Cut backs in the Eighties - the 70s & 80s nostalgia thread.

[spreadsheet]

I remember our phone handset was rented from P&T for years in the early days until we realised what 'equipment rental' on the bill meant!

Also it was obligatory for the man of the house to have an electric carving knife for the Sunday roast! One of those early 80's fads.

 

[The_Banker]

I remember in the 80s my parents and my Aunts and Uncles talking about how bad it was in the 50s and that the 80s were great compared to them!

 

[The_Banker]

The 80's were tough alright.
I was single and taxed @48 % on the first £10,000 and then 60% on the balance. The lowest rate was 35% In fact I have memories of doing approximately 10 hours overtime one week and all that I actually earned for it after the taxman got his whack was £5.00 extra.!! Never again I took time in lieu after that. Mond you Charlie Haughey as Minister for finance had a brainwave of introducing an early retirement scheme for public servants to reduce the numbers and halve the pay bill. A few of my work collegues availed of the scheme but were subsequently rehired on temporary contracts along with their pension. I see there is talk of Brian Lenihan introducing a similar type scheme again in order to reduce public service numbers, so will it be the same old carry on again? Public servants avail of the scheme & rehired a week or so later?

I don't think Charlie was Minister for Finance in the 80s. He became Taioseach in 79 I think??
He was Minister for Finance in the early 70s before being dismissed before the Arms Trial.

 

[The_Banker]

Ah the memories…
We had a Black & White TV in 1978 but my father asked me to move it from one side of the room to another knowing that it would drop (I was only 8) so that we could get a colour TV from Maddens TV rental (everyone in Cork rented from Maddens). Just in time for the 78 World Cup! My mother complaining after the TV licence increased because monochrome was cheaper than colour!
We got the “Multi” (Cork Multi Channel) in the early 80s and the first programme I watched was Shine on Harvey Moon..
Listening to Radio ERI and Romano on South Coast Radio. Two great pirate stations.
Watching Robin of Sherwood on TV on Saturday evening. I loved that show.
Cycling my Grifter bike.
Chandras niteclub in the Grand Parade
LP's and Singles (there cheaper now!)

 

[grahamo]

I look at this MTV CocaCola/XFactor generation with their mp3 players big brother reality shows with a mixed feeling of envy and growing concern. They will get the biggest wake-up call if it ever gets to not only the levels I witnessed but they will think its the end of the world if it extends to our parents level. Reality will hit them like a freight train and it wont be like no big brother show they have ever seen before.
In the eighties I had to ask for a slice of bread. We never had a breakfast. We all waited for my dad to make the dinner, we sat around and waited for it to be made, we didn't need to be called in. No food ever went into the bin. We used to wrestle each other for the heel of the bread as there was more eating in it, these days every one throws out the heel. All my clothes were hand-me-downs. My shoes always leaked and when I walked to Christian brother school they squelched in the rain. I would develop trenchfoot by the time I got there. My toes shrivelled like prunes. I always tried to get in early but didn't, it was too cold to get out of bed. At school I dry my hole ridden odd socks on the radiators that sometime worked. When they got dry they were nice and warm and hard like cardboard. As soon as I got in I could not wait for the milk and buns which we got at 11am. I was so hungry all the time. I dont think I have ever been that hungry before.
But something tells me that I'm well prepared for whatever comes as I had been privatised to be underprivileged. I witnessed tough times as I was there but nowhere near what my folks went through. My only fear is that it doesn't stoop to that level! For me, now, this is no recession. It hasn't even come close.

Some funny memories in this post. I too had shoes that squelched when I walked to school and the socks went hard like cardboard when you dried them. I agree, this so called recession is a walk in the park compared to the 70's and 80's.
I also remember all the grown ups who would park up their cars close to where I lived.(everyone had old bangers in them days) Get out, take off there overalls and working boots, throw them in the boot and leg it over to Werburgh Street to sign on.

 

[ajapale]

Ah the memories…

Chandras niteclub in the Grand Parade

Id forgotten Chandras! Uneeda secondhand bookshops and army surplus stores. Late night cheap wine place on Washington Street. Pizzaland.

Bikes.

Hitch hiking and that queue at Newlands (pronounced Noolan's) Cross on a Friday.

Traffic jams at Naas.

Smog. Solid Fuel Backboilers.

 

[computerman]

AAHHHH I forgot about borrowing my fathers Ritmo.........

At least in the eighties we could move abroad to work, we dont even have that luxury now.

 

[micmclo]

I remember in the 80s my parents and my Aunts and Uncles talking about how bad it was in the 50s and that the 80s were great compared to them!

I remember my granny's funeral and the priest who grew up with her in the same village was talking about the hard times in 1930's and the economic war with Britain.

In the next recession in 20 or 30 years , we can tell our youngsters how hard we had it in 2010