Pull up your leg warmers and scramble your Rubik’s Cubes, as the exciting, new, free to visit exhibition, I Grew Up 80s arrives at The Hub at St Mary's in Lichfield this April.

Running from 8 April until 1 July, discover over 200 iconic treasures - from BMX to Betamax, Dirty Dancing to Donkey Kong, Thompson Twins to Transformers. 

I Grew Up 80s is a lovingly curated time capsule of over two-hundred treasures that showcase the youthful exuberance of the much-loved decade. Collector and cultural commentator Matt Fox, has devoted himself to exploring a 1980s childhood through the iconic objects of a decade in which so much changed.

Matt says: "Those who grew up 30-40 years ago, pre-internet in the 1980s, can genuinely state that life was very different then. In my view, the 80s were a remarkable time to be a child. We can explore that through the objects that kids either owned or perhaps desperately wanted to!

For example, you’ll see Dunlop Green Flash trainers alongside some achingly cool Adidas High Tops. Toys and electronic games that you once dreamt about on shop shelves or in the Argos catalogue. Iconic albums you played to death on vinyl and cassette. Chocolate bars and food items, like Sweet Cigarettes and Peanut Treets, that are no longer with us. Plus, some great examples of 80s design like boomboxes, Swatch watches and, ahem, purple shell suits!"

Alongside the exhibition, there will be free 80s themed activities during the school holidays and selected Sundays throughout the spring. Try your hand at our Rubik’s Cube Challenge (8 April), 80s Character Clay Modelling (12 April) and 80s Board Game Sundays. You can also have a go at Pom-Pom Making (14 April – this is a bookable event). 

In The Hub Little Shop you will be able to stock up on some 80s favourites including Slinkies, Care Bears, sticker books, board games, etc. and to keep up your 80s energy levels our lovely Coffee Shop will be serving specially created 80s themed yummy cupcakes.

Plus there will be lots of 80s music coming up too with Sanctum Sanctorum – Darkside of the 80s (21 April), The Smiths are Dead (29 April), 80s School Disco with Ruby Bridge (5 May) and 80s Acoustic Classics (14 May).

The exhibition is free to visit but booking is required for weekend and school holiday visits with tickets available online at thehubstmarys.co.uk or in person at The Hub.

All music events and Pom-Pom Making are ticketed events. Please visit The Hub's website for further details and booking.

Photo credit: all images © Matt Fox 2019