The good ole days !!!

Just in case you were feeling young today... The people who are starting University this autumn across the nation were born in 1981. They have no meaningful recollection of the Thatcher era. They were prepubescent when the Gulf War started.

Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression. Their world has always included AIDS. Atari's and Space Invaders predate them, as do vinyl albums and audio tapes. The Compact Disc was released when they were one years old.

Even worse............From their earliest years, a camera was something you used once and threw away. As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 26 pence. Few, if any, have lived without an answering machine. Few have used a TV set without a remote control and they don't know they come in black and white. They were born the year that Sony brought out the Walkman. The expression "you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them.

You're probably aged 24 to 34 if.........You wore a Kagoule, especially those windbreakers that folded up into a pouch you could wear around your waist. You remember Le Freak by Chic and Bad Manners' Can-Can. At school, you and all your friends discussed elaborate plans to get together again at the end of the century and play "1999" by Prince over and over again.

You remember dressing to emulate a person you saw in a Duran Duran, Madonna or Bruce Springsteen video. You're starting to believe (now that it wouldn't affect YOU) that maybe having the kids go to school all year-round wouldn't be such a bad idea after all (and neither would wearing school uniforms).

There was nothing strange about Bert n' Ernie living together. You learned to swim after seeing either the advert with Rolf Harris or the one with the fairy godmother and it was about the same time Jaws came out (and you still carry the emotional scars to this day.) You even wanted to learn to play "Stairway to Heaven" on the guitar and choreographed "Dancing Queen" by yourself in your room.

The first time you ever kissed someone was at a dance during "Crazy for You" by Madonna.

You know who shot J.R. but have probably forgotten. You remember which policeman you liked best in "Chips". Mark from Eastenders will always be Tucker from Grange Hill. You remember when Terry Wogan was on TV.....everyday.

You could sing "99 Red Balloons" in English and in German. Your jaw would ache by the time you finished those" brick-sized" packages of Bazooka gum.

You reckon Wagonwheels/Mars Bars/Ginger Nuts used to be bigger. You remember a 'Man's got to chew, what a Man's got to chew'. You remember when there was no breakfast TV and when TV shut down at midnight, and when there was nothing on TV in the middle of the day except for that test card girl with the stupid clown and a blackboard. You remember Farleys rusks tasting nice, but when you had one about 5 years ago they were bloody awful!! One word.....SPANGLES!!!

You are a true child of the 80s if ....you remember Now compilations that had the pig on the front cover. You never questioned why the A-Team was always imprisoned in places that had sufficient tools to build an armoured tank.

Dungeons & Dragons was the greatest game ever. You've never said "bright light, bright light" in a strange high-pitched voice.

You know the theme tune and the names of all the actors and characters in Dallas & Dynasty.

You ever wished your air/clothes/lifestyle resembled the above or they actually did!).

You fell out with friends during heated arguments about the relative merits of Matt & Luke.

You owned, or wanted a "Frankie says..." T-shirt.

You have even danced (or even worse cried) to Kylie & Jason.

Cerise pink, electric blue and banana yellow have ever featured in your wardrobe or make-up collection. You even did the top toggle of your coat up around your neck without having your arms in the sleeves, and knew you looked like a super-hero. You remember when the Aha video was the pinnacle of modern technology, and you can still sing all the words.

Parachuting Action man was your favourite toy. Your best party dress was either a ra-ra or puff-ball skirt. You owned a thin, black leather tie (and were proud of it), or worse it was patterned like a piano!

You wondered why a popular kids TV programme told you to "Turn off your TV set and go and do something less boring instead". You wanted to be either Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. You have po-goed or space-hopped.

You remember when Keith Chegwin & Maggie Philbin were the hottest romantic couple.... And when Keith was associated with Cheggers Plays Pop rather than Cheggers drinks alcopops.

You wondered why your walkie-talkie didn't have the same range as those in the Red Hand Gang. You were shocked by the controversial plot lines in Degrassi Junior High. You remember watching a house inhabited by a jester, a pantomime horse, and a woman who sneezed, and thinking that this was perfectly normal.

You know who Joey Deacon was. You thought ABBA were cool, the first time round! You tried to convince your Dad to fit a strip of red lights on the front of his Capri so it looked like KITT.

"Ca-vey Wa-vey!" means anything to you. Remington makes you think of something other than shaving equipment.

You wouldn't say no to a milkshake.

You've never had more than 10 sweets in a 10p mix-up. Not only did you wear luminous clothing, but they were mismatched finger-less gloves and towelling socks.

