The ‘Swinging’ 60s began in London – before embracing every area of the UK.
Except Ammanford!
However, in 1966, as a precaution, the council put a man on duty at the edge of town to watch out for any sign that the sexual revolution was on its way from Carnaby Street.
He’s still there.
A friend who grew up in the 1950s, reckons that decade wasn’t the grey, repressed era we’ve been led to believe, and in its own way was also ‘swinging’.
Not only did rock n’ roll arrive, but some less salubrious cinemas showed films like “Naked As Nature Intended”, “The Garden Of Eden”, “Nudes Of The World!” and “Around The World With Nothing On!” Err . . . where do you keep your passport?
They may sound ‘naughty’, but apart from the fact they had no budgets for costumes, the contents of ‘nudist’ or ‘naturist’ films were so innocent that many were granted ‘U’ certificates.
Why?
Because, the films – some of which were made in Britain (Brrrr!) – only ever showed people naked from the waist up.
And, being travelogues filmed in nudist camps or exotic locations, they didn’t feature actors engaged in ‘hanky panky’.
In fact, they didn’t feature very much at all!
Once the initial shock of seeing people playing table tennis ‘Au naturale’ in glorious Technicolour wore off, they were, I’m told, quite boring.
Their ‘plots’ rarely strayed from this formula…
Two attractive girls plan a holiday. One of them suggests a nudist camp. The other one is shocked at the idea. But (wouldn’t you just know it?) she changes her mind and off they go to enjoy lots of jolly fun.
The British Film Censors were so inundated with nudist films they eventually handed over the censorship decision, whether cheerful trampolining nudists would corrupt ratepayers, to local town councillors!
Yes, those well-known film ‘experts’.
Before every nudist film opened in, say, the Brynamman Cinema, councillors attended private screenings and judged whether to give it a ‘U’ certificate or ‘Ban the bum’.
Sometimes, before a unanimous decision could be reached, they had to watch it twice.
We owe these brave men a debt of gratitude.