Oct 27
Big Bang — City of London Deregulated
The Stock Exchange was deregulated. Foreign banks flooded in. The City of London became a global financial centre. Champagne, Porsches, and yuppies followed.
🇬🇧United Kingdom · 80s
Big Bang and Big Hair
The City deregulates, Maradona scores twice, and Chernobyl's cloud drifts over.
What happened
4 milestones of 1986
Jun 22
Maradona's 'Hand of God'
Argentina's Maradona scored twice against England in the World Cup quarter-final — the 'Hand of God' (handball) and the 'Goal of the Century.' England was out. The nation fumed — and marvelled.
May
Chernobyl Fallout Reaches UK
Radioactive fallout from Chernobyl drifted over Britain. Welsh and Scottish hill farms were affected — sheep restrictions lasted 26 years.
Nuclear fallout — factual about real impact on British farmers
Mar 31
GLC Abolished
Thatcher abolished the Greater London Council, led by Ken Livingstone. London went 14 years without a city-wide government. Political revenge or good governance? Britain argued.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
A Room with a View
James Ivory — Still playing from 1985 release. Merchant Ivory at its peak.
Mona Lisa
Neil Jordan — Bob Hoskins in Soho's underworld. BAFTA-nominated brilliance.
Top Gun
Tony Scott — American blockbuster that dominated UK cinemas.
Highlander
Russell Mulcahy — Major UK release — TMDB 6.9
Labyrinth
Jim Henson — Major UK release — TMDB 7.3
What was on TV
The Singing Detective
1986 — Dennis Potter's masterpiece. Michael Gambon. BBC at its most ambitious.
Casualty
1986-present — BBC's medical drama launched. Still going strong.
World Cup coverage
Jun 1986 — Maradona's goals replayed endlessly. England mourned.
How much things cost
Currency: GBP
Pint of milk22p
Pint of bitter76p
Average house£36,276
Postage stamp17p
Inflation: 3.4%
Big Bang boom. Yuppie culture. London property prices surging. The North-South divide widening.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Pint of milkONS
1986 (GBP)
22p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Pint of bitterBBPA
1986 (GBP)
76p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Average houseONS
1986 (GBP)
£36,276
→
Today's value (£)
--
Postage stampRoyal Mail
1986 (GBP)
17p
→
Today's value (£)
--
Technology
BBC Micro
Still in schools across Britain. An entire generation learned to code on it.
Amstrad PC1512
Alan Sugar's IBM-compatible PC brought computing to British homes.
VHS rental
Video rental shops on every high street. Friday night trips to Blockbuster.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Power dressing — padded shoulders, big hairYuppie style — red braces, brick mobile phonesAcid-washed denimFilofax as status symbol
Slang
Yuppie— Young Urban Professional — the new elite
Loadsamoney— Flashy wealth (Harry Enfield character)
Sorted— Done, arranged
Behavior
- The City was the new rock 'n' roll — money worship began
- Yuppies with mobile phones the size of bricks became a symbol
- The divide between Thatcher's winners and losers deepened
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