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| Image by Tumisu from Pixabay |
As we all know, the greatest film ever made was Fiend Without a Face, that stirring tale of what happens when an air force base in Canada is attacked by evil brains summoned up from the depths of one man's id.
How we gasped as they laid siege to a house.
How we shuddered as they came down the chimney.
Those, of course, are brains no man would ever wish to encounter. But here's a brain-related activity any man would give his right cerebral cortex to take part in.
And that's the feature in which the first person to comment gets to decide just what is to be discussed.
It could be almost any topic under the sun. Therefore, feel free to get the ball rolling and we shall see just what drama unfolds before us.
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THE YEAR 1981 – WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES/RECOLLECTIONS ?
I'll kick off with some recollections - based on my 1981 diary, so self-indulgent I'm afraid...
Junior school ended, by early September 1981, and high school's horrors started!
But, before then...
A first, colour TV (Sony Trinitron) graced our lounge, on July 24th, 1981 – the Royal wedding, on July 29th, probably prompting that purchase!
March 16th 1981– Our family got a Datsun Cherry – still probably our best car.
Playing marbles (nigs) at junior school - also 'pegs' & 'rounders'.
1981 weather? - Channel 5's broadcast 1979 & 1982 shows about UK snow, so I assumed 1981 was a snowless year. However, according to my 1981 diary, on December 10th I built a snowman, and on December 13th it snowed – a lot!
1981 Comics
From September1979/well into1980, UK comics peaked for me. You had Jim Shooter's Avengers in Marvel Superheroes Monthly, plus Byrne's X-Men in American comics.
Sadly, Marvel's glory days seemed over, with 1981 dawning...
However, Iron Fist kept my Marvel interest going. Blockbuster featured Iron Fist's excellent early adventures, every month. Also, Power Man & Iron Fist became a favourite American acquisition, which – in my mere 4 or 5 issues - never failed. Every random Power Man & Iron Fist was good!
Who else saved 1981? Captain America, of course! John Byrne's excellent Captain America debuted in Captain America Weekly, backed up by Michelinie's Iron Man!
Also outstanding in 1981 was 'Savage Action' (my brother bought these), with Sienkiewicz & McLeod's Moon Knight, culminating in the top-rate Bushman storyline ( Moon Knight # 1).
Anything else significant, comics-wise? Well, starting 1981 chronologically, on January 10th I got Team-up Winter Special, cover dated 1980? ( it must have been Spidey & Red Sonja, with Black Panther & Storm as the “undercard” !) My brother got Valour's Winter special (Thor participates in the Trojan War), concurrently. Paper covers blighted both – strange, as UK Winter (& Summer) specials had glossy covers (usually!) The 'What If Phoenix had not died?' Winter Special (my Marvel Swan song) – although dated 1981? - must have been a 1982 acquisition.
Also, on June 3rd 1981, I got a Marvel Multimags (Iron Man # 137, Spidey & Howard the Duck, & I forget the 3rd title!)
In June 1981, I got the Captain Britain Summer Special (CB vs Spidey), with its outstanding Perez glossy cover. That's despite having read that story twice before!
August 1981 - 2nd hand Ms.Marvels & Rampage Monthlies (swaps?), from Leeds market!
Odd Adam Warlock Star Wars Weeklies, possible acquisitions, too. Plus, good ROMs bought.
1981 Television
“A Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy” was by far the biggest 1981 UK show, starting in June (on Thursdays), according to my diary. But let's be chronological...
In January 1981, “The Gaffer” started ( February, according to my diary ) – a show Rewind TV's recently been repeating - for the first time in 45 years!
For February 1981, “The Deceivers” is marked in my diary – a Jeremy Beadle ( later famous as a UK tv prankster! ) show.
Monkey's still being broadcast, in March & April 1981!
March 1981 – 'Sorry!' - excellent Ronnie Corbett sitcom!
May 1981 – 'Only When I Laugh' – ITV hospital sitcom. Also, comic duo Cannon & Ball.
Still with sci-fi, August 1981 saw “Sapphire & Steel” being broadcast! ITV comedy – 'A Sharp Intake of Breath'. BBC – 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum'.
In September/October 1981, new sci-fi comedy “Kinvig” is broadcast on Fridays. In September, my diary also mentions Kelly Monteith!
November – Kessler (Secret Army spin-off ) & 'Life on Earth' (must be repeats! )
US tv shows – Hart-to-Hart, Starsky & Hutch, Diff'rent Strokes, Incredible Hulk, Vegas, Kung Fu, Magnum, etc.
1981 MOVIES
May – Superman 2, July – Clash of the Titans, October – For your Eyes Only/ Raiders of the Lost Ark/Bakshi Lord of the Rings
1981 BOOKS/READING
Silmarillion (I read The LOTR the previous year), James Herriot books (2nd hand ), Lucky Les (a choose-your-own adventure), Tarzan books, Dr.Who & the Revenge of the Cybermen, Duncton Wood ( Watership Down, with Moles!), The Plague Dogs. That's apart from school fiction (mostly myths & legends – plus, I read a lot of Willard Price books at Juniors. ) Oh – I also read Raiders of the Lost Ark's novelisation
1981 Snacks – SKIPS, Farmer Browns, Piglets, Walkers Snaps (Spicy Tomato flavour), plus Griddles.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOLLECTIONS OF 1981?
Phillip
If anyone else's got a joint/or better topic, please go right ahead - I just had this one on the back burner!
Phillip
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