Mary Feerick.

Wednesday 8^th February 2023.

In the 1970s the Daily Mirror was the best selling newspaper in Europe. Mary’s talk showed how the newspaper’s ‘shopping clock’ influenced politicians in Conservative and Labour governments at a time of rising inflation. Until recently historians tended to focus on the effect of inflation on the middle classes. Mary showed how working class women were regarded as ‘housewives’ even though c58% of them went out to work. The shopping clock was used by workers in their negotiations with employers. Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan and even Margaret Thatcher were obliged to respond to the impact of inflation on voters, particularly women voters. Ministers such as Shirley Williams and Roy Hattersley were tasked with dealing with rising prices. Mary’s research has some interesting things to say about peoples’ shopping and eating habits. The talk was incredibly thorough and served to challenge many long held views on the 1970s.