the retro hour: 1985

We've been through the archive and compiled everything we think you need to know about the year. To make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, everything is organised into categories.

the top stories

Sterling fell to an all-time low against the dollar. The exchange rate was $1.0765
The FT Index broke through the 1,000 points barrier for the first time
Sir Clive Sinclair unveiled his new revolutionary form of transport, a battery powered tricycle called the C5. It wasn't a good seller and production ceased on March 29th.
Prescription charges went up by 40p to £2
Mikhail Gorbachev was the new head of the Communist Party (and the Soviet Union) following the death of Konstantin Chernenko
Rupert Murdoch bought 50% of the 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
LiveAid, held jointly in London and Philadelphia, raised £50m for the famine in Africa
A high speed train travelled from Newcastle to London in two hours, 19½ minutes

on the chart

Alison Moyet took the Brit Award for Best Female, Paul Young was awarded Best Male. Wham! took Best Group and Sade triumphed with Best Album.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood to the award for Best Newcomer and subsequently left Britain to go into tax exile for a year
Sting began his first tour as a solo artist
China was bemused by Wham! who played two concerts there

on the tv and at the cinema

EastEnders and proceedings in the House of Lords were televised for the first time
Top television shows of the year included EastEnders, Coronation Street, Wish You Were Here?, Open All Hours and Last Of The Summer Wine
Films of the year included Ghostbusters, A View To A Kill, Desperately Seeking Susan, Max Mad Beyond Thunderdome and Beverly Hills Cop.
At the Oscars, Amadeus won Best Picture
Rock Hudson became the first public figure to reveal he was suffering from AIDS

sports achievements and milestones

It was the year that British football clubs were banned from European Competition after the Hysel Stadium disaster in which 38 died
Last Suspect won the Grand National with Slip Anchor first past the post in The Derby
Dennis Taylor won the World Snooker Championship after a nail-biting black ball finish against Steve Davis
Manchester United beat Everton 1-0 to win the FA Cup final but Everton were champions of the First Division.
Unseeded Boris Becker won Wimbledon aged 17, but it was business as usual in the women's tournament as Martina Navratilova beat Chris Evert
Europe's golfers won the Ryder Cup for the first time in 28 years
Ian Botham completed a charity walk from Land's End to John O'Groats
Alain Prost became the Formula 1 World Champion
Sandy Lyle won the Open golf championship

and finally

Playboy magazine stopped putting staples in its centrefold.
New phrases included "virtual reality", "brat pack" and "wannabe"

your memories

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