The 1970s doesn't seem that long ago to me but it's amazing that 1970 is almost 40 years ago now. It was a time of crazy fashions - flared trousers, platform shoes, kipper ties and long hair. Being a teenager back then, there's a few events in Plymouth that I remember from that decade.
Doctor Who is very popular nowadays and I'm sure if David Tennant was to appear in a store in the city centre, there would be a huge queue of kids (and probably adults) waiting to see him. Back in 1975, Tom Baker was Doctor Who and I remember that he appeared at Debenhams to promote a new book called 'The Doctor Who Monster Book'. He was arriving at about 9am and I remember getting up early to go and see him. 
The store had a Tardis set up and a table for him to sign copies of his book. I remember all the kids cheering when he came up the escalator to the third floor, dressed as Doctor Who complete with scarf, and I was also surprised how tall he was. He was very friendly and lovely to all the kids and happily signed autographs and posed for photos. I took several photos on that day but the one that appears here is the only one I still have.
The store had a Tardis set up and a table for him to sign copies of his book. I remember all the kids cheering when he came up the escalator to the third floor, dressed as Doctor Who complete with scarf, and I was also surprised how tall he was. He was very friendly and lovely to all the kids and happily signed autographs and posed for photos. I took several photos on that day but the one that appears here is the only one I still have.
Another event I remember in Plymouth in the 1970s took place on the Hoe in 1977 and involved knights jousting. This was very popular and was followed by a display featuring characters from Planet of the Apes. This attracted a large crowd , mainly kids, who
had enjoyed the popular tv series that ran until the late 1970s. I remember the apes going back to the Hoe Theatre to take off their make up and they posed for pictures for me. Unfortunately, like the Hoe Theatre, the pictures have long since disappeared. These two short movies show the two events. Film of the Planet of the Apes characters appearing anywhere in the UK in the 1970s is quite rare. The event also included celebrities of the day but the only one I can remember is Carolyn Jones from Crossroads.
'Who?', I hear you say!
My third film features the Shire Horse Centre in about 1977. The centre is now long gone and there doesn't seem to be much film of it around. To be honest, I never did find it very interesting watching horses trot up and down but I know a lot of people have enjoyed watching this movie on YouTube so I thought that I would feature it here.There are many other events that I remember from the 1970s. I regularly went to the Radio One roadshow on the Hoe and I remember that one year it featured Dave Lee Travis and on a different occassion, Tony Blackburn. The Multi Coloured Swap Shop, with Keith Chegwin, also made an appearance on the Hoe as well as other events, many of which I've long since forgotten.
Perhaps being a kid in the 1970s has made this period in Plymouth seem more interesting to me than it was but I hope other people will also enjoy reading and watching a few of my memories here!
What fun to have met Tom Baker! I enjoyed seeing the videos - I have a feeling that I may have been on the Hoe and seen some of those events myself in 1978 as they are vaguely familiar. I certainly attended various outdoor events around the city in the late '70s.
ReplyDelete