The future and the past

In ten years time almost everyone who remembers the relief at the end of the war, the triumph over fascism and the refounding of society afterwards will be dead, as will most social provision. Then we will back at square one. It makes me truly sad and ashamed to think we will probably never see such days ourselves.

John Rae" (later headmaster of Westminster School), waiting on Bishop's Stortford station in July 1945 with his trunk. "My man," he called to the porter. "No," came the porter's firm reply. "That sort of thing is all over now."

Now that's what I'm talking about.