Introduction

As part of Sheffield, participants were asked to provide reminiscences and memorabilia related to Technology and Transport in the 1960s. In response we received contributions which ranged from short personal experiences to longer and more technical or detailed accounts. This archive contains those contributions, supplemented in some cases by photographs and illustrations. They have been arranged into three groups according to the nature of the material as follows.

Clicking on the title of each section will download the relevant document.

 

What we did in the 60s

Many of the contributors took their first job on the 60s, many though not all, in the local industries of steel, mining, cutlery and engineering which were at their zenith in the early 1960s. (Remember Harold Wilson’s “White Heat of Technology”?).  They relate their experiences as youngsters making their way in the world.

Transport in the 60s

We entered the jet age and the dawn of the space age; steam was being replaced by electricity and diesel on the railways; the old tramway system was abandoned in Sheffield; the ownership of cars, motorbikes and scooters was growing. This section contains recollections of how we embraced the changes.

Computers in the 60s

Industry, commerce and education were beginning to use computers to enhance their operations though the devices of the time were very large and complex and generally accessible only to an elite band of experts. We have accounts from people who encountered computer systems of that era.

Adding to the Archive

We hope that reading these accounts will provoke your own memories of the age. The archive is not closed! If you have something that you would like to contribute, please contact John Dixon (johndixon4491@gmail.com). New items can be added to the sections, and new sections added, if needed.