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Growing up in the 1980's

GPK26
7 months ago

Following on from my "Good Old Times" discussion, I thought that I'd start a discussion about growing up in the 1980's...

It was during the 80's that I became a teenager with a certain amount of living carefree without the responsibilities that adult life brings and without knowing (or even suspecting) that I was autistic.
There was a lot going on - both good and bad.

BAD

  • We were still going through the Cold War - as a child I remember the seemingly constant threat of nuclear war.
  • The Falkland War
  • The miners strike
  • High unemployment (3 Million)
  • Famine in Africa
  • The rise of AIDS

GOOD

  • The British Armed Forces demonstrated how capable they were in protecting the Falklands
  • Space exploration was revitalised by the Space Shuttle programme
  • Only 4 TV channels, mostly with great quality programming (no narcissistic reality crap!)
  • Technological advances....that didn't take over our lives as mobile phones and social media have done
  • Band Aid / Live Aid (probably one of the most positive memories that I had of the 80's)
  • The Iron Curtain / Berlin Wall fell 
  • IMHO, probably the best decade for music 

What are your memories from the 80's?
Do you remember them as the best times of your life? Or maybe the worst times?

Parents
  • 7 months ago

    In 1980 I was 10 and turned 20 in 1989 so saw the decade as boy and man. I also loved the late 70's, particually the disco era but also love dthe music of the 80's . Living in the south the miners strike might as well been on the moon, as were the troubles in Northern Ireland. I have felt more uneasy about nuclear war in the last couple of years than I ever did in the cold war, it never felt that real back then. 

    Back in 1980 the only electrical item in my bedroom was a light, and a small battery powered radio. I did get a tv in my bedroom when I was about 14 and loved watching the Young ones, and Spitting image which my parents really didn't get. TV was largely great back then, it had to be as I remember only 3 chanells and no daytime tv.From the age of 17 until the early 90's I travelled lots. Was in Amsterdam when the Berlin wall fell and back then travel was very diffrent. You had no idea what was happerning at home, you might get a news paper a few days old, or you rang home. By 1990 I had visited Ireland, France, Holland, Belgium, Lexembourg, germany,Swizerland, Austria and Yougoslavia, all by road. First year of the 90's I went to the US and Poland/Eastern Germany, it was crazy. 

    The big negative of the 80's for me was secondary school. Totally rubbish school, obviously no ASD diagnosis, just kept my heard down but still bullied, just hated the whole thing and largely removed from my memory. However I massivley thrived when I left and went to work.

    For me I will love the 80's, and a massive part of me would like to be living there again.

    Rob

Reply
  • 7 months ago

    In 1980 I was 10 and turned 20 in 1989 so saw the decade as boy and man. I also loved the late 70's, particually the disco era but also love dthe music of the 80's . Living in the south the miners strike might as well been on the moon, as were the troubles in Northern Ireland. I have felt more uneasy about nuclear war in the last couple of years than I ever did in the cold war, it never felt that real back then. 

    Back in 1980 the only electrical item in my bedroom was a light, and a small battery powered radio. I did get a tv in my bedroom when I was about 14 and loved watching the Young ones, and Spitting image which my parents really didn't get. TV was largely great back then, it had to be as I remember only 3 chanells and no daytime tv.From the age of 17 until the early 90's I travelled lots. Was in Amsterdam when the Berlin wall fell and back then travel was very diffrent. You had no idea what was happerning at home, you might get a news paper a few days old, or you rang home. By 1990 I had visited Ireland, France, Holland, Belgium, Lexembourg, germany,Swizerland, Austria and Yougoslavia, all by road. First year of the 90's I went to the US and Poland/Eastern Germany, it was crazy. 

    The big negative of the 80's for me was secondary school. Totally rubbish school, obviously no ASD diagnosis, just kept my heard down but still bullied, just hated the whole thing and largely removed from my memory. However I massivley thrived when I left and went to work.

    For me I will love the 80's, and a massive part of me would like to be living there again.

    Rob

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