Reply With QuoteUK Miners's strike back in 1984-85. Hated the Police and Thatcher and her ilk ever since. The Chernobyl disaster back in 1986. I was preparing for my Finals at uni at the time.
The big news today is Bananarama have reformed. And, dare I say, appear to have weathered really rather well!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39691240
But it got me thinking, as my formative years were the 80's decade, along with many here, why not reminisce a bit?
Anything 80's related goes - what were your fondest memories, or perhaps the ones you've tried to forget?
I'll kick off with I was into CBM 64 games piracy in a pretty big way. And had well over three or four thousand games for the machine - swapped nationally and internationally, and never for financial gain.
I also loved Adam and the Ants for starters. Still got them on the iPod.
So clever my foot fell off.
UK Miners's strike back in 1984-85. Hated the Police and Thatcher and her ilk ever since. The Chernobyl disaster back in 1986. I was preparing for my Finals at uni at the time.
Used to love Miami Vice...
Late 80s my first mortgage - at 8.6%
Black Ash furniture
Dodgy hair-dos and even dodgier fashion choices
In the very early 80s the only computer at school was a Teletype connected to the local Polytechnic mainframe via an acoustic modem. Computer Studies not even available, anyone who wanted to "do computers" had to take Maths/Physics.
Drink driving much less frowned upon, no-one really thought twice about doing it.
My Marina Coupe (why I had my shoes in my hands I can't remember?)
Drove that car all over the country watching Portsmouth lose at football!!
Dura Duran
Human League
Martines in Portsmouth
Joannas in Southsea
Anything remotely 'New Romantic' is chiseled off the temple walls of my brain.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Only 8.6% I remember mine rising to 15.5%- and seeming to change weekly- I actually fixed at 9.9% for 2 years onceOriginally Posted by Scepticalist
When me and the Wife bought our first flat, we were in it for about 3 years. We didn't pay the same payment twice and it topped out at about 15% I still have no idea how we manged!
Every Breath You Take was ok.
Oh, I see. Carry on.
Speaking of 80s nostalgia has anyone else been watching Top of the Pops 1983 episodes on BBC4? I'm hooked!
I remember fondly scooter rallies. Paddy smith's etc. Insanely modified lambretta chops. I know they continue but they were big back then.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
1985 - Started work in a foundry
1986 - First concert : The Smiths - The Queen is Dead tour - at Salford University (never been bettered).
1987 - First car - Bright Orange Fiesta 1300S
Many other concerts in & around Manchester...
Happy Mondays, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Smiths again (Free Trade Hall), The Primitives, Killing Joke, Tanita Tikaram,
...plus countless others.
Clubbing, Haceinda, The Venue, International 1 & 2, The Ritz, Rotters &... Sachas around 1988 ish...
1989 - Car written off by stolen car - climbed out unscathed.
1989 - Left Madchester for Bath Uni
z
Sent from a phone using this TZ-UK app
Last edited by zelig; 24th April 2017 at 15:26.
And there's your answer - because if you'd worn them in to Joannas they'd still be stuck to the carpet ;-)
Foggy
Bought my new Air King Date in 1986 for £475
Still got it, looks like new.
Was driving a 1979 Escort rs 2000!
Wish I still had that in the same condition...
In no particular order:
Did O levels, A levels and degree
First car
Lost virginity
Left home
First job
Left the UK.
- Novelty pyjamas made from nylon - if you sat too close to the coal fire there would be a 'whoosh' and you'd suddenly be naked
- The illicit thrill of the lingerie pages of the Littlewoods catalogue
- Giant silver square home electronic devices
- Nintendo Game&Watch
- BMXs
- Great Films
- 'Now that's what I call music' tapes
Ha, Ha you must of gone there too, and if we were really desperate we to Emma's in Gosport, guaranteed fight any night of the week..... and that was just the women!!
My favourite memory of the 1980s.
1988 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The really bizarre thing was the sight of French people lining the roads on the way back to Caen, waving Union Jacks at British registered cars.
They must have kept them as family heirlooms from the second world war and seemed to regard Jaguar's win as freeing them from the Porsche occupation!