When Yoda said "There is another Skywalker" you wished he was talking about you. Wearing your hair like buns on the sides of your head seemed like a good fashion statement. You remember when Betamax was at the cutting edge of technology. You hid behind the sofa whenever you heard the word terminate.

Vimto or Dandelion & Burdock ever featured in your diet.

You were really pleased when Pacman got a girlfriend. You grew up believing that filing cabinets and telephone boxes possessed magical powers of transformation. After ET, you wanted a Speak & Spell even though you were top of your class. Your new winter coat was best used to demonstrate that your wings were like a shield of steel. You remember when PC had one meaning, rather than three.

(Girls) You owned a pair of Pixie Boots, generally worn with leg warmers!

(Boys) You owned a pair of pale grey slip-ons, generally worn with white towelling socks and shiny grey flecked suits!

You grew up in Trumpton, Chigley or Camberwick Green. You've rolled the sleeves of your suit jacket up Ooh, you could crush a Grape! You've even held a chicken in the air, or stuck a deckchair up your nose. You went to school with Pogo Patterson, Gripper Stebson, and Ro-land. Long scarves, K9, and a time-travelling police box ring any bells.

Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy have featured on your Saturday afternoon.

You wore legwarmers, tried to do the splits while jumping in the air, while singing you were going to live forever. You were proud of your picture appearing in the Gallery, just before watching a lump of plastecine who couldn't speak English.

You fantasised about those girls from that Robert Palmer Video.

You know all the words to Hey Mickey (well nobody knows past the first verse anyway).

You remember "Look In" magazine, and when it was only 20p. You wondered why you and your mates never encountered diamond thieves whilst out on your BMXs. You can remember what Quatro tasted like. Your best mate had a soda stream at home and you were jealous.

The Yuppie next door caught you nicking the VW badge off his Golf Gti. You remember mobile phones that had briefcase size battery packs attached.

This is the killer : You cringed every time your parents reminisced about the popular culture of their youth.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Answers

Bah. Nostalgia. It's not what it used to be.

Well, I had to get it in before that old crock ITK did.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

It was put to me last week on holiday by wor lass that she found "The older one gets, the nicer people one finds", all the time in the world to stop, have a news, that type of thing, I agreed cos it is true, but still its good to keep ones mind young and this forum is a bonus in that respect, especially when young Dingle posts a 80`s nostalgia thread,and auld Les Battersby in all probability beats the Nick Nolte look-a-like to the reply, nearest I can get ITK!!!!. With nostalgia being the theme,I would in all seriousness like to take this opportun- ity to look behind us, mornin Sting, sorry bad Gav joke. On the changeover from HMS Communicata to MV Greenpeace how many crew jumped ship or did not sign on for a further tour, who are still out there AWOL , or waiting there chance to climb aboard when we sail in the new season. We have gained a few new crew but now and then I sit on the bollards and think of the ones we left behind. You never know, they could be keeping a weather eye on us, so if you are still out there, send a message in the bottle, so we know you are all okay, To start it off -: Come in Stevo, your time is up Floridean,sounds like the board did a no on u George Best- must be recovered by now The Lasses Dunston girl and Deb Plenty more - come aboard - and sail with Capt Bob *Robson not Maxwell Coxswain, steer Nor by Nor East, to Geordieland

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

You remember mobile phones that had briefcase size battery packs attached.

Heh. Up until a week ago, I didn't know battery pack/chargers came any smaller. Thought they'd forgotten to give me a crucial bit when I was handed a cell phone and an ac adapter the first day of my recent little temp job. ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

Nice one Buff!!

It would be nice if we found those missing in action, maybe they're already on board under different names?!?!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Blimey Gav, I feel as though I have one foot in the grave, after reading your posting! You`re talking about midlife memories for me! (:o)

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

I actually found it all really scary.....I guess I really am getting old :((

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Gav

You are clearly of the same vintage as me. Read 'Human Punk' by John King for more nostalgia re music and life late 70s onwards...fab book.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Beardo,

Thanks for the tip on the book but I might actually give it a miss.....I'm not kidding, this really did scare me!!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

And United weren't very good.....then :-)

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Ahhh how great it is to be young , i hope my exuberance makes that older generation feel young again ; - )) Gav i know you knock about with me to make yourself look younger an feel more attractive , i use the experience factor equally too .. im just learning see . Screach , ITK and Jonno taught me a thing or two on Saturday too ..... christ the nostalgia was flowing , i had a tear in me eye as i envisaged the swarming masses banked on the popular side with rattles in hand ; - )

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

LR,

United have never been any good....we should know, we've followed them long enough!!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000