By Harry Pape

Ah, 1925. A year when the United Kingdom was a beacon of top hats, tea, and stiff upper lips. The roaring twenties were in full swing, and while jazz might have been scandalising the prudes, the real Britain was busy clutching its pearls over something much more terrifying: the motorcar. Yes, the roads were filling with those noisy contraptions, and people were still trying to figure out if crossing the street was worth the risk of a brush with death by Model T. Fast forward to 2025, and one wonders if we’ve learned anything.

The Roads (From Model T to Tesla)

In 1925, the motorcar was a novelty, driven mostly by the well-to-do who could afford both the vehicle and the chauffeur to blame when they hit a pedestrian. Roads were shared with horses, carts, and a few daring cyclists who were presumably the ancestors of today’s Lycra-clad daredevils.

Now? The horses are gone, but the chaos remains. Traffic jams are the great equaliser, with Tesla’s and battered hatchbacks stuck side by side on roads designed for the horse-and-cart era. Self-driving cars, we were promised, would solve it all by 2025. Instead, they spend their time trying to “negotiate” four-way junctions like socially awkward robots at a speed dating event.

The Class Divide (Pearly Kings and TikTok Monarchs)

In 1925, the UK was a nation divided into strict social strata. Aristocrats donned their monocles and ruled their stately homes while working-class families lived in crowded terrace houses, hoping for a Sunday roast and maybe, just maybe, a weekend trip to Blackpool. I know – unbearable. 

Fast forward 100 years, and the aristocracy is mostly relegated to Netflix dramas, while social media influencers live in castles of their own making – virtual ones, of course. The divide remains, though. These days, it’s between those who can afford avocados on sourdough and those who live off Tesco Value beans, dreaming of a better tomorrow (or at least a better Wi-Fi connection).

The Pub – Then and Now

In 1925, the local pub was the beating heart of the community, where gossip flowed as freely as the warm ale. No one cared about calories or carb counts; they just wanted a pint and a packet of crisps after a tough day in the mines. 

By 2025, the pub is still there, albeit gentrified into a “gastropub” as I’ve heard them be called, where the humble pint costs £8, and the crisps are now “hand-fried artisanal potato thins seasoned with Himalayan pink salt.” The working man of the 20th century would be turning in his grave. The locals still gossip, but now it’s about how Sharon’s kid has become a millionaire on OnlyFans.

Fashion: From Flapper Dresses to Fast Fashion

In 1925, fashion was the height of sophistication. Men wore suits to the cinema, and women embraced the freedom of flapper dresses, signalling a break from the corset tyranny. Hats were not just accessories – they were declarations of identity.

In 2025, fashion has swung so far in the other direction that people think pyjama bottoms are acceptable outside wear, and Crocs – a shoe once thought to be a practical joke – have inexplicably become a style statement. The only hats you see are at Royal Ascot or festivals, and even then, they’re made from recycled tent poles and LED lights.

Politics: Plus ça change

Ah, the politics of 1925. Britain was recovering from the Great War, still grappling with its empire, and workers were demanding rights. Prime Ministers came and went with promises to fix the economy, improve housing, and ensure that everyone got a fair deal.

And in 2025? The promises are the same. The slogans are snappier, the delivery mechanisms digital, but the cycle of grand plans and minimal execution remains unchanged. The empire may be gone, but the nostalgia for “better times” lingers like an awkward uncle at a family gathering.

Entertainment: Silent Films vs. Scrolling Feeds

In 1925, Britons flocked to silent films for entertainment, marvelling at the magic of moving pictures. Stars like Charlie Chaplin dominated the screens, while live orchestras added drama to every laugh and tear.

A century later, entertainment fits in the palm of your hand, and the only silent films left are the ones you accidentally watch on mute because your AirPods didn’t connect. Instead of orchestras, TikTok’s algorithm plays a never-ending loop of remixed sea shanties and sped-up Taylor Swift songs.

A Century Apart, Yet So Close

So, 100 years on, where are we? The top hats are gone, but the snobbery lives on in the form of artisanal coffee orders. The flappers have morphed into influencers, and the motorcars now plug into the wall rather than sputtering petrol fumes. The pub gossip, the political promises, and the relentless pursuit of modernity? All the same, just with a shinier veneer.

Perhaps the greatest irony is that in 2025, we still look back wistfully on 1925, imagining it as a simpler, golden era. Meanwhile, the people of 1925 probably looked back on 1825 and thought, “Ah, those were the days.”

As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same – except now we can complain about it on Twitter. Or whatever it’s called this week.

Photo Credit to Agustina Tolosa on Pexels