Retro Blog Archive
Back to the 70s and 80s on TV
We are in for a veritable retro feast on television in the coming weeks. BBC1 have just announced the return of Gene Hunt and Co in the second series of Ashes to Ashes, which begins on Monday 20 April at 9.00pm. The BBC are also updating a comedy classic 'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin', with 'Men Behaving Badly' actor, Martin Clunes, in the title role. The original series, screened in the 1970s, starred the late Leonard Rossiter, as Reggie Perrin, a businessman who was unhappy with his life and had flights of fantasy, and who visualised his mother-in-law as a hippopotamus each time her name was mentioned.
The new series of 'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin' starts on Friday 24 April at 9.30pm on BBC1 and also stars Fay Ripley of 'Cold Feet' fame and Wendy Craig (from ITVs 'The Royal').
Ben Sherman go from Kings Road to Carnaby Street
8 February 2009
Ben Sherman is to launch a new collection this Spring entitled 'Kings Road to Carnaby'. It builds on Ben Sherman's history, containing elements of Punk, Mod and Two Tone. The final years of the 70s are now having a strong influence on contemporary fashion and this reflected in the Ben Sherman collection. There is also influence from the 60s, with striped blazers for the men and mini dresses for the ladies.
Read more: Ben Sherman - 2009 Mod fashion
Child's play
1 February 2009
Outdoor play has changed a great deal over the last one hundred years. Many people say that things are not what they were and children spend more time in front of a computer than outside enjoying themselves.
Testimony Films are making a documentary for BBC4 about how children's outdoor play has changed over the course of the twentieth century. If you have memories of what you did as a child of the 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s, then your memories can help the documentary makers. Find out more...
Are Heartbeat's days numbered?
28 January 2009
ITV has announced that it has stopped filming Heartbeat, because a stock pile of unscreened episodes has built up. This year the scheduling of Heartbeat and medical spin-off The Royal has been erratic. ITV move the programme from its 8pm Sunday slot if anything better comes along, annoying viewers, who never seem to know when episodes are due to be scheduled. Some have complained to us!
It would be a great pity if Heartbeat was to be dropped. ITV have denied this. However, the show's long run, which began in 1992, may be coming to an end; recent plots have lost the original magic.
Read more Heartbeat - ITV
BBC article about the news ITV suspends Heartbeat production
Accident on Heartbeat set
27 January 2009
Five members of the cast and crew of ITVs long running series Heartbeat were taken to hospital following an accident on the set when a tractor rolled down an embankment. Fortunately, it is understood that none of the injuries suffered are believed to life-threatening. An actor appearing as a guest on Heartbeat has sustained chest injuries; his identity has not been revealed at present. The Health and Safety Executive are investigating the accident, which happened in the village of Grosmont in North Yorkshire.
We wish all those involved a speedy recovery.
Royal Mail honours British Design
17 January 2009
This week, Royal Mail has issued ten new stamps honouring the best of British classic 20th century designs. Chosen by a panel of experts, the stamps include: the mini skirt designed by Mary Quant; the Anglepoise lamp designed by George Carwardine; the much-missed Concorde, designed by Aerospatiale-BAC; the iconic K2 telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott; Robin Day's polypropylene chair and the Routemaster bus, designed by a team led by A A M Durrant, amongst others.
Probably the most popular stamp will be the one depicting the Mini, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis and which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Read more: Austin-Morris Mini 60s fashion
RIP Dave Dee
9 January 2009
I was sorry to learn that Dave Dee, lead singer of the 60s group, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich had passed away after a battle against cancer. I was privileged to see Dave perform with his band a few years ago as part of the Sold Silver 60s Tour. The band performed all their fabulous hits, including Hold Tight, Bend It, Last Night in Soho and of course, the legendary Legend of Xanadu, complete with Dave cracking his whip!
Some of my earliest memories of pop music include listening to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich on my parents' record player and particularly the rather oddly named song Zabadak and still knowing the words to this day!
My sympathies to Daves family and the band.
