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29 July 1981 - Where were you?

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Elizabethofseasons

Elizabethofseasons Report 29 Jul 2011 18:42

Dear All

Hello

Hope you are okay.

Later this evening on ITV at 9-00pm, there is a programme looking back at the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer, which was held on this day
30 years ago.


Does it really seem like 30 years?


There were many other events that had taken place that year:

The attempts on the lives of US President Ronald Regan and
Pope John Paul II.

High unemployment in the UK and riots breaking out.

A turbulent time.


What memories do you have of this day or time period?

Take gentle care all
Very best wishes
xx



Silly Sausage

Silly Sausage Report 29 Jul 2011 18:52

oooo good evening Elizabeth I was only thinking about this today as I wrote the date, I watched the wedding wth my mum and we both was horrifeld when we saw the dress, the pubs were open all day that day it was lovely and warm and being a teenager I wanted to go in the pub with my older sisters and BIL, which I was allowed to do, the girl who I used to babysit for was at a street party at her mums on the other side of town, she rang me and invited me over ( on the pretext of baby sitting) when I got the street party was still in full swing by now it was about 7.30 pm so I stay and got a little tipsy and had a great time the one and only street party I ever went too ;-)

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!)

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!) Report 29 Jul 2011 18:56

I remember it being a warm day and have a photo of my son out in the garden with just his pants on. (He would have been about 2 and a half).

I remember having a good laugh at the dress - all that money and it was creased to bits ...

Can you tell that I'm not a royalist?

tee hee

Jill

Jane

Jane Report 29 Jul 2011 19:27

On that day,I was moving to Nailsea(Bristol) with my OH.As soon as we arrived I plonked myself down on a packing box and watched the wedding on our little Black and White Portable lol
We had married just a few weeks before on May 30th.

ladylol

ladylol Report 29 Jul 2011 19:33

I had my son 20 yrs ago today xx

YorkshireCaz

YorkshireCaz Report 29 Jul 2011 19:41

I watched the wedding on tv and was shocked at the dress and how creased it was, surely the makers would have known the material would crease like that. It was a hot and happy day, then I went out for a drink with oh and carried on the party there, everyone was so happy that day, that's the main memory.

Caz

Kay????

Kay???? Report 29 Jul 2011 19:49


had a park party,,,,,,,everyone got thrown in fullly clothed in the paddling pool,,was a hot day and loads of fun ,,,,,,didnt see the wedding just clips next day.....wasnt intrested in the wedding just the pubs were open all day.. :-D

Sharron

Sharron Report 29 Jul 2011 19:59

I was working on the taxi rank on Chichester station at the time. We were fearfully exploited and doing ridiculous hours so, as there was no work that day, I slept through most of it.

Sharron

Sharron Report 29 Jul 2011 20:00

I was working on the taxi rank on Chichester station at the time. We were fearfully exploited and doing ridiculous hours so, as there was no work that day, I slept through most of it.

Slug & Lettuce

Slug & Lettuce Report 29 Jul 2011 20:05

Hi Elizabeth

I really can't believe it is 30 years ago.

We were on the Norfolk Broads in a riverside bungalow and watched the wedding. There was a real party atmosphere. The passing boats would beep their horns as they went by. Nearly every boat had a union jack flag flying and bunting. It seems everyone was happy that day except .............

I also remember thinking, he doesn't love her does he. I wish I had been wrong.

Ria x

Sharron

Sharron Report 29 Jul 2011 20:24

Didn't this latest wedding have a very different feel? A wedding rather than a state occasion.

MotownGal

MotownGal Report 29 Jul 2011 20:26

Oooh now, this is a weird one.

The pregnancy kits of that time were a real bummer. Now you just pee on a stick and thats that.

However, at the time you had to collect the morning dew [discreet aint I] and place it into a little phial with some powder in it. Then put it into a container that had a mirror in the bottom. After 1.1/2 hours you went back to it, and if there was a brown circle reflected in the mirror, you were preggers.

I had done one of these the morning of the wedding, and it proved positive, and then we went downstairs to watch the wedding.

