogs I have acquired-there are many but I get such enjoyment from reading them. Far better to read the written word than watch TikTok or similar don’t you think?
I think that we went through approximately 2 centuries of momentous change - the 19th century gave us steam power, the 20th century was more about electricity, petrol, chemicals.
But there are things you grew up with that were rather boring in that they were about done before you were born, but at one time, they were evolving. Like bicycles, like the change from trams to buses, like electric light replacing petrochemicals, replacing whale oil, replacing candles.
I think another thing is that there's a lot of changes that are less visible than "hello will you be my husband" vs the Robin Sparkles dressing up. Like since the early 90s, we're a much better society towards disabled people - there's ramps or lifts, there's more telephone support. When we build things, we're more considerate towards the effect on wildlife. Working in factories doesn't have so many nasty chemicals or dangers. Global poverty and famine is declining fast.
And what's the future? Well, AST Spacemobile just launched some satellites for their cellphone satellite service, so in a few years you might be able to get your Facebook update from Dartmoor or on a ferry. There's a huge amount of work going on in genetics with technology like CRISPR. Jeff Bezos has his idea for manufacturing in space. I am certain that the solid-state EV battery will be cracked soon.
Agreed, there's an awful lot going on, and progressive exciting stuff, it's just not quite how the sci fi films imagined. Perhaps it's just that we're in the middle of a shift which means we live both digitally and still very analogy at the same time - I wonder how long that shift will last for.
But there are things in the analogue that we love. I think we would all prefer shoes made exactly to our feet by a cordwainer than coming from a factory. We don't have cordwainers because it's really expensive compared to a shoe factory running a production line. But imagine we get richer - robotaxis driving us around, bricklaying robots, who knows what else and maybe we can afford to buy the odd really fancy pair of custom shoes with the money we saved?
It's why I'm not worried about all the future automation. There are still plenty of custom things people would like that they can't afford. Furniture, clothes, cars to precisely your specification.
That's a difficult question to answer because we don't know how things will evolve. But different jobs are affected at different times by automation, often destroying large numbers of jobs, while others remain.
Consider the decline of travel agents. It sucked if you were a travel agent when the internet came along and did the job much cheaper and you were looking for another job, but that means that someone whose job is unaffected (like a nurse) has more money in her pocket. Instead of £200 for a flight, she gets her flight for £150. So maybe she buys some fancy fish with the £50 saved. Or puts it towards a tattoo, or gets her nails done.
Consider all the things we didn't have much of 25 years ago. I don't think there was a single nail salon where I live, and now there's at least a dozen. Dog groomers, tattoo parlours. We have lots of people doing "experiences" like hot air ballooning. Dozens of varieties of gin. These are all because well, our flights, music, books, groceries got (relatively) cheaper.
I’d thought about the experiences thing before but not the extra money in the pocket being the reason there are so many nail salons! That does explain things. But does it skew things in favour of self starting small business owners? It’s certainly easier to be one now in terms of it being cheaper to create your own website etc. Perhaps this group will get bigger and those in large corporations will be like those working in the factories and mills, and the bit in between won’t exist?
Really enjoyed this, Faith!
Very good point, too - with the exception of smartphones, things really don’t look that different, do they? Back to the Future 2 predicted we’d be flying cars by now - Teslas are pretty dull in comparison.
Thanks Andy! Yes very true about Teslas. I want a hoverboard!
Back to the Future 2 was also way too prescient in anticipating a Donald Trump-like figure in the US presidency at one point. It was kind of amusing then...
I'll have to revisit this but wow, how things change, so scary.
"You don’t have bread mongers or drug mongers." - Why did the idea of a drug monger tickle me so much?
I really enjoyed this piece, though I do have to say, we didn't really have the internet in 1994 so that is a massive change as it now dominates our lives, and also... The hair. The hair is so much different now, and thank god quite honestly, I do not have the face for a teased 90's 'do. Beyond those things, I do see what you mean. It's wild how much the fashion changed from the 50s to the 80s!
Thank you Charlotte! I’m glad you liked that 😂
The hair is massive I agree. It’s often the hair and cars that are the only way you can really tell whether a pic is authentic or not because the filters are so good now! Thank his for Frizz-Ease 😅
I’m totally on board with all of this. And you’ve reminded me that we were trained to answer our phone with ‘Colchester 5236’ and later just ‘575236’. The last time I said that would have been 1985. Marty’s year.
