30th November 1979

Friday 30

Sam comes up
he arrived at 7.30pm
Went to the flicks to see two films
Went to Follies (nightclub) with my brother and his girlfriend = ok
Went for a long walk along the promenade = cold (mmm November on the sea front in the NW of England is darned cold in the wee small hours..)
Home at 1.30 am

I watched 'Strictly Come Dancing' dance offs earlier (good decision to keep Rachel in although Christina has done amazingly well. Still hopeful that Austin will win though).

As the camera panned around the audience I spotted 'the Fonz'
I said ' hey the Fonz is there!'
My teen said 'who on earth is 'the Fonz'?'
I said 'the Fonz. Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli, Happy Days'
Teen said 'Huh?'
I sang 'Monday, Tuesday Happy Days, Wednesday, Thursday Happy Days tra la la tra la la ... something something .. the week for you!'
This was received with a blank look.
I went on to explain that my dish of American programmes in my teens included Happy Days ..
Still a blank look
So I rooted out the Jackie Annual from 1978... 'this is him'
'well he looks nothing like that now?' teen said
'erm it was 30 years ago when I was the same age as you are now!!'
She proceed to look through the annual .... making comments like .. OMG what is that makeup about? Tell me you never went out dressed like that? Is that Noel Edmunds? How old must he be ?



I loved Happy Days, it was one of my regular T.V. watches then. Teens having fun in middle class America in the 1950s/60.
I guess the Fonz is a kin to your teen bringing home a 'hoody' and then realising they ain't that bad underneath ... once you get past that cocky exterior!!

29th November 1979

Thursday 29
Cooked from 8.30 = knackered (oh come on it wasn't exactly Master Chef!!)
Skived off the rest of the day (god I hope my Mum doesn't read this .. oh or my teen come to think of it lol)
Did 1/2 of Sociology essay
Wrapped Corinna's Crimbo pressy
Phoned Sam
he wasn't very interested cos footy was on.

Well we are almost into December and only one month left of 70s teen years diaries. Can't visualise myself as 80s teen (although I was for a 2 years of the 80s)... must decide what tack to take with my blog come 31/12/1979???)

During December I will be posting extracts from my cousins e mail advent calendar. (CKX you should start a blog ... ) If any of you can remember from last year it is a mixture of the weird and wonderful, including games, pictures and bizarre web pages.

here is a taster from CKX of what is to come....

Are you at a loss of what to buy the man in your life this Christmas.... try these ........ yes very wrong!!
or how about some meat water...... eeeew!

what about a new tattoo in 3D?










Oh and from my brother .. some reasons not to own a cat lol (all the below I have witnessed with my two now elderly cats)

1. They stare with the exact same expression whether they are looking at nothing or an ax murderer.
2. They wait till your their human lays out their clothes and decide this would be the perfect place to take a nap.
3. They race through the house, hair on end and stop in an attack pose. Then walk of nonchalantly. Repeat as necessary.
4. They play with invisible objects.
5. They wait till their human is asleep and jump up and start kneading any available body parts.
6. They do a figure 8 through your legs while you are walking around the kitchen cooking something they won't get a bite of.
7. Before you get out of bed, they will make sure they are napping in the bathroom doorway on on the stairs.
8. They leave gifts of small animal body parts. Then wait to be praised. Stalk off if not rewarded for your gift.
9. If you absolutely have to go to the vet with them, they cling to your head with oh so sharp claws.
10. They wait till you are eating, then jump on the table and shed fur.
11. Using the litterbox at mealtimes appears to be great fun to a cat.

27th & 28th November 1979

Tuesday 27
Skived Sociology
Business Studies lecturer was away
Got a letter of Stan & the Insurance Institute (huh?? I can only think it was something to do with Business Studies??)
Going to Northampton next Friday to a do maybe?
Phoned Sam
He wasn't too happy when I said I wasn't going to his this weekend

Wednesday 28
Dentist 2.45
had a small filling
Prepared cookery stuff = boring
Sam phoned at 4.00 and 11.10
May not be going to Northampton cos of expense.

