I'm writing a narrative set in that time period, so every bit of information about how life was for the majority of the poppulace will be much apreciated, things like:
I know that in 1910 europe was just exiting the "Belle Epoque" period, and that four years later the "War to end all wars" would start, how was the mood around england during that time period ?
Again, i'm planning to write a suspense novel set in that time period, i love history with all my hearth and already looked up a lot of books, documentaries and films to help me see as clearly as possible how London was in that time period. My problem is, i am having dificult to find small history accurate details about how the people lived, so i come to you, my fellow history lovers, to help me recreate, as accurate and as fair as possible, the llife, the city and the people of that period.
We've allowed this post, but you're unlikely to get a thorough answer. Questions like "were life conditions good?" and "were people happy?" are not really answerable: some people had a high standard of living and some did not; some people were happy most of the time and some were desperately unhappy, with every nuance in between. People in good circumstances had personal setbacks that made them unhappy, and people in desperate circumstances had times of joy.
I would recommend that you pose your more concrete questions to the sub separately:
What sort of art was being produced in England around 1910? What decorative arts movements were relevant?
How was garbage and sewage collected in early twentieth century England?
How common was electricity in England in 1910? When did "ordinary people" start to have access to it?
For the overall view of the period, I think you will find Edwardian England: A Guide to Everyday Life, 1900-1914, by Evangeline Holland, useful. It seems to be a well-researched guide to politics and popular culture, and may help you get more specific questions to ask.
Also, sorry for the poor writing and for the eventual wrong grammar, english is not my native language and is my first self-taught language.
Thanks again. PS: Did the use of electrical energy was common place ? I mean, i know that electricity was already known and studied for some time, but street lamps, electrical powered machines, house wiring, how common place where these ?
I recommend these two books for a good flavour of life in London around this time, with lots of the little details of the sort I think you're looking for:
Captured Memories 1900-1918 - Across the threshold of war by Peter Liddle
London Born by Sidney Day (this one relates working class life in the early 1920s, but close)
A few random things from my notes that you might find useful:
Money terms: quarter of a penny = farthing; sixpence piece = tanner; shilling piece = bob; two shilling piece = florin; half a crown = two shilling & sixpence; five shilling piece = a crown (very rarely seen); 10 shilling note = half a sheet; then the pound note and the guinea coin (one pound and one shilling). Also five pound and ten pound and twenty pound notes.
Hats: Butchers and the like wore straw hats; builders wore flat caps; office workers wore bowler hats; and people of standing wore a trilby.
The music hall wasn’t looked on as a respectable place for the middle classes
If someone died, family members would wear black armbands and go in the pub for a collection. People would throw in tuppence, thruppence, sixpence.
It was customary to lay straw in the street if there was an illness in the neighbourhood in London to silence the traffic. Also they would lay straw on the floor of horse omnibuses in the winter to keep passengers’ feet warm.
Electricity was becoming more common but many people still relied on gas mantles for lighting in their homes. 'Going on the electric' was a big event for people.
Hope that's a little useful.