tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132653932024-03-28T23:11:13.503-01:0080s ActualOver 2 million visitors! THANKS SO MUCH!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-622496239567895412024-03-05T13:00:00.000-01:002024-03-05T15:33:05.753-01:00Rubik's Cube<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiZ7PjNOh9O_tf8Vv_sR0-MW3NHcV2F4ABejrsJ6clxxNgfFVdMcaXWe-nzgqhgzuBy1O3tHQwVIACErdib-bHwYlOgUJNXsB1zRztwfL3JcUYre5wYCu0ghmYJvPlvNobDla/s1600-h/cube+1980s+12.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057400545322253378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiZ7PjNOh9O_tf8Vv_sR0-MW3NHcV2F4ABejrsJ6clxxNgfFVdMcaXWe-nzgqhgzuBy1O3tHQwVIACErdib-bHwYlOgUJNXsB1zRztwfL3JcUYre5wYCu0ghmYJvPlvNobDla/s400/cube+1980s+12.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span> </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b><span><i>An original early 1980s Rubik's Cube.</i> <i>The British Association of Toy Retailers noted the intense interest in the Cube upon its arrival in late 1980 and named it Toy Of The Year as a huge Cube shortage began. There simply were not enough to go round! In the spring of 1981, the nation was finally fully stocked and the Cube won Toy Of The Year for the second year running.</i></span></b></span><b><span style="color: yellow;"><i><br /></i></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULUawXQtdpTkEah7yMyHr08IU0J8YWckgyyLQMJUyBh8VHgtZoSYXMAq_DpWi2qzbxXI9gs1NGTMch7yNZW0kOzWt3MTBxAjETUtShRAhW2KL-Y3O4dHdflr6odvM4W9V92HE/s1600-h/cube+9.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057400296214150194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULUawXQtdpTkEah7yMyHr08IU0J8YWckgyyLQMJUyBh8VHgtZoSYXMAq_DpWi2qzbxXI9gs1NGTMch7yNZW0kOzWt3MTBxAjETUtShRAhW2KL-Y3O4dHdflr6odvM4W9V92HE/s400/cube+9.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><i><span><b>I can't.</b></span></i><span><b> </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>The Cube was invented by Erno Rubik of Hungary in 1974, and he called it "Buvos Kocka" - </b></span><b style="color: red;">the "Magic Cube".</b></div><div>
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<span><b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiENY5KR6VMl1aHzOda_I6uLF1dTDtdu0Fc2kgY4PWAdTwgNMJjLwEDKff8KG_Tx6uIsdvK1ccr4owZWyHP0B6VDi9fxsIafana2aGmgRjWOXf18cwdqxH4M7wce07vtJTRMA0gg/s1600/Bridget+Last.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: red;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406044052459370562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiENY5KR6VMl1aHzOda_I6uLF1dTDtdu0Fc2kgY4PWAdTwgNMJjLwEDKff8KG_Tx6uIsdvK1ccr4owZWyHP0B6VDi9fxsIafana2aGmgRjWOXf18cwdqxH4M7wce07vtJTRMA0gg/s400/Bridget+Last.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 167px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"A Simple Approach To The Magic Cube" by Bridget Last, published in 1980 by a small publishing company, Tarquin Publications of Diss, Norfolk - the first Cube book published in England. The print run was so limited (for what was then a tiny niche puzzle following) that finding a copy today is like finding gold dust. Middle pictures - old Hungarian Magic Cubes occasionally turn up on eBay. There are fascinating differences in the look, weight and feel of the Magic Cube when compared to the Rubik's Cube. Far right - a magazine ad for the Hungarian Magic Cube from March 1981, dating to the time of the worldwide shortage of the new Rubik's Cubes.</span> <i>The book and the Pentangle (a small UK-based company) sold Hungarian Magic Cube are mine.</i> <i>I daren't handle the Cube in case it falls apart! Pentangle, a small company who distributed small numbers of Magic Cubes in the UK, </i></span></b></span><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>seeing major potential in the puzzle and themselves as continuing distributors, </i></span></b><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>were hoping that the Cube would be mass manufactured (difficult to achieve at that time in Communist Hungary), but the rights were given to Ideal Toys and it was renamed and remanufactured before that happened - and it had any widescale impact on the UK and the rest of the Western World.</i></span></b></div><div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>The first test batches of the Magic Cube were finally released in Budapest, Hungary, then very much "behind the Iron Curtain", just before Christmas 1977. In 1978, the Cube started to become popular in Hungary. </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Small numbers of Magic Cubes passed beyond Hungarian borders, individually, via enthusiasts like David Singmaster, and in tiny batches via a small niche puzzle company called Pentangle in England, and there was interest amongst some academics and some puzzle fans who encountered it in the Western World. But the vast majority of us remained ignorant of the puzzle's existence. </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>There was no World Wide Web (invented 1989, implemented early 1990s), so no social media.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Another problem was that the Magic Cube existed in no great numbers - not even enough to impact on the mainstream popular culture of a small nation like the UK. It must be noted that the tiny numbers of Magic Cubes distributed by Pentangle in the UK in no way constituted anywhere near enough to bring about any Magic Cube craze in that nation. Check any UK newspaper archive - newspapers faithfully reflect pop culture over the years, and use them to fill their columns. There was no Magic Cube craze. The vast majority of us had never even heard of it.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>It's also important to note that speed cubing, one of the major crazes of 1981 in the UK, was very difficult with a Magic Cube - they were not designed for it. However, the 1980 Rubik's Cube was lighter and easier to manipulate.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b style="color: red;">David Singmaster and Pentangle's early involvement with the Magic Cube is sometimes rather over-stressed - turning them into major purveyors of the Magic Cube in the UK and architects of the later Rubik's Cube craze, and has been since the early 1980s, resulting in confusion and misinformation. </b></div><div><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="color: red;">One major BBC TV series,<i> I Love The 1970s</i>, was led by misinformation on these scores to blot its copybook well and truly and confuse Rubik's Cube - the 1980 remanufacturing, renaming and international launch - with the earlier tiny seepage of the Magic Cube. The series went overboard with a host of clips from the early 1980s, including <i>Top of the Pops</i>, <i>Not The Nine O'Clock News</i> and Cube master Patrick Bossert, and claimed something yet to be renamed and remanufactured, with a UK patent date of 7 May 1980, was all the rage in 1979. </b></div><div><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="color: red;">The BBC's<i> I Love The 1970s</i> series was supposed to show us the UK pop culture of each year, the TV, the music, the fashion, the fads. But as several of the fads featured in certain years either didn't exist at that time or were old news, the show became a strange, reworked '70s that many viewers had trouble recognising.</b></div><div><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="color: red;">A quick look through a newspaper archive would have shown the Beeb researchers what was 'hot' in each year.</b></div><div><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="color: red;">The show had to correct the Rubik's Cube information on its website when viewers complained in great numbers. As the BBC's <i>I Love The 1970s</i> had contained several other inaccuracies, this did nothing to enhance its reputation among serious pop culture researchers. The series had rather 'sucked in' pop culture from the 1960s and 1980s, and this was not due to confusion, but rather poor research and a desire to 'hype' the 1970s, it was claimed. UK newspaper archives, for example, are full of ads and articles about space hoppers and space hopper races from the spring of 1968 onwards (the release date). The BBC popped the hopper into <i>I Love 1971</i> - prompting a load of echoing misinformation around the web. </b></div><div><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="color: red;">It was as though the BBC was trying to rewrite, redesign and repackage the 1970s as a hot product.</b></div><div><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="color: red;">The Rubik's Cube should, of course, have featured in the BBC's follow-up <i>I Love 1980s </i>series, either in the 1980 episode - when it arrived just before Christmas but was in short supply - or, more appropriately, as the series focused on pop culture, in 1981, when the UK became fully stocked and the craze raged. There were no Rubik's Cubes before 1980, and the Magic Cube was never the talk of shops, offices, and school playgrounds. </b><b style="color: red;"><i>I Love 1981</i> was a travesty without the Cube. </b></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>The Pentangle angle keeps coming back to an inaccurate, disproportionate degree, every ten years or so, as successive generations of Cube fans encounter the same misinformation, think they have discovered wondrous new information, then have to discover the truth. We don't know why. Who could it possibly benefit? Pentangle's involvement with the Cube apparently stretched on into the Rubik's Cube era, but ended unhappily for the company in 1981.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>One site flags up Pentangle with a slogan about the 'first Magic Cube sold outside Hungary' - attributing that to the company. We can't possibly <i>know</i> that. The Magic Cube fascinated many mathematicians and some, like David Singmaster, as we know, were selling them, in small numbers, to friends and colleagues after visits to Hungary. </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>We have no proof of who made that first sale.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Come to that, we have no proof of who made the first sale of the 1980 Cube.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>David Singmaster and Pentangle are interesting facets of the Cube's history, like squares on a Cube, but there are many of those, and neither caused the Cube to suddenly burst onto the mainstream stage in the UK.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><div style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Best to remember that the Rubik's Cube was released in 1980 and the mainstream Cube craze then began in the UK when stocks allowed, as elsewhere in the Western World. There were no Rubik's Cubes before 1980, no large numbers of Magic Cubes, and no major advertising campaigns for the Magic Cube. </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div></span></div><div><b style="color: red;">All that being said, pre-Rubik's Cube memorabilia is highly collectable. If you have a Magic Cube (easily distinguishable from the first 1980 Rubik's Cubes) you might like to check out its value. Another thing is Bridget Last's book, <i>A Simple Approach To The Magic Cube</i>. This was published by small publishing company Tarquin Publications, of Diss, Norfolk, England, in a limited print run in 1980. </b></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Despite the small seepage beyond its borders, the Cube remained one of Hungary's best kept secrets, mostly tucked away securely behind the Iron Curtain as far as the general public in the UK and the rest of the Western World were concerned.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>But things were about to change. In fact, the Cube itself was about to change, both in name and manufacturing process.<br /></b></span>
<br /><span style="color: red;"><b>A deal was signed with major US Company Ideal Toys in late 1979 for mass distribution of the Cube in the West. </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>The Magic Cube debuted at the international toy fairs of London, Paris, Nuremberg and New York in January and February 1980 - with Erno Rubik demonstrating his own creation. Reaction was good, but the Cube did not conform to Western manufacturing and packing norms. </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>This had to be addressed. A new version was produced - lighter, stronger (I still have a 1980 Rubik's Cube in perfect working order - but my older Magic Cube is a brittle, delicate creature) - and easier to manipulate. This opened the way to Rubik's Cube contests - with amazing speeds being achieved.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Just prior to its Western World release, Ideal Toys decided to rename the 1980 version of the Cube. "Inca Gold" and "The Gordian Knot" were two of the names suggested, but "Rubik's Cube" was chosen.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Ideal also designated it 'The Ultimate Puzzle'. With a major company behind it, a new name, advertising and media attention, the Cube was about to enter its legendary era.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuMPQZ0ssd0PdOoPD4z__GFgdR9K-lRlUgRNrojCCo1prA5dVAak5U7mxcAQU5-o7MH6Pri1mRqKO5CxG5pTPrZQlJZy4q4ZnKN4xoeoooJMn406fdabCsyfOOn4a_jgo9ve8EA/s1600/cube+1980s.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406050197528671730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuMPQZ0ssd0PdOoPD4z__GFgdR9K-lRlUgRNrojCCo1prA5dVAak5U7mxcAQU5-o7MH6Pri1mRqKO5CxG5pTPrZQlJZy4q4ZnKN4xoeoooJMn406fdabCsyfOOn4a_jgo9ve8EA/s400/cube+1980s.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 391px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 316px;" /></a>Mathematician David Singmaster wrote:<br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: #3366ff;">... the Magic Cube is now being sold as Rubik's Cube... [the Ideal Toy Corp.] has renamed the cube as 'Rubik's Cube' on the grounds that 'magic' tends to be associated with magic.</span></i></b></span><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">The Rubik's Cube trademark was registered in England on 7 May 1980, but due to a shortage, supplies did not start arriving here until just before Christmas. By then, it had appeared on television, Jonathan King had taken one on to <i>Top of the Pops</i>, hailing it as the latest craze in America, and many of us were aware that it was very much one of the 'Next Big Things' in UK popular culture. Many people who were not habitual puzzle fans were entranced by it - it was an attractive and intriguing object with a highly intriguing name, but the shortage stretched on into 1981 and it was spring before the country was fully stocked. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;">A few cheap imitations appeared to cash in on the shortage.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;">Hungarian actress Zsa Zsa Gabor presided over the launch of the Rubik's Cube in America in 1980, but, as with the UK, the shortage of Cubes meant the USA also had to wait to experience the full force of the craze until 1981.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>The puzzle celebrated 25 years as Rubik's Cube in 2005.</b></span></div>
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<b><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0h0r2_uHmc1j8gWR3hxb5TaxZ_uTsxUmtrlsrIDnn4asZJJdWtDgl7UlqaqD2M6LPlkzfo0Ut7APwTFoV1cPJ9L1MIuUd1CURnvOQX1mi0oTmBAfdT9PjUiYLUfC22PEKY9YUw/s1600/25th+anniversary.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406051866383131442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD0h0r2_uHmc1j8gWR3hxb5TaxZ_uTsxUmtrlsrIDnn4asZJJdWtDgl7UlqaqD2M6LPlkzfo0Ut7APwTFoV1cPJ9L1MIuUd1CURnvOQX1mi0oTmBAfdT9PjUiYLUfC22PEKY9YUw/s400/25th+anniversary.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 297px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 332px;" /></a><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-style: italic;">Detail from the 25th anniversary Rubik's Cube, 2005.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt22GPiYkBtl3mXKgoXwvld7bFwojQoOUt1JFjjypyNqvBzD6pVMp43Mao2IXmVqlCc0VJpdtHroyrs1n8nRWQhdvn36hE4YCeLep3ucdNKJYs73NhRpvUPMvsVG-ULAMfzYs/s1600-h/cube+1980s+10.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057390920300542978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt22GPiYkBtl3mXKgoXwvld7bFwojQoOUt1JFjjypyNqvBzD6pVMp43Mao2IXmVqlCc0VJpdtHroyrs1n8nRWQhdvn36hE4YCeLep3ucdNKJYs73NhRpvUPMvsVG-ULAMfzYs/s400/cube+1980s+10.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: red;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Erno Rubik's wonderful puzzle made it on to the cover of <i>Scientific American</i> in March 1981, with a "computer graphical display" image of the Cube and, inside, an article by Douglas R Hafstadter.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Interestingly enough, although the <i>Scientific American</i> article refers to the puzzle being marketed as "Rubik's Cube" (as it was from 1980 onwards), most of Mr Hofstadter's references are to the "Magic Cube".</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDdbRJM08Ul_aoGlloKbEVYpfP67dbWNJoJKn1CEJh0CqmnykreaYHYYEPDK7az_S9yfHYT6zgK8x8xWLsAQhdxez147dJXATGM0W4iPPboAPJAJIhrY9Nr4PDTgNa8BM9ZEU/s1600-h/cube+1980s+8.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057390473623944178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDdbRJM08Ul_aoGlloKbEVYpfP67dbWNJoJKn1CEJh0CqmnykreaYHYYEPDK7az_S9yfHYT6zgK8x8xWLsAQhdxez147dJXATGM0W4iPPboAPJAJIhrY9Nr4PDTgNa8BM9ZEU/s400/cube+1980s+8.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b><span style="color: red;">Like most of us, 13-year-old Patrick Bossert had trouble obtaining a Rubik's Cube when they were first released in England in late 1980. There was an acute shortage. He finally secured one in March 1981 and had soon gained a bit of a reputation as a Cube Master at his school. <i>You Can Do The Cube</i> followed - it was published in June 1981 and became the year's bestseller. By the end of the year, it had been reprinted (at least) fourteen times, and Patrick went on to make a cube-solving video. </span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaf2sKLt51QMYYhuJjPga90dpgDAdlRveQGKElLl2LAnchamtVS-aH_D0BOSZ1hIJ5yEFfa7cusgOEd_t8VhCEMJHIBQX3VBNdScdSeUhWFBgGjTHI5aoPITiNyfuxcBH0sJoD/s1600-h/cube+1980s+7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057389554500942818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaf2sKLt51QMYYhuJjPga90dpgDAdlRveQGKElLl2LAnchamtVS-aH_D0BOSZ1hIJ5yEFfa7cusgOEd_t8VhCEMJHIBQX3VBNdScdSeUhWFBgGjTHI5aoPITiNyfuxcBH0sJoD/s400/cube+1980s+7.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><i><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">The man himself - Erno Rubik. </span></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLXsHFlNgoAMLIda2JgBDHO_PPYYHwXi8C_OThyphenhyphenBvgUbJgIhb-RGEQkFeSi8O8wyBBRePy7qjdXkg13Ju673xpRmPGSUDkwPPCP1d9yMRj-2VJIWRNOvsZhKaaxKfooxWng_X/s1600-h/cube+1980s+6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057388983270292434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLXsHFlNgoAMLIda2JgBDHO_PPYYHwXi8C_OThyphenhyphenBvgUbJgIhb-RGEQkFeSi8O8wyBBRePy7qjdXkg13Ju673xpRmPGSUDkwPPCP1d9yMRj-2VJIWRNOvsZhKaaxKfooxWng_X/s400/cube+1980s+6.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b><span style="color: red;">The<i> Sunday Times Magazine</i> "photo-review" of 1981.</span> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg9lX-2ec-qgbQl71xsYdtzoZO9tG44_CBabcajTp1nzD3Fm8t8QoVE2C4_FGSNZ8Z-duiQ0fk0kuccpoSu4TuLxd6EuZCZZQ9VMROgnbPFhPQHmFqSIkNLpSHBa0z3mcyGx8/s1600-h/cube+1980s+5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057388459284282306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg9lX-2ec-qgbQl71xsYdtzoZO9tG44_CBabcajTp1nzD3Fm8t8QoVE2C4_FGSNZ8Z-duiQ0fk0kuccpoSu4TuLxd6EuZCZZQ9VMROgnbPFhPQHmFqSIkNLpSHBa0z3mcyGx8/s400/cube+1980s+5.