It is the last Friday of the month ... so that means T-shirt Friday with Nurse Myra.
Gosh the next T-shirt Friday will mean Christmas is over !!!

This T-shirt I bought in 2000 from the Warner Brothers Store in the Arndale Centre, Manchester, sadly the store is no longer there. It was great.

I bought the T-shirt because 1 it was in the sale and 2 Penelope Pitstop was a nick name I picked up in my former job (much prefer that to Ma'am...lol)
Also as a teen I loved the Wacky Races cartoons with Professor Pat Pending, the Anthill Mob, Dick Dasterdly and Muttley












Penelope also branched out with the 'Perils of Penelope Pitstop' just check out her running technique lol

25th & 26th November 1979

Sunday 25
Brother's girlfriends 22nd Birthday
Ice skating 2.00 pm
Went ice skating with Fi, C, Debs, Chez, Bernie & Ann = fantastic
Phoned Sam in the morning = really nice
Phoned Sam in the evening = really grotty
I hate him when he is like that

Monday 26
Only in college for 1 hour
Sociology cancelled
Ann came for dinner
letter off Sam = nice
Bought some Crimbo pressies
Sam phoned at 11.15 = lovely (what a difference a day makes)

Had a busy, tiring day in London yesterday and a right old busy evening this evening.. home late, friend called round and have had phone call after phone call .... = exhausted....

Being back at work I forgot to mention that there was a change of number one on 17th November 1979.... thank goodness Lena Martell was knocked off the top slot after 3 weeks.

She was replaced by Dr Hook (originally Dr Hook & the Medicine Show) with 'When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman'... a classic 70s hit .. I wonder how many weddings this has been played at??

24th November 1979

Saturday 24
Sam in Manchester to watch footy
Worked 9-6 £7.00 wages
Stayed in all night
Haven't heard from Sam
Fi phoned


I am off to London tomorrow for a meeting. It will be a pretty long day leaving home at 7.30 and probably not getting home until 21.00. I must say that the trains to London now from Manchester are ace ... 2 hours 10 minutes. Better than flying as my feet are no more than about 4 foot off the ground.
I am also going to Horse Guards for the first time ... I am quite excited really (I am like a big kid!!) .. must remember my camera....

Today I was tagged. Yes I don't normally do them but there again I can't resist a challenge particularly as I have to challenge my tired grey cells to think of some stuff. I do think I may have weakened and done a similar tag before... but what the hell!!

The tag was from the loverly tNb at Atomic Dogma .. I am still reeling a bit as tNb reckons I understand Boney M?? I understand the shudders that go down my spine when I see the male singer in silver pants ... I can tell you it is NOT a pleasant shudder... eeeeew



If you can now focus after that horror.. the tag is

7 Things About 70s

1. I am really a big softy and cry at Lassie films, animal hospital, etc EVERYTIME. No matter how many times I have seen them

2. I once did a strip-o-gram for a leaving top executive were I worked because some one dared me

3. I now wear flat shoes more than I wear high heels (sob...)

4. I can not go out the house with out at least applying a touch of mascara (if left on a desert island that is what I would take with me)

5. I once owned a black jaguar car .. had to sell it. Sold it to tinkers for cash and next day had the police knocking on my door to say it had been used in a robbery (it was such a beautiful car too with chrome bumpers ... ahhh!)

6. I part own a hotel in Germany which we want to sell (any tinkers out there willing to pay cash lol)

7. I have a thing about stationery and craft type stuff ... (put me a shop that sells it and I am like a kid in a sweet shop.. oh B&Q warehouses have a similar effect... lol)


So now I have to tag 7 others. Normally I would just say help yourself but on this occasion I am going to select bloggers

Sylvie - because she is loverly and I think she may like to do it :-)
Olga - because she is a bra and bra's love this type of stuff
Dear Frac - as she is on her sick bed and want to keep her mind racing
Claire - coz she is a fellow Liverpudlian although she is from Widnes
Diane - coz she is a 'game' Norvern lass but living down Souff
Nurse Myra - as I would love to see her take part .. NM is worse than me with tags
John C - well OMG who knows what we may get, but it would be fun ;-)

22nd & 23rd November 1979

Thursday 22
College at 9.00
Bought a gift voucher for brother's girlfriend between me and other brother
Home at 4.30
Phoned Sam at 11.00
He'd been at home all day
Don't know why? (I bet he was skiving and had told his boss he was still on jury duty....)