Thanks so much Ros. Ah happy memories. Makes me yearn for a landline and a telephone seat 😂
congrats on 100 subscribers Faith!!!!
Thank you so much Livvie! And bless you for reading my posts ♥️
Congratulations, my friend on your 100 subscribers! That is wonderful. This was a great read, though I must disagree with one point you made.
While robots are undeniably fascinating with their precision and efficiency, being made of flesh and bone is far from boring. As humans, we experience a such range of emotions that lead to deep connections. We have the ability to grow in ways that robots simply cannot because of what we are able to experience. I find so much beauty in our imperfections. I think that the unique ways in which we all experience life make us wonderfully unpredictable. It’s these very qualities that make life rich and meaningful. So, while robots have their place, there’s something truly special about being simply flesh and bone.
Thank you so much Cara! And you're right. In fact, the onslaught of tech probably means we need to emphasise and make as much as possible of our human realness. Dial up all the rough edges and imperfections otherwise we'll get lost - and everything will be forever smooth, manicured and boring.
This I totally agree with!
Speaking as someone who wanted to be a lollipop lady when “I grew up” - I totally hear you. I kinda like the mix of new and old - and can often be heard quoting, “you can put the dinner on, I’ll be home in 20 minutes”
That phrase is burned into my brain, I think it's partly the sing-songy nature of it - glad it's not just me!!
I remember when chimney sweeps came back in the UK a few years ago, reading it in the paper, and thought it was so funny. Because it always makes me think of Mary Poppins. And Carrie Bradshaw goes on about fishmongers in the new SATC show.
Always Mary Poppins yes! Ooh I didn't know that about Carrie Bradshaw, will have to check that out. I have lot more to say about artisan shops .... 😃 Thanks for reading
I'm in Dublin on a boys naughty weekend and it's taking all my willpower not to read this now. I'm saving it for when I have a quiet minute. I have no doubt it will be a great read. The photo is proof of the debauchery.
Aw thank you Daniel! I’ve upped the English references so I hope that doesn’t put you off! Enjoy your weekend. I can only imagine the revelry 🤪
Too many English references? Definitely won't put me off, no way! It's fun to look at the comments without having read the post. Only adds to the intrigue☺️
What a cool idea - love it!!
Finally able to read this, well worth the wait, and another doozy! And such lovely language, with that final sentence the exclamation point with 'pootle on'.
How about costermongers, when was the last time you saw one of those? And haberdasher is another great word, and you see them about from time to time (I saw one in Dublin).
Thank you Daniel. Also loving 'doozy'! I love haberdasher. Another strange one is funeral parlour - the parlour bit I mean. I'm not sure I want to dwell on it!
I once lived in a very old building (1418 if you’re interested) and we had to employ daubing experts, sweeps and masons - it was all very confusing.
…(sorry, pressed send by mistake) had to burn so much wood as the gaps in the leaded windows were massive. We had an artesian well in the basement as well that was utterly terrifying so we had it sealed. The whole house was a bit of a money pit.
This sounds like a real adventure! I don't think I would have been able to cope with that cold though - I definitely wouldn't have slept very well knowing there was a well in the basement, sealed or not! It does sound as if it had an intriguing history to it though - I'd love to know more. Have you written a post on this?!
No, aside from it being very old and pretty it was not a very interesting experience and not positive memories either.
Wow this is next level - 1418?! Where was this? Was it warm? So many questions
It was in Gloucestershire and it was FREEZING. We had two fireplaces and we
You’re right ! It’s so true , and no flying cars (yet) but we are getting driverless Ubers soon 😳 the thought scare the hell out of me ! Good post Faith, really enjoyed it 😄
Thank you Francis! Yes that will be so weird - if it happens. I think I’ll watch from afar for a bit!
Chim chim cheree, a fun read, Faith! You’ve just reminded me my flues need rodding. (At least we’ve moved on from Carry On films!)
Mongers, yes! And I love the way ‘artisan’ gets added to shop branding. Mooching along a posh street in London recently I spotted an ‘artisan dry cleaners’. Contradiction in terms, surely?
Thank you Wendy! Artisan dry cleaners?!! That takes the biscuit 😆
We've all invited Penis Van Lesbian for a a quick once over!
