What was it like in 1966 when England won the World Cup?

Sixty years ago, on 30 July 1966, England's men's team beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time at Wembley Stadium to win the World Cup.

It is still England's only men's World Cup win.

But what was Britain like back then? In some ways, it was similar, people loved football, music and fashion, but in many other ways it was very different from the UK in 2026.

When England won the World Cup, most people watched television in black and white, not colour.

The BBC had announced in 1966 that regular colour TV would begin the following year, and the first public colour broadcasts in Britain started in 1967.

That means one of the most famous football matches in English history was seen by millions without the bright green of the pitch or the red of England's shirts.

In 1966, a colour television was expected to cost about £250. Which would be about £6,000 in 2026. In other words, owning a colour TV was far too expensive for most families 60 years ago.

If you were young in 1966, music was a big part of life. Like today, people bought songs on vinyl records, but unlike today it was one of very few ways to listen at home. CDs hadn't been invented yet and it would be another 30 years until the public had access to the internet and streaming.

Instead people listened to music on radios and followed the weekly charts closely.

The Beatles were still one of the biggest bands in the country. In 1966 they had number one hits with Paperback Writer and Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby, while Tom Jones had the year's best-selling single with Green, Green Grass of Home.

The mid-1960s are often described as the Swinging Sixties, a time when British fashion became famous around the world. Clothes for young people were brighter, sharper and more daring than the styles many adults had grown up with.

One of the best-known symbols of the time was the mini skirt, and British designer Mary Quant became closely linked with the look.

Sixty years ago most people still needed to carry cash and, if you were to travel back in time, you might find money much more confusing.

Britain still used pre-decimal money - money that doesn't add up neatly in 10s and 100s. That meant 12 pennies made a shilling and 20 shillings made a pound, unlike today where 100 pence = one pound.

The decision to change to decimal money was announced in 1966, but Decimal Day - when things changed - did not happen until 1971.

So, in that World Cup year, prices were still written in old-style amounts like 1s 2½d. Which spoken out-loud is: "one shilling and tuppence ha'penny". It was a very different time!

1966 also saw the launch of Barclaycard, Britain's first bank-issued credit card.

Three years before Nasa and the United States landed a person on the Moon for the first time, February 1966, saw a Soviet Union spacecraft called Luna 9 land on the lunar surface.

The two countries competed to see who could achieve significant steps in spaceflight first.

Another memorable part of the 1966 World Cup year was Pickles, a black-and-white collie dog who became a national hero after finding the stolen World Cup trophy wrapped in newspaper in South London, while out on a walk with his owner, David.

Television was a huge part of family life in 1966, even though most people still watched in black and white. There was no streaming, no catch-up, no recording and no YouTube - if you missed a programme, you missed it.

One show many children watched was Doctor Who, and often from behind the sofa - as it was considered to be very scary at the time.

1966 was a very big year for the series. Viewers saw villains, the Cybermen, for the first time and later that year the Doctor changed from William Hartnell to Patrick Troughton in the show's very first regeneration.

Children also watched Blue Peter, which had already been on air since 1958, and ITV began showing the live-action Batman series made in the United States. Although the show was filmed with vibrant and colourful costumes, very few viewers could actually experience it in colour in 1966.

The 1966 World Cup final was not just a football match it was a giant shared national moment.

The British TV audience peaked at more than 32 million viewers, which makes it the most-watched television event in UK history.