What was in in the 1950s

Originally it was the upper class reaction to the post-war situation which made wealthy young men adopt the style of the Edwardian era. Soon however, this style was adopted by the working class youths. A long jacket with a velvet collar created the basic of the Teddy Boys suit, which was quite expensive. Teddy Boys had the reputation for violent clashes between rival gangs, as well as attacks on post-war immigrants to Britain.

Bill Haley's "Rock around the Clock" was the song which brough rock'n'roll to the UK. The film Blackboard Jungle where the hit was featured caused riots in cinemas. His rival Elvis Presley had his first UK hit with "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956. Britain's home-grown version of Rock'n'Roll was called Skiffle. Lonnie Donegan with his hits, including "Cumberland Gap" and "Gamblin' Man", was one of the most famous Skiffle singers, as were John Lennon and Paul McCartney with their Quarrymen.

Launched in 1948, Morris Minor was one of the most popular cars of the 1950s. It was designed by a team led by Alec Issigonis, who later designed the Mini. It was a vehicle which managed to combine many of the luxuries and conveniences of a good motor car with a price suitable for the working classes. Over 1.6 million were produced in Cowley, Oxfordshire. Production continued in Birmingham through to 1971.

One of the most watched events on television in the early 50s was the Queen's Coronation in 1953, narrated by Richard Dimbleby. This event really sparked off the interest in television and many households were getting one. In the first half of the decade, there was only one channel - the BBC. In 1955 Band III - or ITV was introduced and the emphasis shifted towards more 'popular' programmes, such as quiz shows, soap opera and more light entertainment.

This small yellow bear with black ears first appeared on TV in 1952 and since then have entertained millions of children, as his show went on to become the longest-running children's programme in the UK. Sooty was originally devised by Harry Corbett, who bought the puppet as a present for his son, Matthew Corbett, from a stall when he was on holiday in Blackpool in 1948. Sooty famously played the xylophone and kept a wand with which he performed magic. He was later joined by other puppet characters Sweep, Soo, Kipper, Butch, Ramsbottom, 'Enry the Robot, Cousin Scampi and Miki.

In the 1950s only one actress personified Hollywood glamour and sex appeal – Marylin Monroe. She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles. She is best know for depicting dumb blondes in comedies such as Some Like It Hot and Seven Year Itch, however her widely publicized private life, which included marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, showed that she was intelligent, hardworking, and determined. After her sudden death in 1962 her name became synonymous with beauty, sensuality and effervescence.

This plastic flying disc, which appeared as a children toy in the 1950s, has its roots in pie tin lids of Frisbie Pies which students of American colleges used throw at each other. The toy was invented by Walter Fredrick Morrison but it didn’t get its name Frisbee until 1957 when Wham-O co-founder, Richard Knerr, in search of a catchy new name to help increase sales used the original word that students used to describe the game, however with the wrong spelling.

The 1951 Festival of Britain was an attempt to give Britons a feeling of recovery and progress after the Second World War, to raise the nation's spirits whilst promoting the very best in British art, design and industry. King George VI opened the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank, specially built for the Festival. There were new designs in furniture, housing and interiors on show and the South Bank exhibitions attracted 8.5 million visitors in five months.

Transistors were first produced commercially by the American company Raytheon, in 1952 - the Regency TR1 was the first model available. The first British transistor radio was manufactured by Pye in June 1956. It was the Pam model 710, later followed by Pye model 123. British models tended to be not quite as small as their US or Japanese counterparts. Originally with a hefty price tag, transistor radios soon became a must-have accessory for every teenager.

One garment a girl couldn’t do without was the petticoat. The full skirts needed support to look good and nylon was used extensively to create bouffant net petticoats or paper nylon petticoats. Several petticoats often of varying styles were worn to get the 'just right' look of fullness. Each petticoat was stiffened in some way either by conventional starch or a strong sugar solution.

Originally a radio show, The Lone Ranger made a successful transition to ABC television in 1949. The Lone Ranger, wearing his mask to hide his identity as the only survivor out of six Texas Rangers, with Tonto, his Native American friend, offered to the children's audience a strict moral code and noble effort in fighting for justice. The famous theme of the series which was broadcast until 1957 was Rossini's finale to the William Tell Overture as Lone Ranger sped along on his horse Silver, voicing a hearty "Hi-Ho, Silver, away".