Leeds nostalgia: Making the headlines in January 1982... the price of cigarettes rose to £1 a pack

There was an outcry after a packet of Woodbines shot up in price to £1 a packet.
Woodbine Willie exhibition at Leeds Parish Church thurs 27th may 2010
A display of Woodbine cigarettesWoodbine Willie exhibition at Leeds Parish Church thurs 27th may 2010
A display of Woodbine cigarettes
Woodbine Willie exhibition at Leeds Parish Church thurs 27th may 2010 A display of Woodbine cigarettes

The price hike also saw a pack of 20 John Player Special cigarettes rise to 97p, while 25g of Golden Virginia hand-rolling tobacco would set you back £1.35.

Back in 1982, of course, smoking was still very much an accepted part of life. You could smoke just about anywhere without anyone even cocking an eye. You could light up in pubs, smoke on the bus, on the London Underground (which wasn’t banned until 1984, after a serious fire was attributed to a discarded cigarette). You could even smoke in cinemas until 1987, when Canon introduced a ban, which forced other chains to follow suit shortly thereafter. Speaking of cinemas, back in 1982, people were watching the likes of Superman II, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Kramer vs Kramer, An American Werewolf in London and Legend of the Golden Vampires, which was X-rated.

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If you didn’t fancy going out and you wanted to stay in and watch the tele, then you would likely be tuning in to something like Terry and June, Pot Black ‘82, MASH and Minder.

And in other news, Black Sabbath played a comeback gig at the Queen’s Hall, Leeds.