Newsletter
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for updates about British Culture Archive and The People’s Archive – including exhibition news, photography features and more.
The People's Archive | 1980s
Mod Revival. Football Casuals. The Miner’s strike. Section 28. Poll Tax. Acid House. Thatcher’s Britain.
The 1980s was a turbulent decade that ended on a cultural high with the explosion of Acid House and warehouse parties.
Browse our archive and revisit this culturally important decade.
Smoking on the number 13. London, 1987.
Photo submitted by Michael Melis.
Photo © Michael Melis/The People's Archive ®
Motorcycle Rally, London, 1981.
Photo submitted by Mark Liver.
Mark”In the late 70s/early 80s, the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) used to organize massive rallies, demonstrating against the helmet law. The slogan we used was ‘Helmets yes, Compulsion no’. We did get a few scooters on the runs, everyone on powered 2 wheelers was affected by the law. There was always a big party afterwards, with camping & we used to travel down from Morecambe, Lancashire to London or wherever the rally was.”
Photo © Mark Liver.
Wembley, London, 1982.
Photo submitted by Billy Drinkwater.
Billy “Lyon Park Avenue Wembley, after we took spray cans to a mates car”.
Photo © Billy Drinkwater/The People's Archive ®
Hulme, Manchester, 1980s.
Photo submitted by Andrew Morley.
Photo © Andrew Morley/The People's Archive.
Isle of Mull, 1978.
Isle of Mull, 1978.
Photo submitted by Tom Clarke.
Photo © Tom Clarke/The People's Archive ®
Camden Market, early 1980s.
Camden Market, early 1980s.
Photo submitted to our archive by Asif Choudri.
Photo © Asif Choudri/The People's Archive.
Anti Poll Tax Graffiti, Leeds, 1989.
Photo submitted by Andy Williams.
Photo © Andy Williams/The People's Archive ®
East Garforth, Leeds 1982.
Photo submitted by Heather Griffiths.
Photo © Heather Griffiths/The People's Archive ®
Phil's Flyers. Hartlepool, 1980s.
Photo Submitted by Paul Sid.
Photo © Paul Sid/The People's Archive ®
Wigan, 1985.
Photo submitted by Paul Glynn.
Paul:’Best years of my life. Our breakdance crew were called Street Style Rockers’.
Photo © Paul Glynn/The People's Archive.
Wigan, 1985.
Photo submitted by Paul Glynn.
Paul:’Best years of my life. Our breakdance crew were called Street Style Rockers’.
Photo © Paul Glynn/The People's Archive.
East Sheen, 1981.
Photo submitted by Craig Curahee.
Photo © Craig Curahee/The People's Archive. ®
Consett Skins. Consett, County Durham, 1982.
Photo submitted by Kearan Slavin.
Photo © Kearan Slavin/The People's Archive.
Scooter Boys outside The Pheonix. Cavendish Square, London, 1981.
Submitted to our archive by Billy Drinkwater.
Photo © Billy Drinkwater/The People's Archive ®
Margate, 1982.
Submitted to our archive by Billy Drinkwater.
Photo © Billy Drinkwater/The People's Archive ®
Chiswick, West London, 1981.
Submitted to our archive by Billy Drinkwater.
Photo © Billy Drinkwater/The People's Archive ®
Uphall, West Lothian, 1980.
Photo submitted by Graham MacIndoe.
Photo © Graham MacIndoe/The People's Archive.
Kingston Skins. Brighton, 1980s.
Photo submitted by Paul Ransom.
Photo © Paul Ransom/The People's Archive.
Stop off at The Wimpy. Chiswick High Road, 1980s.
Submitted to our archive by Billy Drinkwater.
Photo © Billy Drinkwater/The People's Archive ®
Skinheads. St Leonard's on Sea, 1980.
Photo submitted by Russell Macnay.
Photo © Russell Macnay/The People's Archive ®
Hanging out on the Kings Road. London, 1982.