Friday 23
Skived Sociology (it's a wonder I got any qualifications at all !!)
Home at 4.30
Going ice skating on Sunday
Sam phoned at 4.45
He'd been off all day again
Had quite a long natter
He said he'd ring back later but he didn't

My it has been chilly here this week end ... 30 years ago here re some suggestions they would have us wear in the winter to keep warm and still look 'trendy'.. I so remember the layered rustic look, with hacking jackets ...... loved my hacking jacket but just couldn't get along with the jodhpurs though....

I may, however, knit some of these darlings!!! hee hee !!

21st November 1979

Wednesday 21

1 year since Sam started his job

Went to Liverpool

Bought a jewellery box for Mar

Bought some material for a skirt

Sam phoned at 11.00

He has finished jury service

1 fell got 3 years, 1 got 18 months and 1 got 3 months

He asked me to get engaged again!

I am completely exhausted after my first week back at work.. it should get easier as I get back used to the routine and pressure.. maybe? Isn't it amazing how quickly we can get out of the routine.. I reckon this is the reason why many fall of the perch directly after retiring??? Only about 5% in my profession go on to draw a decent pension... however, I fully intend to be in that 5%.... even if it means buying a life support machine with my lump sum ;-)

Anyway on a far lighter note, for the weekend a few personality testers from the Jackie Annual 1976.. it doesn't take long

Apparently I am very conventional, self-centred, practical with an air of knowing I am ok as I am just doodling but a pretty boring person (maybe my teen is right I am a complete geek)

I am lucky number 7

& I am basically down to earth with a business like mind

as Meatloaf said '2 outta 3 ain't bad' ;-)

19th & 20th November 1979

Monday 19

College for 2 hours

Nutrition cancelled (sounds about right in todays society before Jamie Oliver!)

Came home at 1/3 3 (see I did typos then when I wrote ... must have been 1/2 3)

Finished Sam's jumper (ah! that is what I was knitting.. a labour of love )

He phoned at 11.00

He has been in a terrific mood (!!!!)

Tuesday 20
Cookery cancelled
Lecturer away
Wrapped Sam's presy
Thick fog outside = lovely weather honest !!!
Rang Sam
Verdict tomorrow
He says he is bored (with court I suspect?... no surely not me?? lol )

I am exhausted being back at work.... it doesn't help when the train network is rubbish. The train this morning was 30 mins late and 30 minutes late again tonight .. walking in the house at 19.00 hours (sigh!)

Coupled with the mounting work on top of the hilly stuff (not a mountain thank goodness) I have had to catch up on my return those 4 weeks of chilling have paled away into more than insignificance.
I mentioned the other day that I was booked up until Christmas at work, I fibbed slightly as I had odd few days of free space.... today they were swallowed up. I now have 3 trips to London in the next 3 weeks, there and back in a day and to my grumbling disappointment, & on immediate trains back so there is no opportunity to shop at Harrods or Liberty's pre Christmas... it's just not the same shopping online (tsk and double tsk).

Mystic Veg sent me a most fantastic link to Swedish Dance bands of the 70s. OMG they are fabulous or should I say 'fabulous but tragic'!

So thought I would share a few with you... there are loads I could chose and I could give you the link (it is in my comments if you want to peek) but I will use the images along the way as they are so right for here...

Enjoy and cringe lol

Men who wear white pants should not tuck their shirts in ... what where they thinking

Swedens version of the Bay City Rollers maybe??

Wouldn't fancy their chances if they came up against some 'real' Teddy Boys

special flying collars












The names Thor & Eric just don't go together somehow??

18th November 1979

image courtesy of Body Technology Interfaces

Sunday 18
Sam at RAC Rally
Got up at 1.00 pm (1.00pm tsk!)
Knitted all afternoon and all night (a slight exaggeration me thinks??)
Judith came round (who??)
Watched 'Juggernaut'
Sam phoned at 8.30 on his way to the pub

Found this You Tube clip of the Rally. Sam attended the opening in Chester on the Sunday, the footage is of the final stages on the Wednesday.


