8/04/81: new UK regional definitive stamps issued

On Wednesday 8 April 1981 new regional definitive stamps for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were issued by Royal Mail.

The values for each region were 11½p, 14p, 18p & 22p.

source and pics.: collectgbstamps

10/3/81: UK Budget presented to Parliament; UK Top 40

On Tuesday 10 March 1981 a new UK budget was presented to Parliament by teh Chancellor of the Exchequer Geoffrey Howe.

pic.: ssplprints.com

This was Howe's second budget and the second of the Thatcher leadership and was presented at a time of significant economic hardship in the UK. Inflation was running at 15% and manufacturing output was down by 9% over the previous year with unemployment up by one million. In budget measures, the price of a pint of beer went up 4p, spirits went up 60p, wine up 12p, and 20 cigarettes up 13p. Petrol duty went by by up a significant 20p per gallon.

Geoffrey Howe would become Thatcher's longest serving cambinet minister, resigning in November 1990, just three weeks before Thatcher's own resignation. He died in 2015.

sources: guardian, wikipedia.

Roxy Music go to no.1 in the UK with the John Lennon song Jealous Guy. 

Duran Duran and New Order make their Top 40 debuts.

source: Official Charts archive

14/1/81: New definitive issue stamps (UK)

On Wednesday 14 January 1981 a new set of definitive value postage stamps was issued by the UK Post Office. The new issue effectively signaled the increase in the price of sending mail.

The price of a 1st class letter increased from 12p to 14p, while the price of a second class letter went up from 10p to 11½p.

Sources: collectgbstamps.co.uk, theguardian.com