M
Last edited by Seamaster73; 24th April 2017 at 14:45.
Chernobyl was one of my earliest memories. Hence the lifelong interest i suppose.
Luminous socks though. Dear god.
Echo and the Bunnymen,1985 ( I think ) Ocean Rain Tour
Gloucester Leisure Centre....
My first major concert..
Thorn of crowns still takes me straight back....fondly remembered.
For better or worse, the 80s set the template for the modern world - I don't think life has changed fundamentally since then.
Off the top of my head-
Computers - crude in the day, but the first time they became a home appliance, and set the stage for the internet
Mobile phones - as above (maybe very late 80s)
Travel/Package holidays - again available to all, rather than just the upper social strata
Music as a pre-packaged, corporate product (thanks to SAW) - although arguably Motown was just that
High streets taken over by large chains/beginning of the end for the traditional butcher/greengrocer etc
Leading to Globalisation
TV being able to be time-shifted
Home cinema
Portable audio
2 car families
Both partners working
The first generation never to work
Becoming a service economy
I also think it's the divergence point at which we decided to follow the American model rather than Europe - not necessarily a good thing IMO, as we took on a lot of the bad parts of American culture without some of it's redeeming qualities.
Yes, I've tried to forget her too.
Anyhow, I'll raise you:
So clever my foot fell off.
Guessing they weren't luminous before Chernobyl?
You really get a kick out of this place don't you, oh I forgot you're like Trumpo still #winning.
My favourite memory of the 1980s.
1988 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The really bizarre thing was the sight of French people lining the roads on the way back to Caen, waving Union Jacks at British registered cars.
They must have kept them as family heirlooms from the second world war and seemed to regard Jaguar's win as freeing them from the Porsche occupation!
M
I was there in 87 - they did less well and were beaten by the Porsche teams.
1980 - split up with girlfriend
1981 - went mental and purchased a 1979 Lancia Beta Coupe (2.0)
1982 - Falkands and working like a dog, Met future Mrs G and purchased first Rolex (16750 GMT) for £325
1983 - Holiday in Sardine and finished my apprenticeship
1984 - Got engaged
1985 - Spend a lot of time working in the US (Boston/Manchester) - bought first house (3 bed semi in Epsom for £45K)
1986 - Got married - write off Lancia and bought a Fiat Uno 70S.
1987 - Went to Le Mans for the first time - Porsche wins (again)
1988 - Sell house in Epsom (for £72K) buy 3 Bed detached cottage in Somerset (for £72K) - get new job with Plessey.
1989 - Sell Uno and buy a Citroen BX and a VW Super Beetle for the wife.
Biggest memory of the 80's - Miami Vice (specifically the way Dan Johnson wore his linen jacket with the sleeves up), Phil Collins (No jacket required), Eddie Murphy (Beverley Hills Cops), Alien/Aliens. and women who had massive shoulders (in Dallas or Dynasty - both crap)
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Just found these from '85 and '86- hoho - that looks like a little mullet
And my 1st car
Last edited by lewie; 24th April 2017 at 16:26.
This is #winning:
Ridiculously shiney school trousers
Spots
Kerry Smith of 5BR
Failing A levels
Retaking A levels and passing (except for maths where I became the first person ever at the college to go from a N to a U)
Driving a fork lift truck I was not supposed to be driving through a B&Q wharehouse door
Some girl in Innsbruk with enormous "augen"
Discovering the joy of alchohol.
Discovering the morning after.
Thinking how advanced phone cards were after having to carry some cash for the phone box.
Wondering if it was a good idea to climb this big electricity pylon. Finding out it wasn't.
Zoe <forgotten last name> kicking me in the dangly region...really hard.
Zoe <forgotten last name> coming over all apologetic and making things better (although not then cause they hurt too much)
Learning to drive and passing my test after the grand total of 4 or 5 lessons.
Crashing mum's car afterwards.
Going through a whole range of music.... Led Zep,Deep Purple,Ultravox,Police,Queen,Pink Floyd and so on and so forth.Definitely not any New Romantic crap though. (I might admit to liking some now)
Great family holidays in Cornwall.
