Get ready to pull up your leg warmers and scramble your Rubik’s Cubes and take a nostalgic trip back to 80s childhood in Discover Bucks Museum exciting new family-friendly exhibition, I Grew Up 80s.

From this October visitors to Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury can explore the cultural landscape of 1980s Britain through the eyes of a child – revisiting the colourful vibrancy and innovation that defined the decade; from Betamax to BMX, the Walkman to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and the Thompson Twins to Transformers.

Lovingly curated by collector and cultural commentator Matt Fox, I Grew Up 80s is a time capsule of over 200 treasures that showcase the youthful exuberance of this much-loved decade. There’s plenty for all ages to see, enjoy, share and remember the last decade before the digital revolution gathered pace. Matt Fox, who was aged eight in 1980, has devoted himself to exploring an 80s childhood through the iconic objects of a decade in which so much changed, says:

“Those that 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 dreamed 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!”

If you were a child, teenager or adult and experienced the 80s get ready to exclaim “I remember that!”, and like Bill and Ted in their phone booth or Marty McFly in his DeLorean, let Discover Bucks Museum take you on a most excellent adventure to revisit the greatest decade in the history of history – the 80s!

There’s also a full programme of special 80s events including 80s Quiz and Disco Night with Dan Blaze on 25 November 2023 and much more!

80s Telling the Tales of Time – book signing and talk with Steve Nallon
Saturday 25 November, 1-3pm
In this talk actor and writer Steve Nallon will take you on a journey into the world of the time travel tale – exploring its science, plots, rules, characters and, most importantly, its enduring and timeless appeal in books, television and film.

80s Quiz and Disco Night
Saturday 25 November, 7-10pm
Get ready to party with award-winning entertainer DJ Dan Blaze in our special afterhours event including quiz rounds, interactive challenges, fancy dress competition followed by an 80s disco.

80s Board Games
Every Saturday
What’s your favourite board game? Bring your family and come and rediscover some of the hits of the 80s.