Nostalgia for the ’30s

Press, 3 February 1979, Page 15

Nostalgia for the ’30s

'37-’39: Last Look Round. By Kate Caffrey. Gordon and Cremonesi. 167 pp. $33.50.

(Reviewed by Stephen Erber)

This is a book on the social life and customs of Britain during the years 1937-1939. It is a most accomplished book, not because it is a deep, penetrating analysis, but because it is a chatty, friendly, nostalgic analysis where the enthusiasm of the author communicates itself to the reader. The book is about middle class society and culture. Kate Caffrey's theme is that most sensible middle class people saw another war with Germany as being inevitable, but this notwithstanding they developed their society as if they themselves were having one last fling. And as has already been said the authoress is nostalgic — and unashamedly so. In a note on money she says that she makes no attempt to translate the money of pre-war Britain into today’s decimal coinage.

“Let us have the melancholy pleasure of reminding ourselves that there used to be twenty shillings to

the pound, twelve pence to the shilling . she writes. She deals with life in the suburbs, the view of the world held by the subuibs, schooling, the press, holidays, and she is much taken by the impact and influence of the cinema. For someone who knew those days in England the book will simply confirm deepest suspicions about the inadequacies of the present. For someone born in the 1940 s in New Zealand the book will be fascinating, since New Zealand in the late 1940 s and early 1950 s was in \erv many ways like pre-war England. Certainly suburban values and outlook were the same For those who are younger sti’l the book must give a good introduction to a world which is starting to be explored more and more in television dramas. The book is an unpretentious social commentary . There is nothing new in what is said, but the style is compelling and fresh. To write upon the view of a world from the fastness of an English suburb is a novel approach, and all in all it is a good, well-illustrated book. Many will, howevei find the price daunting.