Where there really lots of dead bodies in the street? AIBU to doubt that was true

[SodaStreamy]

Any older posters here who were teenagers/adults in 1979 to confirm or deny this fact that is being cited in lots of news interviews referring to Thatchers death

I keep hearing 'There were lots of dead bodies in the streets' Is this true? i was 10 and don't recall that being an issue.

If it was true how on earth did that happen?

[Viviennemary]

There was a lot of uncollected rubbish. And scare stories on TV about how there would soon be dead bodies in the streets but not many people believed it. But mortuaries were getting worryingly full.

[Dahlialover]

The 3 day week was during the power cuts during the Heath government. Strikes were common throughout the 70s, whichever government (and they changed frequently). We just worked round them. There were one or two bad ones and I think the Liverpool one was the one when the gravediggers were on strike. There was no rubbish on the streets where I lived - you just had to wait another week for the bin men to come (and they used to come into the backyard, pick up the bin, empty it and return it)

[thegreylady]

Many miners were starving and we had a freezer in the garage which we kept full of food which could be distributed to families in need.It was a bitter time.

[thegreylady]

I grew up in a mining community in the North East.The pits where I lived were long closed but the Thatcher era dug the graves of the remainder and squeezed the soul out of whole,previously vibrant, villages and small towns.

[Lemonylemon]

RB, you're absolutely right. I wasn't apportioning blame - just putting something into a "timeline" context. Ted Heath was dire.

[RustyBear]

Well, quite - the point is that Ted Heath was no more successful than Harold Wilson/Jim Callaghan at controlling either the unions or inflation -it wasn't just that Labour let them run riot....

[Lemonylemon]

"Were they referring to the Winter of Discontent, 1979"

James Callaghan was PM then.

[cantspel]

and why did we have a 3 day week?

It was to conserve power as the unions had a strangle hold on the country and due to their actions we had power shortages. We might have elected a con government but it was meaningless as the unions controlled the country.

[pigsDOfly]

Do these people listen to themselves when they open their mouths.

I worked in central London during the 70's and tbh apart from power cuts and not being able to use the lifts when I worked on the 5th floor, I don't think we were really affected that much. Although plenty of other areas were very hard hit and had an awful time, as other posters have said.

The only bodies I ever saw in the streets were those of one or two city boys after a particularly heavy lunch; don't think they were actually dead though.

[cantspel]

I remember trying to revise for my o levels by candlelight due to the powerstikes and no coal for the fireplace as all the drivers were on strike.

The army had taken over the TA hall and were on standby as the ambulance drivers were on strike and you couldn't get a copy of The Times for about a year as they were on strike as well.

[OxfordBags]

Lemony -

[RustyBear]

Cantspel - you don't seem to remember the labour days all that well - the 3 day week was in 1974 under Tory Ted Heath....

[Lemonylemon]

"Like Feminists supposedly burning their bras." I think that the 'Find Your Ancesters' ad on TV might be to blame for that.....

[Lemonylemon]

"Ah i remember the good old labour days well. The joy of the 3 day week, unofficial stikes and flying pickets making sure the workers did as they were told by the unions."

That's what I remember about the 70's strikes. I've posted on another thread about bread rationing, sugar rationing, power rationing etc. We only had candlelight during that time. Oh yes, and the piles of rubbish in Leicester Square.

But then, I'm an old gimmer now.....

[OxfordBags]

It's one of those bullshit things that someone made up or embellished from less dramatic facts that has now passed into being presumed to be true without question. Right-wing propaganda.

Like Feminists supposedly burning their bras. That happened ONCE, in an organised protest at the 1968 Miss America pageant, where restrictive underwear like pantygirdles, etc., were set alight in a trash can. Never happened before that or since. Yet everyone still bangs on about it like nary a day passed in the 60s and 70s without crazy women setting fire to their bras, FFS.

[LittleEdie]

Some burials were delayed.

[stressyBessy22]

the three day week

[cantspel]

SodaStreamy Only Liverpool and Tameside had the grave digger strikes.

[twofingerstoGideon]

Yes, I remember the piles of rubbish in Leicester square but no dead bodies.

[SoniaGluck]

Loose Women? Just a panel of drink addled and raddled old bags who would be hard pressed to remember yesterday, let alone 40 odd years ago.


Misogyny and ageism are alive and well and living on Mumsnet.

[cantspel]

The grave diggers were on strike and so no one was getting buried.
The bodies were not in the street but the coffins would have been piling up somewhere.
In liverpool it was getting so bad that the city?s chief medical officer suggested that the authorities would have to consider burial at sea
if the unofficial strike didn't end soon. Luck it never got to that.

Ah i remember the good old labour days well. The joy of the 3 day week, unofficial stikes and flying pickets making sure the workers did as they were told by the unions.

[Flobbadobs]

Room for more when they open the river up.. It would be funny if it wasn't true!

[Tortington]

so true

[SodaStreamy]

was it only liverpool that had the problem with on trike gravediggers?