A Smart Girl?

Another hot week, not quite as hot as last never mind the fortnight before and we turn or perhaps return to the topic of when a Girl legally or ceases socially to be that and becomes a Woman which is something that has varied over the decades.

Back in 1964, you became in Law an adult at 21 which around about the age you'd complete a undergraduate degree at University getting your certificate and then would be able to vote, stand for parliament and operate a full bank account.

Thus at the age of 18 you were still very much a boy or a girl, albeit with more responsibilities and privileges than your ten or twelve your old siblings and cousins as you moved more towards adulthood and most studies show the human brain doesn't stop growing until after 21.

There just was in the late 1960's a growth in the view 18 years ought to be adults that Parliament legislated for.

What this meant was the girl of 16 or 18 was that outside from being able to leave school to work which girls and boys back then did at 15, they were in many respects the "junior" and they still had children's annuals and publications but with the sophistication of the the older girl(or boy) in mind

Smart Girl was fashion publication for girls and young adults (by the definition then)  that decided to make a Annual that went beyond just fashion for those girls.

On the left we have the index showing entries on beauty and grooming, sowing, cartoon strips, fashion and fiction while the right hand side has the introduction setting out what the annual is all about

Here we have a cartoon strip about girls of these ages going out socially, playing ten pin bowling, having a different kind of fun than their younger sisters.

Above is a feature around hair care and styling as you now not only bought your own products but often wanted to emulate looks you'd seen.

Fashion advice features not surprisingly given it was published by a fashion magazine looking at putting together looks and whole wardrobes now that you took over a  good chunk the responsibility for dressing yourself from your Mom, not that she was short of an opinion to share and you wanted to express yourself more socially even if at college or work there still were restrictions.

That took us on to what younger publications wouldn't talk too much about which is starting a career, the skills and any qualifications you need as you need to support yourself.

Given the issues I had getting any careers advice at that age actually something like that would of been jolly useful!

Looking at it, it seems a very well put together annual for that age group.

Personally I've always been a bit sceptical about the notion that as an 18 year old you were really that mature, not that some may well of felt it even amongst schoolfriends in the sixth form who in certain critical ways were more of their age than I was.

Adulthood can wait until you really have grown into it and even then not everything has to be purposeful or serious.

Hot thoughts

Well, it's been a warm one so I'm rather glad of having short skirts on this week as they really do help keep cool and avoid that sticky clammy feeling that's so so ikky.

We've not long before school breaks up which did help with Early Monday (UK Time) with England's World Cup match that put them through to the Quarter Finals facing Norway this weekend.

Some schools laid on either full or highlights coverage of the match and used it as a springboard for work in English and Art given much of the formal syllabus can't be touched with the imminent closure for Summer Hols. 

I did read some old comics while trying to stay cool and one cartoon strip I recall was Little Plum which was an attempt to make what today I'd call First Nations people specifically children look universal in a world where much we were fed, usually from American sources showed them as savages, justifying land confiscation and much ill treatment. 

It would be easy today to criticize the usage of language and the like and in more recent returns such things are put aright but at least you could feel more empathy with Little Plum and his chums than we had on Westerns.
 

Canada Day edition

 

Wednesday saw Canada Day but what is that?

Canada Day is a national holiday celebrating the country’s independence from Great Britain in 1867. The new nation, still loyal to Great Britain, was called the Dominion of Canada and consisted of only four provinces ((Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec).

Now, there are 10 provinces and 3 territories. At first, the holiday was called Dominion Day, but in 1982 Canada gained complete independence from Great Britain and it was renamed Canada Day. 

It is a day for Canadians everywhere to show pride in their country’s history and culture.

Memo for a well known American: It isn't for sale!

Past lives

This week has been trying on so many levels, physically with the heatwave that as someone that runs on the warm side has had me on the edge of a Heat Stroke, the loss of a person while loud and at times a little overbearing was nevertheless generous with their time in organizing get togethers and a influence for the good when it came keeping things in bounds.

In connexion with that some misunderstandings and actions by others that rather tainted affairs for days, leaving me well out of things that much of the political business from the Peace Deal with Iran that fell apart within hours to Keir Starmer's resignation announcement on Monday with the likely appointment in July of Andy Burnham as Labour Leader and appointment as Prime Minister in time for the September reopening of Parliament.