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <b><span style="color: red;">The Cube certainly made a monkey out of me!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrRMHhJ_z3azlolI0UbgVop5yyAUZOktNSkr2dPq09MzW3f2vxTdBdYe6RZe9keb-Mj0EjgxF6q01tkQoRQeZV6Wb9nKGklJVnxua143GOACTNAXBSnaJf8QgovkM60kp1Anu5w/s1600-h/rubik.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166100045050390290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrRMHhJ_z3azlolI0UbgVop5yyAUZOktNSkr2dPq09MzW3f2vxTdBdYe6RZe9keb-Mj0EjgxF6q01tkQoRQeZV6Wb9nKGklJVnxua143GOACTNAXBSnaJf8QgovkM60kp1Anu5w/s400/rubik.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> From the <i>Cambridge Evening News</i>, England, 15 July 1981. The Rubik's Cube craze had swept through Cambridge schools earlier in the year, and now it was time for a competition.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_J8C6h8eUGxPOKHO7rzv8F8-GlEqX_efz24cOuCcDTsca8-GTQrF-B46LKGe0nCc-XP8nQiUTa0e9d0pWiIEbLiKBd1krGvXl2YpWKR8P_D8PBEgM7uMo4xDs9o8LeTSMICW/s1600-h/cube+1980s+4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057387664715332530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_J8C6h8eUGxPOKHO7rzv8F8-GlEqX_efz24cOuCcDTsca8-GTQrF-B46LKGe0nCc-XP8nQiUTa0e9d0pWiIEbLiKBd1krGvXl2YpWKR8P_D8PBEgM7uMo4xDs9o8LeTSMICW/s400/cube+1980s+4.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b><span style="color: red;">From the<i> Daily Mirror</i>, 12/8/1981. The article reminds me that "Rubik's Cube" was just as commonly known as "the Rubik Cube" back then. The official name, chosen by Ideal Toys back in 1980, was the former.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9UW9eTBMWogEZEozOOZzcxmUTicijzaowb6nbLgjFMKGKwKxZB_X8FrXKxS357yZL_UOkYJKY8shR40NvoU5CWG8OsFiV2u-y4Gn80rcD4g6kpubMvlAI6drbTqAMrVnWneg/s1600-h/cube+1980s+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057385375497763746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9UW9eTBMWogEZEozOOZzcxmUTicijzaowb6nbLgjFMKGKwKxZB_X8FrXKxS357yZL_UOkYJKY8shR40NvoU5CWG8OsFiV2u-y4Gn80rcD4g6kpubMvlAI6drbTqAMrVnWneg/s400/cube+1980s+3.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b><span style="color: red;">A how to solve the Rubik's Cube video from 1981...</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6HHMhUoyESQsE78csMcWRBHVGKyomFvHRy2f7NEJYzcZrGgLI0HBRIZZoTlRtCXltdh3MTlVQNOyAMZmM-t95FyxZSO5aLRJ9ZyhK2acVUcr3sP-QH7Vhnp3Iy5TMvtLQwQh/s1600-h/1981+vid+3.BMP"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057382970316077954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw6HHMhUoyESQsE78csMcWRBHVGKyomFvHRy2f7NEJYzcZrGgLI0HBRIZZoTlRtCXltdh3MTlVQNOyAMZmM-t95FyxZSO5aLRJ9ZyhK2acVUcr3sP-QH7Vhnp3Iy5TMvtLQwQh/s400/1981+vid+3.BMP" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: red;"> <b>... featuring a leggy, lip-glossed female Cubist...</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG8tDWuMTXrcGcdRKjRVWXeyDaS7Pj9y3XIFgfNSog7Rvv0_00hIDURY2tOVfL5FzckwdrogJDKYJrn-jrq1gbsUsv5Xf2VJdIn1NwWD-QheNjj16y8-x_FhY02vGJjfw_B6n/s1600-h/1981+vid+4.BMP"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057380363270929266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG8tDWuMTXrcGcdRKjRVWXeyDaS7Pj9y3XIFgfNSog7Rvv0_00hIDURY2tOVfL5FzckwdrogJDKYJrn-jrq1gbsUsv5Xf2VJdIn1NwWD-QheNjj16y8-x_FhY02vGJjfw_B6n/s400/1981+vid+4.BMP" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="color: red;"> ... an in-depth explanation of what makes a Rubik Cube twist...</span></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqEE074JEcNummcX-PU1DrjXzs4d7CbTX03UtLAQb99I7HWAw8GLyDRNEEoS-EKEyB9xkMxc9axfOx9YvOByaWb0BO7Q_83-dQ1e86yqnZB-be4Lvoyux5yvvA4aisNW1IIyZ/s1600-h/1981+vid+5.BMP"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057376871462517602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqEE074JEcNummcX-PU1DrjXzs4d7CbTX03UtLAQb99I7HWAw8GLyDRNEEoS-EKEyB9xkMxc9axfOx9YvOByaWb0BO7Q_83-dQ1e86yqnZB-be4Lvoyux5yvvA4aisNW1IIyZ/s400/1981+vid+5.BMP" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b><span style="color: red;"> ... and two little boys - the dark haired one looks rather as though he's wearing hairspray to me.<br /><br />The helpful narrator reminded us that we were watching a video tape (fat chance of that for most of us back in 1981) and so could rewind it if we missed any points, and a cheap disco soundtrack kept the whole thing groovin'. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">By the way, I followed the tape's instructions and my Cube still ended up a mess.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmyZFfO0asf2_w1SG8ROSzpeQy9htx5iIAJoJCuEDmx2qqowyGcxRXYM3sD2UxDbGyqGsOeN3s008llloHxNIvg4ZKiww9jG28DPJtlpnbcUKPMFazhpAwpSkJnUjZODPFt9M/s1600-h/1982+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057374028194167634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmyZFfO0asf2_w1SG8ROSzpeQy9htx5iIAJoJCuEDmx2qqowyGcxRXYM3sD2UxDbGyqGsOeN3s008llloHxNIvg4ZKiww9jG28DPJtlpnbcUKPMFazhpAwpSkJnUjZODPFt9M/s400/1982+1.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: red;"><b> As well as a plethora of "how to solve the Cube" books, there was also this...</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvO56xFa-QKIdxFFlC8zHyqHIVMZ6qy5LKk2-O8ujMLN-aHXaQm77VfTLsZ0rqzUUQFL-TUdlmIJDQKaP3JYDNyIX_w9mOu1ZiRfGq-1AuXj8cKnqvakMM6sgQYm4v3MQvQKX/s1600-h/book+1982.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057372262962608962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvO56xFa-QKIdxFFlC8zHyqHIVMZ6qy5LKk2-O8ujMLN-aHXaQm77VfTLsZ0rqzUUQFL-TUdlmIJDQKaP3JYDNyIX_w9mOu1ZiRfGq-1AuXj8cKnqvakMM6sgQYm4v3MQvQKX/s400/book+1982.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b> <span style="color: red;">Joan Smith's <i>Great Cube Race</i> was a 1982 children's story about a school's Rubik's Cube contest...</span></b><span style="color: #ffff33;"><i><b> </b></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><b>"I'm over half way there," said Ollie pleased, going through the moves again between mouthfuls of fish pie. Brr-ik, Brr-ik went the Cube confidently.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><b>"Not while we're eating please," said Dad. "I can't stand the sight or sound of that toy." </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><span><br /></span>"<b>They say it helps with maths," said Mum.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><b>Ollie thought this meant that it was safe to go on and he ran through the pattern once more putting the blue and yellow edge in place. Brr-ik. Brr-ik.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><b>"PUT THAT DOWN," shouted Dad, "or I'll scramble you up so thoroughly that even the winner of the race couldn't put you straight again."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><b>Ollie put the Cube down beside the salt, but Dad could not bear to have it so close to him, and hid it behind the curtain.</b></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGWQ2vlQeEXPKPZy_B3Eg017bCB87DALQ7JUmlRh7zj64oR4A21PlGLrIAEd8GeBzVGOEER5AGDudql_qKphWdxgzGoDKV92PYD0nJv5Y53_7I_5uUjMkiPDxXWoWhl-ZtPiITQ/s1600-h/may+1982.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148799557691954914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGWQ2vlQeEXPKPZy_B3Eg017bCB87DALQ7JUmlRh7zj64oR4A21PlGLrIAEd8GeBzVGOEER5AGDudql_qKphWdxgzGoDKV92PYD0nJv5Y53_7I_5uUjMkiPDxXWoWhl-ZtPiITQ/s400/may+1982.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i><b><span>People were doing the Cube absolutely everywhere - as this newspaper article from the "Sun", May 13, 1982, shows!</span></b></i><b> </b><br /></span>
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<b style="color: red;">If you were not particularly clever, not at all mathematically minded, but managed to solve the Rubik's Cube, and were sitting there, all smug and complacent, 1982 had a surprise in store for you - the release of the even harder Rubik's Revenge!</b><i><b><span style="color: yellow;"> </span></b></i><b style="color: red;">Happy days!</b><i><b><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div><b style="color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="color: red;">ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 03 FEBUARY 2010. UPDATED 1 OCTOBER 2023</b></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-1126741452311604222024-03-05T00:45:00.006-01:002024-03-05T17:27:26.282-01:00Depeche Mode Arrive...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/depeche%20early%201980s.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/depeche%20early%201980s.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><b style="background-color: black; color: red;">It was March 1980, and Vince Clarke, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher formed a band called
Composition of Sound, with Clarke as singer and guitar player, Gore on the keyboards
and Fletcher on bass. The lads had been in various bands for a couple of years, with no success - but they were very young at the time and international stardom was probably not their aim.</b><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>In fact, even in 1980, none of the lads could have dreamt of what was about to happen.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Martin Gore had met up with his ex-classmate Andy Fletcher at the Van Gogh Club in 1980 and been recruited into the new band.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>Bizarrely, one or two fan sites have recently rather mangled formation dates of Composition of Sound, backdating it by a year, and the misinformation has spread a little. Not sure why. But our date is the one handed down for decades. Anything else simply doesn't make sense.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1pcxg-m7tKlBLiWJZwUFConaDxQLqrnppKhZygdYM05ZuRSUdZ-g1s1MTGWZUm0uZg9GnzlCJBVx1x2n-X-UVkNtMe2HJWhxZsMUIGpGE6A5BHMjR0TTeO2sGuoQqmLjdJxfS4JYKXwntWis4Kwkj3ExOXxK7pNSjjtktPAzujkDPvHrrkNL/s758/depeche%20mode%20b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="758" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1pcxg-m7tKlBLiWJZwUFConaDxQLqrnppKhZygdYM05ZuRSUdZ-g1s1MTGWZUm0uZg9GnzlCJBVx1x2n-X-UVkNtMe2HJWhxZsMUIGpGE6A5BHMjR0TTeO2sGuoQqmLjdJxfS4JYKXwntWis4Kwkj3ExOXxK7pNSjjtktPAzujkDPvHrrkNL/w320-h290/depeche%20mode%20b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Official Depeche Mode history: we think the band may still have been called 'Composition of Sound' at the time of their first gig at the end of May 1980, but not sure about this. The original Depeche Mode line-up was all present and correct by that time as Dave Gahan had just joined. More <a href="https://www.depmode.com/Depeche_Mode_history.php">here</a>.</span></i></b></span></div><div><div><b style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="background-color: black; color: red;">After the formation of Composition of Sound, Clarke and Fletcher switched to synthesisers, working odd jobs so they could buy them - or borrowing them from friends. The group was soon joined by the essential lead singer Dave Gahan and DEPECHE MODE was born.</b><b style="background-color: black; color: red;"> The location was Basildon, Essex, England.</b><br />
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<b style="color: red;">In December 1980 their local paper, <i>The Basildon Echo</i>, commented: </b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">POSH CLOBBER COULD CLINCH IT FOR MODE -</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Some of these perfumed, ponced up futuristic pop bands don't hold a candle to these four Basildon lads. They are Depeche Mode who would go a long way if someone pointed them in the direction of a decent tailor.</span></i></b></div>
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<b>The photograph above was taken around 1981, the year the group first charted, and I think they look great! I love Depeche Mode.</b></div>
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<b>Their first "hit" - <i>Dreaming of Me</i>, released in February 1981,<i> </i>reached No 57 in the charts, but the follow-up, <i>New Life</i>, released in June, went all the way to No 11. By the end of the year, the group had broken into the Top Ten with <i>Just Can't Get Enough </i>and released their first album,<i> Speak and Spell.</i></b></div>
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<b>Vince Clarke departed the band in late 1981 (we hadn't heard the last of him!) and Alan Wilder joined in early 1982.</b></div>
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<b>Depeche Mode had arrived. Back in the early 1980s, I remember my mates and I pronouncing it "Depeché Mode" - in fact it seemed to be quite a widespread thing.</b></div>
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<b>Why? </b></div>
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<b>'Cos we woz fik.</b></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-86481635837398343122023-10-01T00:51:00.002-01:002023-12-05T16:47:50.109-01:00Neighbours - The End of the Road...UPDATED: All Roads Lead Back To Ramsay Street...<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoinCA8D8eg8AzdmAk3tjfFMdctMOOeMss58Iy29TkCDn7gG-PgWuCnw9IAau47FzIZye6mz0I_I0igQ6Kip1zsVqu_zNECStg4kAxl67Xjm5Jni2OwSQqSkAUQxwpRdKlSNVavfK7Mfj3x7g59ymUBS4f3p7FHNO9j9b5PEEG3rlZWiF8EOS/s1620/ely%20cathedral.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoinCA8D8eg8AzdmAk3tjfFMdctMOOeMss58Iy29TkCDn7gG-PgWuCnw9IAau47FzIZye6mz0I_I0igQ6Kip1zsVqu_zNECStg4kAxl67Xjm5Jni2OwSQqSkAUQxwpRdKlSNVavfK7Mfj3x7g59ymUBS4f3p7FHNO9j9b5PEEG3rlZWiF8EOS/s320/ely%20cathedral.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc;">The ancient cathedral in Ely, England. How is this related to the thoroughly Australian 'Neighbours'? Read on!</span></i><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">UPDATE: Delighted that <i>Neighbours</i> has been saved and will continue to delight its fans hopefully for decades to come! Especially delighted that Guy Pearce has agreed to make further appearances as Mike Young so that his romance with Jane Harris (Annie Jones) can continue. </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">We have very special memories of the show in the 1980s, and it's wonderful that Guy, a successful film actor, has such good feelings for the show. Guy was English-born and, in fact, came into the world just up the road from us in Ely, a small city which houses a gorgeous ancient cathedral, sometimes known as 'The Ship of the Fens.' </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Good luck to <i>Neighbours</i>. We leave our original farewell article here as a tribute to the show - and a marker of a time when it seemed the show was about to end forever. But all roads lead back to Ramsay Street...</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Original farewell article below, with lots of '80s memories...</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUPFw4pPb_SgxHZDNTIzU3E4P8Bb_2ENDfwn6cIFWbqNphzbMomnZK2YIJV7173VOUENJwytn4KZ8N0OtlGipaBxPHO-h1CwBfFrrscivOuEEW668e8hZy7pfE2UUqPs_w5POJW1vKs4swYoXKKopfJbeftfpQb-psS098znbpZiqluFkxw/s753/neighbours9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="753" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUPFw4pPb_SgxHZDNTIzU3E4P8Bb_2ENDfwn6cIFWbqNphzbMomnZK2YIJV7173VOUENJwytn4KZ8N0OtlGipaBxPHO-h1CwBfFrrscivOuEEW668e8hZy7pfE2UUqPs_w5POJW1vKs4swYoXKKopfJbeftfpQb-psS098znbpZiqluFkxw/w400-h301/neighbours9.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></div><i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #01ffff;">My first favourite 'Neighbours' character ever, although I loved all the original Ramsay Streeters, was Julie Robinson. We already had lots of older sticky beaks in soaps, but Julie, played by Vikki Blanche, was around my age at the time, early twenties, and quite a novelty. Young sticky beaks did not abound in soap land and she was great fun. Of course, she believed that all her interfering was for the best. She, of course, KNEW exactly what was the best for everybody!</span></b></i><p></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">I was very sorry to read about the axing of the long-running Australian soap <i>Neighbours</i>. I haven't watched in many years, but the show was such an incredible hit when it was first shown here in England in October 1986 that I, as a young twenty-something, was swept along and thoroughly enjoyed the tales from Ramsay Street for the first three or four years.</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacQez9S3DYvvFXTl7CqLY6rInDlFCUomouBUBRB-iAk-8L5PO_iZvq-My0sEbsGWRUgD5qcDz9YR7O2ADnwdbiFAfQKttjbxNI221u58-UO2G_RioQJr3P4KQL5jIr0T3wzKTsgcqqB1fdsN2I_UpaUlhAC6OOXrjqBKTNJUXHjdwM9FkA/s650/terri.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="650" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacQez9S3DYvvFXTl7CqLY6rInDlFCUomouBUBRB-iAk-8L5PO_iZvq-My0sEbsGWRUgD5qcDz9YR7O2ADnwdbiFAfQKttjbxNI221u58-UO2G_RioQJr3P4KQL5jIr0T3wzKTsgcqqB1fdsN2I_UpaUlhAC6OOXrjqBKTNJUXHjdwM9FkA/w400-h300/terri.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #01ffff;">The Robinsons meet Paul's fiancée, Terry Inglis (Maxine Klibingaitis). Oh dear.</span><br /></i></b><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The show is stamped on my memories of the 1980s. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Here's a 'little' run through of my personal <i>Neighbours</i> legends...</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">(Takes deep breath):</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I will never forget Elaine Smith as dependable, straight talking and lively Daphne Lawrence/Clarke - with her highly distinctive spiky hairdo; Vikki Blanche as the glorious young sticky beak Julie Robinson; Darius Perkins as troubled teen Scott Robinson; Paul Keane as hugely likeable, but never terribly lucky, bank manager Des Clarke; Francis Bell as the explosively tempered but also very lovable Max Ramsay; Dasha Blahova as Maria Ramsay - a kind and loving soul, but one indiscretion in 1969 caused huge complications; Myra de Groot as fabulously potty Eileen Clarke - I'll never forget the 'food poisoning' outbreak; Ian Smith as prissy but so-well-meaning Harold Bishop; the excellent child actress Kylie Flinker as Lucy Robinson; David Clencie as troubled Ramsay family member, but also outsider, Danny; Peter O'Brien - Danny's half-brother, Shane - cheerful, romantically unlucky and destined to become a gardener when his diving career was cut short; Vivean Gray as the legendary curtain twitcher Mrs Mangel, railing against 'that Ramsay woman!'; Anne Haddy as artist, grandmother and businesswoman Helen Daniels - kind, gracious, the perfect friend and confidante; Alan Dale as fatherly Jim Robinson - who was always there for his kids; Stefan Dennis as (at first) affable young Paul Robinson - to whom life was about to deliver a bitter blow; Anne Charleston as loud but loving Madge Ramsay/Bishop; Fiona Corke as Gail Lewis/Robinson - glamorous, business orientated and also highly sympathetic; Tom Oliver, who first appeared as rascally Lou Carpenter in 1988 - and immediately drove Harold to violence; Ally Fowler as madcap Zoe Davis - livewire pal of Daphne - who almost became Paul's step-mother; Regina Gaigalas as Andrea Townsend - a scheming minx who wasn't totally bad; Bradley Kilpatrick as Bradley Townsend - his ears were similar to Des Clarke's but Des was not his father - another excellent child actor; Annie Jones as gentle and kindly Jane Harris; Geoff Paine as Clive Gibbons - doctor and purveyor of chicken grams; Craig MacLachlan as the loopy and hilarious Henry Ramsay; Anne Scott Pendlebury as Julie's fellow Robinson sticky beak - the awesome Hilary; Lucinda Cowden as Melanie Pearson - madcap, dizzy and possessed of a highly distinctive laugh; and Guy Pearce as Mike Young - from a troubled family background, he found security in Ramsay Street.