Comedy80s TV showsWham!Childhood Memories

30 Great Things About Growing Up In 1980s Britain (PICTURES, VIDEO)

30 Great Things About Growing Up In 1980s Britain
Andrea Mann
|
Open Image Modal
Wham!
Getty

In May, we brought you 30 Great Things About Growing Up In 1970s Britain. So we thought it only right that we move it along a decade, and indulge ourselves in some Eighties nostalgia. (Can you tell what we're going to do in July?)

From pop music to movies, TV shows to games, we've rounded up some of our favourite childhood memories from that time. It was, as you can imagine, hard to narrow it down to just 30 things that rocked our little worlds - so click through our slideshow, and be sure to tell us in the comments below: what would you add our list?

30 Great Things About Growing Up In The '80s
Smash Hits(01 of12)
Open Image Modal
Black Type. The readers' polls. "Thumbs aloft" Macca. Yes, Smash Hits' heyday was the '80s - and there was no finer, funnier read for a pop-loving British kid. (credit:eBay)
Digital watches(02 of12)
Open Image Modal
Which were usually made by Casio, and which sometimes doubled as calculators. Oh, yes. (credit:Getty Images)
Sun-In(03 of12)
Open Image Modal
The best thing to happen to '80s hair along with the perm, Sun-In turned your barnet blonde (or more likely, orange) in an instant.
Arcade/computer games(04 of12)
Open Image Modal
Pac-Man, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Pole Position... If you weren't playing them at home, you were playing them down the arcade. Pocket money was never spent so quickly. (credit:Getty Images)
PEZ sweet dispensers(05 of12)
Open Image Modal
Dispensing little tiny fizzy sweets was never so much fun! (credit:Getty Images)
Slush Puppies(06 of12)
Open Image Modal
The best way to get brain freeze as a child in the '80s.
The Sony Walkman(07 of12)
Open Image Modal
Which enabled us to listen to Duran Duran everywhere. Hoorah! (credit:Getty Images)
Five Star(08 of12)
Open Image Modal
"Britain's answer to The Jackson Five" weren't really that. But they were fine purveyors of kid-friendly bubblegum pop and shoulder pads.
BMX bikes(09 of12)
Open Image Modal
What the Chopper was to the '70s, so the BMX was to the '80s. Especially after we all saw 'E.T.' (credit:Getty Images)
Trivial Pursuit(10 of12)
Open Image Modal
At last! British families had another board game to play apart from Monopoly. And it really sorted out the smart people from the, erm, people who regularly got stuck on blue Geography questions, ie everyone. (credit:Getty Images)
The Royal Wedding/Princess Diana(11 of12)
Open Image Modal
British girls now had a pretty princess to coo over, British boys now had a member of the royal family they could actually fancy, and British kids everywhere got a day off school. Hoorah! (credit:AP)
The Rubik's Cube(12 of12)
Open Image Modal
There was only one question on kids' lips in the '80s. And that was: "Can you do it?" (credit:PA)

SEE ALSO: 30 Great Things About Growing Up In 1990s Britain

Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip