The summer of '69

The summer of '69

Thursday 2 July, 14:00 - 15:00

For Bryan Adams, 'those were the best days of my life'. There was certainly 'something in the air' that summer, as Neil Armstrong took his 'giant leap for all mankind', Concorde continued its flight test programme and the hippy culture reached its zenith with the age of the pop festival – everything seemed possible.

However, the summer of '69 also saw Harold Wilson's government wrestling with difficult issues; the sending of British troops to Northern Ireland and the death of Rolling Stone Brian Jones. In this illustrated talk, Contemporary Specialist Mark Dunton explores the British take on the summer of '69, using examples from the public records to shed light on this eventful time.

Mark Dunton joined the Public Record Office (now the National Archives) in 1983. He has worked mainly in reader services. Mark has a degree in History and MAs in Archives and Records Management and War Studies. In early 2008 Mark became Contemporary Specialist in Advice and Records Knowledge, specialising in records for post-1945 British history and international affairs. He regularly acts as The National Archives' spokesperson to publicise newly released records.

This is a free event. Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis on the day and cannot be booked in advance.

You can listen to previous talks given at The National Archives on our Podcast page.