1984 was the year forever associated with George Orwell’s nightmare of the future, the miners' strike and the Brighton bombing. But there was also Band Aid, and Torvill and Dean skated into Olympic history.
In Preston, Courtaulds' cooling towers came down, the docks stood deserted and a futuristic tilting train promised a revolution in rail travel.
There were snowball fights, celebrity visits, changing streets and Christmas celebrations, too.
25. Future off track
British Rail's experimental Advanced Passenger Train leaves Preston station for London in the summer of 1984. Hailed as the future of rail travel, the revolutionary tilting train was plagued by technical problems and never entered widespread regular service. Photograph by Andrew Grainger, Preston. | User (UGC)