what was a massive deal when you were growing up that isn't now?

[learthebear]

or you thought was

My ROA folder

Global hypercolour T-shirts to highlight your sweaty patches.

Global freezing (yes really).

Sorry, I thought it might've been one of those so uncool it's cool things - like the Greggs merch at Primark. In fact, didn't Lidl have merchandise recently? I think they did...

Eventually I got one of those drawstring Nike jobs - the actual material ones, not a shopping bag. Could breathe a sigh of relief as I'd finally made it. Even though it barely fit my kit in it.

I found secondary extremely stressful particularly with a mother who hated buying me clothes and thought one of everything was enough.

Brands don't seem to be such a thing for our current teens. Not at their school anyway. You'd genuinely get ripped at mine if you had offbeand PE trainers. I found it all so stressful.

I was mesmerised when I got mine. Must've been about 6 or 7. Had nowhere to wear it, so just sat in front of the radiator with it. I'd buy one now.

Shell suits! My sister was desperate for a shell suit and eventually had a lilac and turquoise number. Horrendous thing.

Back in the Dark Ages, phoning anyone abroad. Only in the most exceptional circumstances.
But phoning anyone in the next road was a bit of a Thing, too - ‘It costs money, you know! Just walk round and speak to her!’

I had the odd friend whose parents made them pay for any call - 3d (threepence) IIRC.

Oh yes, the phone bill arriving and my dad going through it line by line and demanding to know who called certain numbers.

Body Shop Dewberry or White Musk

Rabies and Colorado beetle. I know the last one random, but as a child in the 70s I remember posters on the bus imploring us to be on the lookout.

Sitting next to a friend at a party 😂

@RipleyAndThePebble we had posters at primary school warning us about the Colorado beetle. I am not sure what we were supposed to do - inform the authorities if we saw one I think.

Irish terrorism

The Cold War and imminent threat of nuclear war.

Nuclear war

The Tube (the programme, not the London Underground)

AIDS

The Top 40

Frankie Says t-shirts

Rabies

The national record of achievement

1471

Elm trees. 😭

Communism
My hairspray catching fire ( genuine risk)
Litter ( it was epidemic, it went away, now it’s back)

It was a drawstring Gap bag in my day. Or was it still The Gap back then...?

Oooh I shall have a look!

Quicksand was in every Tarzan film, I remember my mum telling me that the more you wriggled the quicker you would sink and die.

I also remember a grainy black and white photo of spontaneous combustion in the science biology book. It was a elderly woman sitting in a chair and the implication was that she had just exploded. Again discussing it with my mum, she said it was probably too many different types of nylon friction.

End Of The World Day and kiwi fruit. Also I believed it was 50:50 we would all perish in a nuclear winter, so I'm pleased that didn't happen.

Those heat colour changing t-shirts so everyone could see when you were sweaty!

Oh, loads of these. Also:

All the utilities going private and people being encouraged to buy shares.
Breakfast TV starting. Channel 4 starting.
The broadcast ban - Gerry Adams's voice being dubbed. (Funny they never did the same to Ian Paisley)
All the hostages in Beirut
Football hooliganism

On a lighter note, those jelly bags and jelly shoes (I wanted some soooooo badly)
Yes to the brand obsessions! Having the 'right' rucksack/PE bag for school - it was Head in my day. My teens dgaf. And the rage for Benetton jumpers (and the 'shocking' adverts).

This! I remember a family friends daughter got pregnant out of marriage (wedding was planned for a couple of months time anyway) and her Mother was so ashamed that she didn't let her announce it. At the wedding she clearly had a bump but nobody was allowed to acknowledge it until after the wedding. Crazy to think of now and I am not sure I would forgive my Mother for it, this was around 30 years ago.