My thoughts have been more centred around past lives as we'd sooner of had them and the era immediately before my arrival on this planet.

Things back then for females were very different, few worked beyond the single woman with the notion of being married, having children and working being looked down upon, there were restrictions when it came to banking and getting loans being treated very much as a child requiring a man, even your father to underwrite it even if you were over 21 (the then age of becoming an Adult).

Annuals for older girls were different because you were a girl for long even if at the age of 15 you might of gone to work - you were a child labourer in effect - and so this one looked more at art, the interests of her and a good deal about fashion even if unlike in America wearing jeans wasn't a thing.

You aspired to look like a younger version of your mother and other adult females showing sophistication and traditional femininity.

This copy for 1960, so published in 1959 isn't in bad shape although the spine is a bit damaged superficially with the printed section torn.

I'll carefully restick it with Scotch "Magic" adhesive tape that holds things together without living permanent markings which restorers tend to use unless they were going to attempt to stick it to a paper based backing,

I find such topics and even some stories fascinating as much as during the 1970's many books like this was tossed out going for mere pence on jumble sales as utterly outmoded.

It was the sort of thing my mother had.

Engagement in the Democratic Process

Today we should know what's happening in the three bye-elections that took place yesterday one of which *may* trigger a leadership election for the Labour Party and given they are in power in the House of Commons by extension the Prime Minister.

Often people talk about and debate the widening of the Democratic Process, what's it really for and really what are peoples reasons for wishing to gain further engagement with it.

Do people really care about what's going on?

That's kind of relevant here in the UK with moves toward lowering age limits to vote to 16 although you'll note the difference between how adult they are to vote and smartphone content restrictions!

But is Calvin right? Are all some folk wishes to get more engagement just about getting more for them rather than what's just and fair apart from if the way the country is being run really is representative of the people?

Cut it out!

What a week as you sit, damp air around as it continues to rain and you feel you're reliving the dark days of the past and it all connects with what we referred to last week.

A Sudanese refugee undergoing a claim for asylum kneels around the neck of an individual and attempts to knife and behead  him.

Bravely individuals manage to get him off so that person, Steven,  severally injured is able to get to hospital and the attacker arrested.

That is as it should be and we all acknowledge concerns about migration, similar instances elsewhere in the UK of attacks by such persons and even the extent to which areas change culture, something as a West Midlander I, like most, are well aware off.

What happens is this incident is shared on Social Media and a mob comes, attempts to block roads before burning people out of their homes.

Below is day one - and I'm chosing the least distressing images - streets like those my family are from with burnt out property, cars set on fire, families some going back to twenty years losing their homes.

It is frankly not just disgusting but evil, corralling people and attempt to burn them out regardless of status or race.

This kind of action at the start of the troubles was why then Prime Minister Harold Wilson had to bring the army in cos back then the authorities did next to nothing and today the same attitude is on display by young men who weren't around over 50 years ago when that happened.

Yes concerns need to listened to, co-operation with Southern Ireland given there is a criss-crossing of the internal borders plays a part in the refugee issue which itself is facing similar protests but above all this evil must not prevail.

mm

The things that happen

 

There are big news stories about that concern me, the continuing damage in the War in Ukraine and the sickening story around Henry Nowak, a student accused of a racial attack died in handcuffs when in reality he was the victim of a stabbing thanks to actions of bumbling inhumane actions of Hampshire police.

I may write something about that when the situation is much clearer.

No, this week I'm reflecting a bit about those times when in a group you sit in a huddle when one person suggests a topic and you all chip in with an observation or a personal story.

The start is always a bit awkward but someone comes forward, filling that gap saying "I'll start this off" revealing something about them, an event that had happened few of you never knew and you'd ordinarily never talk about.

They're the more confident one in the group, often the one with the suggestion about a place to visit together and that leads to another doing so tossing in a story that nobody new and maybe that person was uncomfortable sharing but they know you're all behind her.

Then another adds a detail and so it goes on for a while as the coffee is drunk and everybody hugs before leaving.

You all feel you've been privileged to know more about each others pasts and feel freer for opening up on your interests and life events.

It wasn't just coffee you had. You took part in a confessional, learning from each other.