Going, going, gone

These once-common sights have now been consigned to history. How many of them do you remember – and what else is likely to join them in years to come?

During the past 50 years, our culture has changed immensely. Attitudes in society have shifted, and the pace of new technology has meant that many once-common items are now obsolete.

From favourite foods to entertainment, and from currency to transport, a lot of things you may once have taken for granted may be unrecognisable to younger people today.

This inevitable progress means that many modern items are likely to disappear in the next decade. Read our list, reminisce about your favourites, then look ahead to see what the future holds…

Raleigh Chopper

With its ape-hanger handlebars and long saddle, the Chopper bicycle was inspired by the motorbikes in Easy Rider. It brought instant cool to 1970s Britain, selling millions and saving Raleigh from bankruptcy.

Teletext and Ceefax

In the mid-1970s these text information services were revolutionary, providing news, weather, football results and more through your TV. The internet rendered them obsolete, and both were gone by 2012.

Shillings

Shilling coins, worth 12p, kicked the bucket on 15 February 1971 when the UK switched to decimal currency. The shilling (aka ‘a bob’) continued to be legal tender until 1990, valued at about 5p.

The Magic Roundabout

This stop-motion British kids’ TV show epitomised the hippy, psychedelic ethos of the era, as Dougal the dog and his pals bobbed around a kaleidoscopic world narrated by Eric Thompson (father of actress Emma).

Pull-off ring-pulls

At one time you could barely set foot outdoors without spotting a curl of discarded metal from a drinks can. But the sharp edges and environmental impact meant they were canned in 1989 in favour of stay-on tabs.

Marathon

Nougat, caramel, peanuts and chocolate: this chunky choc bar was renamed Snickers in 1990 to match its American counterpart. The Marathon name made a brief comeback in 2008, and the brand was also revived in September 2019 by supermarket chain Morrisons for a limited-edition run.

O-levels

‘Ordinary Level’ exams, the precursor to GCSEs, were endured by schoolkids between 1951 and 1988. The exams were renowned for negative marking: points could be deducted for bad handwriting or errors.

The Berlin Wall

The barricade dividing East and West Germany stood for nearly 30 years, separating communism from capitalism during the Cold War. But on 9 November 1989, revellers danced atop the Brandenburg Gate as the Wall fell.

Cassette tapes

Cheap, portable and easy to copy, yet derided by audiophiles, audio cassettes were annoyingly temperamental. Who can forget the hours spent re-spooling an unravelled tape using a pencil?

European currencies

Pre-1999, a trip to the continent meant stocking up on francs, deutsche marks, pesetas or a gaggle of other coins. The euro did away with that, introducing a new currency for 300 million people.

Midland Bank

‘The Listening Bank’, as it was once branded, was one of the Big Four banking groups in the UK for most of the 20^th century. It was taken over by HSBC in 1992, who gradually phased out the name.

Blockbuster Video

In the pre-Netflix age, watching a movie at home involved renting a video. US-based chain Blockbuster was king of the market, but online streaming killed the demand and its last UK store closed in 2013.

Concorde

This supersonic jet could cruise from London to New York in 3.5 hours, travelling at twice the speed of sound. Yet declining revenue and safety fears following several serious accidents meant it was retired on 23 October 2003.

Top of the Pops

The BBC’s chart countdown was an unescapable part of youth culture, launching hundreds of artists’ careers. It ran for more than 2,200 episodes over 40 years, hosting everyone from David Bowie to Mr Blobby.

Smoking indoors

Believe it or not, smoking at your desk, in restaurants or even on aeroplanes was once perfectly acceptable. Various laws were introduced over the decades to stop people lighting up in public spaces, and the July 2007 ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces stubbed it out for good.

Printed encyclopaedias

The essential homework resource: these weighty reference books contained info on a huge range of topics, but couldn’t compete with the web. Encyclopaedia Britannica went online-only in 2010 after more than 200 years.

The end is in sight for…

Cars with petrol engines

As part of plans to tackle environmental pollution, new petrol and diesel cars could be banned in the UK by 2032 in favour of electric motors. The aim is for all new cars in the UK to be zero-emissions by 2040.

Cash

Several businesses made headlines in 2018 after they stopped accepting cash in favour of cards and contactless payments. Could this be the beginning of the end for traditional coins and notes?

Trachoma: a devastating disease

Trachoma is an incredibly painful eye disease that has been causing people to go blind for thousands of years, and it’s still a big problem in some of the poorest parts of the world. But it’s on the brink of being wiped out.
Read about Sightsavers’ work to eliminate the disease

With your help, we can banish trachoma for good

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