Census forms will shortly be dropping through our letterboxes. They were posted out yesterday. It could well be the last of its kind which, for family historians of the future, is a shame. I speak as a family historian of today. Censuses have been going since Caesar Augustus’s day and probably before.
If it continues the trend of previous years, it will ask each household the number of cars or vans owned or available for use. Expect an increase again, in both the number of households blessed with a car and a rise in the average number per household.
It will again probably ask us how we travel to work. When compared to 2001, expect to see another drop in the number of people who commute by bus. In most urban concentrations, morning peak commuting where it is not static is still busy but is falling more rapidly than any other reason for travel. The one encouraging sign in terms of bus use actually comes from shoppers but even that may be past its peak in some parts. The Census deems shopping trips as worthless. Not surprising, really. But the Census could ask far more about travel habits but chooses not to.
In spite of what will be revealed as frightening statistics about the bus, it’s interesting to note that the Census people have chosen the bus as part of its own branding. And not just an origami one, a real one. It symbolises a journey. That journey, as it travelled the country trying to ensure interest in the Census, is now over. It only reached ten places outside London, enough though to ensure it featured on virtually all regional television news programmes.
I wonder whether the organisers recognise the significance of the vehicle they’ve been using. On the face of it, the Northern Counties-bodied Dennis Dominator is nothing special. But it joined GM Buses in April 1991, an anniversary very close to the 27th March 2011 census day, almost exactly 20 years later. Must be a coincidence. 
Also of note back then was that GM Buses was whole and not split in two and still in arms length ownership. 1991 was also a very different era in that, like 2001, you had to complete your Census on paper. This time, there's an online alternative.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Census Coincidence
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5 comments:
As a family historian of today, the following advice is offered.
If you hand-write your return - photocopy it.
If you do it online - save a copy.
"Censuses have been going since Caesar Augustus’s day and probably before."
Definitely before - there are at least two mentioned in the Old Testament, one of which came to have very serious consequences.
I imagine that the problem with questions about shopping journeys is that, because the journeys are so diverse, it would be very difficult to set questions to get meaningful answers. For most workers, the journey to and from their place of employment will be similar day after day, albeit possibly at differing times.
Posted yesterday? Full marks to Royal Mail then, as mine arrived yesterday!
Got mine yesterday too but "if tuth be told" I live in Wales. Tidy.
What I found interesting was the job description of the person who sent this out. "National Statistician" it was. What a name!
LOL @ the National Statistician. Honest, you have nine yaers off when you can read all the lad mags, Take a Break and do the Sun's Sudoko and then along comes 2011 and you have to work!
: )
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