Tracks of my Years - 1975

In the news:

Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party

The first Inspector Morse novel, 'Last Bus to Woodstock' was released whilst the last 'Poirot' novel -'Curtain' - by Agatha Christie, was published

  

The seeds of a huge change were sown in 1975...

Motorola obtained a patent for the first mobile phone which had been designed by Dr Martin Cooper a couple of years earlier. Nicknamed 'the brick', it took another eight years to come to market, at a price of nearly $4000

And Microsoft registered as a trademark

Car launches abounded : British Leyland brought out the Morris 18-22 (later, Princess) range; Vauxhall their Chevette; Chrysler their Alpine; and Vauxhall their Cavalier...

Can't see any of those becoming desirable classics!

In Britain the average house price was £11,87; petrol cost 72p a gallon; inflation ran at 24.2% and the Bank of England Interest Rate was 11.25%

On TV:

The Good Life

The Sweeney

Angels

Fawlty Towers

And 'Bernie, the Bolt!' was called for the last time in 'The Golden Shot' 

Bob Monkhouse used to tell the story of a man who participated in the show from a telephone kiosk, watching the programme in the window of a television rental shop (Remember when we used to rent rather than buy TVs?)  Sadly, as the man directed the bolt around ('left a bit, down a bit, right a bit - aim, fire!') the shop assistant changed the channel!

At the cinema:

(The only one I saw!)

On the radio:

Bye Bye Baby - The Bay City Rollers

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

Hold Me Close - David Essex

I'm Not in Love - 10cc

The Last Farewell - Roger Whittaker

The Hustle - Van McCoy

Lovin' You - Minnie Riperton

The Streets of London - Ralph McTell

Jive Talkin' - The Bee Gees

Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell

SOS - ABBA

For this year's clip, one of those songs that takes me right back to a moment in time - a hot summer's day, spinning in a fairground ride with friends, singing this at the top of our voices!

In my life:

Moving from Oxfordshire to Hampshire, to the house where my parents still live

A new school and new friends 

Having enjoyed our cramped camping experience in Wales the previous year, our family had acquired a large tent of our own and set off for a week of camping on the beautiful west coast of Ireland, followed by a week in Dublin with our hilarious great-aunts and cousins.  Here's a photo from that holiday, with a rare appearance from my Dad (usually the photographer!)

What were you up to in 1975?