Looking back: 14 classic images showcase Peterborough’s shopping and nightlife during the 1980s

It’s fair to say the 1980s was one of the most turbulent decades in the UK’s recent history.

At its heart, this period of volatile change was about the old replacing the new. Seemingly unproductive heavy industries and traditional employment sectors were drastically curtailed, destined, it seemed, to be replaced by ‘service economy’ jobs in the fledgling technology and personal finance sectors.

While many individuals and communities suffered greatly during this period, others found themselves, surprisingly, doing rather well. Those who had never before dreamed of owning a property suddenly found themselves able to buy the council houses they lived in. People who had no idea of buying stocks and shares revelled in the fact they could snap up shares in some the country’s biggest recently privatised companies. For a while - and to some at least - the eighties were boom years.

Consumer spending was key to this revolution. The more money people spent, the thinking was, the more we would all holistically benefit financially. The new-fangled concept of credit was integral to this, enabling those who had previously been taught to save their pennies and ‘make do and mend’ to splash out on brand new products and ‘pay for it later.’

Across the land, innumerable new retail and consumer opportunities sprang up on the back of this exciting societal experiment. Gleaming new indoor shopping centres allowed consumers to splash their cash, night and day, while swanky new wine bars and American-themed diners happily relieved punters of their cash in more stylish surroundings than traditional pubs afforded.

Those living in Peterborough experienced this phenomenon directly for themselves during the middle and latter half of the decade.

With the opening of Queensgate in 1982, Peterborians were able to spend both their time and money shopping in pleasant, air-conditioned climes.

As the decade progressed, a host of wine bars popped up and evolved in various parts of the city centre, eager to offer ever-discerning consumers continental beers, sophisticated wines and decadent cocktails.

Peterborough Images have managed to capture some of Peterborough’s most memorable 1980s shopping and nightlife offerings within their comprehensive archive.

So put down that filofax, crack open a BabyCham and join us as we showcase 14 images that show how Peterborians shopped and partied during the aspirational 1980s