The 1970s felt like a very “ill” decade. Those of us who were children at the time were well aware of the impact of commonplace maladies, and we all share fond memories of gazing woozily at BBC Schools programmes while attempting to shake off the unpleasant effects of mumps, measles or chickenpox. Or, indeed, incorporating unspecified abdabs into our childhood games… it was an era when simple playground pursuits like ‘Tag’ were rebranded as ‘Bugs’, or even ‘Fleas’, the sole object being to contaminate as many of our closest friends as possible with the lethal, imaginary infection of our choosing.
Hattie Cooke, The Sleepers and Spun Out of Control — The Haunted Generation
25 years of hopeful thinking 