The Pages of Punch

1970: In a Gentlemen’s Club

Another unusual picture by ffolkes.

‘Fermenting’! Good word. I might start to use it.

might be a bit smelly JBR :slight_smile:

True, but if it’s the right sort of stuff I could drink it.

1965: Life with no ‘record’ button

I wondered if it was ‘The World at War’ that they are missing. Although Bud was an American, he was living in Britain when this cartoon appeared in Punch. It turns out that ‘The World…’ was shown between 1973 and 1974. He must have been thinking of another series.

1971: To see ourselves as others see us…

I feel quite confident that they do not. However, by 1971 it was realistic for the cleaning ladies to be asking that question.

1978: Irony

The point of course is that it was the opposite that was happening.

1965: A good school choice for ambitious parents

As the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein was seen as a major wealth creator.

Schoolboys wearing caps, again! No doubt it was meant to be a private fee-paying school.

1965: The ‘Great’ Train Robbery

The success of this criminal gang attracted a great deal of media attention at the time. No doubt much of this interest was caused by people wondering how the criminals would escape the law. In fact, most were caught easily. Ronald Biggs escaped successfully to South America. When his money ran out, he returned to Britain fully expecting that he would go to prison for the rest of his life but that he would get medical treatment. In fact, he was released on compassionate grounds and spent the last four years of his life alternating between hospital treatment and residence in nursing homes.

1965: Learner Driver

The examiner seems to think that she will not go on trying to pass the test until she finally succeeds.

1965: Unwelcome message

This joke come from a time when some religious people would walk about with banners proclaiming that the end (of the world) is nigh. The fans depicted here are glumly aware of this prophecy’s accuracy.

ECKY thump I hope no Huddersfield supporters see this one :slight_smile:

Aye, the useless sods. Have lost the last eight matches.

1965: Union Militancy

This cartoon reminds us of a time when union led demands were a frequently recurring theme. Newspapers and TV news programmes would employ a full-time industrial correspondent. Not anymore.

1966: It’s the sixties!

The artist is assuming that the ethos of the sixties has reached these well-heeled old-timers.

1969: Concorde’s unusual design

Thought to be revolutionary at the time the Anglo-French supersonic airliner was planned to be a world beater outsmarting the American rivals. It was not to be. This cartoon reflects an attempt to be humorous by concentrating on the nose cone’s similarity to the anteater.

1969: Not everyone has caught the gardening bug

I think she might well settle for the cactus. Ours seems to last forever.

1964: Not in the best of taste

No Afro-American could ever have said such a thing at the time. It is really difficult to think up anything at all funny about the civil rights movement of the sixties. This certainly is not even a candidate.

Oops… you’ve already posted this one. 19th December :frowning:

There’s something wrong with my system but there’s nothing wrong with your memory. I hope haven’t made the same mistake with the following.


1978: Let’s not bother

I don’t see this game being reflected in the news these days. I was quite aware of it during the 1940s when it was solely the province of public school types.