HISTORY ............................. Education-wise, the old technical college was upgraded and transformed into a polytechnic, and a new art college was built. A new site to accommodate a teacher-training facility was also built for the reolcation of the College of St Mark and St John from London. There were also plenty of cultural changes, including pubs being permitted to open at 10am on weekdays, but they had to close at 2.30pm and then reopen at 6pm until 11pm.
On the road, the cost to cross the Tamar Bridge was 10p per car, 1p per bicycle and 2.5p per motorcycle. You could also halve those rates if you bought a book of 20 tickets. A family day trip to Cornwall wasn’t complete without the mandatory rummage in the glove compartment by my parents for that elusive last bridge ticket. By the end of 1976 the cost to cars had increased to 15p. Motoring was becoming more affordable with the amount of private cars increasing. In 1975 Mumfords car dealer was visited by Pan’s People, the dancers from BBC’s Top of the Pops, for the launch of the new Austin Morris 18/22 range. Allen’s Garage had central premises in Coburg Street with a distinctive frontage and was the City’s Vauxhall dealer. OPM 28
There were also seven cinemas in the City at the start of the decade: Drake, ABC, Odeon, State (St Budeaux), Belgrave (Mutley), Studio Seven and Arts Centre. By the end of the decade there were fewer cinemas but more screens, with the Drake and the ABC going triple-screen. Music-wise, the Van Dike Club in Exmouth Road hosted many great names including Fleetwood Mac, Status Quo and David Bowie. The Guildhall later became the venue of the choice. One stand-out gig in 1979 was at the Fiesta Suite and saw Madness, The Specials and The Selecter perform. Top Rank in Union Street also became the place to go to hear great DJs and to dance the night away. Family entertainment was another matter. Do you remember the zoo? It sadly closed in 1978 but I remember excitedly running up from the entrance to gaze at the guinea pigs and rabbits in the children’s area. A skateboard park was created on the site soon after closure.