2 things struck me when watching it. One was the cars... Vauxhall Chevets (we had one of those but it certainly didn't drive like a rally car.. so heavy and clunky), Datsuns and Ford Escorts.
The other thing was at the end Murray Walker said that in the 3 days they had to contend with ice, snow, wind & rain ... a harsher November than we are having just now (hopefully I haven't spoken too soon!!!!)


'Juggernaut' was Britain's entry into the blockbuster disaster type movies that were so popular in the 70s... Towering Inferno, Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake etc
I went to see it at the pictures in 1975 (aren't tabs ace lol) ...this is a fab dramatic trailer for the 'Greatest Sea Adventure of all Time'

17th October 1979

Saturday 17
Work 9 - 6 £7.00 = cold all day
Phoned Sam at 7.30
Went for a drink with my brother, Stan & Mike
Home at 11.00



well my first day back at work after 4 weeks off!
My train was 45 minutes late.
It was raining and I was so cold & wet standing there waiting.
It was all I could do to resist just going home and phoning in 'still not well enough to come in!'

Got to work at 10.55 straight into a meeting that had been on going 25 minutes before my arrival. (No time to dump my stuff so was accompanied with wet brolly and wet me).
That finished then had another meeting from representatives who had come up from London for 3 hours............. not read any thing on the subject matter for at least 6 weeks!!!

165 e mails which I had managed whittled down to 95 (taking out the emails whose deadline dates I have missed to respond to and Child in Need cake sales, they made over £400, that is a lot of cakes)

I have 2 trips to London in the next 2 weeks and a full diary now up until I finish for the Christmas break
Had a back to work ... 'are you ok?' type interview........
hey ho......... home at 18.30...
so much for a gradual edge back into work... erm no chance!!


Reg Varney died yesterday aged 92 . what a good innings though?
Who is Reg Varney many may ask ?

During my teen years in the 70s I was brought up on very un PC British humour. On the Buses, Nearest and Dearest, Love thy Neighbour.
It is a bit like Miss World as I never thought it offensive then.
We laughed at the jokes about colour, creed and sexual preference and double entendre (how do you spell that?)
Today yes we deem it offensive.
Yes we were laughing at differences then .....it was certainly a very different world then... and yes very naive of us.
As an adult can see now see how it would offend but now we should be adult enough to know it was in 'humour' then and by no means with any ill intent?

On the Buses was Reg Varney's big break through. It told of life as a working man and his family in London.

16th November 1979

Friday 16

Went to Southport

Exchanged my brothers Christmas pressy (the record rack.. I wonder why?)

Got the rest of the wool (I recall that you used to order your wool, they would batch it and you would leave it in the shop to buy when you could afford it)

Met 'J' accidentally

She came for dinner

It really cheered me up (nothing has changed there in 29 years!)

Sam phoned he was in a terrific mood! (erm was that sarcasm?)

My old boy PC is playing up and I am on lappytop, so anything I have scanned is sitting on there not here as this is not set up for the scanner!

Well, all good things come to an end and I am back at work tomorrow. The Monday Blues will be bigger than ever after having been at home for 4 weeks (how fast did that go?) can't even think what I have done in that month, granted 2 weeks were taken up with mind bending painkillers....

There s some sunshine on the horizon though, shortly after I get back to work I will be getting a new team (well 1/1/09 & not before time I can tell you)..

my boss forwarded me this application he recieved last week....

Dear 70z,
I waunt to apply for the job on yur teem.
I can Type realee quik wit one finggar and do sum a counting..
I think I am good on the phone and I no I am a pepole person, Pepole really seam to respond to me well. Certain men and all the ladies.
I no my spelling is not to good but fi nd that I Offen can get a job thru my persinalety.
My salerery is open so we can discus wat you want to pay me and wat you think that I am werth,
I can start emeditely. Thank you in advanse fore yore anser.
hopifuly Yore best aplicant so farr.
Sinseerly,
BRIAN
PS : Because my resimay is a bit short - below is a pickture of me.