70s car show
4 January 2009
If you've got the post-Christmas blues, why not make a date in your diary to visit the 70s Car Show at Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham, Hampshire. It is on for just one day on Saturday 17 January 2009. There will be a chance to see what you could have been driving in the 70s. If you have 70s classic car then why not bring it along, - contact the Museum for further details.
The exhibition coincides with 'The 70s...the decade that taste forgot?' exhibition which runs from 10 January 2009 to Saturday 21 February 2009 at Westbury Manor Museum.
See 1970s car show - Westbury Manor Museum.
For more on 'The 70s...the decade that taste forgot?' see Retro days out
.
Merry Christmas from Retrowow
24 December 2008
I hope you have enjoyed reading the articles about vintage and retro on Retrowow as much as we have enjoyed researching and writing them. Look out for much more in the New Year. With economic fortunes looking bleak, reliving the past can help us get through the present.
Wishing you groovy Christmas and a fab New Year!
Read more about Christmas past
Goodbye to Woolworths
12 December 2008
The iconic store Woolworths is set to disappear from our high streets for good. Administrators failed to secure a deal to preserve Woolworths throughout the country and are likely to sell off the stores individually once the stock has been sold.
Woolworths will close less than a year short of its hundredth birthday. Frank Winfield Woolworth, already a proprietor of a chain of shops in the US, opened his first UK store in Liverpool on 5 November 1909. Many thought he would fail, but in the 20s and 30s Woolworths opened stores across the country and became a household name.
Children bought sweets from pick'n'mix, adults shopped for bargains and many bought their first single from Woolworths record store. Many will also remember the Winfield brand and Woolco food stores. Woolworths will be sadly missed.
Woolworths survived bad times in the past, but failed to adapt to changes in shopping patterns. Much of its music business was lost to internet sales. Supermarkets also took sales away from Woolworths by expanding to sell DIY and household products.
Full of Eastern promise?
7 December 2008
I came across this photograph recently. It shows a party from Christmas 1965. It might be a slave auction or an early version of the toga party. It certainly has a middle eastern theme. Whatever was going on, they seem to be having a swinging time.
To find out more about how people partied in the past, or to make your 60s or 70s theme party go with a swing see our guides:
Britain's first motorway is something to celebrate
5 December 2008
On 5 December 1958, the Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, opened Britain's first stretch of motorway, originally known as the Preston By-pass. It later became part of the M6. It was just a two lane motorway with no central reservation, nevertheless it introduced a new way of life.
The widening motorway network brought freedom never enjoyed before to millions of ordinary people. They could travel easily from one major city to another. It made holiday travel in the UK a pleasant experience, rather than a trudge from one gridlocked town to another.
See also Motorway services Motoring in the 60s
Swedish furniture on BBC TV series Wallander
3 December 2008
Did you catch the new detective series, Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh, on BBC1 on Sunday? I thought it was a great drama, but what really caught my eye was the cool, Swedish furniture. The UK has ooked to the Scandinavian countries for inspiration for furniture design since the 1950s. The sets on Wallander had some great looking modern pieces.
Read more about the UK's love affair with Scandinavian design - Scandinavian furniture
Retro Christmas
23 November 2008
If you looking for inspiring ideas this Christmas, why not go retro? Read our guide to how people celebrated Christmas in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. You might even find something you remember amongst the Christmas toys from the past: may be Spirograph, Etch A Sketch, an early Scalectrix set, or even a Teletubby.
Give your Christmas a retro twist by re-trying some old ideas, or simply take a nostalgic look at Christmas past.
See Retro Christmas
Record price for retro mobile?
16 November 2008
It is not often that I'm moved to comment on things on eBay, but there is a mobile phone on eBay advertised for what must be a record price.
The phone is described as a Technophone PC105 Nokia/Mobira. Technophone was a company set up in 1984 by Nils Martensson, a Swedish radio engineer who left Ericsson to set up on his own in 1978. Technophone was based in the UK and became one of two UK manufacturers of mobile phones, the other being Orbitel. Technophone was bought by Nokia in 1991. So at the time this phone was made, Technophone had no connection with Nokia or Mobira (an old Nokia brand name for their mobile phones).