Photo submitted by Polly Birkbeck.
Photo © Polly Birkebeck/The People's Archive ®
Broxburn, 1980.
Photo submitted by Graham MacIndoe.
Photo © Graham MacIndoe/The People's Archive.
Corby Punks, 1980.
Photo submitted by Chris Hagan.
Chris "Local Corby punk band The Disturbed. My uncle is the one with spikey hair."
Photo submitted by Graham MacIndoe.
Photo © Chris Hagan/The People's Archive.
Kings Road, London, 1982.
Photo submitted by Polly Birkbeck.
Photo © Polly Birkbeck/The People's Archive ®
Kings Road, London, 1983. Polly ”This is Dave Ferguson, surely one of the most photographed punks ever. He was our ‘local punk’ from Raynes Park which isn’t a very punk place”
Photo submitted by Polly Birkbeck.
Photo © Polly Birkbeck/The People's Archive ®
Holidays In The Sun.
Photo submitted by Andrew Gallix.
Andrew ”This one was taken on holiday in Jersey in July, 1981. That’s me and my stepdad. It was the week of the Royal Wedding and I was wearing a T-shirt I’d bought from the Virgin Megastore with caricatures of Charles and Diana dressed as punks. The main caption was “Nice one, Charlie!”
Photo © Andrew Gallix/The People's Archive.
Punk on the train.
Photo © Andrew Gallix/The People's Archive.
Covent Garden Punk. London, 1984.
Photo submitted by Costas Tsioras.
Costas " I took this photo whilst studying in London in the 1980s.
Photo submitted by Graham MacIndoe.
Photo © Costas Tsioras/The People's Archive.
Lancaster Punks, 1980s.
Photo submitted by Denise Sutcliffe.
Photo submitted by Graham MacIndoe.
Photo © Denise Sutcliffe/The People's Archive.
Chris on the train. Llanbradach, South Wales, 1983.
Photo by Alan Davies.
Alan "I was 19 when I took them all, some of the punks in the pics were younger than me by a few years"
Photo © Al Davies/The People's Archive.
Blackwood, South Wales, 1983.
Photo submitted by Lynn Wells.
Photo © Lynn Wells/The People's Archive.
Merton Park, London, 1981.
Photo submitted by Andrew Gallix.
Andrew:”Me and a mate, Easter 1981. Just before setting off to see Bow Wow Wow at the Lyceum”.
Photo © Andrew Gallix/The People's Archive.
Llanbradach, South Wales, 1983.
Photo submitted by Alan Davies.
Alan:” I suggested they all sat on the wall for the picture, some posed others chatted and I remember we moved on quite quickly. They were all punks and liked the original punk bands and the later ones like Crass, Dead Kennedys and The Mob”.
Photo © Alan Davies/The People's Archive.
Scooter Boy, Welwyn Garden City, 1981.
Photo submitted by Alfie Young.
Photo © Alfie Young/The People's Archive.
Bedroom Punk. Merton Park, London, 1980.
Photo submitted by Andrew Gallix.
Photo © Andrew Gallix/The People's Archive.
Stourbridge, 1981.
Photo submitted by Matthew Davies.
Photo © Matthew Davies/The People's Archive ®
Aberdeen, 1981.
Photo submitted by Keith Fowler.
Photo © Keith Fowler/The People's Archive ®
Ilkeston Scooter Club - Skegness Rally, 1980.
Photo Submitted by Joshua Hindes.
Uphall, West Lothian, 1980.
Photo submitted by Graham MacIndoe.
Photo © Graham MacIndoe/The People's Archive ®
Off to see Adam & The Ants at The Dominion Theatre. London, 1981.
Photo submitted by Alice Temple.
Photo © Alice Temple/The People's Archive ®
Keeping it Casual. Luton, 1980s.
Photo submitted by Harrison Jones.
Photo © Harrison Jones/The People's Archive.
Salford, 1984.
Salford, 1984.
Photo submitted by Ian Haydn.
