May 01, 2008

BACK TO THE 80’S - Survey reveals what we want back in our lives

Forget iPods, sat navs and the other latest technological advancements of the new millennium. Britain is a retro-chic nation that would most like to relive the neon-lit days of the 1980s, according to new research by Little Chef.

Little Chef asked over 1,600 people what they would bring back from the worlds of TV, music and fashion over the past 50 years, to mark the roadside restaurant chain’s 50th birthday celebrations on 13th May, which will see Michelin-starred chef, Heston Blumenthal revamp the iconic brand as part of a Channel 4 documentary later this year.

Nostalgia, it seems, is very much back in vogue with 79 percent of Brits thinking that retro-chic has made a revival. Whereas almost a third of men thought that the 60’s was the best decade to live, 36 percent of women prefer the 80’s – the era of shoulder pads and New Romantic music. Although it seems that the nation’s love for the 1980s has its limits, as perms – the iconic hairstyle of the decade – was the fashion trend that would make the most unwelcome return, bucking recent attempts to bring the must mocked hairdo back.

In fact, according to the British public, we would most like to spend our days watching ‘Swap Shop’ and ‘Fawlty Towers’ on TV, wearing a halter neck top and bell bottoms while we listen to the Beatles on the radio and eat a Black Forest Gateau. These are the things that we would most like to bring back from the past!

Cathy Stevenson, Marketing Director at Little Chef comments:
“Little Chef has been serving up great roadside food since 1958, and so to mark our 50th birthday celebrations, we wanted to canvas the opinions of the nation to find out what trends and celebrities they would most like to see make a revival.

“Some of the results were surprising and quite unpredicted, but what was clearly apparent is that retro-chic is now firmly part of our lives, with eight out of ten people believing that this is the case. This can be seen through the nation’s obsession with retro nights, clothes and music.”

Leading the way as the greatest revival of all time is Take That, with almost half of those surveyed (45 percent) agreeing that the band’s takeover of the charts has earned them the top spot for ‘Best Comeback’. Despite Paul McCartney and Heather Mills’ divorce battle, the nation’s love for The Beatles remains strong with almost 35 percent of the people surveyed stating the group was the one people most wanted back in the charts.

‘Swap Shop’, the Saturday morning staple of the late 70s and early 80s presented by Keith Chegwin, topped the poll as the number one kids’ TV show people want to see back on our screens, with other classics like ‘Tis Was’, ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Button Moon’ also featuring in the top ten.

The children’s TV presenter we would most like to see make a return to the small screen is Phillip Schofield – with 30 percent of women clearly having a soft spot for the mischief that he and Gordon the Gopher used to get up to in the broom cupboard!

In terms of fashions from days gone by, Trinny and Susannah may have their work cut out as one in ten males would like to bring back tank tops, with mullets, see-through visors and hyper colour t-shirts also featuring in the top ten. Women are slightly more reserved with halterneck tops (26 percent) and bellbottoms (17 percent) being cited as the clothes that they would most like to see back in their wardrobes.

The survey also revealed the nation’s opinions on formerly popular food. Despite the likes of Angel Delight and Iced Gems tickling our taste buds, it seems that we are a nation of dessert lovers as a huge one in five people would love to feast on a black forest gateau, showing that perhaps we are not so health conscious after all.

Cathy Stevenson concludes:
“We know Little Chef inspires fond memories for many people across the country, and, like the things identified in the research, we do have a certain retro charm we are keen not to lose. However, we are not living in the past, which is why we’re using our 50th birthday as the time to relaunch our new look and offering later this year. Keep an eye out for the new look Little Chef – perhaps Black Forest Gateau will be on the menu!”