It was a decade where The Beatles shot to fame, Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon and Martin Luther King Jr made his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington to an audience of 250,000 people. It was also the last time England won the World Cup.
The swinging sixties were a defining era for the world with it being one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in history with Bristol not being immune to the decade of counterculture. It was a time when the US increased their military authority in Vietnam, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and there was the threat of nuclear war between the US and Soviet Union after the Cuban Missile Crisis.
As Bristol looked on, the city was starting to rapidly change in the post-war years with major developments across the city including new housing, shopping centres and even car parks. The city centre looks a lot different these days with Broadmead almost unrecognisable.
The aviation industry was key and there were huge celebrations with the launch of Concorde 002 prototype from Filton Airport. There were protests over grammar schools and, of course, plenty of sport with thousands watching Bristol City and Bristol Rovers every week.
The following 19 pictures show snapshots of life in Bristol in the defining decade of the 60s:
1. Playboy visit
American actress and Playboy model Jayne Mansfield with friend, club owner and entrepreneur Alan Wells, at Bristol Airport in May 1967. Mr Wells ran the Webbington Hotel near Weston-super-Mare, and this luring of Mansfield to his club was big news at the time. Less than eight weeks after this picture was taken, Mansfield would die in a road crash in America.
2. ‘More than a car park'
It’s December 1960, and two motorists leave and arrive at the new 550 space multi-storey car park in Rupert Street. It was opened to combat the lack of parking spaces in the city. Today, however, it faces being knocked down as part of plans for flats. But campaigners, including C20 (Twentieth Century Society) want the car park saved, describing it as ‘a good example of an absolutely pivotal building type from the 20th century’
3. All sing along lads!
Bristol City FC players rehearsing club song with Wurzles frontman singer Adge Cutler on 16th February 1967. In 1977, the Somerset band’s homage to the club led to One For The Bristol City becoming City’s official anthem.
4. Shopping in Park Street
This picture from 1962 shows a whole range of transport coming up and down the shopping street with cars, buses and bicycles pictured. Shoppers, meanwhile, browse the many shops lining the road.