Technophone manufactured the pocket phone, 7 tall, 3 inches wide and 1 inch deep: pretty small for the time. By early 1986 they were turning out 1000 pocket phones a month sold through Excell Communications.
The phone on offer is branded 'Thornphone', and the logo is that of the Thorn EMI Group. The model number, according to the vendor is PC105TF. It may have been distributed through Thorn EMI. It looks to have a skin type keyboard similar to the Sinclair ZX81.
The seller is asking for a starting price of £999 and a 'Buy it Now' of £2000.
See
Stop press: It didn't sell.
Read more on the takeover of Technophone by Nokia Nokia to pay £34m for UK Cellular phone manufacturer Technophone
Red telephone boxes
6 October 2008
The 20th Century Society is backing a campaign to get local authorities to adopt a telephone box (as so many of us are now using mobile phones, telephone boxes are no longer profitable for BT, hence many of them are destined for the scrap heap).
If councils wish to adopt a phone box, they must be willing to contribute 500 per year towards the upkeep of the box and to keep it operational. Another option is to sponsor a box, which means the telephone is removed and the telephone box remains in situ. The closing date for councils to make applications to BT to keep their telephone boxes is 1 November 2008.
At the moment, no K2, K6 or K8 telephone boxes will be removed, but if these telephone boxes are unlisted, they may be at risk.
For more about the K8 see www.c20society.org.uk/docs/campaigns/k8.html
Mod Mastermind
11 September 2008
Tune into BBC1's Mastermind on Friday 19 September to see James Corcoran of Didcot, Oxfordshire answering questions about the Mod Movement. I look forward to seeing how he does.
If you want to mug up on the Mod Movement, see 60s Mods. See how many Mastermind questions on Mods you get right!
Update - 19 September: James demonstrated amazing knowledge of the Mod Movement from its origins in the Modernists of the late fifties, through to its peak in the sixties and to the Mod revival bands of today on this evening's Mastermind. In the first round, he scored 16 points on the Mod Movement, with no passes; I managed about half that total. He went on to win with a total of 29 points. James will have to master another subject for the next round. If he wins that, we might have questions about the Mod Movement in the final. Retrowow wishes him every success on his next appearance on Mastermind.
The Sweeney
8 September 2008
Look out for 'Call the Cops: The Sweeney' on BBC4 on 9, 10, and 15 September. The Sweeney was the definitive police drama from the 70s. Hard nosed cops, Regan and Carter (John Thaw and Dennis Waterman) redefined the way we viewed the police. It was fists, fast cars and hard drinking. Although I don't subscribe to the view that they were little different from the villains they were pursuing.
BBC4 looks at how the series was made and finds out it wasn't too far from the truth.
The end of an era for Annabelinda in Oxford
4 September 2008
According to The Oxford Times, the founder of the iconic Oxford dress shop, Annabelinda, is to retire and the business is to be sold as a going concern.
The shop was founded by Belinda OHanlon with her friend, Anita Woodhead, after Mrs OHanlon dropped out of Oxford University in the 1960s. Drug smuggler Howard Marks (Mr Nice) persuaded Mrs OHanlon to move her business to the site it occupies today in Gloucester Green in Oxford in 1971. Little did Mrs OHanlon know that Howard Marks was using Annabelindas premises as a front for his drug smuggling business. Fortunately, Howard Marks moved on from Oxford and left Annabelinda to become a highly success business supplying dresses to the rich and famous as well as Libertys and Harrods.
So if you still desire an iconic Annabelinda creation, hurry along to the shop now before Belinda OHanlon retires at the end of the year.
There is an exhibition of Annabelinda's creations from 1971 to 2008 at the Abingdon County Hall Museum. The exhibition is 'Annabelinda, Oxford's Couture Designer, A Retrospective 1971-2008'. It runs from 6 September to 9 November 2008, admission is free. See www.abingdonmuseum.org.uk for more details.
Alf Ventress' old banger
10 August 2008
Did anyone notice Alf's old banger in Heartbeat this evening? It looked like an Austin 1300 Mk III, which was not introduced until 1971. They gave it an 'H' plate, issued from August 1969 to July 1970 . Taking the number plate at face value, it must have been brand new in 1969, when Heartbeat is meant to be set. Alf called it an old banger. What does he do to them?
