movie "This is England"

[mabli]

the big demo in Trafalgar Square,

I went to the big demo in Trafalgar Square, even though I was a week away from my supposed due date of giving birth. It was amazing, at one stage folk had to pull a fence down cos I couldnt get over it and would have been trampled when the police horses charged down Whitehall.

I had a great time, but very scary. I wanted to call my daughter Riot to commemorate a brilliant day but I couldnt get her father to agree.

[Justin Miller]

I grew up in the 80s in the States, but I totally remember the white poop. Reagan wasn't as bad as Thatcher, but he tried.

[Clem Snide]

Liverpool FC being unbeatable

I remember that only too well. And Brazil always seemed unbeatable.

Here's a question for James and anyone else who was an older child/young teenager in Merseyside the late 80s/early 90s...

Do you remember 'Purple Ackie'?

I was as frightened of him as I was of Giant Hogweed...

Ha, Purple Ackie, remember him well!

[shellie]

Liverpool FC being unbeatable

I remember that only too well. And Brazil always seemed unbeatable.

Here's a question for James and anyone else who was an older child/young teenager in Merseyside the late 80s/early 90s...

Do you remember 'Purple Ackie'?

I was as frightened of him as I was of Giant Hogweed...

Ha, Purple Ackie, remember him well!

Me too, we were terrified of him.

[Clem Snide]

Here's a question for James and anyone else who was an older child/young teenager in Merseyside the late 80s/early 90s...

Do you remember 'Purple Ackie'?

I was as frightened of him as I was of Giant Hogweed...

Ha, Purple Ackie, remember him well!

Me too, we were terrified of him.

What part of Wirral you in? Have you been to that vegan shop in Hoylake?

[shellie]

No, i go to the gym in Hoylake and have not even noticed a vegan shop, is it on Market street? This needs further investigation.

I live in Wallasey though.

Do you live nearby?

[Clem Snide]

No, i go to the gym in Hoylake and have not even noticed a vegan shop, is it on Market street? This needs further investigation.

I live in Wallasey though.

Do you live nearby?

Yeah Market Street, get thee to the shop soon, it's really a great place, and everything there is vegan:

Honest to Goodness, Hoylake

I'm originally from Birkenhead (the hood) - just back here temporarily this month. It's worth cycling all the way up to Hoylake to visit that shop though.

[britdoc]

Back to the original topic (again, but awesome diversions) this film troubled the hell out of me because of how I identified with the main character - never lost my dad in the Falklands (!) but there were too many other disturbing similarities. Fitting in with the wrong crowd, getting into fights over absolute nonsense, that general air of menace and violence in the background...even the crap haircuts and jeans (that were too baggy, not drainpipe enough...)

On a more positive note, have some happy memories of the 80's which in retrospect were really crap too! Loved the music, the Spectrum 48K (I often even think in 'basic' sometimes, I used to write so much rubbish on that), the sweets, the cartoons...

Found this and wasted 1 hour at work.
http://www.80snostalgia.com/

Favorite quotes:
You remember when the A-Ha video was the pinnacle of modern technology, and you can still sing all the words.
You ever owned a thin, black leather tie (and were proud of it), or worse it was patterned like a piano. (Mine was red.)
You ever had more than 10 sweets in a 10p mix-up.

Ooh, I could crush a Grape!