It Was A Very Good Era

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This is one of the oldest questions in the book, but here goes:

Not counting the last quarter of the twentieth century, when and where in history would you most like to have lived, and why?

― Tom, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cowboy times!

― Jonnie, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't think there were many times before the 20th century when being a woman was particularly great so I will have to give it some thought. Any time when washing was not considered important would be good.

― Emma, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Pre-Roman Celtic Britain was a matriarchal/matrilineal society, (the tribes were ruled by Queens, hence why Rome had such problems with women like Boudicea and Cartimandua or however you spell their names) so I think it would have been pretty good to have been a woman then. Oh, I know that's so very Time Team of me, but I think I'd have to say Iron Age Britain.

― kate, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I want to be a roving samurai in feudal Japan.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

New York circa. 1969 - Andy Warhol's Factory, the Velvet Underground at the height of their powers, Jets winning Superbowl III, first successful manned moon mission. A life-affirming place to be, full of hope and excitement.

― Trevor, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Whenever it was that Jeeves and Wooster stories were set. The 20s? I'd have loved to have been a completely stupid aristocrat with nary a care in the world. Eh, what?

― Paul Strange, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I usually think of this question in terms of time travel - visiting other times. Then my mind springs to times like 1st century Palestine. But I'd have to learn Aramaic first for it to make much sense.

If I had to choose a place and time to live without knowledge of the present day, I'd probably be v.boring and choose being born in the late nineteenth century into a well-to-do family, hanging out with the great writers and thinkers and dying in 1976 (to fulfill Tom's cut-off point and just catch the start of punk). Aren't I unimaginative?

― Nick, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Can I change my answer? I'd have liked to have been a brave knight in King Arthur's court. If he existed. Maybe an aristocrat in the 20s on weekends. I'd have separated my time between rescuing Damsels in Distress and fighting evil sorcerors and stealing Policemens' hats.

― Paul Strange, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

England, circa the late 19th / early 20th century. As I was telling Ms. Johnston, the effect of _Young Sherlock Holmes_ is to blame for this desire. It's all about the gadgetry and the Egyptian cults.

― David Raposa, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OH! In that case I want to be the lady of the lake!

Oh but I only get a small part. Perhaps I should be the wicked sorceress. I actually don't know why, but there's a certain appeal to cave-woman living. Perhaps I've seen too many episodes of the Flintstones? I could instigate the battle of the sexes and start clubbing the BOYS over their heads instead. Rowr!!

And the GODZILLA fan in me makes me want to fight dinosaurs! T-Rex? What-evah.

― Sarah, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Roman Empire.

― dave q, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Eighteenth Century London. Mmmmm.....gin lane......

― Tanya Headon, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Being Lady of the Lake would be rubbish. Not only is it a small part but also the only bit of you anyone sees is your arm. I mean, it'd be like being a hand model or something.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tanya, you're your mothers ruin.

(Vile Soho back in the days of course, yes. And anytime where talk was of magick and spooky stuff. Actually, lets ALSO nominate the ice age. I'd love to ride a wooly mammoth.)

― Sarah, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You're right RickyT. But to be honest, I couldn't think of any other Arthurian chiXoR on the good side. I always thought that the Lady of the Lake would have had a really cool underwater world anyway. All blue and silver.

― Sarah, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd love to ride a wooly mammoth.

More appropriate for this thread? Oh, that was bad, I'm so sorry...

― Dan Perry, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Weimar Berlin

― anthony, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So many possibilities but to pick vague eras probably New York in the 1930's. Hot jazz, hot dames and a sense of optimism and achievement. nb Damon Runyon is one of my favourite writers so I'm probably swayed by that.

London in the mid-late 60's. I'm sure much of swinging London is a myth which has been distorted by those few at it's epicentre but it still sounds appealing.

Although I'm too much of a scaredy cat I would love to have been at the liberation of Paris and the fall of Berlin.

Despite everything which has happened over the past few days I still think there's no better time to live than now, hopefully I won't be proved wrong in the months ahead.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't recall the *excat* dynasty at the moment but there a point where Chinese civilization was the most advanced in the world *and* it was based on altruism. (Which, of course, was its eventual undoing.) Maybe I wouldn't have wanted to live then with knowledge of today's tech./transportation/communication, but it may have been the most idealistic and theoretically perfect time to live.

― scott p., Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Avast matey, ye olde pirate times for me, ARRRRRR.

― fritz, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Rum + sodomy + going ARRRRRRRR = I'm so there.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

1975 England

― Pennysong Hanle y, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is that when you want to have died, Hanle y? What scene would you have hung out in before that?

I can't believe no one's nominated monkey times yet. Right now I could do with a dose of a simpler life. Even if it was a bit moronic.

― Nick, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I want a simpler life. I want to be Sid James in the era of Carry On films...

― Martin, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The 70s, New York. I would hang out at CBGBVs and flash my tits at Richard Hell. Uh... that seems like I would be Lydia Lunch. Ah well why not...

― nathalie, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

1920's, I could have been like Bertie Wooster.

