General Chat

More joyful historical moments: Nelson Mandela being freed. John McCarthy being released, and being able to untie one of the yellow ribbons in the press office in celebration. Berlin wall coming down Mrs Thatcher resigning - I remember that very clearly as I was supposed to be interviewing a job candidate at work. I got to the station to find there were no trains. Phoned husband, who got out of bed and drove me to another station further down the line, where I got a v. slow stopping train to Finsbury Park. Phoned my boss from the platform phone (this is pre-mobiles, children!) who said he was holding the fort for me. Dashed down the stairs and onto a tube train crowded with people. It didn't move. There were various public announcements about how London Transport regretted etc etc, before the announcer said "Passengers on the Victoria and Piccadilly lines, we thought you would like to know that Mrs Thatcher has resigned as Prime Minister" to which a frustrated commuter said "Good! I'm glad she's having a bl**dy awful morning too". When I finally got to work I found my boss and the candidate had been discussing this hot topic while awaiting my arrival!

All the things people remember are the ones that were portrayed on the media. I have a memory of my mother coming out to the street where my brother and I were playing with friends, to tell us that Robert Kennedy had been assassinated. On the tv, I remember she made us watch Winston Churchill's funeral, telling us that he was a great man. I also remember seeing Francis Chichester coming back to harbour after sailing round the world single=handed. The trouble with things on the tv is that they are shown so often you don't know whether you remembered them at the time or just thought you did. also, things quite often aren't how you remembered them, I read a great quote somewhere: A short pencil is more reliable than a long memory!

The Herald of Free Enterprise. Watching in horror, and remembering how many times I had safely crossed the channel to visit my mother. Sylvia

I remember ALL of the above, but one year that stands out in my mind was1971 I remember my Dad crying, watching t.v. when the Ibrox disaster happened at Rangers football ground and the Clarkston gas explosion the same year. I also remeber the really bad gales of January 1968 especially because my friend's Dad was killed whilst working at the docks during it. When I was six (1967) I had been out with my Dad and we rushed home to watch the launch of Queen Elizabeth 2nd on t.v. The crazy thing was we stayed 10 minutes from the launch site at Clydebank but still watched on the telly. Christine

Some of the above. Also (on locals news programme at 6.55 on a Friday evening in 1963) Michael Scott saying: "We've just heard a report that President Kennedy has been shot in Dallas. We'll tell you more when we hear it." 7.00 "Take Your Pick" with Michael Miles 7.27 "President Kennedy has died of his wounds." One of the channels - can't remember now if it was BBC or ITV - went off the air till 8pm. The other carried on as normal with, I think, a sitcom. By the following evening, the whole of the satirical show "That Was The Week That Was" (TW3) had been re-written for a moving and memorable programme.

All the above are vivid memories but for some reason Hillsborough is still so fresh in my mind, that poor man that walked out of the crowd on fire, I often wonder what happen to him, and 9/11 my mum was visiting from the uk, we watch the news for hours with out saying any thing really, all affraid to say any thing, as my mum was flying home the next day, I wanted to hold her forever, when we were saying our good byes. I love you mum. But on a lighter note, I remember my brother haveing a huge scrap book on Sir Winston Churchill,s state funeral, I remember going to London to see the Jackson Five (groupie at the hotel) with out my mum knowing. Well I had all these photo,s and posters but no where to stick them, I was busy ripping Churchill out of my brother,s scrap book and replaceing them with the Jackson,s, when my brother walked in, lets say he was not a happy boy, mum help meeeee!!!!!. That has got to be one of my biggest blonde moments. Debbie (Canada).

September 11th. I put the TV on at 3pm to watch a painting programme and I got really annoyed as I thought ITV had put a disaster movie on instead. After 5 minutes I realised what it was and I was in a state of complete shock. The world will never be the same ever again after that. It's so dreadfully sad. Jo.

i did think that saddam hussain being taken out of power.those people have suffered years of torture and death for a very long time.but this is still happening now through terrorism.

what do you think is or was the most memorable thing that happened in our history and why.is there an event that sticks in your mind?