I remember thinking 'lamb to the slaughter' at the time. And I nearly cried at the dress when she got out of the coach. Loved her dear old Dad, he was so proud, he could have burst.

I wanted to be happy for her, but it all went terribly wrong.

So sad.

Cooper

Cooper Report 29 Jul 2011 20:44

I was 18 and we had a street party on our estate.

Diana was only a year or so older than us and there she was getting married (in our teenage eyes) to an old man.!
I think Charles was 30 something at the time which I now class as young :-D :-D :-D

Teresa

Suzanne

Suzanne Report 29 Jul 2011 21:20

I WAS 17 AND WATCHED THE WEDDING ON MY LITTLE BLACK AND WHITE TV WITH MY 4M OLD DAUGHTER,HUBBY WAS IN WORK,I REMEMBER ALSO THINKING HOW STUPID DIANA WAS MARRYING A MAN THAT DIDNT LOVE HER(YOU COULD TELL FROM THE FIRST INTERVIEW).AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE SUCH A SAD STORY IN THE END.X

Helen in Kent

Helen in Kent Report 30 Jul 2011 01:51

We were given the day off work so I was glued to the TV all day. My brother sloped off with his mates and my Dad went hiking so I watched by myself. OH and I had got engaged so I was interested in weddings. The dress was a pity but I think it was made of scrunchy stuff, wasn't it?

Diana's father was so proud and he made it down the aisle ok, Phew! Oh, and the King of Tonga, was it, and his specially made very large chair?? And Nancy Reagan mincing about in St Pauls Cathedral. Was Ronald Reagan ill at the time?

I was surprised that one of their hymns was one we had chosen ( I vow to thee my Country) so we decided to change ours.

I remember we had the day off school for Princess Anne's wedding: I don't remeber Fergie's to Prince Andrew but I must have watched it!

Purple **^*Sparkly*^** Diamond

Purple **^*Sparkly*^** Diamond Report 30 Jul 2011 04:44

Remember it well, I spent the day with a male friend (Spanish Morrocan hairdresser) lounging on his sofa watching his colour tv and being fed and watered at regular intervals lol

He was trying to persuade me not to go back to Malta to the chap I had met there but to be his girlfriend instead. I didn't succumb to his charms but ended up back in Malta and got pregnant within a week with my son, which was the intention.

The S/M hairdresser then went home to his family and met a younger second cousin and married her instead. We are still friends tho altho don't meet up often.

I loved the wedding but was also disappointed with the dress, I suppose they hadn't realised what a tight fit it would be in the carriage. Probably had Diana been able to stand for a few minutes while they pulled the dress to straighten it out, it might have looked better. I was surprised at how amateurish her hairdo was as well, looked as tho she had done it herself. She looked so happy but seeing the programme last evening, when she came out on to the balcony I thought she looked a bit pale and sad. Maybe they had already had words.

Such a sad ending for her tho but her legacy is her children, her sons are such a credit to her.

Lizx

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 30 Jul 2011 10:42

Many in our area did not have colour TV so the local primary school opened up their hall for pupils to go in and view the wedding on a large screen. Daughter remembers going in, although I'd forgotten that.
OH and I were invited by neighbours to watch on their colour TV as we too only had black and white.
We were surprised that after all the careful planning, nobody had realised what would happen to such a huge dress in a cramped carriage. It seemed such a shame.
There was a party at my husband's workplace later. Everyone dressed in red, white and blue and enjoyed the day.

Gwyn

Elizabethofseasons

Elizabethofseasons Report 30 Jul 2011 22:52

Dear All

Hello

Hope you are okay.

Thank you very much for all the replies.

I always liked reading about different memories people have of special days.

As for me, I watched with my family.We had a black and white TV.
It had been declared a public holiday and there was a street party at the end of the road.

I remember the pageantry. It was called the "Wedding of the Century" and of course, the following day, all the newspapers with heavy ink print and pictures.

Thanks again all.

Take gentle care of yourselves
Very best wishes
xx