The National Identity Card.

The

National

Identity Card.

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It is hard to think this Identity Card was issued by the Government to keep tabs on the legitimate citizens of Great Britain some 72 years ago. As children we were to carry them when we went to school, together with smelly gas masks and every so often we had to produce our cards to the teacher, usually when we were having gas mask drill.

I remember once being stopped at an army roadblock and asked to produce my Identity Card. Along with them was one of our local constables, who were able to verify that the holder of the card was that person.

That was when every local constable was expected to know every family in the village patch that he looked after, but they were able to maintain law and order, even if they rode on slow and very upright bicycles. On top of which they were much part of the village, on or off duty.

Of course you had to carry them especially when traveling any distance to see relatives. Then the big posters at all railway stations, which read, “Is your journey really necessary?” confronted you.