These 3 women live in the past!

The credit crunch, an epidemic of knife crime – no wonder so many of us are fed up with the 21st century. Most of us just grumble, but some women have taken drastic steps to escape what they see as the soulless drudgery of modern life. Meet the "Time War Wives," who believe life, especially marriage, was much simpler in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.

Living like in the 50s: the case of Joanne Massey

Joanne Massey, 35, lives in a recreation of a 1950s house in Stafford with her husband Kevin, 42, who works as a graphics application designer. Joanne is a housewife . She says :

“ I love nothing better than putting my little apron around my waist and baking a cake for Kevin in my 1950s kitchen. ”

“ I put on some pretty Frank Sinatra music and I'm completely lost in my own little fantasy world. In our marriage, I am a real lady and Kevin is the breadwinner and my protector. »

Joanne Massey: “ Living like this makes me happier. »

We have been married for 13 years and we are extremely happy because we both know our roles. There isn't the fight for equality that I see in so many marriages today.

What's wrong with wanting to be adored and spoiled? If I see a hat I like, I say, "Oh, we can't afford that," and Kevin says, "You can have it, I'll pay you for it."

I don't even put petrol in our Ford Anglia car, which is 43 years old, because I find it very unladylike . I ask Kevin to do it.

I make sure our house is immaculate, there's dinner on the table , and I look pretty to welcome my husband home.

My kitchen is an original "English Rose" model, with metal elements, which was very trendy at the time.

We bought it from a family in Scotland who saw our advert in an antiques magazine.

They had it in their garage for storing tools, so it needed to be renovated. I have an original Kenwood blender, the phone is hot pink Bakelite, and even my dinnerware is original from the 1950s.

“ I feel like I'm living in one of those old-fashioned TV shows where everything is always wonderful. »

We had the hall carpet made with an authentic swirling geometric pattern. I like to close the front door, take off my gloves and know that I'm in my own world.

I only wear clothes from the 1950s, like tight pencil skirts, a white blouse and a wide belt.

Kevin wears "modern" clothes for work, but on the weekends he wears a smart suit and a trilby.

I admit that I am behind the 21st century. When I look at the reality of the world today, with all the violence, greed and materialism, I shudder. I don't want to live in this world.

Joanne believes that modern life is too hectic and prefers to take her time

None of us drink and our social life revolves around visiting like-minded friends for tea and cake.

I try not to interact too much with the modern world . Shopping in supermarkets is an ordeal, and I only recently realized that Tony Blair is no longer Prime Minister because I don't read the newspapers - they are just too painful.

We do have a TV, but we hide it in a vintage cabinet and only watch things like Miss Marple, Poirot and Foyle's War.

My obsession began as a teenager, when I loved old movies because they seemed to depict happy days, when women were more feminine and men were more protective.

Joanne only wears clothes from the 1950s and her furniture is also from the period

I went to a high school and could have gone to college, but I chose to work in a bank.

I was counting on time before meeting the right person. Kevin and I met in 1993 at a '50s convention, and we hung out the old-fashioned way before he proposed to me.

I was over the moon, because I had found someone who had the same passion for this period.

Today's society is full of agitation, haste and urgency, whereas I like to take my time. I never leave the house without lipstick, and I also like to help the neighbors - by collecting their pension and running errands for them, like women did in the 1950s.

It may sound silly, but living like this really makes me happier - like I'm living in one of those old-fashioned TV shows where everything is always wonderful.

My despair about the modern world is one of the reasons we haven't had children.

I would be terrified that they would be offered drugs or be subjected to violence.

Some women I meet ask me if I feel patronized by being a housewife and spending my time taking care of Kevin, but I will never feel that way.

At work, he is teased because he is the only one with homemade cakes and even homemade jam in his sandwiches.

But I often wonder if his colleagues aren't a little jealous that he has a wife who is dedicated to his happiness. How many men can really say that these days?

Living like the 40s: Debbie Cleulow

Debbie Cleulow, 34, lives in Upper Tean in Staffordshire with her husband Martin, 38, who works for a JCB contractor. Debbie says:

" When I see a girl walking down the street wearing next to nothing, I say to myself, 'Why don't you have more respect for yourself?' »

“ Other women may laugh at my determination to make my house perfect for my husband, Martin, but I like to spend my free time baking and sewing. »

Debbie Cleulow: “I try to make my house perfect for my husband”

I truly believe that women today have lost their way , with girls who like to get drunk, and kids as young as 11 walking around in tiny tops.

