Contents
           
 
|
Time Machines
The Hundred Years Page
| Well, it was obvious and just had to be done for a New Year issue. And no, folks,
we’re not clutching at straws looking for column inches to fill (honest!) So, here is the one and only Bugle
century snippets page. A serious bit about Greek history, and (perhaps) more flippant aspects relating to the
rest of the world….
|
 |
A Little Bit about Greece
|
Rest of the World
|
| 1908
An important year for Crete. Although official enosis wasn’t ratified until 1913, in October 1908 The Cretan Assembly proclaimed union with Greece. The Greek Government wanted annexation of Crete, but were afraid of upsetting the ‘great powers’. Turkey was at that point pursuing an actively hostile policy towards Greece on account of the Cretan question. |
Already invented: Bicycle and motor car. Not yet: Crossword puzzles (1913, apparently). What had happened by now? Great Wall of China and first Oxford / Cambridge boat race. What hadn’t happened yet? Titanic (and Leonardo di Caprio), First World War, Russian Revolution and Jazz.
|
| 1933
Turbulent times for Greece. Venizelos, ousted from office the previous year, was subject to a second assassination attempt. Political chaos ensued, eventually resulting in the Metaxas dictatorship. Venizelos went into exile in 1935 and died in the Ritz in Paris in 1936. On a positive note, 1933 saw the foundation of the Archanes wine co-operative, near Heraklion, Crete, the oldest wine producing co-operative in Greece. |
By now we have: Sliced bread and Band Aids (no, not Bob Geldof and pals, but the sticking plasters) and the initial discovery of antibiotics, but we still don’t have Nylon (1935) nor a Biro (1938). The Wall Street Crash has already happened and Fascism is starting to rear its ugly head all over Europe.
|
| 1958
Greece was slowly recovering from the catastrophic results of both World War II and the divisive Civil War. Politically, a fragile democracy. Legislative elections in February 1958 resulted in a second consecutive victory for Constantine Karamanlis and the National Radical Party. The ‘Cyprus question’ became increasingly important as an issue on the world stage. Makarios rejected the ‘Macmillan plan’, calling for full independence from the UK without accommodating enosis with Greece or partition according to ethnic boundaries.
|
In the intervening years we had welcomed in liquid paper (Tippex) and the contraceptive pill (now, there’s a thought). Musically, 1958 was important, even though Elvis went into the army. Jerry Lee Lewis released Great Balls of Fire. We were still waiting for the Barbie Doll (1959) and Valium (1961). Post-war recovery was taking its time in many places throughout the world, and some of us had a lovely new iron curtain to contend with. |
 |
| 1983
Several changes had taken place since 1958. Ousting of the Monarchy, a military dictatorship which had made Greece a pariah amongst free – thinking liberals, and a subsequent revolution started by students that helped to restore democracy. By 1983, Greece was a member of the EU (having joined in January 1981), and mass-tourism was already starting to take off.
|
We’d gone to the moon! Exciting for some of us. On the downside, international politics seemed to be full of bully tactics. Musically odd — we’d had hippies and punk but were now faced with a combination of Michael Jackson, Cocteau Twins and Duran Duran. We had videos, but no internet as yet.
|
 |
| 2008
Many differences seen between now and 25 years ago, when we first visited Crete. Empowerment of women here is noticeable — we have many more Cretan female friends now than we could have had in 1983, this is a real plus. Rethymnon, today, is a modern town, with great facilities for anyone who cares to visit. But please, show respect to the cultural and historical aspects of this region that make this place special.
|
We’d seen massive changes in Europe, partly due to taking out bricks from a wall in late 1989. This gave us joy, and we had been looking forward to a new millennium. Then, 2001, etc. But, with our new technology, we can talk to each other, everywhere, every day. This could be a good thing for the future….?
|
 |
|
|
