Tell Tom

Thanks for your 70s memories - here are some of them. Use the form at the bottom of the page to add your own.

"The Osmonds, coco-cola ice lollies, ford capri, wacky races, banana splits, magpie, joe 90, space 99, tomorrow people, Ashea, galloping gourmea, time slip, man about the house, john cravens newsround, screen test, catweazel, pippie Longstocking, vesta chow mains, Little House On The Prarie, Jackanory, and many others I can remember as a young 7 to 15 year old back in the 70s."

Elizabeth Woolrich, Chester

"Since I was a teenager in the 70s I have a lot of very vivid memories of that decade. Despite being the era of industrial disputes, power cuts, et al, the biggest influence on me of that time was being introduced to the music of King Crimson by a German teacher who proudly told the class that she was a Groupie with that band.

At the time I didn't really understand what a Groupie was but I was really impressed by the album, In The Court Of The Crimson King. This led to a deep and long-lasting interest in music of all genres, especially Jazz."

Peter Belcher, Chichester

"I remember all the great things from the 70's such as the hair styles and the clothes, quite fantastic in my opinion but most of all, more than anything else, it has to be the (Glam) rock band the "SWEET". I was hooked on their music from day one and have been a big fan of theirs to this day! In the 70's you couldn't get any where near them. Now I e-mail or phone Andy Scott (original member) any time. I have piles of the old 70's costumes they wore from back then along with other SWEET memorabilia?
SWEET even surprised me and turned up on my 40th birthday party and actually played for me, how good is that?

I've been promised the contents of "Andy's" attic very soon, who knows what we might find?

Pawl, Tadley

"My orange bedroom with my Fidelity stereo record player, playing Led Zeppelin records, being able to get a bus after 7.00 pm."

Mello, Fareham

"My wife and I met and married in 1975. We married in church - she wore white and I had "the suit" complete with 12" flares and wide lapels. We paid £8500 for our first home. The building society allowed 2 -1/2 times my salary and 1x my wife's salary to cover the mortgage. 

After a year we bought a new car - £1200. We saved up for it - no car loans. I still have the car to this day. 300,000 miles on the clock and still used. It was also designed and built in Britain.

My daughter was born in 1978 - when we were in a position to allow my wife to stop work - no childcare vouchers in those days. She had a proper pram - made by silver cross. We Holidayed in Britain visiting such exotic places as Ilfracombe, Torquay, Isle of wight and Hayling Island.

We still have our 60/70s Record collection 7" singles, Ep's and LP,s. complete with a player to play them on. Also a collection of cassette tapes that gave stirling service in the car cassete player. Our three piece suite was inherited from my parents who bought it in 1971 - it is a solid wood g-plan unit. We have only just had to have it recovered and re-foamed.

We have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and now have a computer and mobile phones. The phones however languish in the bottom of cases and handbags for use in an emergency. We loved the seventies despite all the difficult times."

Dave & Kathy Harvey

"Raleigh Choppers and space Hoppers, Alias Smith & Jones, Platform Boots and Crimplene Suits Mouse Trap game and Stylophones. These are some words from a song I've written about that fantastic decade."

Andy Brown, Southampton

"Remember Avocado Bathroom suites - Nobody would be seen dead with them today. Don't tell anyone, we still have ours. However today's choice of colours, white or white seems limited."

Penny, Great Milton

"70's for me was playing in a glam rock band who did very well nationally and recorded on same label as elton john, the band was HECTOR and eminated from Portsmouth. Southern tv of the day did make a short film in 1973 about lunchtime gigs at local schools. I get regular email from around the world and Hector has a large cult following from a new generation.

Alan Gordon, Portsmouth

"Hi Tom, I was born in 1966 and remember the hot summer of 1976 - so hot that we would have showers during the night as no air con! The water shortage where we had to go out to the street and collect water from a tap the council had put in - the summer just went on and on - O'h how I wish the summers could be like that once again!"

Katie Pool, Horsham

"Watneys Party 7's and I would pay good money to supress any pictures of me in the 70's. (Yes. I did love my loons and skinny rib tanktops!)"

Mark Eagling, Gosport

"we got married on 15/05/76 luckily 2 weeks after saints won the cup otherwise no one would have come to our wedding!
We honeymooned on IOW it wasn't good weather because the hot summer started in June."

