Jamaica in the ’70s: Uncovering a Forgotten Era of History.

The words of Cynthia Clarke as told by Kareem LaTouche and Arianne Hammond

IN 1969, the Bank of Jamaica began issuing banknotes that bore the images of our national heroes, and on October 20, 1970, kareemsquest.com was told that a brown $5 note was introduced. A review of the island’s money structure in 1974 gave way to the $20 dollar, which bore the image of Noel Nethersole, founder of the Bank of Jamaica, and the 50 cent note was replaced with a coin in November 1976.

In October 1978, the shades of the $10 and $20 were changed to a light blue and grey and orange, respectively.

Cynthia Clarke, manager, New Editions Bookstore, recalls the decade of the ‘70s and shares with kareemsquest.com some things from the good ol’ days. She said life was pretty good back then, noting that her rent was very affordable.

“Living was very reasonable back then; I remember vividly my rent in Harbour View was $90 per month for my three-bedroom home. People could easily get by on minimum wage back then. Electricity was cheap, as it would cost me approximately $1 for light bill,” Clarke, who was 21 years old in 1976, revealed to kareemsquest.com.

She also remembers the food crisis back in the late ‘70s. “There was a food crisis back in 1979 to 1980. It was a crisis where we couldn’t afford food, because it was scarce. I remember rice couldn’t be sold singularly, you had to buy the rice with another product.”

Buying Food

“Well, I remember getting 10 cents for lunch money; with that I could get a cooked meal at school for about a penny. Also, I remember saving my lunch money to buy bulla and cheese, sugar bun, jackass corn and soldier button almost every day after school. These wouldn’t cost me more than a penny.” She continued sharing her story with kareemsquest.com, ‘later on in the 1970s, I was living with my aunt and I would contribute to food. It would cost about $4 to $5 for food at Lee’s Supermarket and we could get oxtail and chicken, rice, flour, sugar and milk, without breaking the budget.”

Our Clothes

“I would go downtown and put a dress on layaway for about $5. I tried to budget my money, since I didn’t get much as a cashier. Shoes cost about $11 to $19, between the years 1974 to 1976. Shoes were considered to be expensive back then, and clothes were usually made by dressmakers,” Clarke disclosed to kareemsquest.com.

The Education System

“School was free. That’s right, zero dollar was the cost of my tuition while attending Yallahs Comprehensive High School,” she boldly proclaimed to kareemsquest.com. “Back then, the government paid for everything, and the books they gave me were what I used. Schooling wasn’t that expensive for my family.”

Public Transportation 

“ I’d pay 20 cents to get to school and back home. I went to Yallahs Comprehensive High School, and to get to Yallahs from Lyssons would cost me 10 cents each day. When I moved to Kingston, the fare would be approximately $3 from St Thomas.Where I lived, there wasn’t any government buses running, we had private bus owners that knew their passengers, and would wait for them. For example, my driver would wait for me at 5:30 a.m. every morning.”

The Social Scene

“All we did back then were movies and house parties. Matinee performances were early shows that were held for young children, and that cost about 25 cents.” She informed kareemsquest.com that regular movies were later in the night. They were attended by adults and a ticket would cost about 40 cents. House parties were free because we would all meet up at a friend’s house and learn all the latest dance moves, like the funky chicken.”

Tell us what you remembered about the 70’s by leaving a comment below. 

Here are some other interesting RETRO articles on KareemsQuest.com that you may like: 

• Remembering Jamaica’s transportation system – JOS Buses
• Sweet Memories: My favourite Jamaican Candies

To get archive articles for photos of Jamaica’s news contact the Gleaner Library 876-932-6231 or library@gleanerjm.com 

Test how well you remember Jamaica’s transportation system by taking the quiz below.