Why might Orwell have included the scene in which Winston offers to buy an old man a drink in Chapter 8 of Book 1 in 1984?

In Chapter 8 of Book 1, Winston offers to buy an old cockney man a drink in order to ask him questions about life before the Revolution. Winston dimly remembers a childhood when life was better than it is in the present. However, he can’t get straight answers from the old man and realizes that soon no one will be alive who will be able to remember life before Big Brother. The scene reminds readers of the value of survivors’ memories. After those who have witnessed history die, the events they experienced become vulnerable to interpretation. The past is being controlled by the Party, and, of course, “Who controls the past controls the future.” By creating an alternative version of the past, the Party improves its image and ensures that the citizens of Oceania look to the government for guidance and protection.