Torquay hotel gets 50s makeover
7 August 2008
We have just watched an episode of Channel Five's "The Hotel Inspector" featuring Number Nine in Torquay. The bed and breakfast had recently been taken over by 1950s enthusiast, Rachel Roffe and was suffering because of low occupancy rates. Rachel called in the Hotel Inspector, Alex Polizzi, niece of Sir Rocco Forte. Rachel had hoped to run her bed and breakfast with a 1950s theme, but Alex disagreed initially. However, a compromise was reached and the rooms were given a subtle 1950s theme.
Following a visit from an inspector from Visit Britain, Rachel received three stars for her establishment and is now enjoying increasing visitor numbers.
We would like to congratulate Rachel at Number Nine for her achievements and wish her every success with her 1950s bed and breakfast. For more information on Number Nine at Torquay, visit www.numberninetorquay.co.uk
Wispa back for good
4 August 2008
Ring the date in your diaries Monday 6 October 2008 Cadbury is bringing the Wispa bar back for good.
The Wispa bar was revived by Cadbury in 2007 for a seven-week trial and sold over twenty million bars during that time. These sales figures were enough to convince Cadbury to bring it back for good this time.
The Wispa bar was first launched in 1981 in the Tyne Tees area and then nationwide from 1983. Falling sales lead to it being dropped in 2003, but internet campaigns on MySpace and Facebook convinced Cadbury to return the Wispa bar to shops permanently.
See www.wispa.co.uk
Radio Luxembourg
2 August 2008
Fancy listening to a dose of nostalgia this weekend, 2 and 3 August? Radio Luxembourg, which was broadcast from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from 1930 to 1992, will reunite some of its former DJs this weekend.
Radio Luxembourg was particularly popular for teenagers during the 1960s who would listen to the broadcasts from a transmitter at Marnach on 208 MW. The radio station was responsible for launching the careers of many DJs including the legendary Jimmy Saville, Pete Murray, the late Alan "Fluff" Freeman, Noel Edmonds, David "Kid" Jensen, Mike Read, Timmy Mallett and the late Tommy Vance to name but a few; all of whom went on to have careers with BBC radio and television. Many of these DJs will broadcast live from Radio Luxembourg this weekend to numerous radio stations over the UK.
The English service of Radio Luxembourg relaunched in September 2005 on digital AM and on the internet for more information and to listen in online visit: www.radioluxembourg.co.uk
Skylon to return?
8 July 2008
The iconic Skylon, from the Festival of Britain in 1951, could be rebuilt in time for the Festival's 60th anniversary in 2011. This architectural feat took centre stage on the Festival site. The 300 ft tower was illuminated at night. Some wag at the time claimed it was meant to resemble the British economy - slender, with no visible means of support.
Originally built at London's South Bank in 1951, the rebuilt Skylon could be located at one of 12 different places. There is a public vote on the location at http://www.voteforskylon.com, which starts 10 July. See also www.bdonline.co.uk.
Has Porsche gone retro?
28 June 2008
I happened upon a new Porsche advertisement in a Saturday newspaper supplement. There, in the picture, was a gleaming 911, complete with chrome hubcaps, bumpers and other detailing, just like the original 911 from the 60s. Could I walk into a Porsche showroom and order one of these beauties brand new? Sadly not. It's part of new promotion about Porsche's heritage. Have a look www.porsche.co.uk for more details. The video clips featuring Dr Ferry Porsche are fascinating.
As for a Porsche entry into the retro car market, I'm sure the purity of the spirit of the marque would prevent it.
George Gently returns
23 June 2008
Look out for two new episodes of the detective drama, George Gently, starring Martin Shaw, on BBC1 soon. I enjoyed the previous episode screened last year. It captured the twilight world of coppers on the take in the 60s, as illustrated so well by 'He Kills Coppers'.
The new series also features Lee Ingleby as the young sidekick, Sergeant John Bacchus. I liked Bacchus' mode of transport in the previous one-off drama, an MGB, a little too flash for a detective sergeant, thinks George Gently.
