THE Willis Museum, in Market Place, Basingstoke, held an exhibition in 2009-10 called “The 1970s: The Decade That Taste Forgot”.
With various displays, it relived the decade of contrast and change from interior design to teenage styles. It included items dealing with events of that time, including industrial strife and the Common Market.
The new decade was to follow the popular music culture of the 1950s and ’60s with the break-up of The Beatles, in 1970, and the death of Elvis Presley in 1977.
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to become Prime Minister five years after Edward Heath was forced to resign, his term being remembered for the three-day working week due to shortages of coal affecting the country’s industry in 1972.
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The “winter of discontent” of 1978 brought more industrial problems in Britain, while over in Northern Ireland there were many terrorist incidents. In August 1979, Earl Mountbatten, of Burma, was assassinated while on holiday off the coast of County Sligo.
Popular music in both America and Britain brought forth many singers and musicians. In the USA, a 12-year-old boy called Michael Jackson made his first solo record in 1971, while three years later, a Swedish quartet called ABBA had their first international hit with Waterloo.
In sport, Lester Piggott won the Derby, 2000 Guineas and St Leger in 1970, which was quite the horse racing feat, while in boxing, Mohammed Ali won the Heavyweight Championship of the World.
However, tragedy was to strike at the 1972 Olympic Games when terrorists attacked the Olympic village at Munich, in Germany, resulting in many deaths.
In the 1970s, the Royal Family had an assortment of incidents to record in their diaries, such as when, in March 1974, Princess Anne and Captain Phillips were stopped in their car within yards of Buckingham Palace by a crazed gunman, who fired several bullets. The gunman fled but was later arrested.
The weather in 1976 caused a drought that lasted months, and temperatures reached 35 degrees centigrade (96 degrees fahrenheit).
These are but a few of the many events and incidents of the 1970s that the national newspapers recorded, but what of the local scene you make ask?
Well, 1970 saw the Duke of Edinburgh open the Sports Centre in the shopping precinct in Basingstoke; the M3 motorway was constructed through Hampshire; and John Hunt of Everest School, in Popley, Basingstoke, was opened.
The year 1971 brought the population of Basingstoke to 53,080; and the new General Post Office was opened in London Street, having moved from New Street, Basingstoke.
In 1972, Basingstoke Football Club joined the Southern League; and Eastrop Park, in the town, was constructed.
The following year, Thornycroft’s factory in Worting Road, Basingstoke, was acquired by Eatons; the Auto Tyre firm at Worting village closed down; and the Queen opened the Automobile Association headquarters at Fanum House, in Basingstoke.
In 1974, the new Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council came into official use, with the office of Town Clerk being discontinued; and the Wote Street slaughterhouse (where cattle had been sent to for nearly 100 years) was demolished.
The year 1975 saw The Gazette newspaper offices moved from Church Street (where it was established in 1878) to Pelton Road, Basingstoke. In November 1975, Princess Alexandra opened Basingstoke and District Hospital.
In 1976, the Civic Offices, in London Road, Basingstoke, were opened; while just yards away, London Street was pedestrianised.
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The Basingstoke Development Group was disbanded in 1977, after 15 years’ work carrying out the operation of expanding the town and altering the town centre (to allow the population increase from London to be housed).
The following year saw the new shopping centre (which was begun in 1966) being extended across Churchill Way, towards the railway. Meanwhile, the Main Post Office sorting department was transferred to Priestley Road from New Street.
In 1979, the last of the Basingstoke Development Scheme’s housing projects were finished – a total of 7,096 homes for the London overspill and 3,350 for local needs.
(Updated and republished from Robert Brown's column from December 2009)
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