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Home <> Lifestory Library <> Explore By Location <> <> <> The Crazes Of The 80’s




  Contributor: Claire WattsView/Add comments



The following are memories recalled by Claire Watts, as recorded by Hanover Housing Association in their book 'Tale of the Century' published in 1999.

In 1984, I was 9 years old, but I would tell everybody that I was nearly 10. Belinda Howard was my 'very best friend in the whole world' at the time and we used to try everything in order to keep up with all the latest trends.

In 1984 there was a very distinct look. My favourite pieces of clothing were my ra-ra skirt and Frankie Goes to Hollywood T-shirt. Belinda used to love wearing bunches in her hair and her multi-coloured leg warmers.
For both myself and Belinda, snoods - (a cross between a scarf and a hood) - and fake-fur ear muffs were the essential winter items!!

Our clothes were not the only things that were very different, the ways in which we spent both our free time and pocket money also reflected the fact that we were children of the 80s.

Playground games were still fairly traditional, favourites being hopscotch, skipping and handstand competitions. In the 80's marbles were still as popular as ever, and by the age of 10, the size and colours of our marble collections had assumed immense importance.

However, at home, we were participating in more hi-tech pastimes. I was lucky enough to own a ZX Spectrum computer, one of the first household computers to become available on the mass market. Belinda would be reluctant to go home when her mum picked her up from my house, because she was enjoying playing Space Invaders so much!

Nevertheless our favourite game of the era was the Rubik's cube, a three dimensional puzzle game providing us with endless hours of fun.

Our favourite television programmes were The Adventure Game, Dynasty and Knight Rider. We also used to write in to 'Jim'll Fix It' every week to see if he could fix it for us to meet the pop sensation, Wham! Needless to say he never did.

To further add to our disappointment, our art masterpieces never made the Gallery on another popular programme - Tony Hart's art show. Oh, what it was to be a child in the 1980's!
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