</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91PIj_MRL1gi57BGFGoG3-mAUQJfn7T5Mo8G2o3-WiW2dIazhtxlbnnnHp2Kxjat-oYCrmEhTsVD8QbsyAFZBRwaL_z2NhUG8uWvTufyZ--gGCmEe77RLWR4W_htlenfhyphAcdL4tFY576kV8MrifhncLeG2myLgfrqnfv3Gh5DLAjErRg/s1600/Neighbours-First-Episode-Script-Alan-Dale-Anne-Haddy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91PIj_MRL1gi57BGFGoG3-mAUQJfn7T5Mo8G2o3-WiW2dIazhtxlbnnnHp2Kxjat-oYCrmEhTsVD8QbsyAFZBRwaL_z2NhUG8uWvTufyZ--gGCmEe77RLWR4W_htlenfhyphAcdL4tFY576kV8MrifhncLeG2myLgfrqnfv3Gh5DLAjErRg/w400-h263/Neighbours-First-Episode-Script-Alan-Dale-Anne-Haddy.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8;">The original cast. Elaine Smith's short, spiky haircut impressed the show's production team, who wanted a different look for the character.</span></i></b><p></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And then, OF COURSE, there was Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell. Jason Donovan (the second actor to play Scott) and Kylie Minogue starred as the aspiring student journalist and the garage mechanic, who aided the show's popularity immeasurably with their stormy teenage romance and eventual fairy tale wedding.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">We were glued to their dramas.</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0Hq3hcbYF1J9y9gNdA72xu1r5Ewa5oZZ7XKJgrJlElQq1YgNpTqSa6bFIYl_U9tCWqC5ZMeXLsDFpugGWW8hqH_MP_6R70wZH7OcCS-pEZ-XMcbVn4nlnunxI8GwvslTTUkBzZSzA5OSnEbhudvNwln5UqOJx9vNw1C2fwazIb2-43x0rA/s793/mike%20scott%20charlene.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="634" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0Hq3hcbYF1J9y9gNdA72xu1r5Ewa5oZZ7XKJgrJlElQq1YgNpTqSa6bFIYl_U9tCWqC5ZMeXLsDFpugGWW8hqH_MP_6R70wZH7OcCS-pEZ-XMcbVn4nlnunxI8GwvslTTUkBzZSzA5OSnEbhudvNwln5UqOJx9vNw1C2fwazIb2-43x0rA/w320-h400/mike%20scott%20charlene.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #01ffff;">Mike, Scott and Charlene - Ramsay Street youth of the 1980s.</span><br /></b></i><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And, to end our Neighbours legends list, we could never leave out Bouncer, the lovable Labrador, who befriended Mrs Mangel. A brave and noble pooch indeed.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And, finally (phew!), not forgetting dear little Basil - Lucy's dog, and the original <i>Neighbours</i> canine.</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPnvAzNf5C-0I4XcwKOV5fkFCsuKzkWiHZbxnGFJBfRFr3QhFmScncSjffAMf2_mQNH2v1CALfDGAeSXieLXMk6mWvmQD047uXmLjaIPezS_o7Mv9WEMDGIwfwjqftgVtN1PCnv3XAyKyjMMzVn-6U-4bE3ACXXQeWH4bYuTIkSs-b3Ddzg/s734/lou%200a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="734" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPnvAzNf5C-0I4XcwKOV5fkFCsuKzkWiHZbxnGFJBfRFr3QhFmScncSjffAMf2_mQNH2v1CALfDGAeSXieLXMk6mWvmQD047uXmLjaIPezS_o7Mv9WEMDGIwfwjqftgVtN1PCnv3XAyKyjMMzVn-6U-4bE3ACXXQeWH4bYuTIkSs-b3Ddzg/w400-h266/lou%200a.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #a2c4c9;">When Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver) first arrived at Lassiters in 1988, he wasted no time in calling Harold Bishop 'Jelly Belly'. Harold sprang up, ready to karate chop the swine into oblivion.</span></i></b><p></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Why did I like <i>Neighbours</i>? Well, I'd always been partial to a bit of soap, and this one was incredibly well done. Reg Watson was a master of his craft. It also had likeable characters and lashings of bright, zany '80s fashion and hair - and at the age I was, fashion was important. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">But, also, the English soaps were getting a little depressing in the 1980s, as TV production luvvies set out to show us just how grim our lives were under Thatcher (I couldn't stick her, but the lefty luvvies' dog was far too darned shaggy!). It was good to see a show where people bickered and laughed and popped in for a natter and so on without the writers having some huge political axe to grind.</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOHpC878AdQqEzaVE9daWR3NCtMN5RuGcmd4hlCbnOhavisr_ROCiPgpxW5V_6NBLteMYelr0UGlSQn6gC6nOqoyRxklN5OxuMRyHRWMFuD25LAtL_wuBOaEW7LsbNqV_MEG6cvdKgZS6VAgaicXNOGbqNAsbiqNm75Smz_m-60a_exeeZg/s1000/mrs%20mangel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOHpC878AdQqEzaVE9daWR3NCtMN5RuGcmd4hlCbnOhavisr_ROCiPgpxW5V_6NBLteMYelr0UGlSQn6gC6nOqoyRxklN5OxuMRyHRWMFuD25LAtL_wuBOaEW7LsbNqV_MEG6cvdKgZS6VAgaicXNOGbqNAsbiqNm75Smz_m-60a_exeeZg/w266-h400/mrs%20mangel.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><b><i style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #01ffff;">Happy days indeed! English actress Vivean Gray as the legendary Mrs Nell Mangel - on the prowl in Ramsay Street.</span></i></b><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Reg Watson, <i>Neighbours</i> creator, stated that he got the idea for <i>Neighbours</i> watching <i>Coronation Street </i>in England, where he lived (and produced English Midlands soap <i>Crossroads</i>) for many years. But <i>Neighbours</i> was not <i>Coronation Street</i>. The fact that we viewed life in Ramsay Street from a child's eye level (with Lucy and Bradley) and the high teenage content, ensured that the show had its own style.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Mr Watson viewed communication between the generations as a very important ingredient.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>He took his idea for an Australian street soap to Channel 7 in 1984, and then, once it was accepted, slaved over the details - until he felt he'd found just the formula.</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span><span><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnsIEwEn0L7bv6nG6Ty84DnopFFnSOHHZoYDfU_Kgjejjra_326aQT_K2aBG2OotBN8ye8CzzqvWUK0D_I2zwPG4mJpEI_WoRyvGFh6pfsgtoqCg467cCNAUeMURwp-m6q9UqIdTV2G4gJqBBpDcBe9q2md5I7mrsp0zycp87KTu9HbjXCQ/s641/Jane%20Neighbours%201989%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="641" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnsIEwEn0L7bv6nG6Ty84DnopFFnSOHHZoYDfU_Kgjejjra_326aQT_K2aBG2OotBN8ye8CzzqvWUK0D_I2zwPG4mJpEI_WoRyvGFh6pfsgtoqCg467cCNAUeMURwp-m6q9UqIdTV2G4gJqBBpDcBe9q2md5I7mrsp0zycp87KTu9HbjXCQ/w400-h289/Jane%20Neighbours%201989%201.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #d0e0e3;">Jane Harris - Annie Jones - wore whacking great shoulder pads at times, following the OTT 'power dressing' trend of the 1980s. Personally, I love '80s fashion!<br /></span><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></i></span></span></div><div><b style="background-color: black; color: red;">Of course, <i>Neighbours</i> was further refined and honed when it went to Channel 10 in 1986.</b></div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>And then it was perfection.</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span><span><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0whYVpNpi17JECkCk7JvlQhYdZolLQa7apdyQApmkzcsMmPcZ8y3xovlY_YsWGPn_BKZI--1FVSAsSV_CQzffg0JqEdoK6K7Tnxsu7TaUZjil1wsV4W4u0KJpDmkH6T-HJdz3M1KpIkndU5pUQNoF__40zmtiXf7SbVm-ucjd9rjY_uhF2w/s655/daph1988.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="655" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0whYVpNpi17JECkCk7JvlQhYdZolLQa7apdyQApmkzcsMmPcZ8y3xovlY_YsWGPn_BKZI--1FVSAsSV_CQzffg0JqEdoK6K7Tnxsu7TaUZjil1wsV4W4u0KJpDmkH6T-HJdz3M1KpIkndU5pUQNoF__40zmtiXf7SbVm-ucjd9rjY_uhF2w/w400-h276/daph1988.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8;">I still can't watch Daphne's death episode without blubbing. It was shown in 1988 in Aus and 1989 here in England. Full marks over and over again to Paul Keane as Des Clarke for his reaction.<br /></span></i><br /></b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Here in England, after its October 1986 debut, it swept up the TV ratings charts, and we loved it - and it has continued for thirty seven years.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Sincere sympathy to current followers of the show - losing a soap can be like losing a group of real life friends - and it still seems tremendously likeable from what we've seen (we at <i>'80s Actual</i> Towers haven't had an 'as broadcast' TV service for years because we don't want to pour money into the BBC's coffers).</span></b></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span><b><span style="background-color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLGO0zFQicKc8VDuVMpiPTM7rJLCEz7v2Oqi5QWhTdfE0JyHUBdRPuPGnI4mksQPQgvA8p26aJRA8PLmMn0lL19aqo6aIiODXw6EJ1qun4pN46tZ1WyH1J5p84iish5vXQCNxeIwGflMi-qlTYTz4E_fFqjirYWGaBIRWxsJ5sXWTEV2Mhg/s421/kylie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLGO0zFQicKc8VDuVMpiPTM7rJLCEz7v2Oqi5QWhTdfE0JyHUBdRPuPGnI4mksQPQgvA8p26aJRA8PLmMn0lL19aqo6aIiODXw6EJ1qun4pN46tZ1WyH1J5p84iish5vXQCNxeIwGflMi-qlTYTz4E_fFqjirYWGaBIRWxsJ5sXWTEV2Mhg/w300-h400/kylie.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Great acting from child performers like Kylie Flinker ensured that Ramsay Street would truly be a multi-generational soap.</span></i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Glad to hear Scott and Charlene will be making a return for the ending.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Mike, Shane, Harold and Des, too. </span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And, hey - who knows - perhaps the show itself will return one day? This hasn't been ruled out. It is naff of Channel 5 though. After the bizarre and intensely miserable events of the last two and a bit years, to pull the plug on something that helps some people through the day is not great behaviour.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Did it have to be <i>now</i>, Channel 5?</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Back to the beginning, and it took Reg Watson some time to decide on the name for the serial. Should it be <i>One Way Street</i>? <i>No Through Road</i>? Or <i>Living Together</i>? Or...</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">When he first began work on scripts after Seven commissioned the show in 1984, it was <i>Living Together</i>, although this was provisional. Jan Russ, casting director, who was then working on the final years of <i>Prisoner Cell Block H </i>(which ran from 1979 to 1986), recalled: 'I received this phone call from Reg Watson, who said to me, "We're thinking about doing a new show. I'll send you a couple of scripts down." The scripts were originally called <i>Living Together</i>. I read the scripts and started putting a cast together.' </span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETdXh_IDazvXxPRwW0rlOwCt8lo4An9tGLgLaVOfOynkjikmHll8dqemJ_sq8hm9qhXyMyUNN_PeSZ2B9M8g0dBEMeTLPWguAnfDCg3ngS6GD03xejTGilzPuXXai7uIiGx3lez-ZRcnyOS3AkXQg0eURX8IJ4avw7S7F15CyrWBvR5wXPA/s336/Harold%20Bishop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETdXh_IDazvXxPRwW0rlOwCt8lo4An9tGLgLaVOfOynkjikmHll8dqemJ_sq8hm9qhXyMyUNN_PeSZ2B9M8g0dBEMeTLPWguAnfDCg3ngS6GD03xejTGilzPuXXai7uIiGx3lez-ZRcnyOS3AkXQg0eURX8IJ4avw7S7F15CyrWBvR5wXPA/w378-h400/Harold%20Bishop.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8;"><i>Ian Smith is bringing Harold Bishop back for the ending. Dear old fusspot Harold is apparently involved in a central storyline about grieving. Harold has had a very sad life in some ways - including lodging with Mrs Mangel for a time in the 1980s.</i><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>Neighbours </i>history is fascinating to recount. But how will it end? Will Scott and Charlene decide to buy a house in Ramsay Street and force Paul to mend his ways? Will Mike Young rekindle his romance with Jane Harris? Will Clive take up Chicken Grams again in protest? Will Melanie win a million on the lottery and buy Lassiters?</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Or perhaps it could end in 1985 with a young man, suddenly sitting bolt upright in bed, his face covered with sweat. He looks wildly around him, but all is quiet.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">'Thank heavens, it was only a dream,' says Danny Ramsay, and goes back to sleep...</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">No, sorry, I forgot - they already did the dream thing in <i>Dallas</i>...</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">There are rumours circulating that Reg Watson originally 'pitched' </span></b><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">(a pitch is a rudimentary outline of a series scenario and characters) </span></b><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">the Street soap idea to Australian Channel 9 in 1982. If this is true, and had it come to pass, then we wouldn't have ended up with <i>Neighbours </i>as we know it. Time, experience and the <i>perfect blend </i>of events (things like the BBC looking round for a new soap for its new afternoon schedule in 1986), writers and cast needed to fall into place for that. Reg Watson himself never spoke of any Street soap pitch to Channel 9, but he did say:</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>'In pitching the show to Seven and Ten, I blithely said, "This concept can run for twenty years." I knew from the looks on their faces that they thought they'd heard it all before.'</b></span></span></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It did much better than he thought, didn't it?</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhnTp39GZcXncypujKJS6l9u5axfM2qmWpY-whVdhaHXcksQGdow2y0DK8LwtUKYSfU5As_uDWHiykrxeG9LR1mDjWzk-qsERqxIG6dlAr02S5htM1i2zij4PQIbFj7xXE7oiwPg_tgKc_MSOx30uD1PWv5ibE0LTrU5MjPFIN7BDiVy4XA/s740/scotchar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="740" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhnTp39GZcXncypujKJS6l9u5axfM2qmWpY-whVdhaHXcksQGdow2y0DK8LwtUKYSfU5As_uDWHiykrxeG9LR1mDjWzk-qsERqxIG6dlAr02S5htM1i2zij4PQIbFj7xXE7oiwPg_tgKc_MSOx30uD1PWv5ibE0LTrU5MjPFIN7BDiVy4XA/w400-h305/scotchar2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><i style="background-color: black;">'Suddenly every part of me needs to know every part of you...'</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br /></i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><i style="background-color: black;">Mrs Mangel: 'Really - such vulgar lyrics!'</i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br /></i></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><i style="background-color: black;">Madge: 'Oh shut up, you old biddy!'</i></span></b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-70542101326479082472023-06-09T16:48:00.006-01:002023-06-12T00:32:11.524-01:00Neighbours: Mrs Mangel's Portrait: The Growing Hair Mystery...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKrgU50SwKhtZvBEwhgp0ASVQyTzQVC6LNF4JEZRetM_aQXgY9-kO-Ql14FXQb5nFvqzZKfjv0QPyPey85zbtpaoY0_40_yedNERGxKcPdqiDkUeQOlyQ4NWUA20dFCZHuavoLz3z6QssjUz-iaNZVAz_fpFYyPUG4gHgig7tXGJD879TAA/s864/FY2MTyKXkAMSLIK.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="864" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKrgU50SwKhtZvBEwhgp0ASVQyTzQVC6LNF4JEZRetM_aQXgY9-kO-Ql14FXQb5nFvqzZKfjv0QPyPey85zbtpaoY0_40_yedNERGxKcPdqiDkUeQOlyQ4NWUA20dFCZHuavoLz3z6QssjUz-iaNZVAz_fpFYyPUG4gHgig7tXGJD879TAA/w320-h255/FY2MTyKXkAMSLIK.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: red;">Of course, the painting which Mrs Helen Daniels of Ramsay Street, Erinsborough, did of her neighbour, Mrs Nell Mangel, caused quite a lot of trouble in 1987. But, finally, peace was restored and Mrs Mangel was given the portrait, which she displayed in her hallway, near the phone.</span></b></span></div><p><b><span style="color: red;">Helen had given her a bit of flannel about the portrait, which Mrs M initially was outraged at, by saying it portrayed the strong character of Australian women. Or something like that. Mrs Mangel departed Ramsay Street in the late 1980s, but the portrait remained.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: red;">In the 21st Century, the portrait returned to the <i>Neighbours</i> limelight, being displayed at Lassiters Hotel. I hadn't seen the show in years, but squawked with delight when me and my wife happened upon an episode a few years ago and saw it.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: red;">But something wasn't quite right. 'Mrs Mangel's hair's grown,' I said to my wife.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: red;">'Don't be daft!' said she.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: red;">But it has. It's grown over her ears a bit and is now feathered down her neck. </span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: red;">Are there such things as portrait hairdressers, I wonder? Because I suspect dear Nell will be needing a trim soon if this keeps up...</span></b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-83447700820461657632023-06-05T11:30:00.005-01:002023-07-01T23:21:13.604-01:001980: The Sony Walkman Arrives In The UK As The Sony Stowaway: Wired For Sound...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_LtETyx_tnBODV0qrMaK7GbHqtrHCmbpNU1XajrLmqVuK3uGiCfll_l7O2GKX-imBKO5m5NC1LUKJ6qoeRpDjHf7nxO2iKYCobIDu1tBOG-VTthpgSL2JNaEEpJI0TplhFGdTA/s1600/Stowaway+1980.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_LtETyx_tnBODV0qrMaK7GbHqtrHCmbpNU1XajrLmqVuK3uGiCfll_l7O2GKX-imBKO5m5NC1LUKJ6qoeRpDjHf7nxO2iKYCobIDu1tBOG-VTthpgSL2JNaEEpJI0TplhFGdTA/s320/Stowaway+1980.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: red;">Magazine advertisement for the Sony Stowaway personal stereo, launched in the UK in 1980. In 1981, it would be patented as the Sony Walkman. </span></b></i></div>
