Look Back To The 1930s: The Whole Decade

Depression and dole queues at one end, semi-detached suburbs and the cinema in the middle, and the war at the other.

Below is the decade in sections, and a link to every single year from 1930 to 1939.

The music

• There was no record chart; popularity was measured by sheet music sales and what the BBC and the dance bands played.
• Henry Hall, Jack Hylton and Ambrose led the dance bands that filled ballrooms and radio schedules.
• Gracie Fields and George Formby were the two biggest British entertainers of the decade.
• The BBC Dance Orchestra's broadcasts were the nearest thing to a national playlist.
• Gramophones and wireless sets spread through ordinary homes during the decade.

The news

• Unemployment passed three million in the early 1930s, and the Jarrow March set out in October 1936.
• Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December 1936 and George VI became King.
• George V's Silver Jubilee was celebrated in May 1935.
• The Munich Agreement was signed in September 1938.
• Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939.

On screen

• The BBC began the world's first regular high-definition television service on 2 November 1936, from Alexandra Palace.
• Television reached only a few thousand homes around London and closed down on 1 September 1939.
• Cinema was the mass medium: most towns had several picture houses and many people went twice a week.
• The 39 Steps in 1935 and The Lady Vanishes in 1938 were Hitchcock's British films.
• The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were both released in 1939.

Everyday life

• Semi-detached housing spread along new arterial roads, and home ownership grew quickly.
• The Highway Code, driving tests from 1935 and Belisha beacons arrived as cars multiplied.
• Butlin's opened its first holiday camp at Skegness in 1936.
• Lidos, cycling clubs and rambling became mass pastimes.
• Gas masks were issued to the public in 1938 and evacuation was planned before war was declared.

Year by year

• 1930 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1931 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1932 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1933 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1934 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1935 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1936 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1937 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1938 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1939 - see the full page for that year, linked below.

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How to write it so it lands

• Each year has its own page with the charts, the news and the everyday detail.
• For a party, pull three facts from one year and run it as a guess-the-year round.
• For a card, use the year they were born rather than the decade.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1939
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• Look back to 1931
• Look back to 1930
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Frequently asked questions

Was there a UK music chart in the 1930s?

No. The first official UK singles chart appeared in November 1952. Before that, sheet music sales were the usual measure.

When did television start in Britain?

2 November 1936, when the BBC began the world's first regular high-definition service from Alexandra Palace. It closed on 1 September 1939.

What was the Jarrow March?

A march of around 200 men from Jarrow to London in October 1936, protesting at unemployment after the closure of Palmer's shipyard.

When did Edward VIII abdicate?

11 December 1936, after less than a year on the throne.

Do you sell anything to do with this decade?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. The pages themselves are free to read and free to copy.