In and out of UK

Gate12

For a fictional work, I'm trying to find out (or remember!) how easy it was to get between Ireland and the UK in the 1970s. Technically we wouldn't have needed a passport, but could someone have travelled easily under a false name? Many thanks in advance.

Del.Monte

While you didn't need a passport it was advisable to carry one or some form of ID or you were courting trouble. I traveled to and from the UK (incl.NI) regularly during the 1970s and never had any problems but I didn't have a beard, a backpack - or an attitude.

Gate12

That's great. I like the idea of the importance of no attitude.

pedroeibar1

There was a separate arrivals & boarding gate area for Irish flights in LHR and it had a manned CID desk. Not everyone got stopped, but if you had long hair or a beard you were likely to be pulled in. Architecture students many of whom wore a lot of black and had beards suffered. On the very few occasions I was stopped at Heathrow I always found them very polite (same with the troops on the border).

FrancieBrady

Several times during the 80's I got all the way into central London without ever having to produce my passport. Boat and train. CID had a presence there too.

Gate12

Great stuff, beards out