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<i><b>To say their new Stowaway gives you totally incredible sound for such an an amazingly small stereo is not Sony's style.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>They say they are quite pleased with it.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>This is Sony's new Stowaway, a stereo cassette player about the size of your hand.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>You can be forgiven for wondering how pure stereo sound can emerge from a system so small. Sony says it's quite easy; but then they would. Apparently they took the circuitry, transistors, diodes and what-have-you from a larger cassette deck, and squeezed it into a few silicon chips.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Technically, it's rather impressive. Your Sony dealer or the chaps at Sony's Regent Street show-rooms in London, can blind you with Stowaway's sience if you're interested.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>But the sound! Now there's something you can understand as soon as you slip on the hi-fi headphones (inevitably they are the smallest and lightest in the world.) Clip in a standard music cassette and you'll hear all the treble and bass your ears could desire. Should you want to share the magic with a friend you can always plug in a second set of 'phones.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>The little masterpiece runs off batteries, so you can tuck it in your pocket and relax to the music of your choice when you're on a train, a plane, or the next time you're in a hotel room with a radio fixed to Voice of America. Or you can buy an adaptor to run it off the mains.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Listen to Stowaway for yourself, and you'll understand why Sony are so excited.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Sony Sowaway. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>The world's smallest stereo cassette player.</b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Note that the device has two earphone plug-in points. This fact was put to use by EastEnders story-liners in 1985, when Sharon Watts, in competition with her "friend" Michelle Fowler for the attentions of Kelvin Carpenter, shared her Walkman "magic" with him - and infuriated Michelle.</span></b></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegssP0Ck3T0p_FCEw0bk13da9wg8J37OJapaCtT6qo1SHcQrxxZ7ZhrPVz11Mzw2s4rZYsrqJ8j4bExm7JJZnZxi_OBFQshgiYsQBqVYxfLOZSCbvXdsGD9JaKI2xKvkXLIwO/s1600-h/walkman1981.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="210" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5005575661150251474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegssP0Ck3T0p_FCEw0bk13da9wg8J37OJapaCtT6qo1SHcQrxxZ7ZhrPVz11Mzw2s4rZYsrqJ8j4bExm7JJZnZxi_OBFQshgiYsQBqVYxfLOZSCbvXdsGD9JaKI2xKvkXLIwO/w320-h210/walkman1981.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: red;">Invented by Sony in 1979 and first marketed in Japan in July 1979, the personal stereo was launched in the UK in 1980 - and was marketed as the Sony Stowaway. 1980 was also the American release year and I believe it had a different name there, too - The Soundabout!</span></b><div><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybcNPAqnGKFFGqMDrPNT1gqiyCyfpK3zY7rwlA0mha5i7dhcVkG44n2iPXRXMMHpKdn2Ff-VFV1XJdcpqtFzk7TVE0sBTtlCyURxH9Vf4zQOqBBdBQQg_OhO1-eyEooeCk7E63GjtJZZrueq6eyjvrYdWeWDe-27KrVk6_SbIlp_i5-2npPLY/s1805/sonaway%20stowaway.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1805" data-original-width="437" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybcNPAqnGKFFGqMDrPNT1gqiyCyfpK3zY7rwlA0mha5i7dhcVkG44n2iPXRXMMHpKdn2Ff-VFV1XJdcpqtFzk7TVE0sBTtlCyURxH9Vf4zQOqBBdBQQg_OhO1-eyEooeCk7E63GjtJZZrueq6eyjvrYdWeWDe-27KrVk6_SbIlp_i5-2npPLY/w96-h400/sonaway%20stowaway.jpg" width="96" /></a></div><i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">A very early mention of the newly released Sony Stowaway (Walkman) in the UK Press - a competition in the Sunday People in July 1980.</span></i><br /><span style="color: red;"><br /></span><span style="color: red;">In 1981, the personal stereo was patented here under Sony's original name - the Walkman, and we saw Cliff Richard making full use of one down at the roller disco in his video (or should that be "promo" in 1981 terminology?) for <i>Wired For Sound</i>.<br /><br />The Ingersoll Soundaround pocket hi-fi also made a brief impact on the UK in 1981, and other copy-cat personal stereos were also arriving on the market.</span><span style="color: red;"></span><br /><span style="color: red;">Soon, the personal stereo would be everywhere.... </span><br /><span style="color: red;"></span><br /><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span>From the <i>Daily Mirror</i>, 30/7/1981:</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #3366ff;"><i>The Walkmen never walk alone... or skate alone... or even cycle alone...</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #3366ff;"><i>They are the people who have hopped on an international craze and now roam the streets wired up to the earphones of Walkman stereo sets.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #3366ff;"><i>The Walkman - and its many similar, often cheaper copies - has become the skateboard of electronics. A craze that has astounded the experts - and made them rich.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #3366ff;"><i>But, unlike the skateboard, this one should run and run...</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #3366ff;"><i>The demand shows no sign of slowing. Lasky's, one of Britain's biggest hi-fi dealers, say: "The demand is fantastic. Our shops just can't get enough."</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #3366ff;"><i>To Akio Morita, Sony's co-founder and chairman, it was a machine to get the world dancing. He said: "My dream is to have Walkman parties in the jungles."</i></span><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">Could people there afford them?<i> I</i> couldn't, for some time.</span></b><span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /><b>Back to the article...</b></span><b><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #3366ff;">In Britain trade sources estimate that 100,000 personal hi-fi's were sold last year and that another 250,000 will sell this year at prices of around £50 to £125.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #3366ff;">Most sets are fairly simple in today's technological terms - but already Japanese engineers are working on more sophisticated models.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #3366ff;">Sony are already selling a tiny version in Japan and America which includes stereo FM radio - though there are no plans to market it here.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #3366ff;">And as the boom gathers momentum even the sophisticated models will fall in price. Marketing experts are predicting Korean and Taiwanese versions at £15, while the uses of the Walkman continue to become even more wide-spread.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #3366ff;">They've been seen being worn by bicycling barristers and by art gallery and museum browsers. Some teenagers even take them to discos - preferring their own music to that of the DJ.</span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #3366ff;">And in America, Linda Moriarty of Illinois, regularly plays classical music, via her headphones, to her unborn child.</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #3366ff;"> </span></i></b><i><span style="color: #3366ff;"><b>"The baby definitely responds," she says.</b></span></i><br />
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<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/JPEG.0.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/JPEG.0.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b><i><span> A 1983 Tandy newspaper advertisement for personal stereos. If that's what they do to you, I'll give them a miss!</span></i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgDdKuONrRWpoGYruKDYjA_gjhTNOoFC9VoTNSp-EUTrYh2mcHGg1axONkZ540GuHwEjmIt1vYpJL0j24KbYNlizMz5L400U-p-TZso9z6rP9NQVlJN6tn6-pFIYiXfZGvlYw/s1600-h/walkman1984.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5005574978250451394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgDdKuONrRWpoGYruKDYjA_gjhTNOoFC9VoTNSp-EUTrYh2mcHGg1axONkZ540GuHwEjmIt1vYpJL0j24KbYNlizMz5L400U-p-TZso9z6rP9NQVlJN6tn6-pFIYiXfZGvlYw/w241-h320/walkman1984.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="241" /></a><b> </b><span style="color: red;"><i><span><b>A magazine advertisement from November 1984 - the Walkman is now on sale at £29.95.</b></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Post updated 05/06/23</b></span></span><i><span style="color: #ffff33;"><b><br /></b></span></i><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-10082080975388171552022-10-15T17:07:00.009-01:002022-10-16T21:18:13.971-01:00The 1980s and Shoulder Pads<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/jason%201980s.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/jason%201980s.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><strong><em><span style="color: #005000;"> My, what big shoulders you have, Mr Robinson. Sorry, I mean Donovan.</span> </em></strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">Shoulder pads were part of the "Power Dressing" image. The phrase was first recorded in 1980, according to the <em>Twentieth Century Book of Words</em> by John Ayto (Oxford, 1999). Back then, it meant a smart, efficient look for executive women. </span></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">What brought about the 1980s shoulder pad fixation? Well, it all began with a 1940s revival towards the end of the 1970s. The current Wikipedia article on shoulder pads and the 1980s reads like a page of a very poor amateur essay - the pads fashion revered of the power dressing crowd was not 70s/80s - it was '80s - and was inspired by a number of things. </span></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></strong></div><div><div><strong><span style="color: red;">The first was the 1970s love of retro. Very few fashions are original. If you read this, you will perhaps be surprised to learn that huge flared trousers and huge platform shoes were not original fashions of the 60s/70s.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4a7kzrNnMYdNOzu3BLPkmG_wB0NR6PylKthx01nxJc7P-v_TMyXdXxKcStKKITIgbnVlT_sVCqAXQrwtqrQTxGl8FfkYhkrCc5B3Fj4s6RVEiwCsw2YVMKMbR62en2TqrOV53NERjMC7S9g-_KUcYgA3xY-mTZPmJmpMBiMTdYYl8fp7b_A/s619/galumph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="474" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4a7kzrNnMYdNOzu3BLPkmG_wB0NR6PylKthx01nxJc7P-v_TMyXdXxKcStKKITIgbnVlT_sVCqAXQrwtqrQTxGl8FfkYhkrCc5B3Fj4s6RVEiwCsw2YVMKMbR62en2TqrOV53NERjMC7S9g-_KUcYgA3xY-mTZPmJmpMBiMTdYYl8fp7b_A/w490-h640/galumph.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><strong><i><span style="color: #01ffff;">Ah... galumphing around in huge flared trousers is so... 1930s!<br /></span></i></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;">In the 1970s, we had had the continuation of big trousers from the 1960s (not original - do check out some 1930s/mail order catalogues for some absolutely flared whoppers), the platform shoe revival (30s/40s again), the down to the feet, puffed sleeve Jane Austin style dress revival, the country chic smock top revival, the 1950s Teddy Boy revival (which began in the '50s with a revival of Edwardian style suits!), the 1960s mods and rockers and Ska revival, then fashion designers at the end of the decade began to play with shoulder pads again. They'd already been back in fashion once earlier in the decade, but not big ones.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;">A tailored look had already returned, but in 1979 at least one British women's magazine was trumpeting the return of the 1940s.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;">Some catwalk fashion designers favoured huge pads - or other structures to give big shoulders, others little ones, but not many out in the real world were in any sort of mood for them. We were in a deep recession, and so watching early 1980s television is a disappointment for pad searchers.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></strong></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b>The events of the 1980s propelled the pads beyond a 1940s retro fixation. </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Dynasty</i><b> happened, and the Reagan yuppie thing happened and spread beyond America, and then shoulder pads flew. There were big, very big, very, very big and absolutely jumbo colossal. In 1985/86 they were at screaming point. </b></span><b style="color: red;">Shoulder pads were even appearing in T-shirts! W</b><b style="color: red;">hen they began to pall, there was the strange 'drop off' shoulder pad, at the end of the shoulder, sagging down.</b></div></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></strong></div><div><strong><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmFP2ddU_pxsiMlInTMC3PCpwgzlIKJCgCVsLQATeal1-geDJf-o6txS2bh9GhbQXmKOphJ4cXNOD6IZQynlfVR6I05GDU0tP8oaU5jiRsi05FFtIrahtnedS160JLH7e-R9p-XDqwLm0fWyE2h7OekurzahArcDo6MSunHfWYe0qR0QSYQ/s861/20th-century-fashion-history-1980-1990-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmFP2ddU_pxsiMlInTMC3PCpwgzlIKJCgCVsLQATeal1-geDJf-o6txS2bh9GhbQXmKOphJ4cXNOD6IZQynlfVR6I05GDU0tP8oaU5jiRsi05FFtIrahtnedS160JLH7e-R9p-XDqwLm0fWyE2h7OekurzahArcDo6MSunHfWYe0qR0QSYQ/w420-h640/20th-century-fashion-history-1980-1990-4.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><i><span style="color: #01ffff;">Some link the shoulder pad/power dressing thing of the 1980s to Feminism. At the time, it just seemed like a fashion pantomime. We wanted to get dressed up to the nines, and we had poor taste. </span></i></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">Some men (like me) got in on the act. The pads had to be large. We wanted <em>BIG, BIG</em> should</span></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">ers</span></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">. Many of us guys had them already, of course, because the majority of heavy, dangerous 'glass cellar jobs' were being done by men. As they are today.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">But us slouchy, weakling men who got the padded look thought we looked great - </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">and our gigantic shoulders made our beer bellies (not that <em>Jason Donovan</em> had one!) look much smaller.</span></span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><strong>Bliss. OTT power dressing was a fashion trend prompted by the excesses of the decade. It was a fashion that, like so many other eras, sometimes has a false importance attached to it and historians who are keen on the 1970s try to backdate it (the internet '70s years are the blackhole of eras, sucking in trends from the 1960s and 1980s). </strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Simply looking at the media of the early 1980s reveals what was in fashion. In 1980, the mainstream fashions were rather boring, even in <i>Dallas</i>. By 1985, the massive shoulders were in, power shoulders, and the media of the time reflects that. Just look.</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Ugly, but very much part of the mid-decade polarised society, and very much part of the time, which included the moussed and gel-propelled hair fashions.</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Mind you, I loved those wicked pads at the time - especially in a neon pink or blue jacket, with the sleeves pushed up, and with gel or mousse and blond highlights in my hair, and a cerise mesh vest, and a pair of docksiders with no socks and...</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span>
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/80sclobber.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/80sclobber.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><strong> <em><span style="color: #005000;">Men's fashion as featured in a 1987 advertisement... I loved</span><span style="color: #005000;"> it all... why are you laughing?!</span></em> </strong><br />
<span style="color: #b00000;">-</span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/80sclobber2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/80sclobber2.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: #b00200;"><strong> More absolutely gorgeous 1987 clobber - and unpadded. For a change.</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #b00200;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And as we leave the subject of shoulder pads for a while, Phil writes to say:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: #d9ead3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>I've been reading on line that Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister from May 1979 to November 1990, influenced the trend for huge shoulder pads. Did she? Was she the original power dresser?</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">No, Phil. Piffle and bunk on-line we're afraid.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Power dressing was a trend Margaret Thatcher followed in the 1980s, but did not help to create. The jacket she wore after her first general election win in May 1979 illustrates this. It is simply a neatly tailored blue jacket, with totally non-excessive shoulders. It was a boring garment in 1979 - and would even have been boring in 1969. As the 1980s wore on, Thatcher simply adopted the fashion of that time. Compare her neatly tailored and somewhat timeless look of 1979 (top) and her whopper shoulders of 1987 (bottom) for details.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cynthia Crawford, Thatcher's personal assistant who was responsible for seeing she was smartly dressed and groomed, stated in 2013:</span></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; display: inline; float: none; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>'</i>I</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">n 1987 she was going to Russia for the first time and I had seen a wonderful coat in Aquascutum's window and I went to get it. A lot of her clothes up until that time had been homemade by a lady. She made all those dresses and blouses with bows and things. Mrs Thatcher went to Russia and she looked absolutely fabulous. I said to her: "If you are going to fight an election in June, why don't we ask Aquascutum to make you up some working suits." She agreed, so we ordered these suits. It was when the power shoulders were in and it just revolutionised her. She looked fantastic. She enjoyed all the new outfits and got away from the dresses. She never wears trousers, not even today. She always likes formal clothes, even at home. She hasn't got a lot of casual clothes.'</span></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 14px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thatcher was a follower, not an innovator, as far as fashion was concerned. I don't recall anybody wanting to look like her. The handbag, for a start, was so naff!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Some Feminists say Thatcher was an inspiration in the fashion line for 'oppressed woman out to break the glass ceiling'. But Thatcher didn't even like Feminism.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>To quote her: 'The Feminists hate me, don't they? And I don't blame them. For I hate Feminism. It is poison.'</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>Mind you, Mags could be a bit of a female chauvinist. She also once said: 'In politics, if you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.'</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black;"><b>And in the glass cellar jobs, where the men don't need shoulder pads? Where are all the modern Maggies smashing through <i>that</i> supposed barrier?</b></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-4067452486793935102021-06-01T13:22:00.001-01:002021-06-01T13:29:34.458-01:00The Final Pick Of The Pops From 1986 And 1987 - Love Can't Turn Around, Jack Your Body, Animal, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Boy In The Bubble, Get Fresh At The Weekend, Human, Wonderful Life, The Way It Is...<p><i><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LDtbXxemnPw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></i></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>Love Can't Turn Around</i> - Farley Jackmaster Funk with Darryl Pandy on vocals. House music: Year Zero 1983 - the very beginning. 1986 - house music beginning to burst out. This is legendary - the very first house music hit in England.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ywsy5VFEfnI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b style="background-color: black; color: red;">More House - <i>Jack Your Body</i> - Steve 'Silk' Hurley from 1987 - simply fabulous. Gives me a happy glow even now as I teeter past my mid-fifties... not so bad getting older when you have music like this to bring the memories of youth flooding back.</b></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GlRQjzltaMQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></span></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"> 1986 and Bruce Hornsby and The Range railing against social injustice - beautifully. <i>The Way It Is</i>.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ecFPU--vvf0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I'm not really a 'rock' man, but this sublime 1987 hit from Def Leppard pushed my buttons. Somehow rockin' but also dancey... Happy nights.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eH3giaIzONA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The wonderful Whitney Houston - with the ultimate feel good pop/dance hit. This was 1987 - and it's as good today as it always was.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u1ZoHfJZACA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;">Wonderful life - a gorgeous summer hit from 1987. A walk in the sunshine, weighed down by melancholy..