Memories of Carlisle and surrounding areas in the 1980’s
The 80s was the decade of British Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher, yuppies, chunky mobile phones and BMX bikes.
Big events from the 1980s when Argentina invaded the Falklands Islands and Britain went to war in 1982. In 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer.
Other memorable events include the miners' strike and the end of deep mining in almost all of the country, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the rise and fall of Poland's solidarity movement, of Solidarnosc and of Perestroika.
In 1983, front seat belts made compulsory. Home computers such as Amstrad and Commodore were tested and among the best buys of 1981 was the ZX81 and Windows was invented by Microsoft. The World Wide Web was first proposed by Tim Berners-lee in 1989.
The 1980s saw the rise of hip hop and rap music, with American influences in groups like Run DMC and Grandmaster Flash.
Popular toys in this decade include the Rubix Cube, My Little Pony and BMX bikes.
In the 1980s, Carlisle[1], went through several developments and changes. The economy of Carlisle in the 1980s was primarily focused on services, retail, and manufacturing industries. The area saw a decline in traditional industries like mining and steel production.
The city's population was around 73,000 during that period, and it didn't experience significant growth or decline.
However, there were ongoing efforts to attract businesses and residents to the city.
The city improved its transport links, including the completion of the M6 motorway and the creation of the Carlisle Inner Ring Road.