1981

[HG]

• The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe was arrested in Sheffield
• Ronald Reagan took up office in the USA following his 1980 election victory
• The Iranian hostage crisis ends
• Bobby Sands goes on hunger strike in the Maze prison
• Bucks Fizz win the Eurovision song contest with Making Your Mind Up
• Pope John paul II was shot and seriously injured
• Shots were fired at the Queen during Tropping the Colour
• Riots occurred in Toxteth, Liverpool
• MTV is launched in the USA
• The Human League had the UK Christmas number one with Don't You Want Me?

[Richard1978]

Re: 1981

Spurs were FA cup champions beating Manchester City in a reply after Tommy Hutchinson managed to score at both ends during the 1st game.

Nelson Piquet was Formula 1 champion in this year.

TV highlights included: Brideshead Revisited, Bergerac, Bullseye & Magnum PI.

Tom Baker retired from Doctor Who regenerating into Peter Davison.

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: 1981

Bucks Fizz won Eurovision

And Lager was about 36 p for half a pint?

[Lilacmoon]

Re: 1981

I cried my eyes out when Ricky Villa went on that mazy run in scoring the winner in that FA Cup replay, beating Man City 3-2 :cry:

I started High School at LCHS in Lincoln.
The Brixton Riot in South London
The Toxteth Riot in Liverpool
The Chapletown Riot in Leeds
Charles & Diana Wedding whilst we were on holiday camping in North Yorks!
The Mighty Imps gain promotion to Division 3

[kazboot]

Re: 1981

The first number one of the year was Imagine by John Lennon and the last was Don't You Want Me by The Human League.
Most appalling number one was Shaddap You Face by Joe Dolce.

[Richard1978]

Re: 1981

Especially as it kept Ultravox's Vienna off Number 1.

1981 had the chart debuts for Duran Duran, Soft Cell and Depeche Mode.

Forgot to mention before that Only Fools & Horses was first shown in this year.

[Star Attraction]

Re: 1981

Westward TV ceased broadcasting 11 August 1981.

Television South West (TSW) provided a stand-in ITV service for the south west until they were officially due to begin broadcasting on New Year's Day 1982. However they kept the Westward name going until closedown 31 Dec 1981.

I only know that fact from looking at TV nostalgia sites in recent years; being as I was a kid at the time, I thought it was officially still Westward right up to New Year's Eve 1981. Between 12 Aug 1981 and 31 Dec 1981 inclusive, I naturally enough didn't realise it was actually TSW under the Westward name.

[Star Attraction]

Re: 1981

Bucks Fizz won Eurovision?

Their winning entry for the UK was "Making Your Mind Up", with 136 points.

At the other end of the scale, Norway finished last with nul points. Their entry was "Aldri i livet" sung by Finn Kalvik.

[PC66]

Re: 1981

The BBC Microcomputer (designed & built by Acorn) made its debut at the end of year, launched as part of the BBC's computer literacy project.