Weird shit from an 80s childhood

[CandidFruit]

Reading through the retro sweets thread reminded me of some other random stuff from growing up in the early 80s.

Who else remembers the garbage pail kids? (I mean, Cabbage patch kids was bad enough!)
Now that is some seriously weird shit!

Mind you, I bet anything if you have the full set, you’ll probably be able to pay off your mortgage 😂

We had something similar where we sang 'In and out the dusty bluebells' and 'pitter patter pitter patter on my shoulders' for the tapping bit. It was then 'you shall be my parter' and I think you ended up with a growing chain of partners and a diminishing circle.

I remember something similar, but we sang "in and out the dusty windows"... and I don't remember more than that.

Can anyone recall a game where one person lay on the floor whilst others knelt around them putting their first finger of each hand under them and chanting,
"She feels light". Over and over then lifting them effortlessly. Was like levitation, very odd

Light as a feather, stiff as a board.

This is a scene from the film 'The Craft'.

That's it 👏👏

Does anyone remember "How?" The closing line was How for now! All science stuff ...I loved it

In and out the dusty windows (x3) you shall be my partner. Pitter patter pitter patter on my shoulder (x3) you shall be my master.

I remember "How". "How do you detune an orchestra?" "How do you make edible stained glass windows?" "How strong is a zipper?" (Can two cars pull it apart?)

I remember that game too, of being "levitated" with just one finger: really weird.

A similar game I remember was being sat in a chair, and two adults would lift the chair, telling me I was flying, and describing the tiny scenery below: and because I was blindfolded, it really felt like flying! It could be made even more convincing if they told me to put my hand on the shoulder of another person, who then ducked. Another odd game was Nelson's Eye: each guest was blindfolded, and made to feel Nelson's hat and coat, hear Nelson speak, and finally made to poke a finger in Nelson's eye (the centre of a cucumber, or an egg cup of jelly). Ugh!

In fact, lots of 80s science books were full of weird experiments to do with the senses, usually involving blindfolding. We did some of them at school. Here are some I remember:
Touching somebody with one or two pencils, to show which parts of the body had most nerve endings.
Holding your nose while eating apple and raw potato, and not being able to tell the difference.
Pointing in the direction of sounds; and then trying to do the same with one ear covered.
Put one hand in cold water, and the other in hot water; then both hands together in warm water, to show how unreliable it is to judge temperature by touch.

I don’t remember the levitation game but I do recall the other one, but we sang
”tippety tappety on my shoulder (x3) who shall be my partner” instead of “pitter patter” - wonder if there are regional variations?

That science show was great, my sister and I loved it, thanks for the memories 🙂

Question - why was streaking, especially during sports matches, so prevalent in the 80s?!
Think Erika Roe was the most celebrated, go Erika…

https://www.facebook.com/ThisDayInRuggers/videos/2-january-1982erika-roe-made-twickenham-stadiums-most-famous-streak-while-bill-b/386488329899899/

I got Erika Roe's autograph... ((I had only the faintest idea who she was.)

I had totally forgot that game but the ryhme "in and out the dusty bluebells" brought back memories

Does anyone recall this poster

BBC Schools programmes, especially with the dots going round in a circle, which disappeared one by one. One such programme was "Music Time", with two presenters who looked and sounded like strict teachers; and most creepy of all, the cartoon gnome with a hand behind its ear which popped up when one of them said "Listen".

Music Time was very school-like!
Looking back, Wordy from Look and Read was also a bit creepy.

@justasking111 I do! And the one with the guy holding a baby. Athena - the poster people, I think. I also recall those horrible pink/grey 'sad clown' decorations - Pierrot, I think they were called. Why - just why?!

Although, at one point, I thought the "Eternal Beau" kitchenware range from Argos was the very pinnacle of sophistication...

I can also remember watching Why Don't You? in the school holidays and finding it a bit boring - apart from The Red Hand Gang and Boomer the dog.

Oh yes eternal beau was that the hexagonal plates one? I had big plans to have that in my 1st home...never did!

My mother had that Portmeirion Botanic Garden dinner service which was popular

My Mam still has a full set of eternal beau including all the serving dishes, salt and pepper shakers, cutlery and serving spoons, comes out for all special occasions😂.

All of the above. Such happy memories. Here's my additions -

Watching 'How we used to live' in school and the tv being wheeled into the hall on a special trolley.
The Sullivans at lunchtime when I went to my Grans.

Books - Going to the library in the Summer holidays and borrowing armfuls of books (which I read) every week.
Nurse Barton and the Jupiter Jones series

Sweets - Spanish Gold. Sugar covered coconut made to look like Pirate loose tobacco?!?
10p mixtures
The smell of the tuckshop

Bouncing a ball whilst hopping on a chalk drawn grid with numbers in it. Forgotten the name

Shouting on my brother from the front door when it was tea time (very loudly).

Long Summer holidays climbing very tall trees and playing 'sodies' soldiers in the woods and making gang huts.

Oops more memories than weird shit.

Bouncing a ball whilst hopping on a chalk drawn grid with numbers in it. Forgotten the name

Hopscotch?

Though we just threw a stone into the next number you were going for, and picked it up on the way back down.

REP22 · Yesterday 14:28

Although, at one point, I thought the "Eternal Beau" kitchenware range from Argos was the very pinnacle of sophistication...

I recognise it, but didn't realise it had a name.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295561318230

And Capodimonte:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/bn_7023446218