Preston Bus Station in the early 1980s, when passengers were warned they could face a £5 fine for entering or leaving the station without using the subway. Double-decker buses line up in the backgroundplaceholder image
Preston Bus Station in the early 1980s, when passengers were warned they could face a £5 fine for entering or leaving the station without using the subway. Double-decker buses line up in the background | Contributed

Preston in 1982: a year of war, unemployment and ET in 23 nostalgic 1980s photos

By James Reader
Published 2nd Nov 2026, 19:00 GMT

It was the year Britain went to war in the Falklands, unemployment passed three million and Margaret Thatcher's government faced the challenges of a deep recession. Channel 4 arrived on television screens, Prince William was born and E.T. became a cinema sensation. But what was life like in Preston during this turbulent year?

But what was happening closer to home? This was Preston in 1982, when Red Rose Radio first went on air and the town staged its inaugural shopping festival. At Clouds nightclub, bands battled for glory in the LEP Rock and Pop Challenge, while Preston North End players visited young hospital patients. From the Flag Market to the docks, our archive pictures capture a town in transition.

The former Isle of Man ferry Manxman, disguised as the SS Oceanic for an American film production, moored at Preston Docks

21. Movie magic

The former Isle of Man ferry Manxman, disguised as the SS Oceanic for an American film production, moored at Preston Docks | Contributed

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A nostalgic look inside Preston's St George's Shopping Centre, with its escalators, busy shopfronts and distinctive early 1980s interior

22. Shopping memories

A nostalgic look inside Preston's St George's Shopping Centre, with its escalators, busy shopfronts and distinctive early 1980s interior | Contributed

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A bird's-eye view of Preston Market, with shoppers browsing the stalls beneath the covered market roof and the steps leading down to the lower market

23. Market bustle

A bird's-eye view of Preston Market, with shoppers browsing the stalls beneath the covered market roof and the steps leading down to the lower market | Contributed

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