The Seventies

[Nearly Sane]

To be fair, a lot of my memory of the 70s is dark and shut

[ad_orientem]

Sitting here watching "The Sweeney", it has occurred to me that anybody who was not there at the time, could be forgiven for thinking that the seventies were a dreary affair full of drab buildings & bad haircuts.

But there were the summers of 1975, and 1976, for some reason they seem to be forgotten.

What are your memories of the seventies?

Very vague. I was born in '75 (a great year because West Ham won the FA cup). We lived in a flat in Canning Town. But my memories of that time are very fond. I remember my mum used to work Saturday mornings so my dad and I used to go to Rathbone market and he'd buy sprats or a rabbit and make dinner. Then I'd watch the wrestling with him on tv.

[Sriram]

I was in my twenties in the 1970's...got into college in 1970....probably the best age to be in....but I somehow never quite liked the 70's.   The books, the movies, the music, the fashions, the values.  Everything was quite distressing compared to the 1950's and 60's.  I don't know why.

I think I sensed that changes were happening and that the world was somehow becoming a little more unstable....and that things were never going to be the same again.      Good in some ways and not so good in other ways, I suppose!

[Walter]

I've had time to think about the 70s now and nope, its still .....Dirty Brenda.   

[Enki]

I was in my thirties in the 70s. Started birding(birdwatching) in 1975. The second of our two sons was born in 1970. went abroad for the very first time in 1977, became totally disillusioned with politics and politicians in the 70s. also cancelled my membership of CND. Started wargaming, choreographed contemporary dance with the pupils at the school I was teaching at. At one performance, in front of all the gathered parents etc. there was a power cut(Miner's strike) so we did the routine totally without music. Bought a colour television. Had a party line(anyone remember them)telephone installed. For me the 50s and especially the 60s were much more exciting eras.. an age thing, I suppose.

[Rhiannon]

Interesting, I think of the 80s as being hugely exciting and creative.

[ad_orientem]

Interesting, I think of the 80s as being hugely exciting and creative.

The mid-80's were a wonderful time. Of course it had its excesses but for your average person great time to be alive. Alsi you had microwave ovens, video recorders etc. and the fashion was colourful, luminous orange, pink, and green. Music was great too. Of course being young then I probably view those times with a lot of sentimentality.

[Rhiannon]

The mid-80's were a wonderful time. Of course it had its excesses but for your average person great time to be alive. Alsi you had microwave ovens, video recorders etc. and the fashion was colourful, luminous orange, pink, and green. Music was great too. Of course being young then I probably view those times with a lot of sentimentality.

Yes, likewise. For all its yuppie image I remember the 80s as being a time of individual expression, for charity shop chic and making tops out of pillowcases. It was ok to experiment, to be different. We bought waistcoats from charity shops and nicked our dad’s shirts, and my make up was just like  Siouxsie’s. J17 took my young adulthood seriously. The Young Ones and Ben Elton changed what comedy meant and Whose Line is it Anyway made me feel clever for watching it. God, and Blackadder11 came out. Billy Bragg made me think, Morrisey was good but Johnny Marr better. And I was happy when it rained just like the Jesus and Mary Chain.

[Anchorman]

I was in my thirties in the 70s. Started birding(birdwatching) in 1975. The second of our two sons was born in 1970. went abroad for the very first time in 1977, became totally disillusioned with politics and politicians in the 70s. also cancelled my membership of CND. Started wargaming, choreographed contemporary dance with the pupils at the school I was teaching at. At one performance, in front of all the gathered parents etc. there was a power cut(Miner's strike) so we did the routine totally without music. Bought a colour television. Had a party line(anyone remember them)telephone installed. For me the 50s and especially the 60s were much more exciting eras.. an age thing, I suppose.

 

Ah....
Went on my first anti-Polaris demo at the 'Holy Loch' in 1978.
Got a heck of a shock to see the caravan we used now on display at Glasgow's riverside Museum!
On the plus side, there ain't no subs in the Holy Loch anymore....

[Owlswing]

1970 to 1974 - Kings Cross - Sydney, Australia. Single/Divorced - Working as Lighting Technician, Doorman, Bouncer, and one of the Boss' personal bodyguards with a "Carry Concealed" licence for a .44 Magnum for the bank run with, usually, about $A160.000 per week..

Feb 10 1975, four days short of six year in Oz - returned to UK as my Grandfather, as good a man as my Dad was lousy, had had four strokes and had requested that I be at his funeral when the time came. The time came four years and two more strokes later - my Nan reckoned he'd worked it out that he really couldn't take it with him and decided not to go until he's spent it all.

Also came to try and help save my parents' marriage - doomed to failure as his twenty-fourth (approximately - the ones we knew about) (Mum refused to allow us to castrate the sod, she was a true 'untill death do us part wife') 'bit on the side demanded he marry her when she found herself pregnant - the baby was Caucasian (her)/Afro-Carrbbean (another bed-fellow) and that really pissed the old bastard off! Mum and I got well and truly pissed celebrating.

Things went downhill from there and never really recovered.

[Sriram]

Personally the 80's was an exciting period. I had a good job, got married, had my daughter and a son.  Good times! Even otherwise it was a more exciting time than the 70's. India was beginning to modernize  under Rajiv Gandhi, we got colour TV, the whole nation was integrated under a national network, personal computers were coming in. General optimism and hope in the air.  We started feeling good about ourselves. Good memories. 

[Robbie]

I liked most of the 80s, turned 21early on. Landed the job i wanted in 83, married June 86, first child Feb 89.
There were some quite pronounced selfish, uncaring attitudes around, & materialism.

The seventies were good.I was young enough not to have real cares or responsibilities but a lovely cousin died in Aug 1976, just eighteen,  & that was a terrible blow for all of us. We went to same school, she two years ahead. I think about her often & always will.

[floo]

I married in 1969, had my first daughter in 70, second in 74, third in 76. We moved house five times, my husband had three different teaching posts, so we were busy, busy, busy!

I would never wish to go back to the past.