Photo © Ian Haydn/The People's Archive.
Outside Captain Jim’s arcade, Kettering, 1981.
Photo submitted by Sean McManus.
Photo © Sean McManus/The People's Archive.
Afflecks Palace. Manchester, 1980s.
Photo submitted by Zach Turner.
Ripley, Derbyshire, 1983.
Photo submitted by Deborah Hill.
Deborah “The punk years 1983. Two of these boys are no longer with us. I am the girl in the photo. This was in a back street pub in Ripley, Derbyshire called The Sitwell Arms. We were going out to the Garage in Nottingham to listen to some good post punk type music Cramps, Bauhaus etc. We were a big group of punks and we split up went our separate ways and then found each other again ...great times”.
Photo © Deborah Hill/The People's Archive ®
Hanging around in Bedfordshire, 1980s.
Photo submitted by Kevin Parry.
Kevin: “These were my ‘new’ friends when my parents ran a local Greene King pub in Odell called ‘The Mad Dog’ I was always considered a nuisance with my camera (I still am!). The images are from the same day as a local event called The Pit Run – needless to say, we didn’t see much of it, because ‘someone’ had bought some cans”
Photo © Kevin Parry/The People's Archive ®
Top Cascade amusement arcade. Nottingham, 1988.
Photo submitted by Donovan Pennant.
.
“This was Nottingham’s biggest arcade and always full of unemployed and kids bunking off school. I was a regular, it had an aura about it that kept you there. Even though it stank and you’d be hounded by ‘ten pence Tony’s’ for money all the time”.
Photo © Donavan Pennant/The People's Archive ®
Brian. Ellesmere Port, 1980.
Photo submitted by Brian Duffy.
Brian”Photo of me posing with my guitar in my older sisters bedrooom back in 1980. Any cool pictures/clippings from magazines with our favourite bands or musicians went straight up on the wall”
Photo © Brian Duffy/The People's Archive ®
Newport South Wales, 1987.
Photo submitted by Darren Tutt.
Photo © Darren Tutt/The People's Archive.
Houghton le Spring, Wearside, 1983.
Photo submitted by Jo Murray.
Jo “This was a pic sent to me by my boyfriend Ronny (left hand side) and his mate, (He lived in Houghton le spring, Wearside) can’t remember his mates name, we met at school camp at Solway Lido, Silloth in 1981 & 1982. (I’m from Lancashire - Great Harwood) He would have been 16 in this pic in 1983.
Photo © Jo Murray/The People's Archive ®
Teeside Mods. Scarborough, 1980.
Teeside Mods. Scarborough, 1980.
Photo submitted by Tony Rodgers.
Photo © Tony Rodgers/The People's Archive ®
Stretford, Manchester. 1983.
Stretford, Manchester. 1983.
Photo submitted by Steve Hank.
Photo © Steve Hank/The People's Archive ®
Wigan, 1981.
Photo submitted by David Yeats.
Photo © David Yeats/The People's Archive.
Ladywood, Birmingham, 1989.
Photo submitted by Philip Gifford.
Photo © Philip Gifford/The People's Archive ®
Ride Out. Pendleton, Salford, 1985.
Photo submitted by Howard Patent.
Howard” Photo taken of Greater Manchester scooter clubs riding past Pendleton church en mass. On the way to Morecambe after meeting at Horners, Old Trafford”.
Photo © Howard Patent/The People's Archive ®
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, 1984
Photo submitted by Robyn Dilworth.
Photo © Robyn Dilworth/The People's Archive.
Heavy metal kids. Solihull, 1988.
Photo submitted by Adam Beer.
Adam”With my friends Marcos, Grant, Paul and Toby. We would’ve been heading into Birmingham on the 57 bus, like we did every Saturday morning”.
Photo © Adam Beer.
Pre Rave. Wirral, 1989.
Photo submitted by Jay Montessori.
Photo © Jay Montessori/The People's Archive.
