Interlude 1978 World Events

Well 1978 is moving along at a fair rate of knots….. I am running out of 70s years, a strange thought has passed by me I might have to evolve into 80steen.

So to delay the march of time I will be putting in a few more interludes than before… they will of course be in a 70s theme.

This is one is in a same vein as one I did here….. what was happening in the world when I was partying and taking my o’levels.

7th April 1978
America ( & President Carter) put on the back burner the neutron bomb testing, quite fearsome weapon that had minimum blast but huge radiation release. It was specifically designed to leave buildings standing but cause mass destruction of our fellow human beings.
I clearly remember this as I have read an article about it tonight and it sent that that same cold shiver up my spine as it did 31 years ago. I recall the thought that someone, outside of any ones control, just hitting that ‘red button’ and whoosh it would be the end of the world.

Meanwhile (when I wasn’t worrying about world destruction) ….I got up at 11.20 (hee hee), I went swimming, did some maths revision, Sam was in Portugal and I hadn’t heard from him. I did suspect he may of run off with a sexy Portuguese woman. I obviously had more serious matters on my mind !!

22nd April 1978
Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest. I can’t believe I didn’t record this somewhere in my diary.
The song was "A-Ba-Ni-Bi"….. I remember it well… NOT!! But sadly once I looked it up I did!!! What was that about & how did it win??


I missed it as I was really tired after working all day (10.30 – 6.15) and Sam came round and we had a good time !!

8th May 1978
Naomi James (29) became the 1st woman to sail solo around the globe via Cape Horn (the ‘Clipper Route). It took her 272 days and she traveled 27,000 miles. She is quoted to say ‘I thought about turning back’ I bet she did after her rigging failed in gales in the Southern Ocean, she had no radio for weeks and she capsized… I would have been so heading home …. Well Done Naomi
I have read on about her. She was made a Dame in 1979, she gave up sailing in 1982 after being sea sick (wow), sadly in 1983 her husband fell over board and drowned. She remarried in 1990 and moved to the States.

Whilst all this was going on 70s was having her French Oral Practice… which was nerve wracking

17th May 1978
You will be pleased to hear that Charlie Chaplin’s coffin complete with body was found after being stolen 11 weeks previous.
It was found buried in a field only a mile away in Crosier, Switzerland.

Roman Wardas (24) a Pole & Gantscho Ganev (38) a Bulgarian were arrested and charged with theft of a coffin and trying to extort £400,000 form the Chaplin family..
Wardas received 4 ½ years hard labour for being the mastermind and Ganev, who was the ‘muscle man’, described as a man of limited responsibility, received an 18 month suspended sentence

Lady Chaplin was reported to have said ‘Charlie would have thought it ridiculous’ …. I bet he would. I have visions of a Charlie Chaplin black & white silent movie of 2 men trying to get the coffin out of the grave, falling in a few times and the ‘muscle man’ of limited responsibilities running down the road with a coffin on his back… classic Chaplin comedy!!

Meanwhile I was having my hair permed, got £4.00 wages and oh I played pool

19th June 1978
Ian Botham became the first man in history to score a century and take 8 wickets in one innings. ‘I have never seen a ball swing so much in bright weather….’ A quote from the Pakistan Captain If I was interested I would articulate some more on the story.
I was brought up with a brother who was a cricket (& football) fanatic. He would have his transistor radio with him everywhere we went listening to the test cricket (yawn)

Had my Biology O’level paper all about plants
Watched ‘Cry in the Wilderness’ and was drinking Bianco & Lemonade the night before my Geography exam


25th July 1978

Now I find this incredible.
Louise Brown was born at Oldham District General Hospital….. weighing 5lb 12 oz.
The first ‘test tube’ baby.

What a remarkable thing that was. It must be a strange life for her as she has pursued by the press through out her artificially produce conceptioned life, every landmark birthday and event has been publicised. But I do thank those pioneers in this area and modern science because without it would not have had my Teen! I was told by a consultant ‘if you had come to me 10/15 years ago we couldn’t have done anything’ So waytogo!!!

Sam got some Levi straight jeans and I got some cheap no name ones. We went for a bike ride and Sam swapped Exodus for Station to Station