These 100 y/o visions of England are very funny and occasionally totally bang on

We’re grateful to historian and ‘time traveller’ Dr Bob Nicholson for sharing these predictions of what England would look like in 1988, made by Victorians writing in to Answers magazine in 1888.

People shared them because they are always interesting, often very funny, and occasionally just totally bang on.

1.

https://twitter.com/DigiVictorian/status/1078416956401860610

2.

“Invasion is made impossible by the intellectual, self-acting pyro-aqua vengeance bombs.” pic.twitter.com/GH06XsRh4s

— Dr Bob Nicholson (@DigiVictorian) December 27, 2018

3.

Pah! Such a thing could *NEVER* come to pass! pic.twitter.com/dqAhPhQD5j

— Dr Bob Nicholson (@DigiVictorian) December 27, 2018

4.

Inconceivable! pic.twitter.com/v7un8M849J

— Dr Bob Nicholson (@DigiVictorian) December 27, 2018

5.

“There will be double the number of millionaires, and about the same proportion of very poor as at present, who will seem poorer by comparison…” pic.twitter.com/f9Lfj0H36g

— Dr Bob Nicholson (@DigiVictorian) December 27, 2018

6.

This one is a bit trippy, but also kinda prescient with predictions like “heat shall be drawn from the clouds and light from running water” and “armies shall meet in the air.” pic.twitter.com/6G8TqytVCf

— Dr Bob Nicholson (@DigiVictorian) December 27, 2018

7.

A *lot* of these predictions were fixated on the increasing popularity of cremation. Some, like this wag, also tried to butter-up the editors of Answers in the hope of preferential treatment. Alas, the magazine only lasted until 1955. pic.twitter.com/aMvyTpeBQJ

— Dr Bob Nicholson (@DigiVictorian) December 27, 2018