Listening to ‘Slade’ on Top of the Pops 2 or watching ‘Saturday Night Fever’ (for the 10th time) on a Sunday afternoon, is definitely going to stir up memories that had previously been locked away with white, stretchy boots and the hand knitted poncho – that, no doubt, made you feel a million dollars.
Yes, I’m referring to the ’70s, which the youth of today would refer to as ‘the olden days’!
There were no mobile phones, no contactless debit cards and no hair straighteners! We sat down, as a family, to watch ‘The Generation Game’, ‘Bullseye’ and ‘It’s Cliff Richard’, with his regular weekly guest, Olivia Newton John.
Dad would break open the ‘Milk Tray’, in chocolate bar form and my sisters and I would fight over the orange creme. Share these memories with your kids now and they’re likely to confuse these recollections with hardships you experienced whilst undergoing a stretch at H.M. Prison, Strangeways!
Well, let me tell you, it was a simple, uncomplicated era – but never a dull moment, as confirmed when we lift the lid on the nostalgia box. Sit back and enjoy…
Cool Crazes We Got Addicted To
If you didn’t want to be an outcast, you had to beg your parents for a pair of roller skates. Even though there was a good chance that you’d fall over and graze your knees, this was a small price to pay for the freedom of skating around the block and impressing your pals.
Roller Skates – Let the wheels do the talking
If your birthday or Christmas was approaching, now was the time to ask for the creme de la creme of bikes – a Raleigh Chopper. They weren’t made for speed but you could spot one a mile off, as they were either bright yellow or as red as your mum’s lipstick.
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The saddle was a strange shape and, although not that comfortable to sit on, there was plenty of room for a passenger to hop on the back. I was never off my bike and practically wore the oversized tyres out. I remember having a fair few punctures and going to the newsagents every few weeks to buy a repair kit.
Raleigh Chopper – It took the bike market by storm
Whilst the world was still marvelling about Neil Armstrong, walking on the moon, we were more than excited to experience space – that is the space hopper.
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The oversized rubber ball, with a friendly face, enabled us to perch our posterior on it and hold on to the handles for dear life, as we raced each other across the garden, with the same determination as if we were in training for the Olympics.
Space Hopper – There’s always room for one
So you see, we were well entertained without the inventions of X boxes, video games and smart phones. We didn’t need to be surgically detached from our PS4, playing ‘Fortnight’. We were out in the fresh air, always on the move, a much healthier lifestyle you can’t deny.
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