Let's all go down the Strand - Images of 1984 reboot
- Thread starter Will Ritson
- Start date
Thanks DTF955...
1. Northern Ireland will be an interesting flashpoint, coming to a head in the early-mid '60s. The original story alluded to this, but never reached the event. Given the extremes of Unionism in the province, I do wonder if they'd prefer Big Brother over the Papist South!
2/3. Yes; "Radio Free England" was mentioned in Chapter VI (post #70) in the context of British refugees (in 1992) attempting to cross the channel to Calais. In the mid-2010s the UK is being rebuilt by international partners, but there is tension between the USA and the Indian Federation.
Many British believe the propaganda and think that they've "never had it so good", so why would they want to flee? There are plenty that take the chance though and attempt to leave in all directions, although many assume that heading south will take you to Eurasia, and Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia... Radio Free England does tell a version of the truth, although many put it down to Eurasian propaganda. Whilst it convinces some people to leave, it doesn't stimulate any cohesive resistance movement, hence why the "Storm Rising" of 1987 failed (Chapter X; post #134).
There'll be plenty of updates to cover these in the future, including flash-forwards to show the world today (which I am trying to make sound like, outside of Britain at least, to be a far nicer, more peaceful, place, as a vignette in the next update will demonstrate).
Cheers.
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As much as I love this TL, I must admit I have next to no knowledge of British politics. Still, keep it up!
Penny for The Guy
Banned
Keep Calm and Carry On -- Please!
It has been worth the wait for updates. Well done, Mister R., well done.
It has been worth the wait for updates. Well done, Mister R., well done.
I won't be going into too much detail about the politics of Commonwealth nations at this stage, mainly because I don't know enough about them, but I will be looking at them much later on from the context of exiled opposition to the Oceania regime.
Thanks all for the comments.
Plus has anything really untoward happened in Britain, yet? Of course the 1954 elections haven't exactly been fair and the fall of the Attlee ministry has been less than clean but given how unstable Europe was at this time, is that really going to be seen as particularly dramatic? I mean look at the waterfront dispute in New Zealand in 1951, that had some fairly rough politics coming to the fore...
teg
Hmm, fair enough. That still implies a status closer to SMS-speak.
...oh god, imagine Oceanian emoji.
If you want an image of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a
, forever.If you want an image of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a
Ha ha ha
filler..........
Well-played, sir.If you want an image of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a
My inbox is always open if you need help with late 20th century Canadian history/politics.
XV :: The Great Pretender
Oh yes, I'm the great pretender / Pretending that I'm doing well
-----
A Setting Sun: Britain 1945 - 1964
At first the news of Churchill's stroke was kept quiet from all but a few close colleagues - it had been hoped that the man would recover. He had a reputation for staring adversity in the face, but on this occasion it was the Prime Minister that came off second best. The Civil Service had prepared for such an eventually. It was clear that he had not been himself in the weeks following the General Election. Slurred speech, a loss of the famous wit, indecision. Intelligence at first put it down to the "black dog", but began to change their minds when there was no recovery on this occasion. The stroke confirmed their concerns.
It is clear today, from records held by the American government, that President Eisenhower was quick to raise questions in the White House as to the succession of Churchill, particularly given the fragility of the UK coalition. The death of Stalin several months earlier had led to some instability and a power struggle within the Soviet Union. The last thing that Eisenhower wished for was continued instability in Britain, regardless of their diminishing role as a world power. The candidate expected to succeed Churchill was Richard Butler who, by 1954, held the post of Foreign Secretary and who had a seemingly good relationship with his Washington counterpart.
On 16th August 1954 Winston Churchill passed away. He was afforded a full state funeral, which was hugely unpopular among the general public. Eisenhower felt that it was his duty to attend, not just out of respect for his wartime colleague, but also through curiosity about the future of the Kingdom.
-----
Soulbury, Buckinghamshire
The taxi from Leighton Buzzard pulled onto the verge outside the Boot, the man from the Home office stepping out and to a greeting from his colleague from intelligence.
Mr. O'Brien? Airey Neave, MI7, or the Ministry of Truth as the chaps call it [ chuckles ]. Pleased to meet you at last. I hope you don't mind us lunching in the pub. As I'm sure you appreciate, Bletchley has been somewhat chaotic over recent days. Mine host is very reliable though, we can be sure of that.
The pair entered the pub and approached the bar.
Two pints of Watney's please - we'll be in the back room. So, James - I hope that you don't mind me calling you James? You're a Christchurch chap, I understand? Excellent pedigree. I know that your father is very well respected by my colleagues. Now, come, come. To the matter in hand. I have a role for you here at Bletchley. Not your usual claptrap. Something a little more fitting for a man such as yourself. What can you tell me about propaganda?
It was a good - albeit enlightening - discussion. Despite the promotion, O'Brien felt at ease and among his own. The two departed to the nearby Cublington Airport shortly afterwards, part of the delegation greeting President Eisenhower on his visit for the state funeral.
