I loved my childhood in the 80's.
The summers seemed warmer (and longer). A typical day would consist of paper round in the morning. Id meet up with a couple of mates to go to town on the bus for 2p return. I'd buy a set of 'mushroom' grips or trick nuts with my weekly paper round money from the cycle superstore, a backstreet BMX shop we thought was the be all and end all of shops. We'd grab some popping candy for the way home and a maybe a Wham bar. The remainder of the day would be spent digging up waste ground to build our own BMX track or tweaking and polishing our bikes. We would stop out till late without our parents being overly concerned, only to return home when the street lights came on - unless of course you were in screaming distance for Mom to call you in for 'tea' (northerner and proud!).
It snowed most winters, usually enough to make a decent snowman in the garden with enough left over to make a couple of barracades to have a snowball fight. We could throw snowballs at school too as long as we weren't too close to the school buildings. After school it was in-front of the box watching he-man or M.A.S.K then being called into the kitchen to eat home made chips, fried egg and beans followed by a round of battenburg cake if we were very lucky. Then it was time to fire up the C64, the best computer ever made. I had scrimped and saved my paper round money for a floppy drive and was the envy of my mates as I only had to wait 3 or 4 minutes for a game to loads, not the usual 10-15 minutes. The disks were huge (5.25" iirc), I did however miss the Ocean loading tune but would never admit it!
I knew it was time for bed when I heard the Dallas them tune for the second time. I'd wind my Star Wars clock up and set the alarm for 6 a.m ready to perve over Sam Fox or Linda Lusardi of Page 3 fame while delivering the first paper in colour 'Today' which sadly did not have topless women inside.
While kids these days may have better toys, better technology and better TV. I seriously doubt that they had a better time than we did. There is a lot to be said for freedom.
Special days indeed.
The summers seemed warmer (and longer). A typical day would consist of paper round in the morning. Id meet up with a couple of mates to go to town on the bus for 2p return. I'd buy a set of 'mushroom' grips or trick nuts with my weekly paper round money from the cycle superstore, a backstreet BMX shop we thought was the be all and end all of shops. We'd grab some popping candy for the way home and a maybe a Wham bar. The remainder of the day would be spent digging up waste ground to build our own BMX track or tweaking and polishing our bikes. We would stop out till late without our parents being overly concerned, only to return home when the street lights came on - unless of course you were in screaming distance for Mom to call you in for 'tea' (northerner and proud!).
It snowed most winters, usually enough to make a decent snowman in the garden with enough left over to make a couple of barracades to have a snowball fight. We could throw snowballs at school too as long as we weren't too close to the school buildings. After school it was in-front of the box watching he-man or M.A.S.K then being called into the kitchen to eat home made chips, fried egg and beans followed by a round of battenburg cake if we were very lucky. Then it was time to fire up the C64, the best computer ever made. I had scrimped and saved my paper round money for a floppy drive and was the envy of my mates as I only had to wait 3 or 4 minutes for a game to loads, not the usual 10-15 minutes. The disks were huge (5.25" iirc), I did however miss the Ocean loading tune but would never admit it!
I knew it was time for bed when I heard the Dallas them tune for the second time. I'd wind my Star Wars clock up and set the alarm for 6 a.m ready to perve over Sam Fox or Linda Lusardi of Page 3 fame while delivering the first paper in colour 'Today' which sadly did not have topless women inside.
While kids these days may have better toys, better technology and better TV. I seriously doubt that they had a better time than we did. There is a lot to be said for freedom.
Special days indeed.