</span></span></b><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">. </b></span><b style="background-color: black; color: red;">Once again, I was having a crisis - the (then) love of my life had just walked out. This song suited me down to the ground.</b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uy5T6s25XK4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"><i>Boy in the Bubble</i> - Paul Simon, 1986 - from his<i> Graceland</i> album. This song tapped into a feeling I had at the time. There was a sudden onrush of new technology - either things just becoming affordable and widespread - like the VCR and microwave oven - or brand new launches like the mobile phone and the Apple Mac. The world was buzzing - and there were millionaires and billionaires and sophisticated weaponry and lasers in the jungle... Probably.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"> It was a vibrant time, but it felt somehow frantic and topsy turvy. A very transient era - rather like my youth. Bright and shiny and fresh with loads of new things happening. But was the sudden onrush of technology going to turn out a good thing? I mean, can you imagine making a phone call while you are walking down the street?</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">Who was the boy in the bubble? David Vetter, born in 1971, died in 1984, who had to live his life in a highly sterile 'bubble' environment due to severe combined immune deficiency. And the baby with the baboon's heart? Baby Fae born in October 1984. She lived until November.</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/14b-BASNVdI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>Get Fresh At The Weekend</i>. Lovely Mel and Kim. I saw these two being interviewed by Andrea Arnold, who played Dawn, on Saturday morning kids' show <i>Number 73</i> and could have sat down and joined in the chat. Down to earth English girls - cockneys in fact - with a great sense of fun (not like the characters in <i>EastEnders</i> at all!). I really liked them. And the more 1980s music banged and clattered, the more I loved it.</span></b></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s1ysoohV_zA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The Human League, <i>Human</i>. When Phil Oakey spotted those two girls dancing at the Crazy Daisy Nightclub in October 1980, a legendary alliance was formed. This song is beautiful - with a great twist at the end.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Coming soon, we trip back to 1985 (the first year of the second half of the 1980s) and 1984 (the last year of the first half of the 1980s) to discover The Man With The Power That Promised You The World...</span></b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-52702965848322359002021-05-15T12:22:00.005-01:002021-05-17T17:24:56.011-01:00More Pop Picks from 1987 and 1986... Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent, With Or Without You, I Love To (Listen To Beethoven), Criticize, U Got The Look and Sometimes...<p> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3gTpcKKuDec" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Lovely Gwen Guthrie from 1986 with<i> Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent</i>. This is the extended version. Another clattering, clumbering, clanging '80s dance track from the decade's huge stable of brilliance. I adored this. On the surface, it appeared to be a song about a hard-hearted woman looking for a free meal ticket, but watching Gwen on the video made it tremendously likeable to me. Slightly tongue in cheek, I fancy! Sadly, Gwen's no longer with us, but the music - and the happy memories of getting on the dance floor to this - remain.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ujNeHIo7oTE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"><i>With Or Without You</i> - U2, 1987. The 1980s were so stuffed full of brilliant music, anything more would have been greedy...</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S1a8QABKNo0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Erasure's breakthrough hit <i>Sometimes</i> from 1986. This is fantabulously wonderful. Vince Clarke was straight and a synth wizard. Having been a founding member of Depeche Mode in 1980, he moved on to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet, and then Erasure with Andy Bell. Andy, gay, outgoing and with a fabulously soaring voice, was the perfect musical partner for Vince. Legends, the pair of 'em.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7gK5iPbd7Hg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">Gorgeous 80's clattering and clanging soul dance from Alexander O'Neal here. <i>Criticize</i> - oozin' style and big hair video from 1987, and the soundtrack to some fabulous nights out.</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbuMXyzouJQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">Here's the power house of creative talent that was the Eurythmics in 1987. It showcases a bit of Annie Lennox's marvellous acting talent as well as her wonderful voice. Here, we have a discontented English housewife, fancying herself oppressed by her husband, and slowly going crackers as she fantasises about naughty encounters and keeping herself thoroughly in check by not admitting what she REALLY likes - I love to (pause) Listen to (pause) Beethoven. So, she melds together the spoilt child and the masculine within her and goes off on the rampage. Genius. Sadly, Annie is a bit of a Feminist ideologue these days and I can't bear to listen to her one-sided, own-gender-adoring bilge whenever she's interviewed. But back in the 1980s she and Dave Stewart were often simply too brilliant for words.</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_jCuroTbqBI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">Ooomph! The mighty Prince meets little Sheena Easton (whose baby took the morning train back in 1980) for a spot of slammin' (oower, missus!) in 1987. <i>U Got The Look</i>. LOVE THIS! </b></span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/no5XeOJHxK8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">The fabulous Blow Monkeys - with their very own sophisti-pop sound. To hear this drifting out of an open top car in the yuppie summer of 1986, one might think it was a gorgeously languid and happy song. But the lyrics say otherwise... </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">"I just got your message, baby. So sad to see you fade away."</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">"What in the world is this feeling - catch a breath and leave me reeling." </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">"It'll get you in the end it's God's revenge..." (as a vicar had recently said about AIDS). </b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">Enjoy the music - and listen to those lyrics.</b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">A final visit to the pop charts of 1986 and 1987 will follow soon. I just want to publish this and listen to that music! xxxx</b></span></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-41946968366237329032021-05-13T13:56:00.000-01:002021-05-13T13:56:13.208-01:00Popping Back To 1986 and 1987 Again... Pump Up The Volume, No More I Love You's, Something Inside So Strong, I Can't Wait And E=MC2...<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w9gOQgfPW4Y" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Wow - 1987 and M/A/R/R/S and <i>Pump Up The Volume</i>. Hugely influential early dance record. And I couldn't get enough. Still thrashing around (although now in my living room) to this brilliance today.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GEDrISl5z_4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>I adored this. Always had an ear for the quirky and the different, not to mention spine tinglingly beautiful... OK, Annie Lennox's cover in the '90s had a far larger cast and her great voice, but the original wins in this case for me, hands down. The Lover Speaks, <i>No More I Love You's</i>, 1986:</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>'I used to have demons in my room at night. Desire, despair, desire, despair - soooo many monsters...'</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fg4B7CVWkyI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">House Music had arrived. Year Zero was 1983 and by 1987 it was bursting out. <i>House Nation</i> by Housemaster Boyz and the Rude Boy of House. This sounded so different that at first I hated it. But after my second listen I was hooked. Had it on a compilation cassette and just kept rewinding and replaying it on my personal stereo. Then it was out in the clubs... </span></b></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A6gNbch3CoM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Labi Siffre - 1987 - <i>Something Inside So Strong</i>... Just listen. Enough said. A beautiful and highly meaningful 1980s classic.</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T4sV3lqzKqQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>China in Your Hand </i>- 1987. Wow. Carol Decker's voice is incredible, and watch the sad tale of a yuppie woman who falls in with a bad lad... There are power ballads and then there's this. In a class of its own.</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UJ1tBVtYOBc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>Echoing across the summer of 1986, clonky, clanky and with that all-important '80s stutter. Nu Shooz. <i>I Can't Wait</i>. Dance at its best.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cHTDkJ-bQqM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>One of the best chart tracks of 1986 - with lyrics which bent my mind into many strange shapes. And made me dance. 'Blood lust, Greek god, go Discovery...' Big Audio Dynamite - <i>E=MC2</i>.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>We'll be back in 1986 and 1987 for some more pop picks very soon. I just can't leave that decade alone...</b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-61336409115398492082021-05-02T00:17:00.004-01:002022-04-16T23:50:07.239-01:00Some Prime Choons From 1986 and 1987... Luka, Making Lots of Money, Corrosion, Boops and Rumours...<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VZt7J0iaUD0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">Continuing our backwards countdown of some of our ultimate favourite 1980s pop tracks. Incredibly hard to select - so much must be left out!</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">Anyway, to 1987 and Suzanne Vega's sad and stirring song about child abuse - <i>Luka</i>. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">He lived upstairs from you. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">They only hit until you cry - after that you don't ask why.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: red;"><b style="background-color: black;">A wonderful and moving song. Sadly as relevant today as it was back then.</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VVIsTZPp0iM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">1987 - Boops - he thinks he's got class, they think he's an ass...</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">You gotta get here to go...</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Boops, my man, listen to the mighty Sly and Robbie.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">This was - and is - incredible.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kOjj31nRwTM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>This Corrosion</i> - The Sisters of Mercy from 1987. Rock/dance with a goth atmosphere and a background cast of what appeared to me at the time as New Romantics gone mouldy...</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">On days like this, in times like these, I feel an animal deep inside...</span></b></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNPq-GyfrXg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The Pet Shop Boys tend to be underappreciated - and they were certainly self deprecating - but they did a great deal to advance dance music in the 1980s. In 1986, my neon socks were blown off by this great thrashing, clanging beast of a song, which drew me immediately on to the dance floor every time it was played. This was the era of the remix, and this is the one that was closest to the UK single release - and it's from <i>Top of the Pops</i>.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>Opportunities - Lets Make Lots Of Money</i> has become a bit of a 1980s anthem. Can't think why...</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xHpc8zsEunQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The Timex Social Club -<i> Rumors</i> - from 1986. I loved this song so much I bought the twelve inch version - and it was even better! Listen to this and then seek it out. Fabulous. </span></b></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mfI1S0PKJR8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The incredible New Order. <i>Substance 1987</i> is rarely far from my ears. Brilliant song. Brilliant video</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I used to think that the day would never come when my life would depend on the morning sun...</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">We'll delve back into 1987 and 1986 again soon, as we became a H-H-H-H-House Nation... Jack it up out there!</span></b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-49046317050106433962021-04-14T23:29:00.002-01:002021-06-05T13:51:56.694-01:00A Few More Prime Choons From 1988 and 1989... Standing In A Buffalo Stance - Finding Voodoo Ray And A Tower Of Strength - And Not Scared At All...<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JWsRz3TJDEY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><b style="background-color: black; color: red;">I was going to leave 1988 and 1989 and make my way back to 1987 and 1986, but then I realised there were several top choons I <i>couldn't </i>leave out of my absolute 88/89 faves round-up. Sorry. Please indulge me.</b></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>First is the mighty Neneh Cherry, doing her (then) trendy <i>Buffalo Stance</i> in 1988. Fabulous. I wasn't too keen on the <i>Manchild</i> follow-up - I can't bear womansplaining - but the <i>Stance</i> was the biz.</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>It's so good it can't be left out. Under any circumstances.</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8--T-xHc9nQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>In '89, Betty Boo and the Beatmasters couldn't dance to that music many middle of the road radio stations were pumping out. Don't blame them. Go, Betty! Love the revolting 1982 phone in the vid. By 1989, we had better taste (ahem).</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J-PYqUHfTMA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Next the ice cool Eighth Wonder with the Pet Shop Boys-penned <i>I'm Not Scared</i>, again from 1988. Haunting, electronic, sinister, beautiful. As a little girl, of course, Patsy Kensit had been the 'Fresh As The Moment When The Pod Went Pop' girl. She'd come a long way.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H6QWWYc-9iY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>'88 again: The Mission - <i>Tower of Strength</i>. 'It would tear me apart. To feel no one ever cared. For MEEEE'. 'Nuff said. Got 'em here on <i>Top of the Pops</i>.</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KJxJxr9RlKM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Down on the dance floor for Inner City and <i>Good Life</i>. Left or right? Yuppie or protester? C'mon, after the long lean years, didn't most of us fancy a bit of the good life in the 1980s?</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vjD3EVC1-zU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>Yazz and the Plastic Population - <i>The Only Way Is Up</i>. An anthem from '88 I'll never forget. </b></span></p><p><b style="color: red;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VFhxpMnfHB0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>A Guy Called Gerald and the legend that is Voodoo Ray. Need I say more? Acid House at its best. Excuse me, I wanna move...</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>Next up are 1987 and 1986 - where we meet Boops (with his arms open wide) and discover that New York looks like an apple core... Stay chooned.</b></span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-39482174199294549352021-04-11T18:19:00.003-01:002021-06-05T13:37:34.663-01:00Chugging Out Some More Choons From 1988 And 1989... Felly Had Blue Lipstick - But Wasn't Singing... And We Were Pumping Up The Jam, Being Pure, Singing About History, Thrashing Around To Accieed and Getting Back To Life...<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2V5FshhjBfo" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Felly of Technotronic - her with the blue lipstick on the original album cover. She didn't wanna place to stay, but you could get your booty on the floor tonight and make her day. However, it wasn't really Felly singing. No, Ya Kid K was the one! This was all over the charts and the dancefloors in September/October 1989. I bought the Technotronic album, which contained this and their next few hits towards the end of the year, and was bowled over.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And I still love Felly's lipstick.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And Ya Kid K, of course.</span></b></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FEdiOBz4zeM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>ACCEEED! Love this. The Acid House scene of 1988 really rattled the establishment and that's never a bad thing, and this vid and song always do my head in. Especially the bit where the bloke's head judders about.</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>RIGHT ON ONE, MATEY!</b></span></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KC5InWPjtL8" width="480"></iframe></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>This 1988 hit by Breathe is one of my favourite love songs. And the video's so yuppie, but with a splash of delicious working class humour at the end. Gorgeous.</b></span></p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TB54dZkzZOY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>Back To Life</i>... the mighty Soul II Soul in 1989. So beautiful and classic and wonderful and innovative and downright marvellous I actually passed my ciggies around.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LqXICXpquf8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">1989 - and I was gobsmacked by the transformation of Siobhan Fahey - from Bananarama chorus girl to purring sophisti-cat. This is stunning - Shakespear's Sister, <i>History</i>.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9KOPfP6p4nk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>Pure</i>, the Lightening Seeds. One of my themes to the summer of 1989. Released on 8 July, it spent ten weeks on the chart. I was, of course, romantically involved - and this is terribly evocative. Ah, those golden days in Saffron Walden!</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">We'll carry on our trawl of (just) some 1980s pop brilliance soon. We've started with 1989 and 1988 and next we'll take a peek at 1987 and 1986. We're heading all the way back to 1980 in time. Keep it chooned.</span></b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-31098171267246884872021-02-27T00:20:00.005-01:002021-02-27T00:28:01.042-01:00Chugging Out Some 1980s Choons... E-Zee Possee, Desireless, Erasure, Kim Wilde...<p> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2sE4OG-TRTQ" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Love 1980s music. I adore it. Everything from Kelly Marie's <i>It Feels Like I'm In Love </i>in 1980 to these choice tunes from 1988 and 1989. E-Zee Possee... wow. What planet? Planet Ecstasy of course!