The 60s was when foreign travel first became affordable for many people in the UK, with cheap flights and package holidays sparking a summer exodus to resorts in Spain, Italy and elsewhere across Europe. We soaked up the sun, absorbed the culture and sampled the cuisine - all without the guilt of knowing the harm those air miles were wreaking on the planet. Pictured here is a holidaymaker learning how to drink wine 'the traditional Spanish way' in Majorca in 1967.placeholder image
The 60s was when foreign travel first became affordable for many people in the UK, with cheap flights and package holidays sparking a summer exodus to resorts in Spain, Italy and elsewhere across Europe. We soaked up the sun, absorbed the culture and sampled the cuisine - all without the guilt of knowing the harm those air miles were wreaking on the planet. Pictured here is a holidaymaker learning how to drink wine 'the traditional Spanish way' in Majorca in 1967. | Getty Images

9 things you almost certainly miss about the 60s if you lived through them

Robert Cumber
By Robert Cumber

Property and retro writer

Published 12th Jul 2025, 11:30 BST

The swinging 60s have always benefited from good PR, even if they weren’t all they were cracked up to be for everyone.

The decade is painted in vivid colours as an era of sexual awakening and cultural revolution for all, but the reality was more monochrome for many.

The majority of homes still lacked central heating and people remember waking up to ice on the inside of their bedroom windows. Many kitchens were without a fridge, too, when the decade dawned.

There are, however, lots of things about the 60s that almost everyone who experienced them misses.

Below are just some of the ways in which it was a great time to be alive for many people, despite the hardships.

What do you think were the best and worst things about life during the 60s? Let us know in the comments section.

We were better at recycling back then, at least when it came to soft drinks bottles. You could take your empty fizzy drinks bottle back to the shop in the 60s and get some spending money in return - money which usually went on penny sweets.

5. Spending money for your old bottles

We were better at recycling back then, at least when it came to soft drinks bottles. You could take your empty fizzy drinks bottle back to the shop in the 60s and get some spending money in return - money which usually went on penny sweets. | Heritage Images/Getty Images Photo: Paul Walters Worldwide Photography Ltd

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With fewer cars around in the 60s, children were often free to play out on the street, be it football, hopscotch, tag or something else. It's hard to imagine that today.

6. The streets were our playground

With fewer cars around in the 60s, children were often free to play out on the street, be it football, hopscotch, tag or something else. It's hard to imagine that today. | Picture Sheffield Photo: Malcolm Shaw

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The 60s were an exciting time when it came to dining in the UK, with the nation's culinary horizons expanding as we got our first taste of dishes like spaghetti bolognese, sweet and sour chicken, and tikka masala. We still knew where our food came from back then, before the rise of ultra-processed meals, and for the first time we were able to buy tomatoes and other summer fruit and veg all year round in the shops.

7. A food revolution

The 60s were an exciting time when it came to dining in the UK, with the nation's culinary horizons expanding as we got our first taste of dishes like spaghetti bolognese, sweet and sour chicken, and tikka masala. We still knew where our food came from back then, before the rise of ultra-processed meals, and for the first time we were able to buy tomatoes and other summer fruit and veg all year round in the shops. | Getty Images Photo: Jacobsen/Three Lions

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Every generation thinks the music they listened to growing up was the best, but children of the 60s have a pretty good case. It was the year rock and roll and pop music really burst into life on these shores, and we were spoilt with music from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and countless other great bands. The music from back then still sounds fresh and is inspiring artists today. Oasis would never happened if it wasn't for the Beatles, and if you had to pick one it's not a tough choice.

8. The music

Every generation thinks the music they listened to growing up was the best, but children of the 60s have a pretty good case. It was the year rock and roll and pop music really burst into life on these shores, and we were spoilt with music from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and countless other great bands. The music from back then still sounds fresh and is inspiring artists today. Oasis would never happened if it wasn't for the Beatles, and if you had to pick one it's not a tough choice. | Getty Images Photo: Stan Meagher/Express

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