logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2020
43m 20s

5. 1981

Goalhanger
About this episode

As a new series of The Crown arrives on Netflix, returning viewers to the 1980s, we look back at the year many Britons consider the worst in living memory.

Rocketing unemployment, riots in major cities and a country governed by the most divisive prime minister in post-war British history made 1981 a year to forget.

Amidst the gloom was the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana and the greatest Ashes fightback England cricket fans had ever seen.

So what can we learn from a closer analysis of 1981?


A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media production

Produced by Jack Davenport

Exec Producer Tony Pastor


*The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*:


Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia!


Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com


Twitter: 


@TheRestHistory


@holland_tom


@dcsandbrook

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
594. The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium (Part 1)
Following the declaration of war in 1914, how did the outbreak of the First World War unfold? What were the earliest military engagements of this terrible, totemic event? Who were its key political players and how did they respond? What was the attitude to the war in Germany? Wer ... Show More
1 h
Aug 20
593. The Fight of the Century
Why did two men - John Heenan and and Tom Sayers - illegally meet in a field in Hampshire, in 1860, to brutally fight one another, captivating Britain in the process? What can the fight tell us about the nature of Britishness in the 19th century? Was this the birth of boxing? Who ... Show More
57m 19s
Aug 17
592. Mad Victorian Sport
How and when was football invented, and what are the origins of football clubs? What is the connection between public hangings, highwaymen, and early sporting events? Which is the most historically important sporting ground in the world? When was the first cricket test match play ... Show More
56m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
The Top Ten Stories From 1992 | 60
From riots in the streets of Los Angeles and the siege at Ruby Ridge to the election of Bill Clinton and the Late Night TV wars, 1992 was a year of incredible transformation, excitement, devastation and tragedy. It was filled with seismic changes that continues to reverberate thr ... Show More
57m 3s
Oct 2022
Top Songs of 1992 | 80
When the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 1992, George H.W. Bush was still the US President….The Canadian Prime Minister was Brian Mulroney….Roseanne was the number one sitcom……Hook was the number one movie…..and the Super Nintendo was the hot new gaming system everyone want ... Show More
42m 35s
Dec 2020
The Top 10 Stories of 1991 | 39
Like every year in the 90s, 1991 was a year of incredible change. From the fall of the Soviet Union, to the birth of the World Wide Web, it was a roller coaster ride of exciting new paths being forged as we were barreling toward the end of the century. And more and more we were b ... Show More
47m 35s
Dec 2019
The Top 10 Stories of 1990 | 13
If 1990 was anything, it was a year of incredible change -- Sure it was the beginning of a new decade but more than that….much more….it was the start of a new era in human history. The decade that followed ushered in the end of communism, and apartheid. It saw the beginning of te ... Show More
34m 30s
Dec 2022
Top Stories of 1993 | 83
1993 was a year filled with shocking crimes and unexpected losses. There was also hope for peace in the middle east, while at the same time we saw the beginning of a new phase of terrorism that hinted at much worse things to come in the new millennium. On this episode of History ... Show More
46m 56s
Dec 2022
The First Britons
67 million people currently inhabit the United Kingdom - but what do we know about the original, first Britons? It's no secret when looking back into pre-history that it was a time of mass migration for animals and people alike, but who were our early inhabitants, and what can we ... Show More
49m 20s
Jun 2023
Gone Too Soon - Candy, Farley, Hartman | 93
On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the life and career of three of the best comedians of our generation. John Candy, Chris Farley and Phil Hartman all died in the 1990s and in their absence each one left us with a trove of material that will k ... Show More
50m 52s
Mar 2023
He May Not Be Perfect, But He's Perfect for DC: The Story of Marion Barry
This week on Historia Obscura: how a once well-respected civil rights leader experienced one of the greatest falls from grace in American political history. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/hist ... Show More
18m 21s
May 2022
The 1994 Baseball Strike | 68
The World Series has been a reliable tradition since 1904. It’s been played during both World Wars, the Depression, after 9-11 and more recently during the COVID pandemic. But there was one time that the Fall Classic was cancelled in what is considered to be Major League Baseball ... Show More
40m 7s
Apr 2021
90's Rave Culture | 46
In the summer of 1987 four young DJs from London took a trip to the Mediterranean Island of Ibiza for a birthday celebration. On their first night they attended an ecstasy-fueled party at club Amnesia, dancing under the stars to a mix of techno and house music played by legendary ... Show More
38m 36s