Having spent most of my working life dealing with the legacies of contaminated land, and aware of the consequences of our treatment of the planet, I am under no illusions about any golden age, any more than I would seek to downplay the appalling racism, sexism and homophobia of the past (‘Who remembers proper binmen?’ The nostalgia memes that help explain Britain today, 15 November).
However, it would be foolish to deny the benefits of growing up as a baby boomer in a country with a more equitable distribution of wealth, where we collectively owned and controlled our water, energy, telecommunication and public transport systems, were confident of seeing an NHS doctor or dentist, and where there was a plentiful supply of affordable council housing available, not to mention food and fuel.
