JOHN Handby, a Vaga member, gave members a trip down memory lane when he spoke about the historical context of the Baby Boom.

It was said that soldiers returning from the war in 1945 went straight to bed so creating the baby boom of 1946 to 1964.

This post-war generation demanded major changes in society, starting with the election of a Labour Government in 1945, through the greyness of the 50s and continuing through the swinging 60s with its revolution in dress, music, education and deference to authority. But its roots were earlier.

The First World War had caused profound social change.

Although the roaring 20s broke a range of social taboos and lead to more freedom for those fortunate to enjoy it, most people simply returned to their previous existence. The 30s were a time of worry, with strikes, the depression and the threat from Germany.

It was only after the Second World War that the suppressed yearning for something different was released.

Young people wanted to redefine or even reject established norms and were largely unconstrained by the past.

In John's words "they had all the knowledge of youth untrammelled by experience".

There were many manifestations of this - teddy boys, rock'n'roll, CND and angry literature.

This in turn resulted in the rise of meritocracy and was probably the greatest piece of discontinuous social change in the 20th century creating the basis of a great deal of further social change.

There then followed a very spirited discussion!