I always think about photography and how 30 years ago pictures look very similar, unless they've been filtered, to now. It makes the past seem much more tangible than when it was in black and white, and ageing more poignant. People in black and white were almost a different species in many ways, harder, harsher, yet more innocent.
Black and white had wars, colour just has older technology. Even fashion hasn't changed that much in the past 30 years, as you said, so it all feels somewhat homogenous.
I agree, the poses and seriousness makes these people look like a different species altogether, it definitely makes them seem innocent, and even nicer, but I guess they all had bad uns among them.
I love black and white photos and the old sepia ones you see hanging in old pubs in The New Forest 🌳. Beaulieu Road Hotel has shedloads of them adorning their walls I noticed at the weekend.
Oh yes, no rose tinted black and white here. Perhaps a naivety would be a better word.
Yes - or fear!
"461435!" The only phone number I ever memorised.
Is it now your pin number?!
This piece is cracking Faith! Hee hee 😜 made me laugh out loud…… and now you have a 100 subscribers which is amazing in such a short time.
I am busy trying to wade through through my Substack blogs I have acquired-there are many but I get such enjoyment from reading them. Far better to read the written word than watch TikTok or similar don’t you think?
Have a fabulous weekend darling
Love ❤️ you xxx 😘
This is so sweet! Sadly, I get no such comments from my parents 😂
I think that we went through approximately 2 centuries of momentous change - the 19th century gave us steam power, the 20th century was more about electricity, petrol, chemicals.
But there are things you grew up with that were rather boring in that they were about done before you were born, but at one time, they were evolving. Like bicycles, like the change from trams to buses, like electric light replacing petrochemicals, replacing whale oil, replacing candles.
I think another thing is that there's a lot of changes that are less visible than "hello will you be my husband" vs the Robin Sparkles dressing up. Like since the early 90s, we're a much better society towards disabled people - there's ramps or lifts, there's more telephone support. When we build things, we're more considerate towards the effect on wildlife. Working in factories doesn't have so many nasty chemicals or dangers. Global poverty and famine is declining fast.
And what's the future? Well, AST Spacemobile just launched some satellites for their cellphone satellite service, so in a few years you might be able to get your Facebook update from Dartmoor or on a ferry. There's a huge amount of work going on in genetics with technology like CRISPR. Jeff Bezos has his idea for manufacturing in space. I am certain that the solid-state EV battery will be cracked soon.
Agreed, there's an awful lot going on, and progressive exciting stuff, it's just not quite how the sci fi films imagined. Perhaps it's just that we're in the middle of a shift which means we live both digitally and still very analogy at the same time - I wonder how long that shift will last for.
But there are things in the analogue that we love. I think we would all prefer shoes made exactly to our feet by a cordwainer than coming from a factory. We don't have cordwainers because it's really expensive compared to a shoe factory running a production line. But imagine we get richer - robotaxis driving us around, bricklaying robots, who knows what else and maybe we can afford to buy the odd really fancy pair of custom shoes with the money we saved?
It's why I'm not worried about all the future automation. There are still plenty of custom things people would like that they can't afford. Furniture, clothes, cars to precisely your specification.
It’s an interesting point. But what jobs will we be doing that earns us the money for bespoke shoes?
That's a difficult question to answer because we don't know how things will evolve. But different jobs are affected at different times by automation, often destroying large numbers of jobs, while others remain.
Consider the decline of travel agents. It sucked if you were a travel agent when the internet came along and did the job much cheaper and you were looking for another job, but that means that someone whose job is unaffected (like a nurse) has more money in her pocket. Instead of £200 for a flight, she gets her flight for £150. So maybe she buys some fancy fish with the £50 saved. Or puts it towards a tattoo, or gets her nails done.
Consider all the things we didn't have much of 25 years ago. I don't think there was a single nail salon where I live, and now there's at least a dozen. Dog groomers, tattoo parlours. We have lots of people doing "experiences" like hot air ballooning. Dozens of varieties of gin. These are all because well, our flights, music, books, groceries got (relatively) cheaper.
I’d thought about the experiences thing before but not the extra money in the pocket being the reason there are so many nail salons! That does explain things. But does it skew things in favour of self starting small business owners? It’s certainly easier to be one now in terms of it being cheaper to create your own website etc. Perhaps this group will get bigger and those in large corporations will be like those working in the factories and mills, and the bit in between won’t exist?
That's definitely been a thing too, that startup costs of small businesses. Like you go to a market, they've all got card readers now.