The way we were

I stumbled across a few ancient strips of negatives a few days ago and I scanned them in and found a couple of intriguing photographs both of which are good reminders of what "the good old days" were really like for all those who constantly yearn for them.
The first photo below was taken by me in Bulgaria in 1971. Going to a Black Sea resort was very popular in those days for British as well as German,Dutch and Scandinavian tourists. The resorts were just fine but when you ventured inland you saw the real Bulgaria which was a hardline communist state. It was grim and this street scene is typical.  I just cannot believe reports that many Hungarians and Estonians apparently yearn for the good old communist days. Be careful what you wish for.
The second photo was also taken by me in a street market in London in the early 1960s. The photo is very evocative and conveys how grim it was in that period.
Out of curiosity I Goggled Marie's Cafe and much to my surprise find that it is still in business as a smart Thai restaurant in exactly the same location. See  Marie's Cafe . Lower Marsh St, Lambeth where the photo was taken is now an "up and coming area" and the street market is still going. Below is a photo from Google streetview of the location today. What is it about British streets and betting shops?  Many of the buildings remain the same. Little did I know when I went out on that wet and cold day all those years ago that I would be able "revisit" the location on a computer screen whilst sitting on the other side of the planet 50 years later. And some people want to go back to the good old days? Give me a break.