Most glorious events in your lifetime?

[Braders]

Adam Virgo , 120th Minute

 

[Pbseagull]

Agree that Thatcher was well past her sell by date by the time she was ousted as PM. However when she came to office the country needed a thorough overhaul as it was at real risk of capsizing under the weight of union power. The economy had been hammered by a series of major strikes known as the winter of discontent and there were many inefficient industries due to outdated practices and overstaffing courtesy of Scargill, Red Robbo etc. There was a desperate need for modernisation in order for the UK to remain competitive. It wasn't that long since we had been bailed out by the IMF. Someone had to tackle this and at least she had the balls to get stuck in. I do wonder how long it would have taken for the country to go bankrupt if she hadn't intervened. To do nothing was not an option. Sadly this cost thousands of jobs and caused the 'social re-engineering' that is still ingrained in many communities today.

I have been a union member and occasionally an official for 30+ years and so a strong advocate of protecting workers rights but back in the 70's/80's there was far too much extreme leftism in the unions. I think she would have struggled but for the Falklands which was very timely and after surviving the assassination attempt at The Grand Hotel she was politically 'bulletproof' for a few years. It is no coincidence that Blair and Brown subsequent looked for their respective 'Falklands moments' to revive their fortunes. Have to admire the way Mrs. T. dealt with the US and Europe and boy has she been vindicated there. Would love to see her giving Sarkozy a good handbagging. On the other hand there was the questionable relationship with Chile but guess that was partly born out of being a useful South American ally on the border with Argentina.

What didn't help Thatcher was her haughty patronising tone and the longer she went on sounded more royal than the Queen. No real sense of compassion. Thats where she lost a lot of support and was a rather sad figure by the time she moved on. History will show her as a love/hate figure but she will be credited with winning a 'just' war, turning around an economy that was in terminal decline and setting the basis for Blair to enjoy the crest of wave. Isn't it ironic that for all the feel good factor and spin, history will judge Blair on the basis of an unjust war in Iraq and getting into bed with Bush and Gaddafi. On the other hand he also took old Labour away from union control towards the centre right. Brown (the so called best Chancellor ever) will be judged for selling off the gold reserves and allowing the banks off the leash in a credit fuelled feel good frenzy that wrecked the economy, while preaching 'prudence, prudence,prudence'.

Well said! 1979 was the first year that I became really aware of politics, I remember the UK being the laughing stock of Europe before Maggie took control, in the winter before the Election, pretty much everyone was going on strike. No electricty after 6pm, the Country was in a Bloody Mess, Love her or Hate her, I will always believe that She gave us respect from Europe and sorted out the Unions. History will (eventually) show her as one of the best PM's we have had in recent times.

 

[Danny-Boy]

-germany 1-5 england

-the creation of the iPhone

England 4 West Germany 2 (aet) we are still celebrating that after 45 years...

 

[Danny-Boy]

The day Mrs Thatcher became Prime Minister

Wrong thread I think, please transfer it ASAP!

 

[Brovion]

Well said! 1979 was the first year that I became really aware of politics, I remember the UK being the laughing stock of Europe before Maggie took control, in the winter before the Election, pretty much everyone was going on strike. No electricty after 6pm, the Country was in a Bloody Mess, Love her or Hate her, I will always believe that She gave us respect from Europe and sorted out the Unions. History will (eventually) show her as one of the best PM's we have had in recent times.

Most of your post is your opinion, which, whilst I don't share it I do accept that you are entitled to hold those views. The bit that I've highlighted though about 'no electricity' is however a total lie.

And we owned it and it wasn't sold to us at the highest possible price so that someone could make a profit.

EDIT: Had to add that last sentence, sorry!

 

[Storer 68]

In my lifetime I've seen season tickets turn from paper to Smartcards, I've seen mobile phones shrink from the size of suitcase to something that fits in your pocket, I've watched records being played on a record player move to the ipod, the first Tv I remember had a wire that stretched the length of the room to the remote control.
But in my lifetime I have never seen a man on the moon. I don't totally disbelieve it but to call me a modern idiot is a bit harsh. Maybe your an old fool?

So what happened to the bottom halves of the Lunar module that you don't think were left on the moon?

