Marriage in the 1950s and 60s | From wedding vows to happily ever after?
CHANNEL | The Light Programme
FIRST BROADCAST | 02 December 1955
DURATION | 3 minutes 3 seconds
FIRSTBROADCAST
1955
The 'Any Questions?' panellists consider whether a young couple should forgo a traditional white wedding and honeymoon in order to buy a house. Among those taking part is wedding fan Walter Elliot MP, who is in favour of 'the whole bag of tricks the whole time'. This is an extract from a programme recorded at Winsley Chest Hospital near Bath in 1955. Well over half a century later, 'Any Questions?' remains a popular and topical radio series.
Walter Elliot's first wife died in 1919 as a result of a climbing accident in the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye while they were on their honeymoon. He remarried 15 years later but had no children.
Which qualities helped to make an 'ideal' 1950s wife?

A white wedding and a honeymoon or a house deposit?
A 'day in the life' of three married couples.
Will changing the divorce law make Britain more 'divorce minded'?
The social changes affecting marriage in post-war UK life.
The good, the bad and the purpose of marriage in the 1960s.
Is marriage out of date or does it still have relevance in modern society?
The movers and shakers of 1965 on women and marriage.
Why are modern couples rejecting traditional values?
How children have altered the lives of young married couples.
Some of the reasons for the breakdown of marriage are explored.
Life after divorce in the 1960s.
An invitation to the wedding of Norma and Barry - and Diana and Tim.
Why are white shirts and shiny floors the sign of a good woman?
BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.