Retro DadA LIFE BETWEEN ANALOGUE & DIGITAL
Raised on three channels, cassette tapes and “be home before dark”. Memories from a childhood in the ’70s and ’80s.
Let’s rewind
One familiar smell brought back scoops of school mash, favourite puddings and a Star Wars lunchbox. A taste of school lunchtimes, from liver and onions to crab paste sandwiches.
Read the story ↗3 MIN READComics, jars of sweets and the serious business of spending 50p. Remembering trips to the corner shop, where choosing your sweets was half the fun.
Three channels, one chunky wooden telly and Saturday mornings in my pyjamas. Remembering the custard pies, cartoons and glorious chaos that made Tiswas an unforgettable part of growing up.
Before the Atari came a Binatone TV Master, two dial controllers and games of tennis with Dad. Simple graphics, but memories that have lasted a lifetime.
Visiting my uncle meant discovering a world of asteroids, frogs and cowboy shoot-outs—all thanks to his Atari and its unforgettable red-button joystick.
From Mum’s Sunday morning soundtrack to me playing the same single on repeat, a nostalgic look back at childhood records and the songs that still take me back.
Before ‘just one more episode’, there was being on the sofa at the right time. How television went from a shared ritual to an endless choice.
Two buttons, one blank cassette and a lot of patience. When a playlist was something you could hold.
A game on a tape. A telephone attached to a wall. Somehow, the future arrived one cable at a time.
Before location sharing, there was a rough plan and a knock on a friend’s door. Was life really simpler?
THE DAD BEHIND THE REWIND
I’m Stuart. Dad, graphic designer and vintage 1973.
Retro Dad is a place to talk about the things that have changed in my lifetime. The music, the games, the everyday rituals — and all the things we never imagined we’d carry around in our pockets.
Not everything was better back then. But there’s plenty worth remembering.
Cheers, StuartA little help from AI sometimes polishes the writing, but the childhood memories are mine. Some illustrations are AI-generated too. How I use AI on Retro Dad ↗
KEEP THE MEMORIES COMING
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