Britain, 60 Years Ago

Enchanting photos show what life was like when our Queen came to the throne

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 21:02 GMT, 1 June 2012 | UPDATED: 23:19 GMT, 1 June 2012

With all eyes on the Jubilee, these enchanting photographs give an insight into what life was like 60 years ago when our Queen came to the throne.

Discovered in a photographic agency’s archives, they show a world which moved at an entirely different pace. As L. P. Hartley wrote: ‘The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.’ So true.

Crime levels were a tenth of today’s. There were only 2.5 million cars on the road, as opposed to 25 million now. Few homes had phones and only a tenth owned fridges. But storing food wasn’t a problem as rationing did not end until July 1954. Shopping was a daily trail around the butcher’s, the baker’s and the greengrocer’s.

Televisions were rare — there was only one channel — but sales rocketed before June 1953, so the nation could tune into the Coronation.

Your Hovis, madam: Like a scene from the nostalgic TV advert, a baker¿s boy delivers in a quiet Suffolk street. There¿s not a yellow line - or car - in sight

What¿s your tip for the big race? A woman chats to a kennel lad exercising half a dozen racing greyhounds in a quiet Worcestershire lane. Let¿s hope the dogs don¿t catch sight of a real live hare

Perfect fit: A Hereford farrier¿s young apprentice learns how to shoe a horse

Home on the range: The fire¿s glowing, the kettle¿s on - and baby¿s cot is in the warmest place in the house

Pedal power: A family go for a 1953 picnic in the Cotswolds by bicycle. A Thermos of tea for Mum and Dad and pop for the kids

Please, sir: Schoolboys chat with a master at King's College School, London

All by hand: Artists creating flags and banners for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Edgington's factory in Sidcup, London

The capital at a standstill: An aerial view of the Queen's coronation procession through London, with streets lined with well-wishers

Beating heart of London: Traffic and pedestrians bustle in Piccadilly Circus, which has only grown more hectic since

What's in that basket? Giraffes peer over a fence at a young zoo visitor

Crowd pleaser: A woman on a window seat reads to children listening intently in Billericay, Essex

Home brew: A woman holds up a tea cosy shaped like a miniature thatched cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon

Slower pace of life: Wives of bargemen rest and talk on decks of barges tied up in a canal in Warwickshire

Sign of the times: Children in London lean out of a window to hang a message for their newly crowned queen

Hear ye! Men in Hastings, East Sussex, compete in a town criers' contest

Time and tide: Boats stranded by low waters sit below a 15th-century lantern tower at Boston, Lincolnshire

Time and tide: Boats stranded by low waters sit below St Botolph's Church, known locally as the Boston Stump, in Lincolnshire

Quaint: Morris dancers perform on a village street as spectators watch in Maidstone, Kent

Hideaway: Tourists in Nottinghamshire stand inside a decaying part of an ancient tree called Major Oak

Hello sailor: A young couple lingers to talk in municipal park in Hampshire

Service with a smile: A woman stands behind a bar loaded with sandwiches at a 17th-century inn in London

Thatcher's Britain: An apprentice learns to trim new straw on a cottage roof in Hereford

Dressed to impress: Two young textile workers inspect colorful striped silks modelled by an older colleague

Fresh wounds: Four girls in Hampshire read a memorial for the Allied forces who fought on D-Day

Idyllic: Women pet a shy sheep on a hillside overlooking a green valley in Denbighshire, Wales

Sands of time: People watch a sculptor build a miniature cathedral on Weymouth beach, Dorset

Crossroads: Women on a weekend cycling trip through Lincolnshire pose beside a road sign near a meadow

The modern game: Boys at the very same school in Wimbledon, London, get stuck in during rugby practice

Old meets new: Much of Suffolk, such as this street in Bury St Edmunds, has hung on to its traditional look, but gradually it is moving away from the scenes pictured above

To the dogs: Greyhound racing was still hugely popular when the kennel lad shown above was in business, but in 2008 changing tastes saw this stadium in Walthamstow, London, shut due to falling profits and poor attendance

Enchanted Valley of Flowers

“High in the Himalayan ranges of Garhwal hills of Uttaranchal lies an enchanted Valley.” About 600 kilometers from Delhi, in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal can be found The Valley of Flowers, a breathtaking array of over 500 different species of wild flowers spread over an area of 87.5 km². It is situated a height of 11,000 feet to 14,000 feet above the sea level in the Western Himalayas.

This mysterious valley was hidden from the outside world, with only locals frequenting the place. Initially, it was avoided by the shepherds who believed this magical valley to be the celestial playground of the Gods, nymphs and fairies.

The Valley was discovered by Frank Smith, a mountaineer, botanist and an explorer who came across it quite accidentally in 1931. He was so captivated by its outstanding beauty, which was in its full bloom at the time that he wrote a book about it called “Valley of Flowers”. Thus, the Valley remained a secret no more much to the delight of nature enthusiasts all over the world.

The Valley itself is flanked on either side by imposing peaks, capped with snow. It is divided into two sections due to the Pushpawati River which cuts through the valley. The major portion of this valley is on its right bank and is every trekker’s dream come true. The entire trek from Govindghat to the valley via Ghangharia is a feast to the eyes. The Valley of flowers changes color almost every day, as it blooms with hundreds of new different flowers along with the changing shades of the old flowers as time passes by. It has been acknowledged by botanists, mountaineers and nature lovers as one of the most picturesque high altitude valleys in the world.

It was only in 1982 that an area of 8,950 hectares of the valley was declared a National Park. In July 2005, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is mainly due to the fact that the valley contains so much rich diversified fauna within its area especially as it is a meeting point of Zanskar, Himalayan ranges and Eastern and Western Himalayas. The importance of this beautiful valley is furthered as many endangered flower species and medicinal plants can be found here.

From November to May, the valley is covered in a bed of snow but the flora here is well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions. The best time to visit the Valley of Flowers is in the months of July and August after the snow has melted. The flowers are in full bloom during this time, giving you ample opportunity to enjoy the never ending charm of this place.