Skip to content
November 7, 2026
  • The late 1980s love affair with French movies
  • Demonising people with ‘Yuppie Flu’
  • Teaching adult literacy in the 1980s
  • Was TV better in the 1970s and 1980s?

The 70s 80s 90s Blog

Three Decades of History with TV historian Tony McMahon

  • Home
  • About the blog
  • My published books
  • Contact for interviews
Headlines
  • French movies 1980s

    The late 1980s love affair with French movies

    5 days ago5 days ago
  • yuppie flu

    Demonising people with ‘Yuppie Flu’

    6 days ago6 days ago
  • 1980s illiteracy

    Teaching adult literacy in the 1980s

    6 days ago6 days ago
  • TV 1970s 1980s

    Was TV better in the 1970s and 1980s?

    2 months ago2 months ago
  • 1976 drought summer heat climate change

    Summer of 1976 and Climate Change

    5 months ago5 months ago
  • 1986 Britain

    1986 – 40 years ago in Britain

    10 months ago9 months ago
  • Home
  • 80s
  • Page 9

80s

  • Politics

Unemployment was so bad even an ex-mayor was out of work

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago01 mins

Unemployment was so bad even an ex-mayor was out of work

Read More
  • Culture
  • Politics

Why a single black mother dreaded Christmas in 1977

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago24 mins

Why a single black mother dreaded Christmas in 1977

Read More
  • 1981 riots
  • Politics

1981 riots: Enoch Powell plays the race card

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago16 mins

Veteran right-winger Enoch Powell placed the race card cynically after the 1981 riots trying to blame those from the New Commonwealth

Read More
  • Culture
  • Politics

Billy Bragg sticking up for Labour – not sure what year – any guesses?

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago01 mins
Read More
  • 1981 riots
  • Politics

First night of the Toxteth riot – 1981

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago04 mins

The first night of the Toxteth riot in 1981 saw a botched arrest followed by minor scuffles but then the whole thing escalated in the following days

Read More
Ron Brown Margaret Thatcher
  • Politics

When Red Ron met Maggie Thatcher

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago14 mins

Scottish Labour MP Ron Brown confronted Margaret Thatcher during a visit to Scotland in 1982 as Tony McMahon discovers

Read More
  • Culture
  • Politics

How Paul Weller reacted to Thatcher being re-elected in 1983

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago9 years ago01 mins

How Paul Weller reacted to Thatcher being re-elected in 1983

Read More
  • Culture
  • Politics

A poem by a striking miner’s wife in the 80s

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago9 years ago01 mins

A poem by a striking miner’s wife in the 80s

Read More
Guild of Undergraduates
  • Politics

Marxism at Liverpool Guild of Undergraduates

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago06 mins

In 1982, I ran to be welfare officer of Liverpool University Guild of Undergraduates – needless to say, I didn’t win!

Read More
  • Clothes
  • Culture

Looking sharp in 1979 – clothes styles

The 70s 80s 90s Blog14 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Looking sharp in 1979 – New Wave clobber

Read More
  • 1
  • …
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • …
  • 14

Buy Original Rude Boy – biography of Neville Staple, The Specials

Boxing and racism in the 80s

Keep updated on my new posts

tonymcmahon@rostraconsulting.com

Join 1,164 other subscribers

Categories

Tony McMahon – your blogger – circa 1982

TV historian Tony McMahon journeys through the politics, culture, and history of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s

Are you looking for something?

Newsmatic - News WordPress Theme 2026. Powered By BlazeThemes.
Loading Comments...