-----
The road to terror: The rise of English Socialism
Oxford University Press, 2023
...The Pound was increasingly unstable as August progressed. The respectful pause that Goldstein's opposition had held during the period of mourning quickly disappeared as the government became more fragile. The death of Churchill had increased the vulnerability of the minority government, and Butler seemed to lack a certain confidence in his new found role. Eisenhower had not been impressed by the situation and the pound continued to weaken, the pace quickening by the week, with the President confiding in a colleague that:
Chequers was strange by the fact that it was the British Civil Service that seemed to be calling the shots, and Rab Butler, who had clearly been earmarked to succeed Churchill, seemed to be something of a puppet to them...
...The move to decimal currency had long been debated by successive governments since the nineteenth century. The Butler government, with support from the Liberals - and with extensive concessions to the Unionist parties in Northern Ireland - began to investigate the future of Sterling. The currency was becoming increasingly toxic during the winter of 1954-55, it was almost as if a fresh start was required...
...In order to bring new money into the country, Butler and his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Harold Macmillan, began to stimulate the free market, trying to encourage American investment in UK industry. Take up was limited, and led to an increasingly weak currency, and ironically increased the influence of the Dollar in the British economy, particularly the black market.
Following the war the Americans had retained several military installations in the UK, despite opposition from the Attlee government, and several of the communities around these had begun to use the Dollar as their de-facto currency, Warrington in Lancashire being one of the most notable examples...
...As American influence in commercial matters rose under successive post-war governments, and subsequently under the Butler administration, the Dollar, with the stability it brought, increased in use, latterly amongst middle-class managers and their families less willing to rely on Sterling.
All of this did little to help the failing Pound. By 1955 large amounts of American currency were in circulation in the UK, and increasingly businesses as well as the Spivs were using the Dollar on an everyday basis...
...Austerity continued, the winter of 1954-55 seeing thousands of deaths for want of affordable fuel and food. Butler appeared distant at this time, earning him the title, coined by Mosley of "The Great Pretender". Frustration began to brew on the streets, overflowing in late February with a series of crude bomb explosions aimed at government targets in London. The explosions, whilst causing some concern, failed to cause any casualties, but the message was clear and delivered in a written warning to the BBC...
-----
Beirut, Lebanon. February 2013
The diplomat had always enjoyed his visits to Beirut.
Aside from being an international melting pot, it was a fun place to visit. Many dubbed it the Las Vegas of the East, but he didn't feel that it was a fair comparison. He preferred the beaches and the clubs to the gambling tables. A more complementary comparison, he felt, would be with a sedate Monte Carlo. Either way, it was a more pleasant place to be than Leith in February.
The delegates were in town to broker the discussions on the maritime boundaries of the British Isles, Ireland, Denmark and Iceland. The Irish position was to maintain the 1964 borders that had been - begrudgingly - agreed between the Republic and the rump British state, and there didn't seem to be any argument with that position.
Scotland were keen to hold onto their oilfields and pushed for recognition of a border that ran due east from the Tweed, in spite of renewed English claims on Berwick.
Their sticking point was claims over the Solway. The diplomat was keen to push for the border to extend south west to Robin Rigg and Two Feet Bank, before moving due west into Manx territorial waters. The English had other ideas, but at least he hadn't needed to mention the audacious claim to Cumberland north of the Derwent. The 945 AD boundary was never a realistic proposition for either nation, of course.
The maritime boundaries were the final sticking point between all parties and it was hoped that the third Beirut Conference and a finalised North Atlantic Treaty would put an end to future disputes between members of the former United Kingdom and their northern neighbours before the planned handover of power from the coalition forces.
-----
We, the British people, refuse to recognise the unelected regime of Richard Butler, and this is a sign of our intention to claw back our privileges as citizens of a democratic country. We will continue to attack legitimate targets until the regime wishes to enter negotiations aimed at the holding of a free and fair general election in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
WE ARE THE BROTHERHOOD
-----
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
_
Oh yes, I'm the great pretender / Pretending that I'm doing well
-----
A Setting Sun: Britain 1945 - 1964
At first the news of Churchill's stroke was kept quiet from all but a few close colleagues - it had been hoped that the man would recover. He had a reputation for staring adversity in the face, but on this occasion it was the Prime Minister that came off second best. The Civil Service had prepared for such an eventually. It was clear that he had not been himself in the weeks following the General Election. Slurred speech, a loss of the famous wit, indecision. Intelligence at first put it down to the "black dog", but began to change their minds when there was no recovery on this occasion. The stroke confirmed their concerns.
It is clear today, from records held by the American government, that President Eisenhower was quick to raise questions in the White House as to the succession of Churchill, particularly given the fragility of the UK coalition. The death of Stalin several months earlier had led to some instability and a power struggle within the Soviet Union. The last thing that Eisenhower wished for was continued instability in Britain, regardless of their diminishing role as a world power. The candidate expected to succeed Churchill was Richard Butler who, by 1954, held the post of Foreign Secretary and who had a seemingly good relationship with his Washington counterpart.
On 16th August 1954 Winston Churchill passed away. He was afforded a full state funeral, which was hugely unpopular among the general public. Eisenhower felt that it was his duty to attend, not just out of respect for his wartime colleague, but also through curiosity about the future of the Kingdom.