</span></b></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1QjxBiGt6jI" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><i>Voyage Voyage</i>... Desireless. Beautiful, electronic, haunting... wandering around in '88 listening to this on my personal stereo after a broken romance, gazing at the moon...</span></b></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ekc_aR5LyAk" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The mighty Erasure, <i>Ship of Fools</i> from 1988. Beautiful, loaded with melancholy </span></b><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">and, although the song is as '80s as could be, the title fits the situation in 2020/2021 like a tailor-made glove. You do sail on the ship of fools, my friends... but Klaus Schwab, Matt Hancock, Anthony Fauci and the World Economic Forum will take care of you... Just keep watching the telly...</span></b></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P6Agwu_5J14" width="560"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And from 1988 again - gorgeous Kim Wilde and <i>You Came</i>... happy days... Got a sniffle? Blow your nose and get on with your life! xx</span></b></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-91008025169894016232021-02-12T13:44:00.005-01:002023-05-15T00:21:08.868-01:001981 At Forty - Part 1: Charles and Di<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWICI2YUiWw1VeNRQoUoA4XxXncI1ApuGi1JCVfYcVTqFyXyghgNobW_kwMImnYF-nd-u_elr8gOiOpMCNGnKQZaKyqoDq_VFZI8E0M3C_cnH7sW_CmecS4kuonZIIfdY8Umz/s1021/true.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1021" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWICI2YUiWw1VeNRQoUoA4XxXncI1ApuGi1JCVfYcVTqFyXyghgNobW_kwMImnYF-nd-u_elr8gOiOpMCNGnKQZaKyqoDq_VFZI8E0M3C_cnH7sW_CmecS4kuonZIIfdY8Umz/w400-h393/true.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black; color: red; text-align: left;">Fed up with the virus scenario? We now live in a world that is very odd indeed. A world in which families are breaking apart as 'covid deniers' argue fiercely with 'covid believers'. A world in which civil liberties vanish like spit on a griddle and the public applauds. But whether you think it's all in good spirit, the facts are totally transparent and anything else is a rancid conspiracy theory, or you believe the figures don't add up and the 'Great Reset' and Big Pharma are far greater threats, we offer you an escape. Yep, an escape to 1981.</b></div><p></p><span style="color: red; text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black;">I can't promise that 2021 won't infiltrate slightly, but most of this blog post is pure 1981 - in the immortal words of Big Audio Dynamite a few years later: 'Time slide, place to hide...'</b></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="color: red; text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black;">We can hardly believe 1981 is now forty years ago. In the pre-mobile phone, pre-yuppie boom 1980s, where computers were slow and odd and strictly for professors and geeks, what were we into?</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="color: red; text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black;">Well, amongst other things... Rubik's Cube, CB radio (so exciting as less than 50% of UK households had a landline phone and the mobile was still a few years down the road), Space Invaders, the Space Shuttle, riots, Adam and the Ants, Duran Duran and...</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="color: red; text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black;">Charles and Di.</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Goodness, the quiet, posh girl who'd soared into the spotlight in 1980, was apparently about to have a fairy tale ending - and marry her prince.</span><br /></span></b><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It all turned out quite differently and very sadly, of course.</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZOPJjUhsoN8_CVXU9kMRQDTmCYQET7lGPSszwD4wcjLwrOykht9_R50MddoYEGCZiz68g8asrFhQ6iuqicKUJHHuUh5JsYsebH_KNmF9KdV0Qtc46gcj2WClXxtO1TlKBQIV/s1642/Charles+and+Diana+1981.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1636" data-original-width="1642" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZOPJjUhsoN8_CVXU9kMRQDTmCYQET7lGPSszwD4wcjLwrOykht9_R50MddoYEGCZiz68g8asrFhQ6iuqicKUJHHuUh5JsYsebH_KNmF9KdV0Qtc46gcj2WClXxtO1TlKBQIV/w400-h399/Charles+and+Diana+1981.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8;">Mugs, tea towels, dolls, even a Rubik's Cube - the hottest craze of the year. Charles and Di were everywhere in 1981.</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvEuBPBy-6NSVNB20vlAT3_TIX2Q4PlMNt_w1e3hpN4U01D20L8ADK-Xa8lOBNIPwKemqMklykaAciL9NtmckqgrA51wwevpmyMC7g0n0e2QG1Zxuj0L6teh6MB0jRK7_M0SO/s343/royal+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="337" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvEuBPBy-6NSVNB20vlAT3_TIX2Q4PlMNt_w1e3hpN4U01D20L8ADK-Xa8lOBNIPwKemqMklykaAciL9NtmckqgrA51wwevpmyMC7g0n0e2QG1Zxuj0L6teh6MB0jRK7_M0SO/w393-h400/royal+4.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><br /><i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8;">Slow start for the Cube... the trademark was registered in the UK on 7 May 1980 but, due to a huge shortage, the first Cubes did not start arriving until just before Christmas. In the spring of 1981, we were fully stocked and the craze raged. And, like so many other things, the Cube commemorated the royal wedding in July.</span></b></i><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBjZjdJJTMCy8JJ7JgwVkGReK7wilMstMeJDCbyOu_NR0VjdP3ONQCqP9H3FYdLuBl8qiKjcEpCatK2APblAUWJMfkGbqPvCrQT8vMHhOd_sXx1NcnrHJcCgnVvhSbLUgriFZ/s1024/cube+1980s+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="1024" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBjZjdJJTMCy8JJ7JgwVkGReK7wilMstMeJDCbyOu_NR0VjdP3ONQCqP9H3FYdLuBl8qiKjcEpCatK2APblAUWJMfkGbqPvCrQT8vMHhOd_sXx1NcnrHJcCgnVvhSbLUgriFZ/w400-h208/cube+1980s+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #9fc5e8;">The Sunday Times magazine review of 1981 - featuring royals and Rubik's.</span></b></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>I've never been a royalist, so I was unimpressed by the Royal Wedding mania. In my family, the view was that the Royal Family 'lived off the fat of the land' and was an anachronism. </b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>I was not initially impressed by Lady Diana Spencer, either. The media dubbed her 'Shy Di', but I thought the way her eyes slid away was far more likely to be evidence of <i>slyness</i>. However, I think she proved me wrong. Diana was refreshingly human, as it turned out - in my humble opinion, of course. She was warm, concerned, and very much a people person.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>And Charles? Simply not my scene. I'll say no more.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>But, in 1981, the Royal Wedding thrilled many. The news was full of it, and no angle was left unexplored as the public clamoured for more.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><i>True Romances</i> magazine plotted the future of the couple, via the wondrous world of astrology. It makes for quite sad reading now, but at the time many believed that the royal marriage was the start of a glittering new era for the family.</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>Having taken into account planetary placements and aspects on their respective birth charts, and the fact that both Charles and Diana had Leo ascendants, astrologer Peter Vidal wrote:</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc;"><b><i>ARE CHARLES AND DIANA IN AFFINITY? WILL LADY DIANA FIT IN WITH THE ROYALS AND BE HAPPY? WILL IT BE A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE? WILL CHARLES AND DIANA MAKE GOOD PARENTS?</i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><b style="background-color: black;">How will the marriage work out? Charles and Diana are well-matched, and are a handsome couple with the world at their feet. Factors occurring in both horoscopes will make for happiness and contentment. Charles will gain noticeably in poise and confidence; Diana will be radiant.</b></span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The Royal Wedding was a day of great optimism for all admirers of the Royal family. And readers of <i>True Romances</i> thrilled to Peter Vidal's rosy predications.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">But even astrologers can't always be right. Not even the fact that Charles and Diana were both sun water signs - she Cancer, he Scorpio, could make things right.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Well I never!</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">We return to the buzzing world of 1981 soon - all together now: 'Qua qua, fa diddily qua qua...'</span></b></div><div><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div><i><br /><br /></i><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-90140686157599647002020-12-16T00:13:00.001-01:002023-05-07T22:17:26.393-01:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaAYLHoql-iui5WaJaBq9xIIwDPzxaUS5vc8ywEMhAgyRSE2hSnhRVO4uB1hXFBj3OhzqARtUcrnB8NgZNA0j0kFUEA8qBqw-UspduFRUKPmQeoq0iIQTfiQ-Uy3J1SS03NhG/s1600/garf+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaAYLHoql-iui5WaJaBq9xIIwDPzxaUS5vc8ywEMhAgyRSE2hSnhRVO4uB1hXFBj3OhzqARtUcrnB8NgZNA0j0kFUEA8qBqw-UspduFRUKPmQeoq0iIQTfiQ-Uy3J1SS03NhG/s1600/garf+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span><b><span style="color: red;">Here's a Christmas card I received in 1988 - with our old feline pal </span><a href="http://80sactual.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/garfield-garfield-everywhere.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Garfield</span></a><span style="color: red;"> offering some excellent seasonal advice. We wish you all the best for Christmas (remember, more is more!) and for 2021 (Hmmm... bizarre times indeed!). </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><b><i>'80s Actual</i> will be back after a bit of seasonal excess. xxxxx</b></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-65390845874034753752020-11-14T00:04:00.004-01:002020-11-16T01:01:30.409-01:00Terry And June<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/bills%201980.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/bills%201980.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><strong> <span style="color: #ffff33;"><em>It's 1980, series two of "Terry & June", and the Medfords are worried about the household budget. Has the electricity board over charged them by 12p on the latest bill? Or is Terry pressing the wrong buttons on the calculator? </em></span>
</strong><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/cash%20carry%201980.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/cash%20carry%201980.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <em><span style="color: #ffff33; font-size: 85%;">Terry's nephew offers a money saving solution - access to the local cash and carry. But Terry accidently gets carried away...</span></em>
</p><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/1600/cash%20carry%201980%202.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4922/1159/400/cash%20carry%201980%202.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong> In the 1960s, some sitcoms were rather gritty. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think <em>Steptoe & Son</em>. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>And socially aware. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think ranting bigot Alf Garnett in <em>Till Death Us Do Part</em>. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>And saucy. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think <em>On The Buses. </em></strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>But the suburban sitcom also thrived. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think <em>Marriage Lines</em>.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>In the 1970s, the saucy themes continued. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think <em>Man About The House</em>. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>As did the socially relevant stuff. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think <em>Mixed Blessings - </em>I couldn't bear it, but it meant well. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Farce came back. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think of the sublime <em>Fawlty Towers</em>. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>But the good old suburban sitcom survived. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Think <em>Rings On Their Fingers </em>and<em> Happy Ever After</em> - both BBC productions.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>The last mentioned series starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield as middle class, middle aged English couple Terry and June Fletcher. They had two grown-up daughters (if memory serves me right) and a funny old Aunt Lucy, who had a mynah bird. Aunt Lucy was very dithery and a bit of a pain in the neck to Terry.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>After a behind-the-scenes legal wrangle, <em>Happy Ever After</em> ended, to be replaced, in October 1979, by a new series called <em>Terry & June</em>. The principle characters, played of course by Terry Scott and June Whitfield, were now called Terry and June <em>Medford</em> and they were minus Aunt Lucy, the mynah bird and the daughters. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong><em>This</em> Terry and June had one married daughter, who turned up occasionally, and they were also sometimes visited by Terry's daft nephew, Alan.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Apart from this, <em>Terry & June </em>was very like <em>Happy Ever After</em>, although the mechanics of the show were somewhat altered by the absence of Aunt Lucy and the mynah bird!</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Personally, I missed Aunt Lucy at first, but this new series caught light for me in 1980, after a tentative start in 1979. The playing of Terry Scott and June Whitfield, who had first worked together in the late 1960s, was always superb. The characters complemented each other perfectly: Terry bumptious and silly, June calm and common-sensical, often getting dragged into ridiculous situations entirely against her better judgement.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>The Medfords' social circle included Terry's colleague, the oily and lecherous Malcolm, his long suffering wife, Beattie, snobbish neighbours Tarquin and Melinda Spry, and Austin, the local vicar. Terry's boss was played by the inimitable Reginald Marsh - also well known as Dave Smith, the <em>Coronation Street </em>bookie, "Sir" in <em>The Good Life</em>, and Reg Lamont in <em>Crossroads.</em></strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong><em>Terry & June</em> was attacked for being middle class and irrelevant in the alternative comedy era of the 1980s, this was a decade of radical change in TV comedy, but it was also the decade of choice, and there was something for everyone. There was definitely a place for <em>Terry & June</em> in the TV schedules - the show performed much better in the ratings than anything "alternative".</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Still, as a trendy young geezer, whilst I was proud to declare my love of <em><a href="http://80sactual2.blogspot.com/2007/08/young-ones.html"><span style="color: red;"></span></a><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://80sactual.blogspot.com/2009/04/alternative-comedy-young-ones.html"><span style="color: #ffff33;">The Young</span> <span style="color: #ffff33;">Ones</span></a> </span></em>and<em> The Comic Strip Presents </em>in 1982, my <em>Terry & June</em> habit was a sinful secret. And yet I would become totally engrossed in each episode, emerging from the experience feeling oddly refreshed. <em>Terry & June</em> was a great break from my woes of the moment - the lightweight suburban mayhem chez Medford was a joy to behold.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>I loved the way that trends of the 1980s were sometimes featured in the programme - such as the </strong><a href="http://80sactual.blogspot.com/2007/08/cb-radio.html"><strong>CB radio craze</strong></a><strong>. CB was legalised here in November 1981, and 1982 saw a brief but intense craze flare up. Terry joined in, of course, and ended up trapped in his car in the back of a lorry...</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>The then<em> very</em> new fangled satellite TV (pre-1989<a href="http://80sactual.blogspot.com/2009/04/1989-sky-satellite-tv-revolution.html" style="color: red;"> Sky launch</a>) cropped up in one story line in 1985, as did the very new and exciting first ever handheld mobile phone - the Motorola <a href="https://80sactual.blogspot.com/2005/05/introducing-first-mobile-phone-dynatac.html" target="_blank">Dynatac 8000x</a> in the 1987 episode <i>Mole</i>, and there was, of course, an episode dedicated to the complicated new world of video recorders. Remember, only 5% of UK households had videos in 1980. This was the decade when the vast majority of us got to grips with them. The Medfords were actually quite a trendy and 'up for it' middle aged 1980s couple - although Terry did throw a strop over <a href="https://80sactual.blogspot.com/2010/02/trivial-pursuit-in-uk-how-game-came.html" target="_blank">Trivial Pursuit</a>!</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Despite all the alternative comedy, the suburban sitcom was still alive and well in the 1980s - with <em>Terry & June</em> being kept company by <em>No Place Like Home</em> and <em>Fresh Fields</em>.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>The Medfords finally bowed out in August 1987, and Terry Scott has since died.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>I have recently seen some episodes of <em>Terry & June </em>on DVD and I must say I enjoyed the shows just as much the second time round.</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #33ff33;"><strong>Classic 1980s comedy. Not alternative. Not socially relevant. Just funny. And more true to life. After all, how many people lived in a decrepit flat, with left-over chopped vegetables chatting to each other on the draining board? And how many middle class couples were there out there bearing some resemblance to Terry and June?</strong></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-5048815588975433802020-09-07T08:40:00.005-01:002021-02-22T00:21:32.503-01:00Falcon Crest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;"><i>Fabulous Jane Wyman donned a grey wig for the Vintage Years - the pilot of Falcon Crest - in 1981, but got rid of it for the series.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It always sounds really snobbish when you name something you like that is mass popular, and the person you are speaking to says: 'Oh, really? I prefer...' - and names something obscure.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">But I'm afraid that's genuinely how I am about the big 1980s-era American soaps. <i>Dallas</i>? Nope. <i>Dynasty</i>? Nope. <i>Knots Landing</i>? Nope.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I'm a dedicated <i>Falcon Crest</i> man.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Now, in England, <i>Falcon Crest</i>, or 'Falky' as I fondly nicknamed it, was often broadcast on ITV regional stations in grotty afternoon slots, or at Sunday teatime - sometime naff. But, as a shift worker, I managed to sink a basinful of it and loved it.