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April 15, 2026
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The 70s 80s 90s Blog

Three Decades of History with TV historian Tony McMahon

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  • 1986 Britain

    1986 – 40 years ago in Britain

    3 months ago3 months ago
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    Iran on the eve of the 1979 revolution

    3 months ago3 months ago
  • Drought 1976

    1976 – 50 years ago in Britain

    3 months ago3 months ago
  • 1975 summer holiday

    School summer holidays in the 1970s

    4 months ago3 months ago
  • Zoomer Boomer office culture

    Zoomers challenge Boomer office culture

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    Plane hijacked by samurai wielding terrorists

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  • economics

Inflation and unemployment under Thatcher

The 70s 80s 90s Blog6 years ago6 years ago26 mins

Both unemployment and inflation soared in the first two years of the Thatcher government though the Tories were open to a rise in the jobless figures

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economic crisis
  • economics

The economic Recession of 1979 to 1981

The 70s 80s 90s Blog6 years ago5 years ago06 mins

Between 1979 and 1981, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher presided over an unprecedented economic recession that devastated manufacturing industry

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  • 1981 riots
  • Politics

1981 UK riots – front page news

The 70s 80s 90s Blog11 years ago6 years ago13 mins

The 1981 riots presented the news media of the time with a huge challenge covering live events around the country that sprang up at a moment’s notice

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  • 1981 riots
  • Culture
  • Politics

Misery of unemployment in the 1980s

The 70s 80s 90s Blog11 years ago6 years ago03 mins

As mass unemployment returns after Covid, Tony McMahon looks back at unemployment in the 1980s which scaled horrific heights

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DeLorean DMC
  • economics

Back to the Future with De Lorean

The 70s 80s 90s Blog13 years ago4 years ago115 mins

The movie Back to the Future featured a DeLorean car but behind that story was a real-life scandal in Northern Ireland as Tony McMahon discovers

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James Anderton
  • 1981 riots
  • Politics

1981 Moss Side riot – police station mobbed

The 70s 80s 90s Blog13 years ago3 years ago011 mins

The 1981 Moss Side riot followed on from similar violence in Toxteth, Brixton and Southall but was largely over in 48 hours

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  • Politics

Jobs Express in 1981 – unemployed protest

The 70s 80s 90s Blog13 years ago6 years ago02 mins

Youth unemployment skyrocketed between 1979 and 1983 and hundreds of youth travelled the country on the Jobs Express to highlight their plight

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  • Politics

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

The 70s 80s 90s Blog13 years ago4 years ago01 mins

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

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  • 1981 riots
  • Politics

1981 riots blamed on left-wing agitators

The 70s 80s 90s Blog13 years ago6 years ago03 mins

During the 1981 riots there were attempts by the media and politicians to blame left-wing agitators for the violence that erupted in UK cities

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  • Culture
  • Politics

What young people were thinking in 1981

The 70s 80s 90s Blog13 years ago6 years ago02 mins

What young people were thinking in 1981

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

Boxing and racism in the 80s

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Tony McMahon – your blogger – circa 1982

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

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