The music, the fashion and the newfound freedom, for some at least, made it a great decade in which to grow up.
Wartime austerity was finally coming to an end and more and more households were able to afford time-saving mod-cons.
But no era is perfect and the 60s certainly had their flaws.
Below are nine things you almost certainly don’t miss about the 1960s if you grew up then.
How many of these things do you remember and are there any other elements of 60s life you were happy to see consigned to history? Let us know in the comments section.
1. Waking up to ice on the inside of your windows
At the start of the 60s, only around 5% of homes in the UK had central heating, and that figure was still down at 30% by the end of the decade. Lots of people remember waking up to find frost on the inside of their windows. | Getty Images Photo: Raymond Kleboe/Hulton Archive
2. Running out of coins for the TV
In the 1960s, many households rented their TV and they were coin operated, which meant that if you ran out of money you risked missing your favourite show that day. One person recalled how their grandparents had a slot TV and when someone came to collect the rent each month whatever was in the box would be taken out of what they owed. | Getty Images Photo: Edward Miller/Keystone
3. Squeezing into a bubble car
The bubble car, as it was dubbed, was launched in the 1950s but remained a popular vehicle in the early 60s, even with the advent of the Mini. The BMW Isetta had a tiny engine, a top speed of just 53mph and painfully slow acceleration, with early models taking half a minute to reach just 30mph. But the fuel economy was great and it was like no other car, with a single door at the front, containing the steering wheel and instrument panel, swinging open for access. There was supposedly space for two adults and a small child, in the days before road safety was a thing, but as you can see that was a bit of a squash. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive
4. Sharing a party line
It may sound fun but the party line was a way of saving money by sharing a telephone line with other people. Only one person could use the line at a time so you often had to wait for the line to be free. You could also listen in to another person's call if you were nosy, which wasn't uncommon, it seems. The Kinks memorably sang about the experience in their classic song, Party Line, which includes the lyrics 'wish I had a more direct connection'. | Getty Images Photo: Keystone
5. 'Tracing paper' loo roll
If you went to school in the 60s, you'll likely recall how the loo roll was not at all kind to your bum. The shiny, rough, non-absorbent toilet paper used in many school toilets was the antiseptic Izal loo roll, which most pupils back then dreaded using. It was widely known by children of that generation as 'tracing paper' loo roll and the very mention of it is enough to send a shudder up the spine of those who remember using the stuff. One person called it a 'crime against humanity' and another said 'whoever invented it should be punished'. | Getty Images Photo: Chaloner Woods
6. Waiting for the launch of Radio Caroline
The 60s are widely recognised as the best decade for music, with the explosion of rock 'n' roll, and the arrival of great bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But it took a while for DJs to give the public what they wanted, with Radio 2 reportedly rationing listeners to just three hours of rock 'n' roll a week in the early 60s as part of a rather traditional, conservative playlist. Thank heavens then for Radio Caroline, the pirate station which shook things up when it launched in 1964 - doing so from a ship off the British coast, to circumvent broadcasting laws. Such was the demand that within weeks of hitting the air it was reportedly attracting around 7 million listeners. Tony Blackburn, Johnnie Walker and Dave Lee Travis were among the big name DJs who started out aboard Radio Caroline before moving to the BBC. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive