The Gallery : A Kick Up The 80's

It seems like such a long time since I posted any pictures up for The Gallery but seeing as though this week's theme is The 80's I would have been a FOOL not to join in.

Firstly, I thought I'd deliberately misunderstand the theme and post this picture of my great-Grandfather celebrating his 82nd birthday.  It was actually the 1980's (just) but I knew that Tara would be HUGELY disappointed if I didn't post some rather more embarrassing pictures.

What I find really fascinating about looking through old photographs is the choice of content for the images.  I don't know what your parent's photo albums are like but mine are all of family parties, holidays, scenery, very special occasions and people holding babies.  Cameras and film were expensive and you had to choose your moment carefully.  Twenty-four chances at a memory (with a four or ten slot-on flashbulb) wasn't to be wasted.

I know that a number of people are expecting hideous photographs of me in dayglow outfits with lace and fingerless gloves trailing in my wake but the 80's were a decade of two halves for me.  It really was fortuitous that Mum wrote dates and captions on the back of every single photo.  Finding the right era was easy but deciding on a select few for today's post was more difficult than I imagined.

(click 'em to big 'em)

(l) Christmas 1980 with Nana and Katie, (r) My 9th Birthday (spot the Rubik's Cube) 1981

Bonfire Night 1981

(l) Christmas 1981 (there's a story behind that bike), (r) Jan 1982 with Katie and Grandpa

But I couldn't leave the nostalgia there. The young and innocent me did discovered perms, highlights, boys, smoking and Duran Duran But when I started searching for that special image for today I found that there wasn't many photographs of me as I was that sulky teenager who became very self-conscious about her appearance.  But here is one. It must have been June 1987 because my sister behind me as Rose Queen for our church and this is Freckleton Club Day.  I had 'volunteered' to walk with the flower girls in the procession.  This is my Club Day outfit which makes me look like something out of Rita, Sue and Bob Too, The Acid Years.  Check out that Swatch watch too! 

Have you enjoyed this?  

You can view all the other 1980's themed Gallery posts by clicking the image below 

and browsing the digital art Gallery at Sticky Fingers.

Post Script:

Some of you may remember that blogging has put me back in touch with an old primary school friend - Steph.  Occasionally we find a memory of school or dance class in the depths of our personal archives and either stealth upload it to Instagram or share it on Facebook (complete with tags) or sly a couple of old snaps into a reunion post.  However, Steph emailed this one to me which looks like I'm dressed as a piano-playing mouse (or were we supposed to be cats?) 

So I am retaliating with this one... A dance show - November 1981.