The first episode, 'Bomber's Moon', centres around the death of a German PoW. The War was still a raw memory for some in the 60s. The second is an investigation into the death of an IRA man, found burnt to death. In this episode Robert Glenister plays a hard nosed special branch officer with dubious interrogation methods. I'm sure I won't be the only one to draw a comparison with this part and that of Gene Hunt in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, played by Robert's brother, Philip Glenister.
The drama is based on the George Gently novels by Alan Hunter.
Retro wins Gold at Chelsea
21 May 2008
The Good Gifts Garden, designed by Adam Woolcott, Jonathan Smith and Cormac Conway, has won a coveted Gold Medal in the Courtyard Gardens section at this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The garden is inspired by memories of the 1950s and holidays at the British seaside and the designers have sourced their authentic props from antique markets and online auctions.
See BBC Chelsea - Good Gifts Garden
It is good to see that Retro designs win medals. If you are inspired, why not visit our retro gardening page.
Last chance to see the Get Carter Car Park?
27 April 2008
If you want a last chance to see the Get Carter Car Park in Gateshead the building will be open for guided tours. Visitors will need to wear hard hat. There will be an opportunity to go onto the top five floors, which are currently closed for safety reasons, although Cliff Brumby's restaurant will remain off limits. The building will be temporarily flood lit at night, basking in an eerie glow. See the following press reports:
On BBC Tyne and Wear - Final Curtain for Carter Car Park and Get Carter car park set for demolition in the Guardian. The Guardian article has a stunning view of the building.
See also Gateshead Council - Last chance to Get Carter.
Neither of these reports say whether the bid to save the Get Carter Car Park has failed. Jack Carter said he wasn't finished until he was dead. The Get Carter Car Park is not finished until it's down. Whilst the building is still standing, there is still hope.
Battle to save Get Carter Car Park
6 April 2008
There is no place in the new Gateshead for the iconic Trinity Centre, which featured in the film, Get Carter (1971) starring Michael Caine. If the car park and accompanying shopping centre are demolished, it will be another victory of the bland and boring over the distinctive and interesting.
Campaigners for the RealTyne Preservation Group want to save the Trinity Centre. It is an outstanding example of Brutalist architecture from the late 60s. Built by the Owen Luder Partnership, also responsible for the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth, it is a unique building of its type.
Spalding Tulip Parade 50th Anniversary
31 March 2008
This year, at 2pm on Saturday 3 May 2008, the town of Spalding in Lincolnshire will be hosting its 50th Annual Tulip Parade; the first Tulip Parade was in 1959. The Spalding Tulip Parade was originally started as a way of making use of the tulip flowers from plants grown to harvest the bulbs. As an annual event, it attracts visitors from all around the country. In the 60s, it was a popular event with people from the Midlands and further a field, as well as from the Spalding area.
He Kills Coopers
21 March 2008
Look out for the ITV dramatisation of 'He Kills Coppers', by Jake Arnott. The BBC did a good job of Jake Arnott's book 'The Long Firm'. If ITV can pull it off, 'He Kills Coppers' should be worth watching. It is about the murder of a policeman on World Cup Day in 1966. The crime goes unsolved for two decades and a reporter and a policeman continue to pursue the killer into the 1980s.
So look out for plenty of 60s, 70s and 80s nostalgia. It is also a great book and well worth a read.
For more information, see ITV He Kills Coppers
The Bank Job
21 March 2008
I watched The Bank Job last week and have to admit I liked it, in spite of the mixed reception from film critics. It is the story, based on fact, of a 1971 bank raid that was kept out of the news by MI5.
In the film, dodgy car dealer, Terry Leather (Jason Stratham) is persuaded to organise a bank robbery by glamorous model, Martine Love (Saffron Burrows). MI5 want to recover some compromising photographs of a member of the Royal Family and are using the robbers to recover them from a safety deposit box. Martine is co-operating to avoid a drugs charge.
