Local Shenanigans
Sometimes you don’t have to go too far or take too long for shenanigans to be had. As local establishments have their fair share of hidden treasures to explore and it just so happened that on Saturday morning, I happened across (by that I mean finally got round to) attending the ‘I Grew Up 80s’ at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.
Born in 1973, the 80’s have held a very soft spot in my heart since that era. For me it was a time of change and development, finding out who I was forming my own interests. It was with this passion for nostalgia that I found myself bouncing around the exhibition as though I was a giddy teenager once again as I was greeted with toys and memories from my childhood, which felt just as fresh on Saturday as they did all those years ago.





I admit that I don’t feel old enough to view a huge chunk of my life on display in a museum, I’m 50 next year, I can’t wait, I’m comfortable with my age and looking forward to this event with enthusiasm. It was exiting to see so much that I had thought lost to the dusty recesses of my mind.
Some were such simple items; A MacDonald’s ashtray, a pound note, football cards, fashion, videos, movie posters, games and puzzles – a whole range of artifacts, some of which I actually still have in storage personally – I considered the realistic possibility that I could put on such a display myself with my horde I store, or at least very nearly…





One thing I had noticed, as more of a personal observation than anything else, is that all the toys and games which I held dear to my heart were all aimed towards boys. Everything from Star Wars, to Lego, to He-Man, D&D, Transformers and such were usually marketed towards little boys. I had no interest in Girls World or Barbie, I found (and still do) Cabbage patch dolls quite cringe. I have to thank my parents for allowing me to be one of the boys, a shameless Tom Boy growing up and in these latest years of my life discovering more about myself and becoming at peace with who I am.




Just a short blog while it’s fresh in my mind – I hope you welcome this trip down memory lane as much as I have experiencing/writing about my little adventure back in time.
I played a lot of D&D in the ‘80’s and even went to conventions where other players from around the US, and even some from other countries, gathered. A lot of women were among the attendees—every convention was pretty mixed. It was pretty cool that, even though D&D was almost entirely aimed at boys, it was definitely something that everyone could be part of.
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That’s really awesome, I always felt so alone here. Good to know, thanks for sharing x
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Proudly born in 1970 and raised in the 80s, some of the happier times of my life. Kudo points for Judge Dredd!
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Fine taste my good man
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And you as well! This is all weird to see in a museum, but it makes me happy just the same. The kids today want the 80s to come back, so much cassettes are back, of all things!
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Fun post, Anne. I was born in ’61 and so the 80’s was mostly drugs, booze and women for me.
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What a perfect decade for such shenanigans!
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The Scotch Skeleton! “Re-record, not fade away….”
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