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I suppose it all began with an idea for a series pilot possibly set in America and France, or a series pilot called <i>The Barclays</i>, about an American urban family moving from New York to small town Kentucky or...</span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Series creator Earl Hamner jr, who had given us that loving 1930s family <i>The Waltons</i> (<i>Spencer's Mountain</i> with plenty of tears but without the grit), was just finishing work on that series when the idea for a try-out pilot came </span></b><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">his way, and it took a lot of thinking out.</span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Filming of a drama called <i>The Vintage Years</i> took place in the spring of 1981. This was the pilot for what would become <i>Falcon Crest</i> and featured some of the ingredients - including the location, the Spring Mountain Winery in California's Napa Valley, which would be the location for<i> Falcon Crest</i>.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It also featured Jane Wyman as Angela Channing, the leading Mrs Nasty of <i>Falcon Crest</i>, in a grey wig - which Miss Wyman hated!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It was a tale of vineyards and a family divided, very much as the series would be, but it wasn't the finished product by any means.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">As it was never screened, I never saw it - but I believe it's now available online.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Changes were made to cast and characters - and Jane Wyman pushed for changes to Angela.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">'She's very much a 1981 kind of lady,' she said just before Falky's American debut in December 1981.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">My goodness, she was. English TV critic Hilary Kingsley described her in 1988 as 'rotten to the pips', but there was more to Angela than that. Her main problem, as her daughter Emma pointed out, was that she loved the land more than she loved her family. And was prepared to use any trick in the book to keep it.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;"><i>Angela's role as Queen Bee of the fictional Tuscany Valley took a severe knock when her nephew, Chase Gioberti, arrived in the early 1980s to claim his inheritance. Don't worry. She was up to the fight.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Had Miss Wyman been cast because of her ex-husband, Ronald Reagan's, recent elevation (in November 1980) to US President? Jane Wyman said she had not. Rumours were later circulated that she had been offered a role in a future Earl Hamner production before the pilot was even in the pre-production planning stages (highly unlikely) and that she had banned mention of Ronald Reagan on the <i>Falcon Crest</i> set!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It all added to the interest - and Jane Wyman was quite capable of holding the viewer's interest long after the fascination of seeing Ronnie's ex-wife had faded.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">What really attracted me to the show was its delicious sense of humour.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Hapless greedy and lustful Melissa Agretti telling her 'loving' husband Lance Cumson: 'Your whole family's weird. Your mother murdered my father...' for instance.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The characters actually stood back at times and saw the absurdity of the soapy plots.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It could be very droll - as Melissa said to Angela:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">'Don't worry, Angela, I'll still be available for family occasions - weddings, funerals, and, of course, the occasional shooting.'</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;"><i>Ana Alicia was fabulous as 'that fiesty Melissa Agretti' - as Angela once called her.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It had all the prime time soap ingredients, of course, but I also thought it had more atmosphere and depth.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Angela's daughters, Emma and Julia, for instance - driven mad over a period of many years by their oppressive mother - and this madness manifesting itself in quite different ways. </span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">One of the scenes which cemented the series in my affections was at the end of season one, in 1982. Angela, having been worsted in battle by her nephew Chase, smiled and said: 'He thinks he's won!' The smile was radiant - full of enjoyment at the thought of proving him wrong, and quite bereft of any malice. No JR crocodile grin there. Angela was simply delighted at the thought of future ferocities. And I was entranced.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Falky was enthralling - plane crashes, vicious business cartels, long lost relatives, earthquakes, shootings, fires, Nazis... it had the lot - and more!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Great cast, too. There were rumours of backstage hostilities. When veteran film actress Lana Turner appeared in one season, Jane Wyman reportedly refused to act with her - and some scenes had to be recorded separately. Finally, Miss Wyman was reported to have said that either she remained in the series, or Miss Turner - not both.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Lana Turner's character was killed off in a shooting at the Falcon Crest mansion.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">As for the behind the scenes revelations - rumour or truth? The speculation all added to the fun of watching the series - and it was an immensely enjoyable series, made with great skill and gusto.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;"><i>In 1981, the cast of Falcon Crest appeared to be quite dowdy, but, as the 1980s took wing, power dressing and glitz became the norm. Here's some of the regulars, circa 1987. The man in the middle is Lorenzo Lamas, Angela's grandson, Lance Cumson. He never quite outwitted his 'loving' granny.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I will never forget Jane Wyman as Angela, Margaret Ladd as her delightfully dotty daughter Emma, Abby Dalton as her other daughter - the driven-over-the-edge Julia Cumson, Chao Li Chi as Cha Li - the wise butler at the Falcon Crest mansion, David Selby as Richard Channing - the milk-drinking business mogul, Susan Sullivan as lovely Maggie Gioberti - persecuted in-law of Angela, Robert Foxworth as Chase Gioberti, Maggie's husband and Angela's goodly nephew, and Lorenzo Lamas and Ana Alicia as Lance and Melissa Cumson - wow, that couple had sparks!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Required viewing at the time - and on DVD now. It lifts any free afternoon way out of the mundane.</span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-87830895909126125432020-09-02T12:08:00.002-01:002020-09-02T13:40:11.267-01:00Mel and Kim<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: #d9ead3;"><i>F</i></span></b><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #d9ead3;"><i>un, love, money and hair. The 1980s loved them all. And the sparkling new hair products, mousse, gel and extensions. Kim recalls that Mel washed her extended hairdo and phoned her with an urgent warning: 'Kim! Don't wash it! It goes like a mattress!'</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Mel and Kim Appleby were two young English sisters - cockneys to be precise. They scaled the heights of pop stardom in the late 1980s and we loved them. They were celebrated not just for their talent but for being two English black women (or women of colour or whatever the current politically correct saying is) who'd scaled those heights, but I'd long ago learned that English was not a colour, and I was simply bowled over by their music, dance moves and sparkling sense of fun.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I remember seeing them being interviewed by Andrea Arnold (Dawn of kids' show <i>No 73</i>) and they were so natural, down-to-earth and downright likeable I could have grabbed a mug of tea and joined them for a natter without feeling even remotely star-struck - not like when I met Percy Sugden from <i>Coronation Street</i> and was absolutely gobsmacked.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Mel and Kim made it big as part of the Stock/Aitken/Waterman starburst, although Mel was already a model.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The news that Mel had cancer was stunning. I associated the sisters with fun and dance and wonderful nights out, me splashing on the latest swanky aftershave, dolloping on mousse or hair gel, and my latest <i>Miami Vice</i> inspired finery.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And not tragedy.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The meeting of the two extremes seemed incomprehensible to me at the time. I struggled to get my head round it.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Now I still listen to their music at times, and dance and smile and remember the good times, but not without more than a hint of sadness. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And I say...</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">God bless, Mel - and all the best, Kim. Thanks for providing the soundtrack to some lovely times. x</span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-80631121959044576872020-06-22T01:06:00.001-01:002020-06-29T23:46:35.031-01:00The 1980s - What Did We Do Before Fact Checkers, The World Wide Web, Wikipedia, etc, etc.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><i style="background-color: black;">Tim Berners-Lee invented the <a href="https://80sactual.blogspot.com/2008/09/1989-invention-of-world-wide-web.html" target="_blank">World Wide Web</a> in 1989. When it celebrated 30 years in 2019, I began to take a look at what it had become.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><i style="background-color: black;"><br /></i></span></b>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Looking back at the 1980s is to peer into a different world. The computer revolution was beginning, but the World Wide Web wasn't even invented until 1989, and not up and running until the early '90s, so what did we do in place of the things so many modern day 'clever' folk take for granted?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Well...</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Let's begin...</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WAmKJELwkfXljZGmhkLFDbbI40srjG8uFKcixUm1xdwPCy_8nTedfUwOppDfHqh41U-mz_hHcMPAnm1hc7qCNlhyphenhyphennwxeePSe1PEze5r_zluAk8GtmoOiGQRRImxV2CNRI0mL/s1600/1982+christmas+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WAmKJELwkfXljZGmhkLFDbbI40srjG8uFKcixUm1xdwPCy_8nTedfUwOppDfHqh41U-mz_hHcMPAnm1hc7qCNlhyphenhyphennwxeePSe1PEze5r_zluAk8GtmoOiGQRRImxV2CNRI0mL/s400/1982+christmas+%25281%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #d0e0e3;">Wow, Christmas 1982 - and if you were terribly posh and a complete nerd you might have had a Christmas like this. But it's not likely.</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta;">Fact Checkers</span><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"> - they check the facts so you don't have to. They back their own viewpoints and often the Establishment, pouring ridicule on anything outside of that. Say anything outside of the narrative? You're a conspiracy theorist - and all right-minded folk must shun you. You're 'far right' and, no doubt, your bum smells. Your accuser's, of course, does not.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">In the 1980s: You formed your own opinions. You read various things. You might have been absolutely hidebound in your opinions, but many people were less comfortable, more investigative, more opinionated. In the main, we didn't want people to tell us what to think. We wanted to find out for ourselves. And we didn't just trust governments or organisations like the UN - which is a lot of the problem now. People can read absolutely irrefutable facts, but there seems to be some sort of cognitive dissonance in applying them when 'experts' say something else. The official narrative has to be adhered to.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Rating (in my opinion):</span><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta;"> 1980s: 10</span><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">, 21st Century: 0.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: #d0e0e3;"><i>Usenet began in 1980 as a tiny concern for university geeks and professors. It can't really be called a forerunner to the Web, but it did have newsgroups which exchanged fascinating information. Read the above. See what I mean? Most of the world was blissfully unaware. We took a look <a href="https://80sactual.blogspot.com/2018/11/usenet-1980-things-i-didnt-know.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta;">Wikipedia</span><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">: What an odd idea! Anybody can write anything? But editors are on hand to correct false information? Um, usually only if it fits their own agenda. A lot of Wikipedia is unreadable. The SJWs rule it and it's propaganda writ large. And 1980s = BAD! Very bad! It's rather like a schoolkid's effort at an encyclopedia. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Now, I know the arguments: 'Oh, yes, but Wikipedia contains links to dependable information!' Does it? Not in a lot of my experiences with the site it doesn't! It cherry-picks and blocks dissenting voices and there is nothing balanced about it when it comes to issues like Feminism at all. In fact, the article on Feminism is like a brain washing lesson in the ideology. And, guess what? Google and the like include a little panel on searches with Wikipedia articles linked! So, many people will be innocently drawn to the site. BONKERS!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Wikipedia is not an encyclopedia at all. And the lame brained-ness of people who use it at all is one of the most worrying early 21st Century online trends - in my opinion.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">In the 1980s: People read things in encyclopedias, and read other books. People agreed or disagreed with the authors. People asked questions. People didn't tell other people to 'stand away from their rage totems' if they disliked their discussion of misandry or whatever. People discussed, they argued, they sometimes had a punch-up. But they didn't face a bunch of sheeple bleating at them and blocking them, sheeple fully convinced of their own goodness, and making sure other views don't get a hearing, whilst theirs - often highly flawed and even bigoted - do, and become the narrative.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Rating: </span><span style="background-color: black; color: magenta;">1980s: 10</span><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">, 21st Century: 0.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I'll return to this theme at some point, 'cos it's dead interesting, don't you think? No? Oh well, we're glad you have your own views on the subject!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">See you soon. xxx</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-66222265914861402772020-06-06T02:26:00.001-01:002020-06-06T02:26:25.122-01:00The McVitie's Hobnob Biscuit - 1985 - 2020 - 35th Anniversary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjOsyMuioTRKSJKsOD9_Nc8Bc9JVFGDGf8uepsPHJGZP2CipmfXz7PxmuOqiFu0ozNybW-1NzZVTaD9_Jbd5S2yD2nbRty9IDys5WBXmvjPjESa63yo46JdmEw2KsXDDbSLkp/s1600/hobnobs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1564" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjOsyMuioTRKSJKsOD9_Nc8Bc9JVFGDGf8uepsPHJGZP2CipmfXz7PxmuOqiFu0ozNybW-1NzZVTaD9_Jbd5S2yD2nbRty9IDys5WBXmvjPjESa63yo46JdmEw2KsXDDbSLkp/s400/hobnobs.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: #3d85c6;"><i>From the McVitie's website - the launch of the mighty Hobnob biscuit in 1985 was quickly followed by others, like the chocolate variety, launched in 1987. Rolled oats and crunch and - YUM!</i></span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"></span><i></i><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Just a quick shout-out to one of the very best biscuits of all time - and one, of course, launched in the 1980s - the McVitie's Hobnob. No biscuit since the Jaffa Cake (all right that's a cake, I know!) have ever made such a big splash with me. I loved 'em from the first - dunking 'em wildly in my tea and getting through a whole packet per mug, and I still love 'em to this day.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I particularly liked them for night shifts when I was working at the local psychiatric hospital - they were very fortifying and cheering on my tea break.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The Hobnob was launched in 1985, and the '85 original TV advert contained the slogan 'One Nibble and You're Nobbled'. Beautiful.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Oatey and crunchie and mind-numblingly beautiful when dunked in a cuppa, I can still scoff my way through loads. A true quality product. </span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Very like the 1980s themselves, of course (ahem).</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Of course, I'm against advertising here, but you must give some products their due.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And if McVitie's would care to slip me some Hobnobs as a thank you, I won't say no.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Just remember, 'More Is More' - as we used to say back in the day!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Read some McVitie's history, including the launch of the Hobnob, here:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><a href="https://mcvities.co.uk/about">https://mcvities.co.uk/about</a></span></b><br />
