The 70's BBC2

[MattyC64c]

A small TV documentary by Dominic Sandbrook has been looking at the decade that was the 1970's. The last episode is next Monday and will focus on the last 2-3 years of the 70's.

I was born at the tail end of the 70's in 1978 so I have no recollection of them. I know some of you guys are of the correct vintage. My question is, was it really that bad?

Share your thoughts and memories.

[djcarlos]

I was born in '76 so don't remember it - loving the series though, Dominic Sandbrook has a really interesting take on things (he has a monthly column in BBC History mag which pretty much always makes me stop and think).

[necronom]

I haven't seen the show - I've only been watching The Sounds of the '70s that's on after it, but I was born in 1971 and don't remember anything bad about the decade. I had some great times and only the '80s was better.

[Kaptain_Von]

I was born in the latter half of the 60s so did most of my growing up in the 70s. For kids it was a great decade. We had a lot of freedom. There were the stirrings of the kind of technology that would lead to where we are now. It was an era of classic sweets and a golden age of comics. There was classic TV (albeit on only 3 channels and in black and white for many of us) and some great toys. In the mid to late 70s we even had the chance to rebel with punk rock . We had Saturday morning cinema and were hardly ever at home during the school holidays, roaming where we wanted without the wrongly perceived fear of a kiddy fiddler on every corner.

Maybe for our parents things were different and knowing what I do nowadays of that decade I can see that they probably did have their worries what with the oil crisis, miners strikes, political turmoil etc. I can certainly remember the power cuts but even they were fun for us kids, a bit of an adventure to sit round the coal fire by candlelight toasting muffins.

Would I go back there if I could? Yes, absolutely as long as I could be seven again and have the chance to see a much missed grandfather who passed away when i was 8.

[fredghostmaster]

I'm enjoying the series but it is presented in a very downbeat manner. For a kid, the 70's was a great time to be growing up. No one I knew had much money so none of us felt we were missing out. For adults it may have been a worrying time but not for us kids, it was a great decade to grow up in.

[Helensification]

I haven't seen the series but as most of my childhood was in the 70's I remember it well.

It was a good time to be a kid but I do remember having to meet my Mum and Grandad from the bus with an oil lantern during the strikes because everywhere was so dark and going to bed with a candle.

[nokgod]

Born in 70 so i think it was a cracking time to grow up in.I remember the drought of '76. Best summer holidays of my entire school life. Every day spent over the fields at the back of my parent's house getting filthy making dens, fishing etc.

As for the tech, i didn't have any, but went round my mates house and we played his Binatone to death.

Great decade, ruined only by flock wallpaper, brown crockery and PVC covered settees that stuck to your skin.

'80's were definitely better though.

[MattyC64c]

Thanks for the replies so far. It seems like it wasn't so bad in the 1970's, well not for kids anyway. But hey, when we were kids, what did we know lol.