Jul 13
Live Aid at Wembley
Bob Geldof organized the biggest concert in history at Wembley and JFK Stadium, Philadelphia. 1.9 billion watched on TV. Queen's set became legendary. £150 million raised for Ethiopian famine.
🇬🇧United Kingdom · 80s
Live Aid and Heysel
Geldof fed the world, football wept, and EastEnders began.
What happened
4 milestones of 1985
May 29
Heysel Stadium Disaster
39 people were killed at the European Cup final in Brussels when a wall collapsed during crowd violence involving Liverpool fans. English clubs were banned from European competition for 5 years.
Stadium disaster — honor the victims, acknowledge responsibility
Mar 3
Miners' Strike Ends
After a year, the miners returned to work without a deal. Thatcher had won. The NUM was broken. Communities were devastated. The industrial North would never fully recover.
Class conflict aftermath — empathetic to communities that lost everything
Feb 19
EastEnders Debuts
BBC's new soap opera set in Albert Square, Walford, aired for the first time. By Christmas, the 'Dirty Den divorce papers' episode drew 30 million viewers.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
A Room with a View
James Ivory — Helena Bonham Carter in Florence. Merchant Ivory perfection.
My Beautiful Laundrette
Stephen Frears — Daniel Day-Lewis. Thatcher's Britain through an immigrant's eyes.
Back to the Future
Robert Zemeckis — American import that dominated UK cinemas.
A View to a Kill
John Glen — Major UK release — TMDB 6.2
Legend
Ridley Scott — Major UK release — TMDB 6.2
What was on TV
EastEnders
1985-present — Albert Square opened. Dirty Den, Angie. 30 million watched Christmas Day.
Live Aid broadcast
Jul 1985 — 16 hours of live coverage. The BBC's greatest outside broadcast.
Edge of Darkness
1985 — Bob Peck. Nuclear conspiracy thriller. BBC drama at its peak.
How much things cost
Currency: GBP
Pint of milk22p
Pint of bitter70p
Average house£33,232
Cinema ticket£2.00
Inflation: 6.1%
The City was booming — 'Big Bang' deregulation coming. Two Britains: prosperous South, devastated North.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Pint of milkONS
1985 (GBP)
22p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Pint of bitterBBPA
1985 (GBP)
70p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Average houseONS
1985 (GBP)
£33,232
→
Today's value (£)
--
Cinema ticketBFI
1985 (GBP)
£2.00
→
Today's value (£)
--
Technology
Amstrad PCW
Alan Sugar's word processor — the first affordable home office computer.
C5
Sinclair's electric vehicle was a famous flop. Ridiculed in the rain.
Compact discs
CD players starting to outsell vinyl in UK shops.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Power dressing peakedShoulder padsLeg warmers lingeringDesigner labels (Armani, Versace)
Slang
Wicked— Excellent, really good
Sorted— Arranged, dealt with
Well good— Very good
Behavior
- Live Aid created a sense of collective purpose
- Football hooliganism was a national shame after Heysel
- Mining communities mourned the end of their way of life
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