It's 1986!!

[NorthernLiner]

TOTALLY inspired by Dame Jilly Cooper's 'Rivals' finally gracing our screens today😄

So what were you up to in 1986?

I was 6, being brought up to an emotionless soldier in Communist Czechoslovakia.
They didn't succeed 😁

I had just got married and was working two jobs saving like crazy to buy our first house. I was taking college classes twice a week too.

I was in Sixth Form or Lower Sixth as it was then. Had a Saturday job in my favourite shop and was going out with a boy in Upper Sixth I was nuts about.
I had huge hair, loved Studio Line Mousse, and thought Body Shop skincare was the dream.
Shopped in Top Shop, Miss Selfridge and Warehouse.
Style icon was Sade.
Filled out my UCCA form with UMIST at the top and crossed my fingers.
Absolutely loved every bloody minute of it!

I was working in my first job in a high street bank. I used to come home, get changed, and then play out in the street with other kids, which seems ridiculous! Saturday's were spent shopping in town, then watching Blind Date with my Nan who came over EOW. Then getting ready for a night out, listening to Alexander O'Neill or Rick Astley on my cassette player, getting the bus into town, meeting friends and doing a pub crawl - ID was never asked for. Sunday's might be spent talking to strangers on my CB radio, and taping the top ten on my cassette player. Fave tipple was babycham or similar. The summers were long and hot. My parents were 45 & 40, and party animals, which seems so sad, given that one is now dead, and the other is incredibly infirm.

I was 11. My first year at secondary school. Life was pretty good but I was happier at primary school.

I can remember getting in from my Saturday job and I’d have Blind Date on while I got ready to go out.
And Criticize remains my fave 80’s song to dance to. Lots of great ones but that was genius.

I LOVE that song!!

I am fascinated with that era and the whole Iron Curtain, fall of the Berlin Wall and then the changes in Russia. Never spoken to anyone who lived under it though!

2nd year at High School. Mr Dobson’s tutor group - he was touched we all clubbed together to but his new baby a gift!

F me.
Fascinating wouldn't be the way I'd describe it.
😕

Having a brilliant time on my foundation year at art college - friends, parties, great music (and discovering amazing music from other decades), vibrant interesting fashion, Saturdays at Hyper Hyper or Camden Lock, vintage markets packed with incredible stuff, cramming into old bangers and going to the beach, the very start of the festival scene, affordable accessible live music everywhere, being exposed to different kinds of people and new interests, getting engaged in politics … just an incredible sense of freedom and possibility and optimism, and being right on the verge of starting to live my life.

I know the 80s were shit for a lot of people - Thatcherite policies and the smashing of industries and communities, the beginning of the city boom and the creation of today’s immoral and indefensible wealth gap, endless misogyny, homophobia and sexual harassment - I don’t look back fondly on all of it.

But man, as a 19 year old it felt like a fucking great time to be alive.

Bring on the Jilly - I definitely feel ready for a nostalgic bit of super posh, horsey, arse-fondling nonsense!

2nd/3rd year at medical school and having the time of my life!

Doing 'A' levels and sad it was my last year at school. I loved the 80s!

I'm 12 and listening to Madonna's True Blue album all summer.

Probably reading Rivals. Had a fab job in the city (was 22). Did marry my now exH the following year. He was a mistake, the DC are still a joy!

I was 3 so predominantly spending my days with my Mum. Reading, puzzles, baking, maybe play group and walking/playing with our dog.

I was 9/10. I was in Miss Trims class in middle school and my best friend was Niaomi. I had an impressive my little pony collection and played the recorder. I had a bright blue bike that was too big for me, but preferred my roller skates. Life was was good.

Being a toddler 🤣

Appearing on Saturday Superstore kissing Roland Rat! 😂

@Frozensnow

it was fun!!. I am SO thankful to have grown up in the 70/80's (born 1969) it was a different (&IMO) much better world! Teenagers/young adults not having everything captured on phones/cctv. Thankfully!!

the main advantage you have though, is being much younger than me 😂😂

I was gestating in the womb. Those were the days.

Me too! Also 12 and my mum took me to London, I walked into HMV and bought True Blue, loved it.

Same

Riding my yellow BMX around the block and eating flying saucer sweets probably!

Doing my gap year from University and finally earning enough to enjoy travelling, eating out, etc. I had a great time and made some lifelong friends.
It made going back to being a poor student supporting myself on a part time job very difficult.