This is London - 1981 | The Archivist Presents | #445

Ah, I have moved out of the big smoke, it's lovely to be reminded of all the good things about it. This is a lovely 27-minute documentary about London in 1981 - get yourself a cup of tea and enjoy!

Titles GV Tower Bridge (Title) Air Views Tower Bridge (x 2) MS Tower Bridge opens GV Bridge opening MS Bridge opens towards camera MS Hovercraft passes under bridge Air View Tower of London SEQUENCE ON TOWER (EX GR 2577) including Armoury, Crown Jewels and Beating the Bounds Air view City of London GV Bank of England (x 2) SIGN 'The Stock Exchange' GV Int. Stock Exchange GV Ext. Guildhall (x 3) SEQUENCE ON LORD MAYORS SHOW (1980) Air View St. Pauls Cathedral CU Dome pull back to GV GV St. Pauls SEQUENCE INT. ST. PAULS JUBILEE THANKSGIVING SERVICE (EX GR 2506) LAS Ext. St. Pauls GV Looking down Fleet St. to St. Pauls CU Sign 'Fleet Street' GV 'Sunday Times' Building MONTAGE OF: Newspaper signs and Building GV Pudding Lane CU Sign 'Pudding Lane' GV Pan up the Monument (x 2) GV Across River to Post Office Tower Air View Trafalgar Square CU Nelson GV Nelson's Column GV Fountain in f.g. towards St. Martin in the Field GV National Gallery MS Fountain CU Pigeon CU Pigeons land for grain GV Square covered in pigeons MCU Pigeons on Mans arm CU Pigeons on hand MS Pigeons fed GV Admiralty Arch GV Horse Guard with tourist CU Lifeguard MS Lifeguard as woman pats horse GV Horseguards SEQUENCE: TROOPING THE COLOUR (EX GR 2455) Air View Buckingham Palace GV Queen Victoria Memorial pan to Palace SEQUENCE: CHANGING THE GUARD CU The Royal Standard SEQUENCE: JUBILEE BALCONY APPEARANCE (EX GR 2506) Air View Buckingham Palace to Houses of Parliament Air View Houses of Parliament SEQUENCE: STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT (EX GR 2370) GV Ext. Houses of Parliament SEQUENCE: REMEMBRANCE DAY (EX GR 2581) GV Whitehall and top of Downing Street CU Sign 'Downing Street' GV Downing St. MS No. 10 (x 3) Air View Westminster Abbey GV Int. Westminster Abbey MS Tourist look at Tomb of Unknown Warrior MS Tomb MS The Coronation Chair (x 2) SEQUENCE: PRINCESS ANNE'S WEDDING (EX GR 2320) TS Westminster Piazza MS Piazza GV Westminster Cathedral (x 2) Air View Lambeth Palace GV Lambeth Palace GV Westminster Bridge GV Country Hall GV River Air View National Theatre GV Festival Hall GV South Bank Complex GV Waterloo Bridge (x 2) GV Piccadilly Circus (x 2) CU Eros GV Piccadilly Circus (x 2) GV 'The Old Curosity Shop' (x 2) GV Harrods CU Sign 'Harrods' CU Window GV Harrods LS Womans pays taxi cab ZOOM OUT 'George & Dragon Clock' on Libertys CU Sign 'Libertys' GV Libertys GV Oxford Street CU Sign 'Oxford Street' MONTAGE: Shop signs GV Selfridges (x 3) GV Shoppers cross Street CU 'Mr. Fortnum & Mr. Mason Clock' GV Fortnum & Mason's CU Window GV Hatchards Book Shop (x 2) GV Burlington Arcade (x 2) ZOOM OUT Aspreys window GV Aspreys GV Garrards (x 2) CU Sign 'Savile Row' MS Tailors Window CU 'Sign 'Hardy Amies' GV Hat Shop LS Street Begetable Market (x 2) GV Pictures for Sale in Bayswater Road (x 4) ZOOM out Gates of Marble Arch GV Marble Arch GV Speakers Corner (x 7) MS Man reads newspaper by Serpentine CU Canada Geese, pigeons and ducks CU Canada Goose & Mallard GV People feeding birds x 2. LS Pleasure boat on Serpentine. GV Riders in Rotten Row. GV Serpentine Bridge. LAS The Albert Memorial x 2. GV The Albert Hall X 2. GV Exterior Madam Tussauds. CU Plaque Madame Tussauds. CU Interior Guard inspects CHamber Of Horrors. GV Entrance Lodnon Zooilogical Gardens. CU Elephant x 2. CU Chimpanzee. MS Crowd. GV Crowd and Rhino. CU Rhino. Zoom in Across River Thames to Windsor Castle. Sequence - Garter Ceremony (Ex GR 2561) and sequence: Interior of St Georges Chapel. GV Hampton Court across River. GV Queen Anne's Gateway, Hampton Court x 2. CU Sign Tudor Tennis Court. GV Real Tennis being played x 4. GV Exterior Centre Court, Wimbledon. CU Jimmy Connors serves in Final. GV Match then Bjorn Borg wins. CU Borg. GV Exterior Wembley Stadium. GV Interior Wembley Stadium. Sequence: Football (Ex 1979 League Cup Final) CU Cricketer waits to receive ball. LS Ball bowled. CU Batsman hits ball. LS Batsmen running. CU Gateway at Lords Cricket Ground. GV Lords. CU Lords Tavern. CU Sign Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese x 2. CU Sign Ye Old Cock & GV. CU Sign The George & GV. CU Pint of beer pulled zoom into froth. CU Pull focus sunset on River Thames. GV Sunset over Houses of Parliament and Thames. CU Sign Strand Theatre. LS People into Theatre. Sequence: London Theatre Signs. LS Along Shaftesbury Avenue. CU, GV & LS Eros against Neon Lights in Piccadily Circus. CU Eros. CU Sign Talk of The Town. CU Sign Leicester Square Theatre. GV Leicester Square. GV Empire Cinema. CU sign Ristorante. Sequence: 5 shots Foreign Restaurant signs. CU Sign Lovecraft London's Leading Sex Shop. CU Sex shop sign. CU Eros Cinema showing Midnight Blue. CU Sign: Raymond Revue Bar. Sequence: Ceremony Of The Keys. GV London at night with moon. Available to licence for commercial use - story number - BM81-14