The robbers' plan was to tunnel under a restaurant next to the bank and break in under the vault. Whilst the plot itself is fast moving and the film is generally enjoyable, what made it for me was how it captured the atmosphere of 1971. There was the dandy, male porn star, Dave Shilling, part of the gang; the car lot selling clocked motors and a great performance from David Suchet as the bent night club owner and porn mogul, Lew Vogel. The style was right, it was just still before the flares for everyone era. I loved the chicken restaurant and the night club. I spotted a couple of mistakes though - a quartz clock and an 'L' reg car.
The film also stars Keeley Hawes and Stephen Campbell Moore from BBC1's Ashes to Ashes.
Go and see The Bank Job. It is an enjoyable film and a great period piece by Likely Lads' writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.
Forever Retro
24 February 2008
Forever Retro is a new magazine covering the 70s and 80s. The first issue is bursting with memories from the late 70s and early 80s. There are features about the Smurfs and toy collecting. Retro never stands still; collectables from the 80s are now joining and sometimes out selling those from the 60s. Do people remember Transformers and Cabbage Patch Kids?
Another feature takes us back to the often dimly lit world of arcade games. Long before Play Stations kids hung out in dark rooms basking in the light from the machines. Do you remember Space Invaders?
Forever Retro also looks at 70s fashion and finds it not too different from what is on sale today, save for a few outlandish nightgowns and some terrible pairs of trousers.
Forever Retro is published in Canada and is written from a Canadian/US perspective.
See www.foreverretro.com.
Flying in the 60s: glamour, luxury, style?
10 February 2008
In these days of mass economy class travel, flying has lost its glamorous appeal. In the 60s it had a certain cachet; being part of the jet set meant you had made it.
We look at flying in the 60s and ask if it really was that much better. Fewer people flew, but there were still moans about queues and the legroom in economy.
See Flying in the 60s. Also Flying in the 50s.
Ashes to Ashes
5 February 2008
This Thursday, Ashes to Ashes hits our screens. It will be interesting to see if Life on Mars can reinvent itself as well as David Bowie did. Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) is back. This time he is working in London for the Met.
The 80s
2 February 2008
It's a new year and a new departure for Retrowow. We thought, if Gene Hunt from Life on Mars could be dragged into the 80s, then so could we. The truth is I've got people itching to write about 80s music and 80s fashion, so I decided to finally give in. Time moves on for nostalgia as well as everything else!
See our new section on the 80s.
Retro Christmas
24 December 2007
Retrowow wishes all readers of this site a groovy Christmas and a fab New Year!
Retro blog: November/October
Watneys Pale Ale
You Tube is wonderful source of old advertisings, such as this classic from the 60s. The Scaffold advertise Watneys Pale Ale in a modified version of Lily the Pink.
Watneys also promoted Red Barrel with a television campaign and a slogan "Roll out the barrel". The campaign was supposed to suggest that drinking Red Barrel would promote "good fellowship, friendliness and happiness associated with beer drinking". In the early seventies Watneys decided to change the name of Red Barrel to just Watneys Red. Does anyone remember "Join Watneys RED army"?!
Is beer a drink of the past?
20 November 2007
Modern drinkers are turning their backs on the traditional pint. The amount of beer drunk in the UK is 22% lower than the peak year of 1979 and sales in pubs are down to their lowest level since the 30s.
Our taste for wine has improved since the days of Blue Nun and Mateus Rosé and more people are buying beer in the supermarkets to drink at home. In the 60s, wine drinking was a minority activity, with most preferring a pint of bitter or mild at the local.
See inside a pub in the 60s. For more on beer drinking in the past see the 60s and 70s beer guide.
Retro Christmas at Selfridges
17 November 2007
Selfridges on Oxford Street, London has always had a great window display. This year they've gone retro for Christmas. There's a Mini (left), a phone box (right) and a Raleigh Chopper (below left). All all are covered in shiny sequins.
It shows how much the 60s and 70s are now a part of modern culture. Let's hope it lasts.
More on the Mini.
Heartbeat is back
10 November 2007
ITV's Heartbeat TV series is back for another run from this Sunday. We are all looking forward to another chance to indulge in a spot of sixties' nostalgia.