Brian report to my desk instantly on Monday ;-)

14th & 15th November 1979

Wednesday 14
Stayed off college today cos of flu
Sam has been calledon a rape case
He wasn't very cheerful on the phone (erm hardly surprising??)

Thursday 15
23 months / 100 weeks (the amount of time I have been dating Sam)
Off college still
Fi came round at 5.00
She brought me some wool
Miss World Contest
Miss Bermuda won
Phoned Sam
He says the trial will continue into next week

I loved watching Miss World, personally I don't see what the fuss is about exploitation etc.
Then I loved to see how they did their make up and hair, and what ball gowns they wore ... and make the occasional 'ewww she doesn't stand a chance!' comment and 'I want her to win'.

A kin today where my teen 'has' to watch 'Americas Next Top Model'.... I listen to her saying 'I don't like her, she is so ugly', 'she has got weird eyes', 'I want her to win'.... 'who do you want to win Mum?'........ I am clueless with this programme as some of the gorkiest girls look stunning when photographed by the professionals and in return the pretty ones don't seem to shine that much.....

So back to 1979.
Gina Ann Cassandra Swainson Miss Bermuda took the crown
Second was Carolyn Ann Seaward Miss United Kingdom
Third was Debbie Rachelle Campbell Miss Jamacia

Shows how strict it was in them days. Miss Venezula was disqualified when one of her boobs slipped out the side of her dress during the dress rehearsal............that was a bit harsh!

However, 'Not the Nine O'Clock News' was not so coy 1979.....

13th November 1979

Tuesday 13
Long day at college (that'll be a first!)
Bought my other brothers Crimbo pressy
feel really "fluey"
Sam still hasn't been called (Jury Service)



Gosh I know how Sam felt sitting in court all those years ago with my many years attending court... the wait is impossibly boring.. the adrenalin is pumping then nothing happens day in day out but you go home exhausted, then suddenly you are centre stage in the 'circus' that is British Crown Court... lol



I went for my appointment at the hospital yesterday and boo hoo I have to go back to work on Monday. Well I suppose 2 weeks out of the 4 I have not felt too bad although the pain is still there but lessening thank goodness.

The physioterrorists surely know how to push you through the point of screaming!!

I have so loved being at home for a change. I have cooked loads obviously drawing on the learning I had at college doing food and nutrition.. I even cooked an old favourite dish as a kid.... in fact I have doen it twice due to popular demand from my teen.



The dish is 'Scouse'. Yes the dish that gave my birth city residents their name... Liverpudlians aka Scousers.

Scouse is a very simple dish, with simple ingredients but takes about 5 + hours to cook ever so slowly.. so not convenient for full time working mums & dads.
I will be sending my recipe to populate (hopefully) a space in the Global Cookbook that Fuel My Blog are compiling..... so if you have a local recipe do join in it is a great idea.........

12th November

Monday 12

College at 9.00

Bought my younger brother a record rack for Christmas £2.30

Knitted (I wonder what I am knitting?)

Haven't heard from Sam

He is on jury service

OMG I mentioned Christmas!.... I shopped early for Christmas then? I certainly don't do that now. I do think about and then wipe it out of my head until December. Working in a city centre is an advantage combined with flexible working hours ("I am off shopping see you later") I can pop out and shop when I want to (meetings allowing of course)

It would seem I was far more organised in 1979 because in the back of my 1979 diary is a shopping list with red ticks next to the items as I bought them

Sam - Jumper £7.68
Darts £4.99
Necklace £2.50 (no expense spared on that item then lol)

Mum - Jewellery box £6.00

Youngest Brother - Record rack £2.70 (huh I thought it was £2.30?)

Oldest Brother - Cassette box £2.80 (ahh cassettes.. does any one still play cassettes?)
- Sponge etc £0.90p (etc??)