-----
Soulbury, Buckinghamshire
The taxi from Leighton Buzzard pulled onto the verge outside the Boot, the man from the Home office stepping out and to a greeting from his colleague from intelligence.
Mr. O'Brien? Airey Neave, MI7, or the Ministry of Truth as the chaps call it [ chuckles ]. Pleased to meet you at last. I hope you don't mind us lunching in the pub. As I'm sure you appreciate, Bletchley has been somewhat chaotic over recent days. Mine host is very reliable though, we can be sure of that.
The pair entered the pub and approached the bar.
Two pints of Watney's please - we'll be in the back room. So, James - I hope that you don't mind me calling you James? You're a Christchurch chap, I understand? Excellent pedigree. I know that your father is very well respected by my colleagues. Now, come, come. To the matter in hand. I have a role for you here at Bletchley. Not your usual claptrap. Something a little more fitting for a man such as yourself. What can you tell me about propaganda?
It was a good - albeit enlightening - discussion. Despite the promotion, O'Brien felt at ease and among his own. The two departed to the nearby Cublington Airport shortly afterwards, part of the delegation greeting President Eisenhower on his visit for the state funeral.
-----
The road to terror: The rise of English Socialism
Oxford University Press, 2023
...The Pound was increasingly unstable as August progressed. The respectful pause that Goldstein's opposition had held during the period of mourning quickly disappeared as the government became more fragile. The death of Churchill had increased the vulnerability of the minority government, and Butler seemed to lack a certain confidence in his new found role. Eisenhower had not been impressed by the situation and the pound continued to weaken, the pace quickening by the week, with the President confiding in a colleague that:
Chequers was strange by the fact that it was the British Civil Service that seemed to be calling the shots, and Rab Butler, who had clearly been earmarked to succeed Churchill, seemed to be something of a puppet to them...
...The move to decimal currency had long been debated by successive governments since the nineteenth century. The Butler government, with support from the Liberals - and with extensive concessions to the Unionist parties in Northern Ireland - began to investigate the future of Sterling. The currency was becoming increasingly toxic during the winter of 1954-55, it was almost as if a fresh start was required...
...In order to bring new money into the country, Butler and his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Harold Macmillan, began to stimulate the free market, trying to encourage American investment in UK industry. Take up was limited, and led to an increasingly weak currency, and ironically increased the influence of the Dollar in the British economy, particularly the black market.
Following the war the Americans had retained several military installations in the UK, despite opposition from the Attlee government, and several of the communities around these had begun to use the Dollar as their de-facto currency, Warrington in Lancashire being one of the most notable examples...
...As American influence in commercial matters rose under successive post-war governments, and subsequently under the Butler administration, the Dollar, with the stability it brought, increased in use, latterly amongst middle-class managers and their families less willing to rely on Sterling.
All of this did little to help the failing Pound. By 1955 large amounts of American currency were in circulation in the UK, and increasingly businesses as well as the Spivs were using the Dollar on an everyday basis...
...Austerity continued, the winter of 1954-55 seeing thousands of deaths for want of affordable fuel and food. Butler appeared distant at this time, earning him the title, coined by Mosley of "The Great Pretender". Frustration began to brew on the streets, overflowing in late February with a series of crude bomb explosions aimed at government targets in London. The explosions, whilst causing some concern, failed to cause any casualties, but the message was clear and delivered in a written warning to the BBC...
-----
Beirut, Lebanon. February 2013
The diplomat had always enjoyed his visits to Beirut.
Aside from being an international melting pot, it was a fun place to visit. Many dubbed it the Las Vegas of the East, but he didn't feel that it was a fair comparison. He preferred the beaches and the clubs to the gambling tables. A more complementary comparison, he felt, would be with a sedate Monte Carlo. Either way, it was a more pleasant place to be than Leith in February.
The delegates were in town to broker the discussions on the maritime boundaries of the British Isles, Ireland, Denmark and Iceland. The Irish position was to maintain the 1964 borders that had been - begrudgingly - agreed between the Republic and the rump British state, and there didn't seem to be any argument with that position.
Scotland were keen to hold onto their oilfields and pushed for recognition of a border that ran due east from the Tweed, in spite of renewed English claims on Berwick.
Their sticking point was claims over the Solway. The diplomat was keen to push for the border to extend south west to Robin Rigg and Two Feet Bank, before moving due west into Manx territorial waters. The English had other ideas, but at least he hadn't needed to mention the audacious claim to Cumberland north of the Derwent. The 945 AD boundary was never a realistic proposition for either nation, of course.
The maritime boundaries were the final sticking point between all parties and it was hoped that the third Beirut Conference and a finalised North Atlantic Treaty would put an end to future disputes between members of the former United Kingdom and their northern neighbours before the planned handover of power from the coalition forces.
-----
We, the British people, refuse to recognise the unelected regime of Richard Butler, and this is a sign of our intention to claw back our privileges as citizens of a democratic country. We will continue to attack legitimate targets until the regime wishes to enter negotiations aimed at the holding of a free and fair general election in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
WE ARE THE BROTHERHOOD
-----
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
_
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