1950s Childhood: Growing Up in Post-War Britain

The generation who grew up in Britain immediately after the Second World War are popularly called ‘The Baby Boomers’. As children, they experienced life in Britain from wartime austerity to the relative affluence of the late 1950s. Uniquely healthier and wealthier than previous generations, this first welfare state generation received free orange juice, milk and cod liver oil to safeguard their health. However, their overall diet was restricted until rationing fully ended in 1954 – and the permissive society had yet to arrive. Janet and John Shepherd explore how the Baby Boomers grew up through the change from post-war restrictions to a new consumer society, enjoying increased choice in the shops, while at home, pirate Radio Luxembourg and flickering black and white television opened up new vistas.