04/07/81: Wimbledon Men's Singles final: McEnroe vs. Borg

Saturday, 4 July 1981.

McEnroe beat Borg to win his first Wimbledon title, ending Borg's five year run.

Borg also went on to lose to McEnroe at the 1981 US Open.

Borg and McEnroe pictured prior to the Wimbledon final.

24/06/81: For Your Eyes Only première in London

On Wednesday 24 June 1981 the Royal World Premiere of the latest James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only” was held at the Odeon Leicester Square Theatre in London.

The première was attended by Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

source: princessdianabookboutique.wordpress.com

16-17/05/81: Japan play Hammersmith Odeon

On the weekend of 16 & 17 May, 1981 the British rock band Japan played two concerts live at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

The tour, entitled the "Art of Parties" tour after their new single release, was the last to feature guitarist Rob Dean as part of the band. Although The Art of Parties failed to become a big hit in the UK, the band were to have a surprise hit later in the year with an old song Quiet Life, before enjoying further success in late 1981 with their cult Tin Drum album and related singles Visions of China and Ghosts.

The band effectively split at the end of 1982 when they were practically at the height of their commercial success. The group's final UK performances came in November 1982, culminating in a six-night sell-out stint at London's Hammersmith Odeon. Their last live performance took place, appropriately, in Japan.

Japan performing May 1981, l. to r.: Steve Jansen, Mick Karn, David Sylvian, Rob Dean. Keyboardist Richard Barbieri off shot.

source: nightporter.co.uk 

27/4/81: Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach marry in London

On Monday 27 April 1981 former Beatle Ringo Starr (b. 1940) married model and actress Barbara Bach (b. 1947) at Marylebone Registry Office in London.

source/pics.: paulmccartney-fanclub.blogspot.it

For a first-hand account of the afternoon by a fan, see here

15/04/81: FA Cup semi-final replay - Spurs v. Wolves

On Wednesday 15 April the replay of the second semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers took place at Highbury Stadium in London.

Tottenham ended up beating Wolves by a clear 3-0, with two goals from Garth Crooks and one from  the Argentinian Ricardo Villa. The first match had ended in a 2-2 on the previous Saturday, thanks to a 90th minute penalty by Wolves' Willie Carr.

Tottenham were now scheduled to play against Manchester City, who had beaten Ipswich Town, on Saturday 9 May at Wembley Stadium.

11/04/81: Brixton riots

On Saturday 11 April 1981 fierce fighting and rioting broke out in the London suburb of Brixton. At approx. 4:45pm two police officers searched and arrested a young black taxi driver, taking him away.  Missiles were thrown at the police van as it left. This led to more police reinforcements and led to the worst day of the rioting.  The rioters were mostly young black men but they were now joined by young whites.  Looting began, police vans were overturned and bricks, bottles, and petrol bombs were thrown, setting fire to both police and private cars. There were also a number of attacks on retail and commercial premises and bars.

pic.: Peter Murphy

pic: PA

text source: blackpast.org

for various eye-witness accounts see: Remembering the riots (theguardian.com)

10/04/81: Michael Bailey stabbed in Brixton

On Friday 10 April 1981 at around 5 p.m. a young black man, Michael Bailey, was stabbed in a fight in the Brixton area of suburban London. While running for help he was stopped by police officers who were then accused by other residents of having stabbed Bailey themselves and furthermore hindering medical assistance.

The incident is said to have been the spark that started the ensuing 'Brixton Riots' over the following weekend.

pic: guardian

Police harassment increased tension in Brixton when Operation Swamp ’81 was launched  in early April 1981. Police used the hated “sus” laws, which allowed them to search anyone they suspected of having committed a crime. In just five days, police stopped and searched almost 950 people, arresting 150. Black people made up just 6 percent of London’s population in the late 1970s. But 44 percent of those arrested under sus were black. Unemployment in the area stood at 13 per cent overall, and 25 per cent among the West Indian community. Half of young black men were jobless.

Flyer calling for an end to 'Sus' laws, 1981

sources: wikipedia, dailymail.co.uk
flyer pic: irr.org.uk

29/3/81: first London marathon

On Sunday 29 March 1981, the very first London Marathon took place. It had been organised and directed by Christopher Brasher, a former sports editor for The Observer newspaper.

After taking part in the 1979 New York Marathon, Brasher convinced himself that London could do what New York had done. Within a year, he had achieved the far more difficult task of convincing the police and the relevant London boroughs. He had hoped for 4,000 runners on the big day in March 1981; in the event, more than 7,000 started from Greenwich Park - and most made it to the finish outside Buckingham Palace.

A 25lb cannon was fired to start the race in Greenwich Park at 9am. Some two hours, 11 minutes and 48 seconds later the marathon finished in a tie with American Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen crossed the finish line at Constitution Hill.

source: guardian archives, virginmoneylondonmarathon.com
pics: bt.com

9/3/81: Charles & Diana's first official night out

On the vening of Monday 9th March 1981, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, now engaged to be married, attended a charity concert at the Goldsmith's Hall in London.

The couple were greeted by hoards of paparazzi photographers eager to get pictures of Diana in her 'little black dress'.

 

pictures: princessdianabookboutique

3/3/81: Charles & Di's night at the opera

On Tuesday 3 March 1981 it was announced that the wedding between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer would take place at St Paul's Cathedral on 29 July. That evening, the couple attended the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London for a performance of "L'Africane."

pic: pinterest

Source: (date) princessdianabookboutique

2/3/81: Black People's Day of Action

On Monday 2 March 1981 several thousand people took to the streets of London to protest the New Cross Massacre on 18 January, where a suspected racist fire-bomb attack killed thirteen black youths (aged 15-22) at 439 New Cross Rd, London SE14. The march went from Deptford, scene of the fire, to Fleet Street, home to many of the UK's national newspapers, and then to Downing St.

The protest was against the alleged brutal police treatment of survivors, racist media reporting, ongoing racial attacks and the silence of the British government and Queen resulting in the slogan, “13 dead and nothing said!”. The London Black People's Day of Action demonstration in 1981 began a year of uprisings that would set the streets of Britain ablaze as Black communities in London, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool rose up in revolt against prejudice and oppression.

source: The Blacklist Pub, obv.org.uk





Also on this day.... two new asteroids were discovered by Dr. Schelte J. “Bobby” Bus, astronomer at the University of Hawaii Astronomy Institute.

The two asteroids were both named after science-fiction writers:  4923 Clarke, after Arthur C. Clarke, and 5020 Asimov after Isaac Asimov.

16/2/81: The sorry state of Soho (The Observer)

On Sunday 16 February 1981 The Observer featured an article lamenting the sorry state of the London district of Soho. The article by Patrick O'Donovan stated that the once "charming and graceful" area now has "more than 160 shops and establishments devoted to fringe sex and titillation".

pic.: Photoshot/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

O'Donovan goes on to blame the civic authorities such as Westminster City and the Greater London Council for the demise since they were the ones who licences the "massage parlours and saunas" and other "places of entertainment" in Soho.

On Valentine's Day 2006, a campaign was launched to drive business back into the heart of Soho. The campaign, called I Love Soho, was backed by the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, the Soho Society, Westminster Council and Visit London.


source: Observer archive (guardian.com)


Also on this day:

BBC Radio 1 John Peel show:
- first play of The Human League's new single 'Boys and Girls'
- first transmission of New Order session
- first play of Simple Minds' new single 'Celebrate'