I've had so many enquiries about DVDs of the series that I've decided to start a petition. If you would like ITV to produce a DVD of the Heartbeat TV series, please sign up on Heartbeat DVD Petition.
I love the sixties, seventies and more
8 November 2007
Sorry I've been away from the blog for a while. A few things have been happening in the retro world. Firstly the BBC have stopped updating their "I love the 60s" and "I love the 70s" pages. See BBC - I love the 60s.
There is a warning sign up there saying "Sorry we're no longer updating this site. We've left it here as a reference". Well reference it may be, but come to RetroWow for a site about the 60s and 70s that is updated. I wonder if this was one of the casualties of the BBC cuts, all in the name of forcing everyone into the digital world, whether they like it or not. Die hard fans are still mourning the passing of 405 lines - see 405 Alive I wonder what they will make of the death of terrestrial television altogether. By the way, no one thought of calling it terrestrial until digital came along.
We've added some more pages to Retrowow. There's now a fab new article about 60s music and a new piece on 60s fashion. We've also started a new series about recipes from the 60s and 70s. So if you fancy a real retro treat, give one of these a try.
My new book The G Plan Revolution is in the shops now. You can get signed copies direct from Retrowow. If you remember the original G-Plan, it should bring back some happy memories.
Did anyone see the excellent evening on BBC Four devoted to the cult Mike Leigh play - Abigail's Party? There were interesting insights provided by the play's stars, Alison Steadman (Beverly), Tim Stern (Laurence), Janine Duvitski (Angela) and John Salthouse (Tony). Sad to say Harriet Reynolds who played Sue had passed away and was much missed by the cast.
There is also a new Bob Dylan film out soon. See I'm Not There on IMDB It's due for release on 21 December. I've not seen it, so I can't comment, but if you do see the film in December, then please do post a review on the forum.
Bite it and believe it - Wispa is back
17 October 2007
Cadbury's Wispa bar, first launched tentatively in the Tyne Tees area in 1981 and then nationally in 1983, is back in the shops for a trial period. Wispa was intended to be a rival for Nestlé's Aero bar. It became a symbol of the 80s. Falling sales led to Cadbury's dropping the bar in 2003, but an internet campaign helped to bring it back.
The relaunch is only a trial, so if you love Wispa - buy it now!
More on Wispa see Wispa on Wikipedia.
The beehive is back
7 October 2007
The early sixties fashion for the beehive hairdo is the latest thing. The beehive went out in the swinging sixties when Vidal Sassoon's geometric short hair styles were all the rage. It seems to be having a revival. Inspiration is drawn from Marge Simpson's exaggerated blue version and singer Amy Winehouse's new look. See The beehive is back and better than ever
For most women in the early sixties, the original style was more restrained (right). At the time it was worn with smart, understated suits. The beehive hairdo was an essential part of the brief era when two tone chrome laden cars ruled the road and teenagers chose between rock'n'roll and jazz.
For more on the beehive and instructions on how to do it, see www.hairarchives.com/private/archive2/beehive/beehive.htm
Is 70s food the greatest insult?
30 September 2007
I've been following the series on BBC2, The Restaurant in which contestants compete for the prize of running a restaurant with with top chef, Raymond Blanc. It's a bit like The Apprentice, only with food. Anyway, one thing Raymond Blanc and his inspectors don't like is 70s food.
In one episode, inspector John Lederer told Martin, the prison chef, whose restaurant Bravo! in Banbury was closed last week, that it was like stepping into Life on Mars. In last week's "Challenge", Royal Marine cook, Jeremy's microwave gourmet meal, chicken in a rich orange sauce, was also likened to 70s food.
These days eating out is polarised. There are gourmet pubs and restaurants, great food that costs an arm and a leg, or chips with everything. Most people's experience of dining out in the 70s was at a Berni Inn, Trophy Tavern or Toby Grill. Most of these have disappeared. I wonder whether there is a gap in the market for a restaurant selling classic dishes at value for money prices. Just the way they did it in the 70s.
Martin and Emma should reopen, and call their restaurant Life on Mars. There's a free plug on Retrowow if they do!
Read more about 70s Food Classic 70s recipe - Chicken Chasseur
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60s architecture
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