<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-24693097028227757602020-05-07T00:14:00.007-01:002023-08-30T17:24:09.286-01:00Rubik's Cube, 7 May 1980 - An Important Anniversary...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I'm writing and posting this article on the seventh of May 2020, and it is a very important anniversary. On this day, the 'Rubik's Cube' trademark was registered in the UK back in 1980. Not that we were suddenly flooded with Cubes - no, there was a shortage and that is the reason 1981 was The Year of the Cube rather than 1980, but it's still an important date.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Although they were in very short supply when they started arriving here, just before Christmas 1980, the British Association of Toy Retailers noted the interest shown and declared it 'Toy of the Year'. As the craze raged after we were fully stocked in the spring of 1981, the association named it 'Toy of the Year' for 1981 too!</span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjbdxu_V1-MvJbVN-RSwNVRBko07O-I_-8v8ubNO-6ZV49USTsh_ur6e7cxm7IoPYEepNSU4_0yStg57qB-JGIwGwqDwcXIHi6NUZimdKUW-RDnuzu2jh0BkDIiXO4o8FivMG/s1600/cube+1980s+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="1024" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjbdxu_V1-MvJbVN-RSwNVRBko07O-I_-8v8ubNO-6ZV49USTsh_ur6e7cxm7IoPYEepNSU4_0yStg57qB-JGIwGwqDwcXIHi6NUZimdKUW-RDnuzu2jh0BkDIiXO4o8FivMG/s400/cube+1980s+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><b><span style="background-color: black;">The Rubik's Cube made it on to the front cover of the Sunday Times Magazine's review of 1981 - and is listed just below the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. A special Cube depicting the union flag and the faces of the Royal couple, was produced to commemorate the occasion in July 1981.</span></b></i><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimHBCZOIVKCUcP_l70e4o0bDWTmdeyRi_xwxjSgpYkPdnfwZoVgJs83x2Cb1wklWYnduWJzGiZfF2LHrw9sEwDjqx663e723rKeN9KNA-TgU0etRf0AovNf96_g6l3m2rSLLd/s1600/royal+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="337" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimHBCZOIVKCUcP_l70e4o0bDWTmdeyRi_xwxjSgpYkPdnfwZoVgJs83x2Cb1wklWYnduWJzGiZfF2LHrw9sEwDjqx663e723rKeN9KNA-TgU0etRf0AovNf96_g6l3m2rSLLd/s400/royal+4.jpg" width="392" /></a></div>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The Cube was such a craze - it made a legend of its creator, Erno Rubik of Hungary, and saturated popular culture from late 1980 to 1982.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">From the invention of the Magic Cube prototype in 1974, to a change of name and mass manufacture to Western World safety and packaging specifications in 1980, seems a short leap. Many inventions take much longer to come to prominence. But the world was very different back then. Hungary was very much 'Behind The Iron Curtain' - and the Cube's penetration of that Curtain was very noteworthy indeed - particularly in such a short amount of time. When you consider that the first test batches of the Magic Cube were not even released in Hungary until late 1977, its progress to the West seems even more remarkable.</span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b style="background-color: black; color: red;">There had been a small seepage of Magic Cubes from Hungary to the West, but in minute numbers (there weren't that many to begin with), and without any major backing to provide publicity. The 1980 Rubik's Cube was a remanufactured version of the Magic Cube, lighter and easier to manipulate (allowing for speed-cubing), and with Ideal Toys behind it, trusted purveyor of many previous toys and games, couldn't fail to become a hit.</b><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /><b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The remanufactured and renamed Rubik's Cube was a huge success. Perhaps its launch at the start of the new decade helped with that - new decades are eager for new fads - but the Cube was entrancing in its own right. It was aesthetically pleasing, bright primary colours with black edgings, it looked like a child's toy - surely easy to complete? (HUH!) - and it took over many lives.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkcv3FmfxDwt_od243pN08Rp2-5azKgrQf99wVWG7cfUNZCW56vUH31KC6mCOMeez_xbDEBxyX32X8yQ5LJLU20i3Wx_qyD9l5tS_e-4IEz4WymlZD502gBSP9s8_PC1RKP-D/s1600/cube+1980s+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="894" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkcv3FmfxDwt_od243pN08Rp2-5azKgrQf99wVWG7cfUNZCW56vUH31KC6mCOMeez_xbDEBxyX32X8yQ5LJLU20i3Wx_qyD9l5tS_e-4IEz4WymlZD502gBSP9s8_PC1RKP-D/s400/cube+1980s+4.jpg" width="348" /></a></div>
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc;">Daily Mirror, 12 August, 1981: The craze was raging. Cube mania was rampant!</span></b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Ours sat on the sofa and we twirled it whilst watching the telly. We couldn't leave it alone!</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Now it's as much a part of early 1980s memories as Duran Duran, synth pop, hair gel and the ZX Spectrum.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">In fact, it has become an icon of the entire decade.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Happy anniversary, Rubik's Cube! Read all our Cube data by clicking on the 'Rubik's Cube' label below.</span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-54644178773226860722020-04-07T22:20:00.001-01:002023-08-23T08:19:00.615-01:00Some 1980s Vibes: When Corona Was Fizzy Drinks, Frankie Wanted To Arm The Unemployed And West End Girls Prowled...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;">'West End Girl' - a 1987 poster by Athena. The spiky-haired foxtress has obviously been surprised on the fire escape. Wonder what she's been up to? Eurythmics's Annie Lennox, in the guise of her horrid middle class housewife in the 1987 'Beethoven (I love to listen to)' video, would no doubt, have been fascinated!</span></b></i><br />
<b></b><i></i><b></b><span style="color: cyan;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: #38761d;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;">S</span><span style="color: red;">o, the 1980s.</span></span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><b></b><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">BOOM! BANG! KER-BLAM! Love Thatcher/Reagan? Hate Thatcher/Reagan? Wanna be a yuppie? Wanna join Red Wedge and tear down the whole capitalist system? Wanna eat Nouvelle Cuisine? Wanna eat bubble and squeak portions from Bejam? Love the brand new House Music sensation? Prefer the brand new indie sensation that was The Smiths? Love to power dress? Love to wear deelyboppers and jelly shoes?</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The 1980s seemed full to bursting with contrasting thingies. And now it all looks like a different planet. How things have changed! Take Covid-19. Back in the 1980s if you mentioned 'Corona' in England and Wales, a range of fizzy drinks immediately sprang to the forefront of most minds - not lockdowns and social distancing.</span></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;">This Corona bottle dates from 1982, as indicated by the date on the promotional blurb on the back of the label. The label features the little bubbly thingie from the early 1980s 'Every bubble's passed its fizzical' TV ad, which was then current.</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;">Environmentally friendly? 'Course we were - 10p deposit charged on the bottle. My favourite Corona drinks were orangeade and cherryade. Every Christmas we used to order a crate of assorted Corona drinks from the milkman.</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;">Daily Mirror, 27 February, 1985:</span></i></b><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Frankie goes to Downing Street</span></span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Leading pop stars have signed a "celebrity petition" to be handed in at 10 Downing Street tomorrow. It opposes Government plans to axe supplementary benefit for school leavers if they do not take part in the Youth Training Scheme.</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.6em; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Holly Johnson and Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Paul Weller, Madness, Smiley Culture, the Flying Pickets and Alison Moyet are among the entertainers whose names will be handed in.</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.6em; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The Downing Street visit is part of a national rally and lobby of Parliament organised by the Youth Trade Union Rights Campaign.</span></span></span></h4>
<span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The Youth Opportunities scheme had been introduced by the Callaghan Labour Government in 1978, in response to rapidly rising youth unemployment. A YOP provided work experience only, although in 1982 a training element was added. In 1983, it was replaced by the Youth Training Scheme (YTS), which, as the scheme's name suggests, was centred around training for skills.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">So, what was the beef with school leavers having to go on a YTS scheme to qualify for Government money? Did they not want training? Well, looking back, the reasons I heard bandied about were that the Government was simply using the scheme to make the unemployment figures look smaller, and that minimum age school leavers had a right to expect a </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">proper job.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This interested me as, as far back as the mid-1970s, the fact that </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">graduates with degrees </span><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">were finding it impossible to find work was being widely reported.</span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">But in the 1980s, </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">any</span><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> initiative on the part of the Thatcher Governments was seen by many of us as a plot to do us down. Her first government's concentration on inflation rather than unemployment early in the decade had cast her out forever as far as I was concerned.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">And, although I</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black;"> had</span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: red; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black;"> </span>a job and was completely unaffected, I still ranted my disapproval.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 16.13px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>Maggie Thatcher would probably have dearly loved to give Frankie a spanky in the mid-1980s.</i></span></span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-56737643476350691112020-02-18T15:52:00.000-01:002020-06-24T01:02:57.871-01:00The '80s Archers Part Two: The Creation Of Lynda Snell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">The 1980s saw Ambridge bidding farewell to several legendary old favourites - Doris Archer (1980), Aunt Laura (1985), Dan Archer (1986) and Walter Gabriel (1988) - but the decade saw the arrival of some new favourites, one of these being a certain Mrs Lynda Snell. Snobby Lynda was, at first sight (or rather on first hearing!) frankly quite unbearable - she <i>would</i> interfere! - but over the years moments of kindness and sensitivity and the enjoyability of her being a character we could at times love to hate, saw us listeners taking Lynda to our hearts.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Actress Carole Boyd was no stranger to BBC radio soap, having been in the Radio 2 saga <i>Waggoners' Walk</i>, as miserable Shirley Edwards, wife of the fiery Cliff. But Lynda was absolutely nothing like Shirley (she was rather common, old Shirl!) and I was very impressed at Miss Boyd's acting skills in playing two such widely differing characters so convincingly.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Interviewed a few years ago by the BBC, Miss Boyd revealed the origins of Mrs Snell...</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">'It was back in the mid-'80s, 1986, and the producer then was Liz Rigbey... she was new to the programme and she wanted, I think, to reflect the mid-'80s, the time of yuppies going off into the country and teaching people - TRYING to teach people - how to run their lives, etc. So, she invented this couple called the Snells and not a lot was known about them. I mean, we all auditioned, there was myself and probably about a dozen other actresses and the letter that came to say "This is what we want to do, this is the sort of people they are," was very uninformative really. It just said in the letter Robert is a thrusting computer whizz kid and Lynda's probably a doormat. And I thought, hmm, I don't want to be a doormat! But at the same time, of course, everyone was watching the television soaps, so we were all watching <i>Dallas</i> and <i>Dynasty</i> and<i> Neighbours</i>, I think, had come in, so suddenly there was a frenzy in the nation for more and more soap operas and I think people suddenly realised that we had our own home-grown one ticking away for years- and the publicity that went with that - suddenly the interest rocketed as a spin-off from the television interest. </span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">'So I went into the audition thinking "I'm going to make her unpleasant" and the audition scene was between Eddie Grundy and this woman, unknown at the time, who pops up from behind a hedge to see Eddie doing something disgusting to a small furry creature, you know, disembowelling, something really countryish, and is horrified and takes him to task. And so I did it like that, bearing in mind that there was JR, who everyone loved to hate, and there was Alexis Carrington in <i>Dynasty</i>, who everyone loved to hate, and I thought "that's what we need in Ambridge", and they said, "Oh, you've made her unpleasant," and I said "Yes," and they said, "Oh, we quite like that," so that's how it happened. </span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>'And then her voice. Well obviously it's radio so there were no shoulder pads or big hair to reflect the period so I thought "Well, I'm going to make her really obnoxious-sounding and irritating," and I just feel that you only have to hear her voice and you just want to run a mile which is rather nice for the character.'</b></span><span style="background-color: black; color: red;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>And WHAT a character! Lynda Snell - Ambridge legend!</b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-90962595020666337672019-07-10T13:23:00.001-01:002022-01-14T03:00:46.813-01:00Enquiries... Suzy Lamplugh, Anglia Weatherman, World Wide Web...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I'm not getting to write on here as much I want, but I've had a few enquiries relating to the 1980s, so I'll do my best to answer. The first enquiry is regarding the London estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, who disappeared in July 1986, having apparently gone to meet a client called 'Mr Kipper':</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">David wrote:</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;">Hi there! Great fan of your blog. I read your piece on Suzy Lamplugh and your own memories of the summer of 1986 with fascination as I was actually born in the July of that year! Regarding Suzy, it says on Wikipedia that her name was Susanna Lamplugh, minus the 'H' which you included. What was her name? And what do you think of the latest developments, the guy who thinks she didn't go to Shorrolds Road and the dig at Pershore?</span></b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><span style="color: cyan;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Hello, David!</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Thanks for writing. Susannah was named after the actress Susannah York and actively informed her colleagues on the QE2 that it was 'Susannah with an H' - so much so that her nickname amongst some of them was 'H'. Apparently, the 'h' does not appear on her birth certificate, but Suzy much preferred it! I really hope the latest developments lead to closure for her family and friends. I'm uncertain about the Shorrolds Road theory. Certainly, a witness from 1986 claims that Suzy's company car was parked in Stevenage Road about five minutes after she'd left the Sturgis branch so it would certainly make sense that she hadn't been to Shorrolds Road. I really don't know. The fact that it's now claimed that she didn't take the Sturgis key to the Shorrolds Road property adds to the hope that perhaps things might finally become clear.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Link to the Suzy Lamplugh blog post - click<a href="https://80sactual.blogspot.com/2018/02/suzy-lamplugh-and-some-personal.html" target="_blank"> <span style="color: yellow;">HERE</span></a>.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Greg says:</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;">I really enjoyed your pieces on <a href="https://80sactual.blogspot.com/search/label/Anglia%20TV" target="_blank"><span style="color: yellow;">BC of Anglia Television</span></a> (1980-2002 RIP). Do you remember the name of the main Anglia weatherman in the 1980s? He was quite a tall, thickset bloke as I recall, had a quiet sense of humour.</span></b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><span style="color: cyan;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">I think it would be David Brooks, Greg (see pic). He was at Anglia from 1972-1993. He was a nice presence at the station. I was watching his reaction to the failure of a weather screen to appear after he'd said 'let's look at tomorrow's weather,' or some such back in the day. When the manual board showing today's weather was slipped out (manually, of course!), the board beneath was completely blank. 'Good 'ere, innit?' quipped David, as the studio dissolved into laughter.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">David was a huge golf fan and one of his greatest claims to fame was being struck by lightning on the Gog Magog course near Cambridge in 1979. As he said afterwards, next time he'd check the Anglia weather forecast before venturing out! He died of leukaemia in 2010.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Fran has written:</span></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: black; color: cyan;">Saw all the excitement about the thirtieth anniversary of the invention of the World Wide Web back in March. 1989-2019! It's changed everything. On balance, would you say good or bad?</span></i></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Definitely both, Fran! It's brought the world closer together but also exposed differences and maybe exacerbated a few! Personally, I'm allergic to SJWs online!</span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13265393.post-1694697847995577432019-06-02T21:29:00.002-01:002019-06-02T21:29:49.233-01:001989: Margaret Thatcher: 'We Have Become A Grandmother!'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">It was sometimes said in the 1980s that Mrs Thatcher and the Queen did not see eye-to-eye and that Mrs T had her eye on the throne.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Outrageous! Ridiculous! Wasn't it?</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Nobody knows what caused the Prime Minister to use the royal 'We' while announcing the birth of her first grandchild, but it caused a lot more talk.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">There she was. Three general election wins. The Iron Lady. Had it all gone to her head?</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">And it turned out her first grandson was a Texan. Born In Dallas. Just like JR Ewing.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Strange days indeed...</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: red;"><b>From the <i>Cambridge Evening News</i>, 4/3/1989:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"></span><b></b><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #0b5394;">Thatcher Baby A Texan</span></b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #0b5394;">Baby Michael Thatcher, the Prime Minister's first grandchild, will be an American citizen because he was born in Texas.</span></b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #0b5394;">But he will be entitled to British citizenship by descent the Home Office confirmed.</span></b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #0b5394;">Mrs Thatcher's son, Mark, and his American wife, Diane, became parents in Dallas on Tuesday.</span></b></i><br />
<i></i><b></b><span style="color: lime;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">Of course, despite her use of the royal 'We', Mrs Thatcher did not become Queen.</span></b><br />
<b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: black; color: red;">But I was feeling quite tired and jaded as this colourful, contrasting and often completely OTT decade roared towards its close and wouldn't have been a bit surprised if she had!</span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0