We're getting to the years where I can really remember things that happened!
In the news:
New Year's Day was a public holiday for the first time
Miners' strikes, coal shortages, power cuts and the
Three-Day-Week. I remember many a power cut, and evenings spent a bit like this...
McDonald's opened its first UK 'restaurant' (I use the term loosely) in Woolwich...
The IRA bombing campaign was all too often the news headline
Lord Lucan disappeared
Monty Python aired for the final time, before I'd even had time to be old enough to watch it!
John Stonehouse re-appeared in Australia, after faking his own death. When he was found by police, at first they thought he was Lord Lucan. I think they needed glasses...
Ching-Ching and Chia-Chia came to Britain
On TV:
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
(sounds appropriate for these days!)
(sounds appropriate for these days!)
Porridge
(not so appropriate for these days!)
Roobarb
Tiswas
Rising Damp
At the cinema:
On the radio:
When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees
Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
Sad Sweet Dreamer - Sweet Sensation
Sad Sweet Dreamer - Sweet Sensation
Gonna Make You A Star - David Essex
Seasons In The Sun - Terry Jacks
Seasons In The Sun - Terry Jacks
Billy, Don't Be A Hero - Paper Lace
Tiger Feet - Mud
Sugar Baby Love - The Rubettes
Annie's Song - John Denver
And two that I don't think were hits in the UK, but really should have been
'Time in a Bottle' and
'I Have to Say I Love You in a Song' by Jim Croce
(hits in the US and Canada, sadly posthumously)
And two that I don't think were hits in the UK, but really should have been
'Time in a Bottle' and
'I Have to Say I Love You in a Song' by Jim Croce
(hits in the US and Canada, sadly posthumously)
There was a plethora of glam rock acts in the charts, along with The Osmonds and The Wombles, but the record I bought with the voucher I got for my birthday that year was this one...
Oh, the lure of the free shopping bag!
(I really wanted The Osmonds but was persuaded by a family member to buy this, deemed more 'wholesome...)
In those days, Eurovision was a seriously BIG thing, so my video for the year is this one - the first sighting most of us had of ABBA.
(Miss U-t-B, who is a pretty big Eurovision fan in spite of what it has become, once said something along the lines of this:
'Well, we may not win these days because of all the political voting, but at least ABBA won for us back in the old days.'
I had to let her know ABBA were Swedish!)
In 1974:
I broke my arm
Waved bye-bye to Primary School days and began Secondary School
Got to know my Granny, last seen in 1966, when she came on a long visit from Argentina
Went on holiday left, right and centre
(the 'cider-drinking' trip to the Brecon Beacons with school;
the Oxford Canal on a barge with all my family plus Granny, where we had a near-death experience in Somerton Deep Lock and I developed a strange puffed-up appearance that only went away once we left the environs of the canal; Guide Camp to Hampshire/Surrey borders where all us 'newbies' got scared witless by someone sticking plasters with the word 'Murder' on them all over our belongings;
camping in Wales with the family, all five of us packed into a three-man tent we'd borrowed)
This time a pair of photos that make me laugh.
First, a very happy me about to embark on that week of camping with the Guides...
Then the concerned look, seeing the expressions on my brother and sister's faces!
Pleased to see me go, were they?
Glad there are people out there enjoying these posts - I love reading what memories others have of the year in question, so do feel free...
Ha Ha Ha ! the last photo... you brother & sister are plotting something for sure !
ReplyDeleteOh the move up to " Big School " in 74 was huge as I'd been to a tiny primary school.
I was a Donny girl x
I think you might be right there! Me too, on the Donny front, but bizarrely, he was considered a bit too racy in our house!!!
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We are definitely the same age. This brought back loads of memories! I still love Porridge, however un-PC it is - I watch it on Youtube sometimes. Great post.
ReplyDeleteA very fine vintage! I seem to watch more 'telly' on YouTube than on the actual telly these days - there's so little to watch! Some of the old comedies are definitely worth a re-run!
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I'm rather old compared to you :-). 1974 is the year I finished my education to become an operation nurse (a job I still work in) and when I married (also still together). Sounds a bit boring, but I'm truelly very happy, both with my husband and with the job :-))).
ReplyDeleteVery nice to read about the things you remember of this year. Love the pictures ;-).
Warm greetings from Holland.
Yes, lots of memories here.....don't you just love those 70s photos of us kids in our wonderful attire! :) x
ReplyDeleteLots of memories in 1974 for me too! We'd moved to the country two years previous, and I think this must've been the year my grandparents visited from England. And Grandma told us she would buy us "whatever we wanted" (we only saw them every other year). So I chose a Partridge Family album! Not the same as yours, but I STILL have it. Our TV shows were obviously different from yours, and the Partridge Family had their own silly show which we loved. We all thought Monty Python was great too and my dad even had a bunch of tapes with "The Goon Show" radio show that featured some of the actors from MP. Great photo of your leaving for camp ... your siblings were probably lost without you and just didn't want to show it ;) Wendy x
ReplyDeleteWonderful memories, loving that Girl Guide picture those hats were awful, I remember having a great long navy skirt to grow into for Guides, pity I never got any taller than I was at eleven. The wonderful TISWAS Today Is Saturday Watch and Smile made here in Birmingham at ATV ... Happy days ~ Sarah x
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