Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Mumsnet classics

Relive the funniest, most unforgettable threads. For a daily dose of Mumsnet’s best bits, sign up for Mumsnet's daily newsletter.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

I’m building a time machine, to go back to the 80’s.

433 replies

Twoweekcruise · 02/02/2018 14:03

Just for the weekend.
They’ve just played ‘Together in electrics dreams’ on the radio and it’s left me aching for my youth.
So, for just this weekend only, I don’t want to be almost 45, I don’t want to keep hearing my kids squabbling with each other, I don’t want any responsibilities or to worry about the state of the world.
No, what I want is to go to the school disco tonight, I want to spend hours perfecting my gaudy sparkly make up, I want to wear my new ra-ra skirt or my batwinged jumpsuit, I want to hot brush my hair into an 80’s flick (with the help of a whole can of ozone-unfriendly hairspray!) and I want to smear my lips with that spearmint flavoured lip gloss from that little glass bottle with the roller ball and dance the (earl Your) evening away to Wham!, Whitney Houston, Duran Duran, Madonna and the like.
When I get up on Saturday morning (about 10am, I want to watch kids morning tv, for breakfast, I want my dad to cook his famous French toast (eggy bread really but French toast sounded posh), I want to go into town with my mates and buy the No.1 single from Our Price, I want to go to Top Shop and look at the posters in Athena and have a knickerbocker glory at The Wimpy. I want to spend the afternoon watching Knight Rider, Chips, The Fall Guy, Murder She Wrote, Hart to Hart and The Golden Girls.
On Sunday, I want to help dad wash the car in the morning (never did that in real life but my nostalgic brain tells me I did!), I want to eat my mum’s lovely Sunday roast and not worry how many calories, saturated fats, gluten or other nasties are in it. I want to see my much loved and missed grand parents and hug our lovely beloved family dog.
But most of all, I want to tape the Top 40, being careful not to get Bruno Brooke’s voice in at the end of each song ( that took great skill and judgement!)
So, does anyone fancy joining me for a trip back to the 80’s this weekend?
Refreshments on the journey will include, Panda cola, Clearly Canadian, Lilt and Quatro to drink and Spangles, Marathon bars (NOT snickers!), fruit salads and black jacks and 54321 bars ( E numbers included, yum!) to snack on.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
dustarr73 · 02/02/2018 21:05

How could we forget BTTF and the original time machine.The Delorean and Marty McFly saving the day and inventing Rock n Roll.

Paleshelter · 02/02/2018 21:06

Folks the Sky Arts channel has a programme on just now called The Eighties Grin

BrandNewHouse · 02/02/2018 21:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 02/02/2018 21:09

I used to bite out the roller ball and drink the lip gloss too!!

OP posts:
ARichVernacular · 02/02/2018 21:09

I grew up in an 80s radfem household, so when I will get home from the disco there will be a coterie of buzz-cutted lesbians in my living room, furiously smoking rollies and drinking red wine and talking about how all men are bastards. We'll listen to the Belle Stars and they'll tell me I can be anything I want to be. I will flick through my mum's Spare Rib pretending to understand it and feeling very grown up and important. I will eventually fall into bed to the strains of twenty drunk women singing along to Lucie Blue Tremblay.

epicclusterfuck · 02/02/2018 21:10

I used to work with someone who was in the Belle Stars!

ARichVernacular · 02/02/2018 21:12

epicclusterfuck OMG Shock I loved them.

epicclusterfuck · 02/02/2018 21:14

I think she was the drummer but that was quite a while back, early 2000s maybe and quite a while after the band were popular

LooksLikeImStuckHere · 02/02/2018 21:16

Could I come please? I’ve got to get to my school on Saturday morning for the ice rink party (using those weird plastic jigsaw pieces rather than actual ice). I really hope I haven’t missed the time machine...

Better get my mum to wash my white Chelsea Girl skirt and cami top.

ChasedByBees · 02/02/2018 21:17

This has made me sad and nostalgic. A time when I wasn’t frazzled, impatient and tired.

judgejudyandexecutioner · 02/02/2018 21:17

Remember these?

GallicosCats · 02/02/2018 21:18

I want a 1980’s Christmas when the living room was decorated EVERYWHERE, even had tinsel and shimmery crap draped from the ceiling, those paper things that opened up concertina style and a lovely plastic Christmas tree covered in lametta and fairy lights that shorted out all the time.

You should come round ours this December. This sounds like our Christmas every year, except the lights work a bit better. GrinBlush Tasteful, no?

judgejudyandexecutioner · 02/02/2018 21:18

Will try again

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 02/02/2018 21:27

God knows how many E numbers were in those drinks?!

I’m building a time machine, to go back to the 80’s.
OP posts:
epicclusterfuck · 02/02/2018 21:30

Loved these too... like the 'fully sweetened' on the label!

I’m building a time machine, to go back to the 80’s.
epicclusterfuck · 02/02/2018 21:34

And who had one of these?

I’m building a time machine, to go back to the 80’s.
redastherose · 02/02/2018 21:35

I want to join you I'm 47 is the 80's were my teenage years 😊 I've got a spiral perm, wasn't a good look but I thought I was 😁, skin tight jeans from the army and navy stores with no give in them (instant corset anyone) and a crop top showing my completely flat stomach! I'm also wearing my electric blue eyeliner and mascara and listening to Madonna and wishing I was as cool as she was. If anyone needs a lift home after the 18th Birthday party we're going to my Dad's a good sport and will cram 9 people into out VW Estate (it is tangerine orange) 2 people have to sit in the boot, 5 in the back seat (smallest on knees of bigger one) and 2 in the front passenger seat. You have to duck if we go past a police car though

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 02/02/2018 21:36

I’m bringing a truck load of these as well.
Loved my Walkman, would listen to my taped top 40 on it.

I’m building a time machine, to go back to the 80’s.
OP posts:
AndromedaPerseus · 02/02/2018 21:38

can I bring along 1/2 bottle of Martini (nicked from parents cabinet) and we can drink it mixed with lemonade while we get ready for the disco

hugoagogo · 02/02/2018 21:39

You can still buy those icecups in our local corner shop. Grin

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 02/02/2018 21:39

We went on holiday to the Isle of Wight and took two of our friends with us. That made 6 of us, so dad hired an estate car and the company put a mattress in the boot for one of us to sit on. Haha, can you imagine that today?

OP posts:
LadyRoughDiamond · 02/02/2018 21:41

You can come to youth club with me if you like. They've only got two Five Star albums and a copy of Axel F, but if someone's Mum's had a new kitchen floor, there might be some lino to breakdance on. I'll be hanging out by the swings in my new batwing jumper from Chelsea Girl.

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 02/02/2018 21:42

If anyone could bring some Cinzano that’ll be great.

OP posts:
Openup41 · 02/02/2018 21:42

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at poster's request.

epicclusterfuck · 02/02/2018 21:43

I had a fake cheap Walkman! It was still great, used to fall asleep listening to music, usually Dire Straits or Bryan Adams.

The 80s went on for ages for me, at the start I was still in high school then I was a student then graduated and got my first job in a different city, lived in a few flatshares, met now DH and bought a house by end of the 80s!