Mrs Terry Pearce, Southampton

"4 sweets for a 1p fruit salads and black jacks,strikes and power cuts (going to school during a power cuts and having breakfast by candle light getting a new chopper bike had to be careful as the gear stick did damage to your bits and the long hot summer of 76 when we had to get our water from standpipes outside our house a great summer i was 4 in 1970"

Terence Toth, Cranleigh

"I loved the 70's! Glam rock ie slade,glittter band, the sweet. Fashion including oxford baggs,Platform shoes and moon boots. drinks like Tab and cresta with a polar bear and the catchphrase 'its frothy man ' and who was the 'secret lemonade drinker' ? oh yes, R whites. Toys like Tressy doll, trolls , k-nackers and chopper bikes. I left school in 76 and started work in Boots the chemist during the heatwave. The uniform was very short and very hot!"

Sue Andrews, Portsmouth

"The 70's was definitely my best time. Now am a retired exec consultant---but then lead a 'good life' had stables, rode at Hickstead, parties every week,worked very hard and played hard, lovely hot summers, cold winters had longish hair, cheese cloth shirts, Stylistics, Sly & Family Stone--walking distance of the pub--had NO mortgage--learnt a LOT about life---which made me a good Exec Consultant!"

Mike Warrington

"In the 70s We got on our bike and moved from Lancashire to Poole because of the work situation and we have never looked back. We had never been further than Blackpool before. So it was a brave move."

Irene Littlefair, Poole

"Flared trousers, Fu-Manchu moustaches (I grew one) and Fondu sets, we used to have dinner parties and drop bits of steak, pork, cheeses and peppers into boiling oil and never once got food poisoning!"

John Bender, Ferring

"I was seven when the seventies started, I remember we'd go out in the morning exploring, building camps and playing sports. We went home for lunch, went back out and came home at tea time and our parents didn't need to worry about us. There were no drugs, no knives and we didn't worry about bad things on the news, you don't as a child. They were truly care-free times. I remember Evil Kenevil, moon landings, blackouts, angel delight (butterscotch of course!) football cards with chewing gum, vesta curries, choppers etc... oh, and klackers, that knuckle breaking toy.

I was a regular visitor to Elm Park to watch Reading FC and Robin Friday was my idol. And the music, glam rock, prog rock, disco, reggae, punk and new wave, fantastic! When I was 15/16 I used to go to Quicksilvers in Reading after school to buy the latest singles by Buzzcocks, Clash, Jam, Pistols etc. Great memories! In 1979 I went to the Reading festival to see The Police, they were just making it big and they were awesome.

 In the mid 70's girls came onto my radar, and life was never the same! I look back with great fondness to the 1970's and am so glad I grew up when I did."

Chris Lee, Reading

"TV- Muppets, Starsky & Hutch, A-Team Dallas CAR -Yellow Volkswagen Beetle.
FILMS: Greece, Saturday Night Fever. FASHION - knee length boots +mini skirts, cheese cloth shirts
HAIR:Afro.
MUSIC-T-Rex. Vynil records. Ghetto Blasters. ELVIS - died Baggy Thatcher PM. MFI-Flatpackfurniture, Cheap fitted kitchens 
PERSONAL: Got Married-Husband wore white suit. Waterbed. Afghan hound+ bulldog+ ginger tom cat. Got our first colour television. First born -son "

Beastie, Christchurch

"my memories of the 70s are HOT. I WAS WORKING.YES in a pub in 1976/78 and it was so busy.the pub was the ferry boat inn at the duver st helens.we had tug of war across the channel against the pilot boat inn. which was next to the spit head hotel.at bembridge i.o.w"

Dieter Jacobs, Ryde

"Well, my memories of the 70s were Queen Queen Queen:))) although there was glam rock around, Queen for me and all my close friends it was waiting for the next Queen Single Album or Tour to start.. long hair, platforms, makeup, glitter, being able to smoke in public places, slam door trains, how I wish it was as it was... the only thing that is better now is medical treatment."

Terry, Bournemouth

"Brown was the colour of the early 70's even our carpets were dark brown. I married in 1974"

Penny, Great Milton

"The overwhelming factor that impressed me most in the 70's was the incredible summer of 1976.

At the time I was living in Oxford and working down in Wembley, Middlesex. My journey to work (No hand wringing about my carbon footprint in those days!) involved driving to Stoke Mandeville rail station and catching the train to Harrow, and thence to Wembley Park by Underground. The journey was undertaken in reverse in the evening. The road from Oxford to SM became so hot during successive days of continuous sunshine that the tar ran off the road, and what was left was still very sticky when I drove over it each following morning. No air conditioning on trains in those days so the windows on the ancient rolling stock were all opened, which was fine except when we passed what I assumed was a leather tanning factory with a particularly foul smell.

When rain eventually fell, I remember dancing for joy in the garden and getting soaking wet."

John Michael Smith, Christchurch

"I met my husband in may 1973 when i was 15yrs old. We married in 1977 at southampton registry office. We are still happily married with 4 sons and 3 grandchildren."

Mrs L Hersey, Southampton