Mums boy friend - Airball £6.55 (Airball what was that?)
- Screwdrivers £0.50p (quality screwdrivers obviously)

Sam's parents - Phone book and diary £3.75
Sam's sister - bubble bath £1.50 (how much on bubble bath?)
Fi - Umbrella £3.00
'J' - bag - £3.50
Sam's grand parents - Phone book £1.50
Sam's other Grand parents - Phone book £ 1.50
Niece - £5
Nephew - £5

God how easy was Christmas shopping back then ??? Still it cost about 60 quid and I only earned £7.00 a week!! I should be uplifted by this revelation because if it cost almost 10 times my weekly salary now I would be bankrupt!

However, as a 70s adult, Christmas will not be mentioned again (I mentioned only once but I Howevethink I got away with it).. until it is appropriate.. can't guarantee 70steen won't though!

As an aside ... I bought Sam's Mum a copy of Fungus the Bogeyman in the late 70s.. it is worth around £40 now.. I wonder if she kept it??

11th November 1979

Knit a poppy

Sunday 11

Remembrance Day

Got up at 12.00 = knackered (guess I slept through the 2 minutes silence!)

Stayed in all afternoon

Phoned Fi

Sam left at 7.30

He phoned me from Lime Street

Washed my hair

I have realised that I have missed off a couple of number one hits in the UK during October. Mind you when I have looked you haven't missed much.
on the 20th October it was Buggles with 'Video Killed the Radio Star' I really don't like it but you can see it here if you must.
But even worserer a week later on the 27th was Lena Martell and 'One Day at a Time' what on earth was going on??? It stayed at number one until 17th November.......

It got me to thinking what vinyl I still have from the 70s and sadly not many.
The most affordable way of getting your top hits music then was to buy compilation albums. Many a time, however, I got stung by the fact it was not the original artists, was it Ronco that did these? K-Tel did the original artists and I have this one 'The Hot Ones' from 1978. Had to scan it in 2 as it wouldn't fit

I have no idea who some of the artists are now... I probably didn't then either... but for 49p, a bargain!

This one obviously nearly parted company from me at car boot sale at some stage but thankfully it didn't get sold hee hee ... it is such a shame I don't have one of these anymore

10th November 1979

Saturday 10

Work 9.00 - 6.00

Babysitting at 7.45

Work = easy but hard on the feet (what time did I go to bed the night before starting a new job? Didn't get home til 2.15 am. Those were the days when I could do that lol. The job was easy, not rushing about, just helping customers find the right size of jeans etc but what I hated was having to stand at the front of the shop for hours as the owner had racks of clothes on the street outside the shop.. it was boring and cold)

Sam = bored as I was working

Baby sat til 2.00 am = knackered (I bet!)

Got £2.00 (was it worth it?)

So who were they yesterday?

Diane was right with her guesses of

Alex Kingston

George Michael

Tracy Ullman

Hugh Grant

The two you didn't manage to get .....

8th & 9th November 1979

Thursday 8

Cooked this morning
Gave in Sociology assignment
Sam phoned at 8.15
Talked for about 15 minutes
Did some Business Studies
Watched T.V.

Friday 9
Sam comes up
Bought some wool (hee hee)
Sam arrived at 7.30 pm
Went to the Houghton (pub), the Snooty Fox (pub) and the Sundowner (night club)
Went my brother and his girlfriend = very good
Got home at 2.15 am


I went shopping yesterday and as is my thing I went to some Charity shops.
I love Charity shops. The original recycling plants with that added thing that others will benefit along the way.

I hit lucky. I found a 70s book and a couple of 80s ones.
I asked the girl behind the till whether they get much stuff like this in.
She said 'oh yes all the time' .. so I have left my number with them for future finds. ( Note to self- I must get some cards printed and a new bookcase).

The 70s find was about the teen magazine 'My Guy' and it cost me 20p (gawd you can't even buy a bar of chocolate for 20p here now !)

It first came out in 1978 and ran into the early 80s.
I remember buying it the late 70s as it was a bit 'ladette' not the 'cutie' Jackie stuff I was used to. It excelled itself with dramatic photo stories and gritty problem pages about losing your virginity etc.. (I do know my Mum gave it a big 'tut tut' rating at the time.)

Many 'stars' of later years had their debut in My Guy's photo stories......it must have been great fun to do

Here are a few ... can you name them??