Spending the whole decade annoying the hell out of my little brother.
Tbh I could go on for a long time!
Has the rule banning politics in the G&D been revoked?
Frankiefan - I really wish party politics could be kept out of this thread.
Meanwhile, Relax. Don't do it.
I saw FGTH at the awesome Trevor Horn Concert some years back.
If you have't already, watch and enjoy loud:
So clever my foot fell off.
An interesting decade for me. Marriage at the beginning, divorce at the end. My first house, my first two daughters. My first car, a 1975 Austin Allegro.
As regards entertainment, I loved Denis Potters 'Singing Detective'
"Let's kick Michael Foot's stick away!!"
https://youtu.be/RsokGIeQFFI
The first half is remarkably prescient...
But oh dear, let's get back to big hair and Depeche Mode.
So clever my foot fell off.
Working hard, playing hard, good job, good pay, fast cars,lots of foreign holidays and one of the best decades for music.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Started going to gigs more regularly in the 80's having been to my first gig in 1977 (Showaddywaddy)
Fir example,
1981
Chichester Festival Theatre
Off the record, tv programme recorded live, where I got to see Depeche Mode & Duran Duran in their early days. Queued up after the Depeche gig to get their autographs - Vince Clarke still in the band then - which I still have today.
Saw Adam and the Ants multiple times. Also Talk Talk, Ultravox, Blancmange, Teardrop Explodes, ABC, Haircut 100 to name just a few.
Great times
Foggy
Good video, impossible to properly reply outside the BP.
Sent on the run.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Yes - it really was one of the very best decades for music, when the industry was still run by musos, and not Big Corporate.
I'm betting you were a either a big Haircut 100 fan, or maybe Livin' On A Prayer Eddie?
So clever my foot fell off.
You took your life in your hands going there. Do I miss is not!
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
The music industry was always run by the Big Corporate - Wham's manager wrote a great book about it and he should know :)
Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay: The dodgy business of popular music https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/17835210..._UTI.ybG372AJD
I loved the eighties music. Anyone remember the Wag Club, the Mudd Club and the Camden Palace?
I don't think in the same way as it is now. There were far more smaller independent labels in the 70's and through to the mid-80's, even though the big players were moving in. By the end of the 80's, when I was starting to work in TV, and specifically music television in Manchester and the North, with labels like Factory, they were mostly all swallowed up or bought out.
Still, this isn't the thread for debating, more for reminiscing.
Anyone remember this wonderful song?
So clever my foot fell off.
The truly wonderful Billy MacKenzie. I had a drink with him once in about 1983 - a lot of fun.
You must have seen a lot of music first hand, especially in Manchester.
Went to too many concerts to remember, but the stand out memory is Bruce Springsteen at Villa Park in 1988.
The BBC has just followed up with this - 80's bands we wish would reunite.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39692931
So clever my foot fell off.
I did, I was very lucky to be working in the right place, at the right time, in the right industry. I was there right through the whole Madchester Scene and saw, and filmed most of the big bands and many of the smaller ones.
Good memories.
I also once did a short stint on The Hitman and Her, but I keep quiet about that.
So clever my foot fell off.
It was an exciting time: courting my future wife clandestinely for four years at our common place of work. Guess we should have done something about our current spouses first!
On the 'Sugar Cane Train' on Maui with her in 1985:
Last edited by pacifichrono; 24th April 2017 at 19:58.
Some slightly odd choices imo - FGTH were just a vehicle for Trevor Horn's songwriting talent, and CKTC were pretty mediocre. Others are (arguably) fair enough.
Last edited by robcat; 24th April 2017 at 18:52.
Holly Johnson has a great voice though, and they were a fantastic spectacle live.
Ultravox Vienna live at Notts Theatre Royal in 1980, , Shalamar (new GF was mad on them) at Rock City November 24, 1982, and Elton John opening the new Concert Hall (the second gig, blagged our way in for free!) two days later.
Bladdered, 1982 (yes I was a shameless New Romantic, blonde wedge, blue leather box jacket, skintight jeans and pixie boots). Can't remember what watch though...
Posting Permissions
