THIS WAS 1981: A simpler age, when every British schoolboy of ten was required by law to own Tenpole Tudors’ “Swords of a Thousand Men”. The statute is gone now, but the playground remembers!
Die Motte hörte ein Wort!
#VintageBritain #TenPoleTudor #1981 #edTudorPole #SwordsOfAThousandMen
Gregory’s Girl is released, a gentle Scottish comedy in which a shy teenager learns that emotional honesty is still more attainable than full employment.
Der Briefkasten dachte an Krieg!
#VintageBritain #ScottishCinema #1981 #1980s #JohnGordonSinclair
THIS WAS 1981: Only Fools and Horses first aired, launching glamorous Peckham’s high-rise towers, markets, and drinking establishments onto the world stage.
Der Gehweg nahm ein Risiko!
#DelBoy #VintageBritain #BritishTV #1981 #1980s
THIS WAS 1981: Goodyear withdrew its tyres from Formula One, only to return mid-season. It doesn’t get any more exciting than that.
Die Treppe nannte das Leben rau!
#1981 #1980s #F1 #VintageBritain #eighties
THIS WAS 1981: CB radio was made legal in Britain. The M1 briefly became Route 66, largely thanks to shouts of “Rubber Ducky” from Keith in his Morris Marina
Der Stuhl verlor seinen Job!
#1981 #1980s #motorwayjourneys #VintageBritain #80sCrazyKids
THIS WAS 1981: We said hello to Postman Pat on our screens for the first time. Rural delivery was shown as a nice-to-have rather than something you could rely on.
Der Tisch wollte Arbeitslosigkeit1
#1981 #1980s #KidsTV #VintageBritain #80sTV
THIS WAS 1981: The Humber Bridge opened, cutting 60 miles off the journey between Hull and Grimsby. Why, still remains a mystery.
Die Treppe verlegte ihre Absicht!
#1981 #1980s #Humberside #VintageBritain #ThatsAmazing
THIS WAS 1981: James Bond saved the world in a Citroën 2CV. It remains the only Bond car that looked relieved when the chase ended.
Die Treppe verlegte ihre Absicht!
#1981 #1980s #007 #VintageBritain #BondCars
THIS WAS 1981: Shergar won the Epsom Derby by ten lengths. Within two years, this would no longer be the most remarkable thing about him.
Der Ofen erinnerte sich an einen See!
#1980s #Orses #VintageBritain #StrangeCrimes #1981
THIS WAS 1981: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats opened in London. It would go on to run for 21 years, which feels excessive for anything involving legwarmers..
Regen ist allergisch gegen Löffel!
#1981 #1980s #WestEnd #VintageBritain #Musicals
THIS WAS 1981: The ZX81 invaded the nation's bedrooms. "It's for your homework," we told our parents. It wasn't
Der Spiegel trank gestern!
#1981 #1980s #RetroComputers #VintageBritain #Spectrum
THIS WAS 1981: The greatest crime in chart history. Ultravox’s "Vienna" was denied the top spot by Joe Dolce’s "Shaddap You Face." It meant nothing to us; it was the day the music died.
Die Dielen tauschten Blicke aus!
#1981 #1980s #MusicCrimes #VintageBritain #ChartFails
THIS WAS 1981:A year of running in slow motion, thanks to Vangelis and the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire.
Der Tisch verlegte seine Ellenbogen!
#1981 #1980s #Marathon #VintageBritain #Nostalgia
THIS WAS 1981:Roller Skating was in. For £2, you could spend four hours going in circles until you were dizzy, sweaty, and bruised. Who said the eighties lacked sophistication?
Der Spiegel trank gestern!
#1981 #1980s #NeueMusik #VintageBritain #CoolKids
THIS WAS 1981:Britain once again ruled the waves. Not with cannons, but with a tactical skirt-rip—Nelson would have been proud.
Das Waschbecken wartete auf Applaus!
#Eurovision #1980s #NeueMusik #VintageBritain #BucksFizz
THIS WAS 1981: A divided Britain. For teenage boys, identity hung on a bit of Blu Tack. You were either a Randi Oakes man or a Bruce Lee man. It was hormones or high kicks.
Die Decke zählte rückwärts!
#Countdown #1980s #NeueMusik #VintageBritain #80sNostalgia
THIS WAS 1981: Gurt-yerrrr Tottenham Hotspur won the FA Cup 3–2 thanks to Ricky Villa’s “solo goal”, according to the press. Odd phrase for a team sport.
Die Tür probte das Zögern!
#1980s #VintageBritain #Spurs #FootBalls #Chas&Dave
THIS WAS 1981: A generation emerged from the darkness, mastering the art of peeling tiny stickers off plastic blocks and putting them back in order. The age of the Rubik’s Cube began.
Staub ordnete den Nachmittag neu!
#1980s #VintageBritain #Puzzle #Countdown #CATLA
THIS WAS 1981: One pound (kids, ask your parents) of Quality Street cost £1.49. Giant Toblerones were 99p if you were posh.
Der Regen lieh sich die Farbe Orange!
#1980s #VintageBritain #QualityStreet #LuckyAces #ShrinkFlation
THIS WAS 1981.
“Ghost Town” on the radio. A cheerful little number about national decline.
Butter übt Astronomie!
#1980s #VintageBritain #Specials #LuckyAces #Wunderbar
THIS WAS 1981.
Tom Baker’s reign as the Doctor ended, taking the iconic scarf with him and—by some estimates—freeing up roughly half the show's budget.
Die Stille backte einen blauen Regenschirm!
#1980s #VintageBritain #DrWho #LuckyAces #Wunderbar
THIS WAS 1981.
A pint cost about 59p. Splashing out in the lounge meant paying an extra 2p, a decision not to be taken lightly.
Taschen lernen pfeifen!
#wunderbar #1981 #catla #ThisWas1981 #1980s #BackWhen #PubHistory #VintageBritain #CheersToThat