― jel, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Weimar Berlin.

Staying at the Adlon, visiting Isherwood + Brecht, watching Josephine Baker, meeting Marle Dietrich, art, decadence, political upheaval. Lets book the time-machine Anthony.

― stevo, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No I mean I wish I was around when punk broke as I would have liked to be in a post punk band. Now adays it all seems so pointless

― Pennysong Hanle y, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah but Tom said the last 25 years were out of bounds for being OBVIOUSLY THE BEST.

― Nick, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah Mike surely it would be way cooler to be in a prepunk band. Then you could spend the next 25 years complaining about being a penniless cult hero who never got his dues.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I hate this sort of thing. I don't have a clue, Britain anytime before the 1920s so I could have blown up some of Dublin

― Ronan, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Paris between the World Wars.

Do I really *have* to explain why?

― Chris Barrus, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You know, even though the Arthurian cycle was written during the high Middle Ages, you do all know that the historical Arthur was a post- Roman Celt? The actual times that he was alive and being historic, after the Romans had left Britain, and just as the Danes and Angles and Saxons were starting to invade (the dirty buggers!) would have been very unpleasant indeed.

The 1920s would have been nice, tho. Women had just won the vote and the right to wear skimpy short skirts, so it would have been a good time to be alive. But then you'd have to live through the Depression afterwards, so, as they say, it would have been a nice time to visit, but I wouldn't want to stay there!

― kate, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Everywhere!

If King Arthur is game, I'd like to be one of Robin Hood's Merry Men. Or living in Galt's Gulch.

― maria, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Who cares about great artists and writers and world events? I want to wear dresses like this and this and this. Mid- eighteenth century and rich enough for money to be no object please.

― Madchen, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If you fancy a powercut every other night then fine, Pennysong.

Although I think it was a terribly repressed and narrow era in all kinds of ways, I would like to explore the Britain of the late 50s and early 60s, just to see how different the places I know would have been, and I suppose meeting the young Delia Derbyshire would also come into it.

Many places and times I'd like to visit for a day, but I can't imagine living any time other than now. Not necessarily here, but unquestionably now.

― Robin Carmody, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Slight amendment: mid-eighteenth century, very rich and *not* in France. I value my head.

― Madchen, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hmmm, Madchen, the person wearing the dress in that second link looks disturbingly like Lauren Charlotte (formerly James) Harries.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I didn't say I wanted a face like that, I said I wanted a dress like that. Do I want a chap to lie on the floor and look up my skirt as I swing about in gay abandon though? That is the question.

― Madchen, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Whether or not you want to lose your shoe would also seem to be urgent and key.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I always lose a shoe on the swing and I sometimes wear a dress. Where is the chap, I ask?

― Maria, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gentlemen, form an orderly queue.

― Graham, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cabaret and Sodomy. Hirschfield and Wiel ! Stevo we will were tuxes and dance all night .

― anthony, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Forward, forward into the future! The last quarter of the 853rd Century. Either we'd have conquered death, disease, asteroids, quantum reality rewrites etc. and I could be upgraded into a superbeing, or I'd be given a nice clean cage by the dominant insect species. "Walking with humans" would need my help. "The Ballad Of Big Al. Here Big Al attempts to get out of bed - a monstrous struggle for this prehistoric beast."

― Al, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick, the lack of support for monkey times shouldn't really suprise you- remember how many people on this forum have irrational fears of various fruits?

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ive always thought this board was fairly queer friendly

― anthony, Friday, 14 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

with buck rodgerzs - god those androids were cute.

― Geoff, Saturday, 15 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Al, that's very funny! I hope you would be wearing bacofoil. At least that is what I fantasise about.

Then I again I also want to be a japanese pop star girl kung fu monk meerkat IN SPACE so if anyone can give me the right time to be one of those, I wouldn't mind. One day, I'm going to make the best anime in the world EVER.

― Sarah, Saturday, 15 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think those lived in-or had terrestrial base on-Atlantis, Sarah.

― maria, Saturday, 15 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

Monkey times.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 09:30 (twenty-three years ago)

reliving the manchester university n?

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 09:54 (twenty-three years ago)

No, not that.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 30 October 2002 10:23 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

Why did I say 'monkey times'?

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:16 (twenty-one years ago)

What a fantastic thread.

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I am happy with my above answer.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:20 (twenty-one years ago)

1975, Los Angeles, media cokehead hanging out with David Geffen and Donald Fagen.

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the idea of the dark ages, mainly because of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and also because the idea of the dark ages bakes my noodle.

I'd also like to have been coming of age in 1945 (ie, too young to be conscripted) but on the cusp on the hope and expectation of a new society being born.

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:32 (twenty-one years ago)

1890's. catch the train to oxford every so often. smoke opium pipes with arthur symons. hang out athe cheshire cheese. wear knee breeches.

is there a better life than that?

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I always worry about the underwear chaffing.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Baaderoni's answer

― Michael B, Tuesday, 20 April 2004 13:36 (twenty-one years ago)

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