It was the year Margaret Thatcher swept back to power and Michael Jackson moonwalked into pop history, the pound coin made its debut as did Superman III. But what was happening closer to home? From royal visits and spaghetti-eating contests to forgotten landmarks and familiar faces, our archive photographs turn the clock back to Preston in 1983
But what was happening closer to home? This was Preston in 1981...
1. Stop, look and smile
A familiar sight outside Preston's schools in 1983, as a lollipop man Frank Condon helps Roebuck School pupils cross the road safely. A lovely snapshot of everyday school life in the early Eighties | Contributed
2. Hoppers together
Members of Preston Grasshoppers rugby club gather for a group photograph in 1983. A chance to spot some familiar faces from one of Preston's best-known sporting institutions more than 40 years ago | Contributed
3. West side story
The now demolished west side of Cotton Court | Preston Historical Society. Photo: Beth Hayes
4. Shopping belles
The glamorous ladies of Preston's Shopping Festival Queen competition in 1983. Big hair, Eighties fashions and plenty of smiles were all part of the occasion as the town celebrated its shopping scene | Contributed