[D-osOrg]

oh dear ... I am literally in tears ...
thank you and no thank you for the wee reminder of what life used to be in my early teens ...

[lewisjones]

The promise of the future back then was so bright. Look what we've done.

[paulkersey]

I was 21 in 1981. The U.K. London included, was a much better place. I would go back to those days in a heartbeat.

[richardgill]

And, in the blink of an eye it’s gone. I’m so glad I was a child in the 80s. It wasn’t all roses, but we had our culture and we’re proud of it, as I still am.

[vectortransport]

In 1981, I was a young USAF airman stationed in East Anglia. At every opportunity, we would head into London and thoroughly enjoy ourselves until our money ran out. Such fond memories of all of England!

[LondonPride]

I grew up in London in the 80s and 90s. That city has gone. Incredibly sad.

[alanm]

My wife and I left the UK in 1981 to come to Sydney. I had recently completed my apprenticeship as a toolmaker and that was in big demand here at the time. It was a move we have never regretted as we both found good jobs the week we arrived and settled into life here. We have travelled back to the UK many times and each time the changes became more apparent. Our last visit was three years ago and we vowed never to return. I will admit that during this time Australia has seen many changes too, and not all of them are bad, but nothing like the UK has witnessed. Looking at videos like this, and dreaming of a past that has gone forever, always leaves me with a smile on my face, for these were the best of times. No doubt about it.

[AlexDuggan]

When London was a good place to live, work and visit.

[Onyesoh]

Born there in ‘65 and left for NY in ‘85. Even from here I see how much it’s changed and not for the better!

[jasonhall]

London born n bred, now in norfolk. Would never go back. Changed beyond recognition. This was how i remember london. Gone forever

[alexf]

Born in 1960, I moved to the East End of London to get involved in youth work in 1981. It could be rough there (the tail end of the gangster era) but was fascinating and full of culture. Going to old pubs where pearly kings and queens would turn up. And then driving into the West End for nights out. No problem parking even in the centre. Charing Cross bookshops, music shops in Denmark Street, computer/tech shops in Tottenham Court Road, HMV and Tower Records, wine bars all around Leicester Square, and amazing cinemas everywhere for the golden era of movies.

[bobgorman]

We had no idea just how lucky we were back then 😢

[MissRoseLily]

Born in London late 70's & love these beautiful blasts from the past ❤ The state of it now 😞

[Siamesebutter]

I have great memories of my father taking me to London on our annual "outing", This was in days when you had to work hard in order to save for the things you wanted, like holidays...We would be lucky enough to get a "real" holiday abroad once every 3-4 years but in between we would go on days out to more local places. London was where Dad brought me - same route off at Victoria, walk to Buckingham Palace, through the park to Horse Guards Parade and Downing Street (When you could actually walk down it to stand right outside No 10) then to trafalga square to feed the pidgeons..Then we would get on the Underground over to The Natural History and Science Museums, then the underground back to Victoria and off home...I must have been anywhere between 9 and 12, but it sure felt like we walked for hundreds of miles and I loved the time learning about the history and stories dad would tell me - these are the fondest memories I have of my dad and I still feel the joy when I think of the London back then.. thanks for sharing this archive footage

[lecaprice]

Back in the 1970’s it was a wonderful place, despite economic challenges.

[samleggatt]

Back when London was great, thanks for the memories

[sven]

Back in 81 people thought London was a shadow of it’s past and in decline. We had no idea how much worse it was going to get and what awaited us. The once great city is unrecognisable now and squalid.

[SimonLloydGuitar]

This is the London I grew up in. Then the politicians gave it away to people who neither know or about it's magnificent history.

[anthonyhulse]

Was at London University in 1981. I loved London. The pubs, the theatre, the parks, kebabs or fish and chips on the way home. The Thames. I would love to go back in time and walk around the old London once more.

[seanhedley]

As Uncle Albert said on Only Fools, “ look what they done at it now”

I would go back to 1981 tomorrow!