7 popular things from the 60s and 70s that most people wouldn't know how to work today

People often tell you life was simpler in the olden days.

But modern technology has certainly made some things much easier.

There are many objects that were commonplace in the 60s and 70s, yet which many young people today would struggle to operate.

Dial-operated TV

In the early days of television, you had to change channels using a dial to tune your set.

Most families didn’t have a remote control during the 60s or 70s, either, and if the reception was a bit dodgy you’d have to get up and fiddle with the set-top antenna.

It helped, of course, that there were only three channels before the 80s, and just two before BBC2 launched in 1964.

Manual choke in cars

Back in the 60s and 70s, most cars still had a manual choke, which you’d often need to use to start the car in the cold.

Many people recall how they or their parents would pull the choke out and put a clothes peg on to hold it open.

Although the manual choke was a potentially vital bit of equipment, many people also remember using it to hang their handbags.

Typewriter

Before word processors and PCs came along, the typewriter was king, and the clickety-clack of its keys was the soundtrack to office life.

While the keyboard layout was much the same as the one we use today, you had to remember to return the carriage each time the machine dinged to indicate you’d reached the end of a line.

Rotary phone

The push-button phone was launched in 1963, but many people still used rotary telephones throughout the 60s and 70s.

Dialling a number took much longer, especially if there were a lot of 9s in it.

35mm film cameras

Every shot was precious back in the days of analogue cameras.

You only had 24 exposures in a typical 35mm film roll, and you couldn’t just delete and try again like you can with a digital camera or phone.

You also had to remember to wind the film on after each photo and to rewind the film before unloading.

Once you’d done that, you had to take it to be developed and often wait several days to see the results, hoping in the meantime that your roll hadn’t been mixed up with another customer’s.

Cheque book

Everybody used to have a cheque book, but credit cards and mobile banking have seen their use free-fall in recent years.

For many younger people, the only cheques they ever see are the ones from their grannies twice a year for Christmas and their birthday.

They may have cashed those cheques, but would they even know where to start when it comes to filling one in?

Slide projector

Before social media, the best way to show off your holiday snaps was to invite the neighbours round for a slide show.

They weren’t complicated to use, but you had to remember to put the slides in upside down if you wanted the image to appear the right way up.

How well do you remember the 60s and 70s? If you grew up then, you’ll know how different school was for pupils.