The age of innocence has been lost and it's a real shame . My idol is Ava Gardner and when I watch her films - as I do all the time - I think that so much has been lost in today's society.

I've made my home a 1940s sanctuary , and I only wear clothes from that decade. Others may make fun of me, but I don't really care.

I think I have a much happier marriage than many other people I meet, because we have strict demarcations in our roles.

I do all the cleaning, ironing, laundry and cooking, and Martin puts up the shelves and takes care of the car. He is the breadwinner and I create a pleasant - and loving - environment for him.

I met Martin when I was 17 - we lived in the same village - and he was my only serious boyfriend.

It's so much more romantic to have only ever been in love with one man. My obsession with the 40s really started through Martin, because he was already going to 40s parties when we met.

I have spent so many happy hours sourcing retro furniture and kitchen gadgets for our home, and little by little we are eradicating all traces of the modern era.

Debbie and her husband attract a lot of attention when they leave the house

We have an old black Bakelite telephone , I use a retro Swan kettle, and a complete dinner set from the 1940s that my parents bought for us at an antique center.

I inherited our oak bedroom set from my grandparents. It bears the utility mark "CC41", which indicates that it complies with the rationing criterion of the time.

Likewise, some of my clothes are stamped with the same brand. I wear vintage dresses during the day, and in the evenings and on weekends I dress in satin evening dresses with high heels, which is very glamorous.

I would never dream of leaving the house without gloves and a hat . When we go out we get a lot of attention and some people laugh, but I think that's their problem.

We are not friends with those who do not share our love of the 1940s . Some might think I'm burying my head in the sand, harking back to a time long gone.

But for me, the '40s were a time when people were much friendlier to each other - they really cared about their neighbors.

Right now, I barely know the people who live next to us . Of course, I'm not such a Luddist that I won't use modern medicines and other comforts of modern life when I need them, but I find real happiness in living in a time when life was simpler.

My job is to devote myself to Martin. He has a physical, stressful job and he loves coming home to a wife who is pretty, who cooks his meal in an immaculate house and who has all the time in the world for him.

Living like the 1930s: Diane Rowlands

Diane Rowlands, 38, works part-time in a service center. She lives with Martin, who is 40 and works in a warehouse. Diane says:

“ My love for the 1930s started with music. As a teenager, I loved listening to the sound of big bands and would sit enchanted for hours watching movies starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They were so glamorous. »

“ At the time, the world seemed sunnier, even though it was an austere interwar period. »

Diane Rowlands: “Ideally, I would spend the whole day in my apron. »

The women were these astonishingly glamorous creatures, with their perfect hair and immaculate makeup, and they were treated with such respect by the men.

Men and women knew their role in society and there wasn't all this pressure on women to have to go to work and try to be equal to men.

I work part time, but only because we need the money. However, we still have clearly defined roles within the household and I am the one who does most of the cooking and cleaning.

I love baking cakes and if I had the choice, I would spend all my days in my apron, making my house look immaculate.

Martin and I spend hours stocking up on 1930s clothing and I am always dressed in period costume.

I usually spend between £50 and £150 per item. I buy them online and from vintage clothing specialists, and my wardrobe is filled with wonderful old clothes and items like cloche hats and T-strap Mary-Jane shoes.

At first I was a little skeptical about going out dressed in 1930s clothes, but I'm totally used to it now.

“Who wants tea?” » Diane spends hours on the Internet researching items for her 1930s lifestyle

Remarks from strangers can be quite salacious , however, because people don't like anything out of the ordinary.

The 1930s were a much more moral time and there was a real camaraderie between people.

I try to escape from the current situation and rarely read newspapers because I find today's world so depressing.

The pace of life today is so fast-paced and I think there is so much pressure on women to be like men. This is all false.

I like to wear dresses and skirts, look immaculate and be treated like a lady. My house is decorated throughout with furniture, wallpaper, rugs and ornaments from the 1930s.

Retreating into this world is our sanctuary.