Chapter 42

7 September 1982. Six PM.

Birmingham in the seventies and eighties was a tough place to grow up for most people. The economy was not great, jobs were not plentiful, education was average at best and social tensions were high. Nevertheless, children were afforded the freedom to play and explore, leaving their parents to worry about the pressures of daily life. There were plenty of fields and parks for these kids to play in, after school had finished for the day and their parents relaxed in front of the TV's four solitary channels. There used to be only three, but Channel 4 had recently arrived, increasing their viewing potential by a whole extra third. Those lucky Brits.