This is England '86

[Jane]

Anyone else watching this too?

I'm enjoying the story as well as seeing some way out fashions from the time.

[alysonpeaches]

I will tell daughter as she was born in 86.

[Becky]

It's FAB!!!! I loved it! I was 7 in 1986 =)) xxx

[bandstage]

:)Couldn't miss this, it is fabbie. I loved the film despite the violent desturbing ending. Its great to see how they have changed in styles and moved on yet still the same group of down to earth mates. I left school in 1986 and remember the 80's far too well. Some good memories some i'd rather forget. I dont think fondly of the general fashions but love to see them when looking back even for just a chuckle or reminiscence.

I've been a skinhead myself for years and was passionate about me boots and braces, proud of being working class and british. Not at all racist though as real skins originated in 69 the year of my birth and not at all the nasty national front thugs that they are often portrayed as due to those that sometimes were in the early 80's when the skinhead got revived and associated with bad press.

Since last year when i was nearing the 40 and started to grow my beard i gradually started to tame the image down and the union jack badge bomber jacket and bleachers were put away. I started wearing shirts and trousers for work and since Easter this year i have wore me docs just once. The clothes may have gone very ordinary now (its an age thing, i didnt want to look like a middle aged person still dressing like a teen). However i will never grow my head hair back, its shaved every morning before my shower without fail even if i have a huge victorian style beard. A lot of my tattoos on my arms are skinhead words and i have 'made in england' tattood at the top of my back. I will never loose my faith in the spirit of being a skinhead but life moves on and every skin knows when its time to hang up those docs so to speak. I guess a bit like the characters in this programme. They havent lost their faith in who they are but moved on.

Carl xx

[Bronnie]

I too watched it but I would have said it was more like the very early 80s rather than '86. Rather gritty wasn't it and a bit depressing. Nice to see no one continuously glued to mobile phones though wasn't it!!

Did anyone watch THIS SPORTING LIFE (1963) starring Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts on Sunday? Again a very gritty film but the start of those moody and realistic 60s British films. Absolutely fantastic with cameo performances from actors who would be big names in the future like Leonard Rossiter and Arthur Lowe.

Bronnie

[Anita]

Oh No!! I've missed this I was 29 in September '86 and met Steve in November '86. ;D
A xxx

[Becky]

It was pretty much as I remember seeing things as a kid. Obviously I won't have the view of a teen etc so can't comment, but the way the kids were and the fashions, the caf's etc, all looked as I remember the world being when I was a wee one.
Good on ya Carl!! True to who you are, just adjusting for times ever increasing pace. The beard sounds rather impressive
My sister is 10 years older than me. I remember her being very 80's teenager, all Large hair, pink lips, pointy toe shoes, anais anais and hotbrushed. Oh how I wanted to look like her! LOL xxx

[Becky]

Sept 9, 2010 22:57:27 GMT Anita said:

Oh No!! I've missed this I was 29 in September '86 and met Steve in November '86. ;D
A xxx

you can watch it on More 4 online to catch up =)) xxx

[sharie]

Watched this a while ago and some bits I liked and other bits I didn't.
I often watch old films and dramas just to look at the backdrops and fashions of that time. I even like 'On the Buses' ;D now purely to watch social change and retro houses and clothes. Used to hate it as a kid as I was only very little when it used to come on and that man with the horses teeth scared me.

[Bronnie]

Wow! Your mention of ON THE BUSES has given me a right old chuckle this evening. I used to talk to a chap at work about it as we both found it so hilariously funny. You are right as it is such a fine example of early 70s standards and social comment.

What always made me laugh was how far middle-aged bachelor Stan, played by the late Reg Varney, got with girls he took home (he still lived with ma, sister Olive and brother-in-law Arthur.) There would inevitably be a scene of Stan fumbling with a 'bird' on his mam's sofa, but then something would happen to prevent him progressing too much, such as ma coming downstairs in her candlewick dressing gown and head full of curlers to see what was going on. He always had a loosend tie and untidy hair and the 'bird' would have one button undone on her blouse. That was as far as it ever got!!Imagine this nowadays!

Stan was supposed to be in his 40s but in reality comic actor Reg was a lot older and he lived to be well into his 90s.

Sister Olive was very plain and always trying to arouse her indifferent husband Arthur's (or Are-fur as she said it) passion.
I remember one scne where she was wearing a nylon baby doll nightie trying to lure him, but without success.

Bronnie

[sharie]

LoL Bronnie, when you 'get into it' it's so funny. And I could never understand how come the guy with the horses teeth got all the 'birds' after him.

I also love the old Steptoe episodes that come on and love the film version (Steptoe rides out). Harold's dad always got in the way of Harolds love life. I remember as a teenager I had an old blk/white poster of Steptoe having a wash in the sink on my bedroom wall - used to intrigue my mates when they come up to my room.

Then there is The Good Life. A must watch even if its only for Margo's wardrobe.

[Bronnie]

Sharie
You are right up my street because I too adore STEPTOE! And guess what - one of the most memorable scenes has to be the one of Albert having a wash in the kitchen sink! He stands up naked and a female neighbour sees him so he grabs a packet of FLASH to hide his 'privates'--(I think this is the word he would have used!)

Other great scenes include the one with fabbie Diana Dors trying to seduce 'arold and when they have a short-sighted greyhound and put a pair of specs on it so it can see the rabbit and run after it!! ;D

Bron

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SgsicOCYtQ

[sharie]

Bronnie I remember the Diana Dors one. She tried to seduce Harold and her husband is dead in bed next to her! Then she tells Harold to take the suit off his body as its a good one!
Love the one where Harold pretends his Dad is dead to get the insurance; he is supposed to come back to life at the wake and he'd fallen asleep in the coffin. Harold keeps banging on the coffin lid to wake him and the mourners think he is demented with grief.

I also like most of the Carry on films. Scenes like the minah bird in the bushes shouting 'show us your knickers' to a woman and a fella walking past gets accosted by the womans husband, scenes like that have me in stitches .

[alysonpeaches]

I like Steptoe and son too and love watching the old repeats. I like the one where they divide the house in two and have to share the TV and the cooker. They have a turnstile to get in! I also remember liking the water bed one! I used to go to the cinema with Karen (the girl in my picture) and remember many Carry On double bills in the summer holidays, also seeing films made of sitcoms like Till Death us Do Part. Its funny how you could enjoy the Carry On films without realising how camp Kenneth Williams was. When I saw bits from his life story recently I realised what a complex character he was.

When my own kids were in their early teens I introduced them to the Carry On films and they enjoyed them too. I remember spending a whole summer holiday when all my son seemed to say was "Oooh Matron!".

I liked on the buses too, but wouldnt bother watching it now. Carry on films still make me titter, there is always a one liner that you dont remember from the last time.

To get back to the original thread, I just mentioned This is England 86 to husband, and he said, "yes, that film I was recording and you switched it off when you went to bed". ooops! Im always doing that. I switch all the plugs off at the wall when I go to bed!

[scotty]

I watched This is England. Not sure yet where it's going...is it just a story of a group of friends? The original film was very gritty and had a social message. I can't really remember the end though so would love to see it again.

I watched the re-run of the On the Buses series quite recently on catch up tv. I was suprised how slapstick the early episodes were. There was an episode where Olive was making a cake at the same time that Stan and her hubby were decorating the kitchen and it wasn't long before the wallpaper went up with cake mix and the wallpaper paste was in the oven. Comedy is much more sophisticated now. I never got on with Steptoe and Son but one of my all time favorite comedies was'Just Good Friends' about the on/off relationship of a posh girl and a jack the lad boy.