Sisters wearing their big coats. London, 1970s.
Photo submitted by Alice Temple.
Photo © Alice Temple/The People's Archive.
Barton Hill, Bristol, 1983.
Photo submitted by John Morgan.
John ”A photo of myself as a 16 year old scooter boy in 1983”
Photo © John Morgan/The People's Archive ®
Covent Garden Breakdancers, 1984.
Photo submitted by Costas Tsioras.
Costas " I took this photo whilst studying in London in the 1980s.
Photo submitted by Graham MacIndoe.
Photo © Costas Tsioras/The People's Archive.
Brothers in Parka’s. Richmond Park, London, early 1980s.
Photo submitted by Darren Spice.
Photo © Darren Spice/The People's Archive.
Post Hacienda, Manchester, 1988.
Photo submitted by David Kilner.
David:”Taken outside The Haçienda in 1988 by a girl we used to hang out with called Naomi. This was directly outside the club as we left, hence the Spectrum flyer (there was always someone handing out flyers)
Photo © David Kilner/The People's Archive.
Crewe and Stoke scooter clubs in Rhyl, 1986.
Photo submitted by Grant Kettle.
Photo © Grant Kettle/The People's Archive.
Punx Picnic. Hulme, late 1980s.
Photo submitted by Denise Sutcliffe.
Photo © Denise Sutcliffe/The People's Archive ®
Scooter Run, Bournmouth, 1981.
Photo submitted by Ed Silvester.
Ed "Myself and my brother John on a scooter run in Bournmouth"
Photo © Ed Silvester/The People's Archive.
Grifter Action. Llanbradach, South Wales, 1982.
Photo submitted by Alan Davies.
Photo © Alan Davies/The People's Archive.
Party Four. East Ham, London, 1980.
Photo submitted by Steve Collins.
Photo © Steve Collins/The People's Archive ®
Westwood Power Station. Wigan, 1989.
Photo submitted by Laura Havlin.
Laura”This is a photo of me taken by the cooling towers at the coal-powered Westwood Power Station, by the Leeds Liverpool Canal in Wigan. Taken in January 1989, just before it was razed on January the 15th. Photo by my dad Christopher Havlin”.
Photo © Christopher Havlin/The People's Archive ®
Breakdancing in Doncaster, 1982.
Photo submitted by Rick Meakin.
Rick”My brother Andy doing the turtle, we couldn’t afford lino so a piece of cardboard had to do!
Photo © Rick Meakin/The People's Archive ®
Montrose, North East Scotland, late 80s.
Photo submitted by Rhudi Twidale.
Rhudi”My dad (2nd from left) and his pals in the late 80s. The “dynamo” casuals who follow Montrose FC. This is outside a pub they still love to go to now. They haven’t changed, just a few more wrinkles and grey hair!”
St Ives, 1980.
Photo Submitted by Andy Armitage.
Photo © Andy Amitage/The People's Archive ®
Welcome Home Daddy. Plymouth, 1982.
Photo submitted by Sophie Brown.
Sophie “This is a photo of my big brother John, which my Mum took in Devonport Dockyard on 10th September 1982, the day my Dad returned from the Falklands. She said it was full of people, and families were allowed to go on the ship if they wanted to (my dad was on Andromeda), but she decided to stay on land and watch the Royal Marine's Band.
Apparently my brother was dancing away! He's 2 years and 4 months here. After all the commotion, they jumped on the bus home and my Mum sometimes jokes that she spent the next few weeks trying to wash all the dirt out of my Dad's clothes”.
Photo © Sophie Brown/The People's Archive ®
Skate Action, York, 1980s.
Photo submitted by Martin Pugh.
Photo © Martin Pugh/The People's Archive ®
A group of Mancunian friends in The Gay Traitor Bar of The Haçienda. circa 1987
Photo submitted by Darren Jones.
Photo © Darren Jones/The People's Archive Ltd.
2017 – 2021 © British Culture Archive | The People’s Archive ®