British Youth Sunday Times November 1981

This latest Sunday supplement post comes via the much sought after Sunday Times article 1st November 1981 'British Youth' scenes from the life of a beleaguered generation. With photography by Don McCullin (CBE) who actually celebrated his 90th birthday this weekend.  Don is well know for his war photography which seems quite apt considering the tone and expose in this aggro fuelled Generation X, expose on British Youth.

Anglozine season 15 is inspired by Gen X, 1981 being the apex of the generation. Most people that missed it tend to draw up images of: New Wave bands, John Hughes films, Fluro Graphics, MTV and BMX.  Its fair to say it was quite a violent time and it is to a certain degree what shaped the subcultures we know today.  There are some strong opinions and text from this Sunday Times magazine, odd considering this would have been sprawled across middle class Victorian pine top kitchen tables all over the U.K and read by pater before washing his Ford Grenada on Sunday afternoon, probably after a round of golf- its not exactly a relaxing read.

I've said it before that these national magazine articles hit the heart on the sleeve feeling warts and all of the times directly from the street, as opposed to say a sifted through, edited style book. Which is all well and good but some of the text in this British Youth article is too darn strong for Anglozine.  We are an independent clothing label out for a bit of a lark and insight into why we wear stuff.  So with this in mind we've kept the set-the-tone intro and then just shared the rare images.

The Punk had a Hindu sign on his burgundy vest that was appropriated by a failed art student that started a deadly political movement in Germany.

News flash 'Britain must surely have produced the most bizarrely-attired youth in the world'. 

Jamie Reid the creator of the Never Mind The Bollocks LP artwork also based some artwork on the phrase: Short, Sharp, Shock- up until now I did not know where the phrase had come from, odd to the think such a snappy phrase was government policy.

I tried sniffin' glue once, I didn't like the smell, which sort of defeats the purpose 

Its unusual now to imagine just how many style tribes, subcultures, movements were rife at this time in the U.K. Of particular interest is that scenes covered here are not revivalist but in some instances new scenes. This Journalist slates the whole of them in one fell swoop, as merely an affectation or knuckle dragging cannon fodder. Know what I mean?

Short Sharp Shock, Scum (1979), Sham 69 Borstal Break (1978) This article 1981

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