 

[Pbseagull]

Most of your post is your opinion, which, whilst I don't share it I do accept that you are entitled to hold those views. The bit that I've highlighted though about 'no electricity' is however a total lie.

And we owned it and it wasn't sold to us at the highest possible price so that someone could make a profit.

EDIT: Had to add that last sentence, sorry!

I may have got the Electricty bit wrong ( quite possibly because the electricty did go off at home in the winter evenings of 78/79 for a while but this may have been because my mum didn't have the money for the meter and told us we had to sit in candlelight due to strikes, to hide the fact that we were poor!), I do however remember loads of public sector workers striking, mainly due to Callaghans wage increase freeze below 5%. I accept that the last part of my post is my opinion but do you not agree that in 1978 we were a joke to the rest of Europe and that the Unions had the Country by the Throat?

 

[looney]

I may have got the Electricty bit wrong ( quite possibly because the electricty did go off at home in the winter evenings of 78/79 for a while but this may have been because my mum didn't have the money for the meter and told us we had to sit in candlelight due to strikes, to hide the fact that we were poor!), I do however remember loads of public sector workers striking, mainly due to Callaghans wage increase freeze below 5%. I accept that the last part of my post is my opinion but do you not agree that in 1978 we were a joke to the rest of Europe and that the Unions had the Country by the Throat?

I remember power cuts in the 70's in the evenings, think it was due to the miners strike.

 

[Pbseagull]

I remember power cuts in the 70's in the evenings, think it was due to the miners strike.

Thanks, was beginning to think that I had imagined it!

 

[Hillian1]

Thanks, was beginning to think that I had imagined it!

I remember the power cuts in the late 70's. Lived in Wales at the time and it seemed to be quite regular.

 

[Bob!]

The release of Nelson Mandela

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

No, if you give one iota of credence to the 'conspiracy' theories then you're an idiot. If you want to prove to me that you're not then do some research and come back and tell me what part(s) you think were faked and have a stab about guessing how they did it (You might like to start by pondering how they faked the source of the radio signals from the lunar surface with the entire world watching and the communist part willing them to fail). Then ask yourself having faked it once why do it a further SIX TIMES? And how come the 'truth' has never come out? Having done this research you should realise that faking the moon landings would have been a far greater achievement than utililsing tried and tested rocket technology and actually doing them.

And as to why they haven't gone back, again research will show you that they changed focus. Having won the 'space race' (an old Cold War term) they saw no point in going back. Plus of course they had no more money for what was little more than a willy-waving exercise.

HTH. Off you go.

Your surname isn't Armstrong is it?

 

[Garage_Doors]

Introduction to Punk music and hearing the bollocks Album for the first time.
Life changing for me.

 

[DumLum]

No, if you give one iota of credence to the 'conspiracy' theories then you're an idiot. If you want to prove to me that you're not then do some research and come back and tell me what part(s) you think were faked and have a stab about guessing how they did it (You might like to start by pondering how they faked the source of the radio signals from the lunar surface with the entire world watching and the communist part willing them to fail). Then ask yourself having faked it once why do it a further SIX TIMES? And how come the 'truth' has never come out? Having done this research you should realise that faking the moon landings would have been a far greater achievement than utililsing tried and tested rocket technology and actually doing them.

And as to why they haven't gone back, again research will show you that they changed focus. Having won the 'space race' (an old Cold War term) they saw no point in going back. Plus of course they had no more money for what was little more than a willy-waving exercise.

HTH. Off you go.

I was 50% certain the moon landings were real anyway, I have done the research you have asked me to do.... and now I'm 55% certain they were real.

 

[DumLum]

So what happened to the bottom halves of the Lunar module that you don't think were left on the moon?

I am now 58% certain the moon landings were real. Thanks.

 

[Nibble]

Smoking being banned and the general awareness of the harm it can do to lives. prob too late to save many in my generation but less and less young uns are smoking these days as a direct result of the ban and awareness campaigns.

 

[El Presidente]

Seeing the first holy grail in a porn movie. A DVDA is similar to watching a spacecraft dock with the international space station, such is the precision and skill required, especially for the final person docking.

 

[Driver8]

I just googled that and it sounds quite a feat.

 

[Andrew]

England 4 West Germany 2 (aet) we are still celebrating that after 45 years...

You bastards were lucky.

One day Scotland will win that competition!