The ‘80s were a very different time. From the hairdos and the get-up to the lack of child safety while playing outdoors, parts of the era now only exist in memory.
We might be recycling certain aspects of the decade’s music and fashion trends today, with shows like Stranger Things giving the young-uns an appreciation for what their parents grew up with. Yet there are some things about the ‘80s that, for better or worse, we’ll never get back.
We decided to take a look back at some lost elements of the ‘80s specific to Northern Ireland . Take a walk down memory lane with us as we revisit the things you could do here at various stages of the ‘80s that you generally can’t do today.
Read more: In pictures: the places and faces of '80s Northern Ireland
In 1980s Northern Ireland, you could…
Catch “Fred, there’s no bread” on telly during the ads
The catchphrase heard ‘round the North and still uttered to signify empty kitchen cupboards to this day dates back to this decade. Whilst watching TV in the ‘80s, you could witness actress Olivia Nash (or ‘Ma’ from Give My Head Peace ) utter the words for herself in a Spar commercial during an ad break… instead of trying to find the clip online like we do now.
Scout for records at Good Vibrations
With Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and so on, independent music shops slowly declined in the 2010s. But now that there’s been a revival of people buying record players, there’s few places to actually shop for records in-person.
Back in the ‘80s, there were plenty of record stores to shop in or gather outside in groups of oh-so-edgy youths. Good Vibrations was one of them, a record label and store that began at Great Victoria Street and later moved to a number of locations around Belfast.
The legendary record store was a staple of the Belfast music scene as it opened and closed numerous times over the years. It even inspired a film of the same name, released in 2013.
Witness your Ma clutch her pearls at Punks and Skinheads
Speaking of oh-so-edgy youths in the ‘80s, this was the prime time of the subcultures of Punks and Skinheads. There were also Mods, but with their demure dress and lack of buzzcuts or coloured hair, they weren’t quite as shocking to the mammies of Northern Ireland.
Watch Barry McGuigan host a talk show
From the boxing ring to the snack market, was there anything Barry McGuigan wasn’t a champion of in the ‘80s? Apparently not, as the decade even saw him host a talk show on BBC One, which you could watch while munching on your bag of his nettle-flavoured crisps.
Ride the Ghost Train at Barry’s Bangor
You can still enjoy all the Barry’s fun at its Portrush location (now under the name Curry’s Fun Park). But at the start of the ‘80s, you could also visit their now-demolished Bangor location, once beloved for its Ghost Train.
Go for a spin on Mickey Marley’s roundabout
Mickey Marley’s travelling roundabout was a childhood institution, so much so that a song was made about it when Mickey prepared to retire. Be it on the busy shopping streets of Belfast at the weekend or at a local fair, the ‘80s brought plenty of opportunity to ride the famous carousel.
See a film or show at the New Vic
The now-demolished theatre on Great Victoria Street was first opened in 1907 as The Royal Hippodrome Theatre, and had a number of names before it became the New Vic in 1975. Films and variety shows could be seen at the spot until it was converted into a bingo hall in 1987.
What else did you do in 1980s Northern Ireland that you can’t do today? Let us know in the comments below.
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