From He-Man to Pac-Man

An Alternative Guide to Growing Up in the 1980s

By: Peter Nuttall

Narrated by: Peter McGiffen

Did you know that Pac-Man has the exact same plot as the second Hellraiser film? Do you know the connection between a cassette tape and a Biro? Were Love Hearts the 80s version of Tinder?

All these questions and more are answered as we meander through the cul-de-sacs and leafy boulevards of Memory Lane, discovering things like:

Were Funny Feet the ice cream version of those awful pink foam candy prawns?

Did we really have to wait a week to see the photographs we'd taken on holiday?

Did the little string hanging out of the back of your digital alarm clock actually pass as an aerial?

This tongue-in-cheek look at all the iconic, memorable, and not-so-great things we grew up with in the 1980s will make you laugh, cry, and possibly even re-evaluate your life choices. At the very least, it'll make you fire up ebay to go buy a vintage Mr. Frosty to see what you missed out on.

©2022 Peter Nuttall (P)2023 Peter Nuttall

A fun listen

Confession! I do not grow up in the UK, however, it was fun to compare my experiences with someone that did in the 1980's. Peter Nuttall opens this fun journey back in time to recalling the cartoons and TV shows he enjoyed, and a few that were truly forgettable. I don't recall "Thunder Cats" or "Bullseye," but was subjected to 1987's "He-man." I preferred spending Saturday mornings with "SuperFriends" and "Garfied."

As far as sweets, i did visit the local party store for Bazooka gum, and candy cigarettes. I don't remember Foam Shrimp, Candy Watches or Turkish Delight , although, Nuttall makes them seem so appetizing. We did have jawbreakers, which I had on occasion, despite the warnings from my dentist. At least they still offer Charms, Pixy Stix, and Mallo Cups in the retro candy aisle. Whatever happened to rock candy?

I think the US/UK toys seemed to overlap quite a bit. We did play the electric game Simon and Speak and Spell, although, I preferred my hand held Texas Instruments Spelling B, and of course, Mattel's Football and Baseball games that could be played with or without the sound on. I never had a Teddy Ruxpin, but again, full confession, I did punch a hole in my Stretch Armstrong to see what was inside.

In addition to these fun categories, the author covers school holidays, the home, arcade games, general food, and fashion. Good heavens, did I make a few mixed tapes back in the day, recording my favorite songs off the radio. I can also recall my dad shelling out big money for the first VCR that hit the market, where the top popped up to insert the VHS tape, equipped with a wired remote.

This is a fun trip down memory lane.

Lots of fun!

A fun, sarcastic recounting of the 80s. Lots of stuff from over the pond, but plenty of nostalgia from The USA as well. The alternative examination of The Karate Kid was hilarious. Well done!

A great bit of nostalgia but from the UK perspective

I really enjoyed this. I hadn’t realized I totally that it was the 80’s from a UK point of view, I grew up in the USA. I found this slightly different perspective quite entertaining. The similarities and the differences all made it a great listen. Anybody who grew up
I’m the 80’s will find a nice walk down memory lane with a small twist and anybody who wonders what it was like will get a good laugh as well. Highly Recommend it.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

It was a fun listen

It's a light read but I grew up in the 80s and this book brought back cool memories. There were a few things I didn't recognize, which might be due the writer being from the UK and me being from the US. I recommend to anyone who wants to have fun reminiscing.

The Memories

This audiobook brought back so many positive memories. The author covers everything that was popular in the 1980’s. The book was well written & the narrator did a phenomenal job.