Memories of mid 80's for my short story?

[onesmalldog]

What can you remember of the mid 80s living in the UK as regards house decor, colours, house style, furniture, knick knacks, wallpaper, doors, flooring, light fittings etc?

Also what did you eat and drink?

I'm writing a story need this sort of detail to make it realistic.

Would be so grateful to hear your suggestions - and fun!

I was 15 in 1985. Getting a video recorder was a huge thing for us. Every newsagent became a video rental shop, and turned a blind eye to 11 year old lads buying Playboy magazine.

'Live Aid' was amazing. We only had one phone with a dial. It was in the front room. Everyone could hear my conversations and there was no privacy.
We were all scared of catching AIDS (scary govt ad campaign - "don't die of ignorance"). My mum disinfected the Bic razors that I used to shave my legs just in case I'd already caught it.
My boyfriend and I discovered 'The Smiths'. We wore doc martens shoes, and he adopted his grandad's overcoat. We went to the local graveyard and sang the Smiths Song 'Cemetery Gates'. We went to the pub a lot with mates. We were all under 18, but no one enforced the rules.

One of my teachers had a relationship with my classmate. Other staff knew about it, but no one really minded. People were casually racist, and everyone laughed when my friend's dad "blacked up" as an Asian doctor carrying a meat cleaver at the local fete.

My mum learned to cook new foods like lasagne and quiche. We all felt very posh. I knew people who were claiming benefits, but they had homes and no one begged or slept on the streets.

Yes to lots of the above
We had a burgundy bath suite with gold taps and shag pile carpet the living room
A food memory is that barbecues were just becoming popular, but no one (well, my dad ) didn’t know how to do them properly so lots of burnt outside / raw inside sausages ,
Fashion I remember lots of neon plastic ( belts, bangles , earrings) and I remember carrying my school books in a plastic basket type thing

A lot of this thread resonates from the 70s rather than the 80s for me. For example: brown furniture, swirly carpets, velour suites, woodchip and artex, coloured baths, black ash, oj as a starter, etc. But I was in London in the 80s.

I left school in 1984 ( at 18)
I had one of those hessian long strapped bags ( messenger bag but rougher) you threaded the two straps through buckles .
Everyone pinned or sewed badges on. And you had to carry your A4 folders.
Poltics was big for teens .
CND
Nuclear Power No Thanks
ALF (Animal Liberation Front)

Vegetarians were weird ( yes I was one at 14 and still am) It was Health Food Shops only . Mixes you made up with oil and boiling water .
Soaking and boiling Red Kidney Beans (or they could kill you) .

We weren't vegetarian but when we moved into our first house and had no fridge for a few days we lived on Beanfeast, which was a packet mix. It wasn't great but was edible and cheap.

My brother told my parents in the early 80s that he was a vegetarian. They were nonplussed. My mum coped by just not giving him any meat, but she didn't give him any protein alternative. I assume he must have eaten a lot of cheese (I wasn't at home by this stage). We went out for a meal once which was booked in advance. My Dad hadn't thought to mention that there would be a vegetarian in the party and there was nothing suitable on the menu (main courses, anyway). Something was cobbled together in the kitchen, probably an omelette. In London where I was living it wasn't anything like as big an issue as there were so many restaurants from all sorts of cuisines. We used to enjoy going to Cranks near Charing Cross.

Artex ceilings
Fray Bentos pies
Everyone a bit scared of eggs because of Salmonella
Pizza Express was posh

Fitted kitchens were new - most people had all the appliances separate.

You could take LPs out from the library. I think there may have been a nominal 10p charge. Then your took them home and taped them on your weirdstacking stereo thing which took up half your bedroom.
Mix tapes!
Sending your boyfriend letters when you went to university. And personalised mixed tapes. Hmmmm I wonder if my BF ever kept the ones I sent him... ?

Gosh yes - teachers having relationships with students. Always a male teacher and female student of course. And PE teachers were the worst. Shudder.

French bread pizzas
Coke floats

Oh yes, teachers having relationships with pupils! Especially PE teachers.

Ellmau fitted kitchens were not new, but perhaps appliance housings/integrated appliances were.

I was thinking every other house had the brown sofa with a few beige stripes but think this was from the 70’s just hadn’t been replaced or caught up with fashions (I’ve always lived in London certainly many of my friend had this sofa we didn’t but had brown swirly patterned carpet) I guess a class thing too.

Live Aid was fantastic we had a street party most homes had their tv in their front garden. Queen were absolutely amazing and we were all so excited to see Madonna

teachers having relationships with students. Always a male teacher and female student of course - yes remember this well two teachers suddenly left but this was months later and we all knew

My friends family had an extension built with an amazing fitted kitchen so many cupboards and a pull out ironing board it was dark wood a country look I was very impressed

Sun In and leg warmers. Home decor I agree Habitat. Pebble dash more 70s I think. Remember getting a white metal table from Habitat, the top which dropped onto the frame had loads of holes punched into it. It was on casters. Tape to tape Mimi stereos were popular. We used to have sheet and blankets, got first duvet sometime in the 80s! Ra Ra skirts, wanted one but wasn't allowed, because they were 'high fashion" ie they went out of fash very quickly!

Celery & cream cheese sandwiches from M&S 😋

Wine bars 😅

Oh yes, teachers having relationships with pupils! Especially PE teachers.

That was the 70s in my comp 😬

Most showers were pretty rubbish, it was impossible to get a consistent temperature, one minute scalding the next freezing.

Lots of families only had one TV.

Buying condoms in the chemist in Your hometown and having to really steel yourself! My children (as teens) didn't even blink at doing this!

Haven't RTFT but I remember from a working-class home the all-in-one stereo) bought on 20 or 32 weeks payment plan from Grattan or Great Universal catalogue) with smoked perspex lid in the sitting room.

Lots of paper in general, everyone bought a daily newspaper and most bought the TV Times and Radio Times. Lots of weekly and monthly magazines in a magazine rack.

I don't think you could buy pregnancy tests in the chemist's (pretty sure supermarkets wouldn't have had them, they had a lot less stock then that crossed over with other retail specialties). I had a test at a family planning clinic or similar in the mid 80s and I remember it was explained to me that it wasn't 100% reliable. That had changed by the time I was actively ttc in the early 90s.

Just remembered that my husband's parents had fluorescent strip lighting in the kitchen and living room. They did have one or two table or standard lamps in the living room too but they often did switch on that fluorescent light. It would flicker on and off at first and then settle into a blinding white light which was really not at all pleasant and obviously the opposite of cosy. The strip itself had a yellow-brown tinge from all the nicotine from my mil's chain smoking.

Stripey tights and argyle socks, both in bright colours from The Sock Shop

Early 80s, Sloane inspired fashioned from Lady Di - pie crust collars, a short string of pearls, round neck cashmere jumpers, quilted husky jackets, flat shoes...

Sunday's were very boring ,nothing open ,I remember Sunday evening Tv being quite good though, was alot.of families only had one TV people sat down to.watch TV together ,I was watching probably slightly inappropriate stuff from a young age ,i. can't imagine watching say Tenko ,with my son when he was 8/9

Adjustable floresent coloured bracelets that looked like shoe laces.

Soda Stream
Pink and grey bedrooms for teen girls
Country diary of an Edwardian lady bedrooms for Mums
Avon bubble bath
Roller boots
Cerise pink and electric blue
Batwing jumpers
Ski pants
Plastic jewellery
Scented rubbers
Fluffy pencil cases