Yes? Or No?

We don’t yet know exactly when the referendum on whether the Britain should remain in the EU will be, or indeed what question we will actually be asked, but I’m guessing it will be pretty similar to the one asked on this day in 1975  when the British electorate voted in the first all-UK referendum.

Back then, of course, the EU (or Common Market as it was usually called) was a very different beast. It only had nine members (remember those 50p pieces with the nine hands, one of them slightly smaller to represent the Queen?) and Britain had only joined two years earlier (twelve years after it applied). The tenth member – Greece – didn’t join until 1981,  and the single market was seventeen years away.

The result of the 1975 referendum was pretty overwhelming – 67.2% of the electorate was in favour of staying in the Common Market (the only regions against were the Shetland Islands and Western Isles). The Yes campaign was supported by the most of the  press, including the Daily Express which reminded its readers of VE Day, only thirty years before:

“The lesson of that war, as of the previous one, was the impossibility of opting out of events across the Channel”

while the Daily Mirror’s front page simply urged the public to

‘Vote Yes for Europe’.

The Times suggested that

‘If there has been any disappointment in the referendum debate, it is that it has concentrated too much on what Europe can do for us and too little on what we can do for Europe’

while the Guardian asked

‘Do we want to go into the twenty first century as a small and separate nation or as part of a greater Western Europe?’

I think we can be fairly confident that there won’t be such unanimity next time.

You can find out what the press said about the 1975 referendum by checking out our online newspaper resources. And for hardcore politics geeks, the government’s Yes campaign manifesto is available online.

There have been plenty of other referendums in the UK, though only two in which Londoners could vote [for those shaking their heads and muttering “referenda”, here’s The Telegraph on the subject]. In 1998 we were asked whether we wanted an elected assembly and a mayor (34% of us voted and of those 72% said yes) and in 2011 the whole country was asked if we wanted to change to electoral system to something called Alternative Vote. The turn-out was only 42% and the answer was an overwhelming ‘No’, though cynics suggested that was because nobody understood the question!

Of course, the referendum that comes to mind most readily both for its high turnout and broad-ranging impact in very recent times happened only a few months ago and not so very far from home. You can read more about it in Alex Salmond’s The dream shall never die, or for a wider range of views take a look at our newspaper archives.

And if you’re struggling to work up enthusiasm for the prospect, be grateful you don’t live in Switzerland where they had no fewer than 12 referendums just last year.

 [Nicky]

“My Dear…” – give me a call.

The Home Library Service’s telephone book group, Book Talk – run in conjunction with Open Age – recently read the Cityread London 2014 title, “My dear, I wanted to tell you“.

There were some enthusiastic reviews of the book:
“Well written and researched”
“Dealt with the themes of social mobility and the different gender roles well”
“Fascinating insight to early plastic surgery.”

One of the members was born in the year the First World War started and so is celebrating her centenary this year!

[Elaine]

2014 – a year to remember

While 2013 was a good year for anniversaries, what with Doctor Who and the JFK conspiracy theories both celebrating their 50th birthdays and the crossword reaching its century, 2014 looks to be even more memorable. We’ll be posting lots about the centenary of the start of the First World War during the course of the year (and the Music Library’s Behind the Lines project is already well established), so let’s see what other anniversaries we have to look forward to in 2014.

January

While the Daily Express has predicted that this will be the worst winter for 60 years (just like it does every year), it is unlikely to be as cold (or as fun) as the winter of 1814 when the Thames froze over so solidly that an elephant was able to cross at Blackfriars. On 22 January a pig was spotted sailing down the river on a miniature iceberg. Sheep were roasted, stalls were set up and there was even an icy casino. You can read contemporary accounts of the last Frost Fair by logging into our newspaper archives using your Westminster library card.

February

2 February brings the 100th anniversary of the film debut of Londoner Charlie Chaplin in Making a Living. More importantly though, a few days later on 7 February, Chaplin made his first appearance as the Little Tramp in Kid Auto Races at Venice. By the end of World War I, the boy who had grown up in poverty in Lambeth was one of the most famous people in the world. You can find out more about him in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (log in with your library card).

