Part II of my eighties throwback… a couple of weeks ago you could read part I, but i’ve got a lot more to tell you. Read on for some good old eighties memories 🙂

Favourite music artist?

 

Up until today I appreciate several music styles and I think that’s all got to do with the different music styles I grew up with: blues, glamrock, soft classical music, operetta, pop, rock, hardrock, newwave,… in our house we listened to everything!

During the eighties I listened to Wham of course and Duran Duran. But also U2, Simple Minds, Joe Jackson, David Bowie, Eurythmics, INXS, Prince… this list is actually endless!!!

Oh… and let’s not forget Bryan Adams! I adored him as you can read in this post. I sooooo loved my very first outdoor festival at Rock Werchter in 1987, but the one in 1988 with good old Bryan was ‘heaven’ 😀

Another artist I got to know in the eighties was Billy Joel. In the eighties he made a couple of commercial songs like ‘uptown girl’ and ‘for the longest time’, but I like his older work way better. In Piano Man, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant , New York State of Mind and many other classics he shows what a fantastic singer-songwriter he really is.

At the end of the eighties I enjoyed a Billy Joel concert in Brussels and I vividly remember him dancing on his piano 🙂 (thanks to ‘Hagar’ and ‘den Bol’ from the local youth centre, because without their lift to Brussels I would never have been able to see this bit of magic!).

Favourite TV show?

The eighties was the era of big shoulderpads… and those were most certainly present in Dynasty and Dallas 🙂 I loved the glitter and glamour in both television shows.

From the early eighties I remember The Love Boat!!! Oh that cheeky Doc…

I also liked watching those shows where people could win a car, a washing machine and dryer or even a honeymoon 🙂

During the eighties I also encountered the Australian soap… first there was Sons and Daughters, but soon that was replaced by Neighbours. I guess I started watching Neighbours in 1987 or so and I must admit… I still watch it 😀 It’s my guilty pleasure…

Favourite (board)game?

Some of my favourite boardgames from the eighties were Risk, Stratego, Scrabble and Yachtzee.

My sisters and I used to play ‘library’… we marked all our books and made library cards. We then paid a visit to eachother’s library. At some point my sisters were too old to play along so I played it on my own… which wasn’t as much fun of course 😉

I played a lot with my nephew Alain who had moved to our village (he used to live in the faraway town of St-Niklaas which was 5 km away, imagine!!). He’s as old as I am and we had so much fun going out on adventures!

What did I do during the weekends?

At work for the monthly magazine of our youth center in 1988 I think it was!

At age 15 I was allowed to visit the local youth centre regularly and from age 16 I could go every Saturday up until midnight!!!! Wow…

Our youth centre was called ‘t Verschil and I have a lot of very fond memories of parties, activities and even meetings! We did a play each year, there was a little festival we organised, there were sport events, playback shows, food events and so on… I even got hypnotised one evening (but more on that evening in the ‘nineties’ post)!!!

Of course this youth centre was the start (and end in many cases) of friendships and romances! It’s also the place where I met my husband Peter and where we first kissed… but that was in 1990 so I should not tell you just yet 😀

Favourite event?

 

This decade is filled with fun and laughter… my first rock concert, my first festival, my first demonstration, my first holiday without my parents, my first kiss… a lot of ‘first times’ which brings me to this typically eighties ad from Coca-Cola! This was my favourite ad… after the Levi’s 501 ad of course 😉

But I guess my favourite event must have been the 1988 Rock Werchter festival!

Moment of the decade?

What is a ‘moment of a decade’?? The eigthies were filled with all these teeny tiny moments that have made it a decade to remember and to cherish forever and ever…

What really stands out in this decade is friendship…  When I think back on the eighties, it is hard to remember sad, unhappy moments. All I can remember are moments filled with joy, fun and laughter… and friendship!

There were my friends at school of course. With most of them I lost touch, but there is one schoolfriend in particular I would like to mention: Katelijne. I have written a post about our nearly lifelong friendship which is extra special as it is a long distance friendship since she moved to Australia in 1987.

But especially in the youth center I have made a lot of amazing people. People that put a smile on my face when I think about the moments we shared. People I might not see that often anymore, but who have a special place in my heart. People who are still good friends and who I feel comfortable with in any situation and people who I can gladly call family these days.

Yes, I can look back to a lovely decade… I can think of it with fond memories and with a warm feeling in my heart!

Love, Kathleen