March

We at Treasure Hunt Towers are big fans of World War II films and one of the finest is The Great Escape. The real Great Escape took place 70 years ago, on March 24/25 1944. As most readers will know, the attempted escape from Stalag Luft III ended in tragedy with the murder of fifty of the escapers, to the horror of the Luftwaffe as well as the Allies. Incidently, Donald Pleasance, who played the doomed forger, had himself been a POW in Stalag Luft I.

April

2 April 2014 sees the 100th anniversary of the birth (in Maida Vale) of one of the greatest actors of all time, Sir Alec Guinness. Check out some of his films and autobiographical books and celebrate someone whose work ranged from Dickensian villains, through Popes, spies and inter-galactic superheroes but was never less than brilliant. And if you were too young to see him on stage, check out some reviews in our newspaper archives.

May

Many of us will have made new year resolutions and few will keep them going for long, but this year you might find some inspiration on 6 May when we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first Four Minute Mile by Roger Bannister. While the record itself was broken at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, Bannister did most of his training at the Paddington Track near St Marys Hospital where he worked. The track reopened in 2012 and is the home to the Serpentine Running Club. Check out the British Pathe site for news coverage of the event.

June

Delving further into the past, 23 June is the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn when Robert the Bruce defeated the invading English army lead by Edward II.  Expect to hear a lot more about this in the run up to the Scottish referendum – impress your Caledonian friends with some research in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (and see if they know what Robert the Bruce died of…).

July

From 28 July onwards, remembrance of World War One will be foremost in all our minds – more of which in later posts.

July also sees the 300th anniversary of the passing of the Longitude Act. This offered a prize of £10,000 to £20,000 for a method of calculating longitude and, as readers of Dava Sobel’s excellent book will know, the first person to succeed was John Harrison, a clockmaker who lived in Lincolnshire. His persistence and that of Rupert Gould (who restored Harrison’s timepieces) were the subject of a television film in 2000. Once again, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography can tell you more, or you can visit the Royal Observatory to see Harrison’s clocks.

August

2014 is the 75th anniversary of an exceptional year for cinema. 1939 saw the release of Gone with the Wind, Goodbye Mr Chips, Wuthering Heights and a particular favourite at Treasure Hunt Towers, The Wizard of Oz. There are many legends associated with this story (Is the book a parable of  the economic crisis of the late nineteenth century? Did a Munchkin die during its making?) But the most amazing story of all involved the coat worn by Frank Morgan who played the Wizard himself as well as Professor Marvel.

September

In addition to the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II (more of which in later posts), September 2014 sees the 60th anniversary of the opening of Kidbrooke School, the first purpose-built comprehensive. Now renamed Corelli College, it is perhaps better known as the place where Jamie Oliver fed the pupils his healthy school dinners and tried to start a revolution in school food.

October

Expect an outbreak of silly walks, dead parrots and a quartet of Yorkshiremen in October, as this is the month of the 45th anniversary of the first broadcast of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Expect too some pedantry from devotees pointing out that the Four Yorkshiremen sketch was actually written for At Last the 1948 Show. With their new stage shows in July, this is certainly going to be the year of the Python so prepare to be bombarded with repeats, DVD reissues and endless interviews. Just sit back and enjoy…

November

On 20 November 1994, millions of people up and down the land crossed their fingers and thought “It could be me…” as they watched the first National Lottery draw. Nobody at Treasure Hunt Towers has ever been successful at picking the right numbers, but perhaps we’re in the wrong job. According to recent news reports, the luckiest profession to be in is office administration. You’d think we’d do better considering lotteries were invented by librarian (amongst other things) Giacomo Casanova.

December

And finally, 17 December sees the 25th anniversary of the first broadcast of The Simpsons, starring America’s favourite yellow family. Cowabunga!

[Nicky]