Most bingo games played today no longer look like this
“Bingo night” (CC BY 2.0) by Anne Varak
There are some hobbies and activities that never really go away. They may fade in popularity for a while but then they seem to make a resurgence – either with the same generation that got tired of them a decade or two ago, or with a new generation that wasn’t alive the first time that a particular activity was popular.
There are lots of retro activities around at the moment that were things our parents and grandparents enjoyed as leisure pursuits and now we’re enjoying them, too. While a pastime may go out of fashion for a while, if it’s a good one, you can bet it’ll boomerang back again sometime in the future. Take a look at these examples of current retro activities that are keeping us all busy.
Eyes down for bingo
A few years ago, bingo would have been a game you only associated with your granny. However, in today’s world, bingo is a game for all ages, and though its first heyday may have been in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, bingo is certainly now a retro activity that is very much in trend. Mainly, of course, that’s because bingo is now so easily available to play online and on a mobile. The choice of bingo games for UK players is vast, thanks to the presence of so many online sites such as 32red, Gala or Tidy Bingo. When you first sign up to play online bingo, you can take advantage of welcome bonus credit onto your account. And when games only cost pennies to play, that’s a lot of free entertainment. As well as the fact that it’s a great value game, the other draws of online bingo are that it’s fun and only takes minutes to play – and it may just lead to a huge cash prize.
While bingo is a great game to play by yourself online, many of the land-based bingo halls have been revamped to suit a younger target audience who are looking to have a bit of fun playing bingo at the start of a big night out before heading off to the bars and clubs. An ideal retro choice before heading off to an 80s night, perhaps?
Both kinds of skating
Temporary ice rinks pop up all over the country during the winter
“Ice Skating at Somerset House (1)” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by MarchieCTID
Going to the ice rink was something that kids growing up in the 70s and 80s used to view as a regular weekend treat. During the 90s and into the 2000s, though, ice skate rinks up and down the nation closed down and more often than not, the spaces they left vacant were converted into retail units. Today, there are only a few year-round ice rinks still up and running, but thanks to the success of ITV’s Dancing on Ice, there’s been a real surge in the number of people who now want to skate – or at least give it a go! For those of us who don’t have an ice rink that’s easy enough to get to, there’s often the alternative of going to a seasonal skating rink that seem to pop up more and more in recent years. For instance, the Liverpool One ice festival had a full-size rink that was in place for all of December and into the New Year, while Londoners can skate in the beautiful courtyard of Somerset House from November to January every winter.
Retro roller skates are back in fashion
“Retro” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by peyri
Roller skating has also enjoyed a bit of a revival in recent years, and many leisure centres still hold roller discos on a regular basis. Maybe the last time you donned a pair of roller skates was before you got your driver’s licence but for a fun couple of hours of exercise, you can’t beat hitting the roller rink. There are some pretty cool retro-style skates available online for about £30, too, so you can get your own pair and do some skating in the park as well as at the roller disco.
Jamming it
Anyone can make their own jam
Home-made is a big trend at the moment, and there’s nothing easier to make than your own pots of jam. Actually, there is a fine line when it comes to reaching setting points and whether you end up with a runny jelly or a jam that’s concrete-like in its solidity, but essentially the process of making jams is a simple one. While jam used to be an expensive item, today people aren’t making it to save money; it’s more for the thrill of making it yourself and experimenting with flavours. Why make do with plain old marmalade, for example, when you can have marmalade with crystallised ginger in it? January is a great time to get out the preserving kit as it’s the peak month for Seville oranges – reputedly the best marmalade oranges to make marmalade with.
As well as being fun to make, pots of jams, chutneys and preserves make great little gifts to share with your friends – and you’ll doubtless encourage other people to follow your lead and make their own jams.
Hits of the decades
Create your own disco inferno night
“Disco ball” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Bruno Girin
One retro activity that’s never gone out of fashion is a night out themed around music from a particular decade of music. Just think how many 80s nights you’ve been to over the years. Of course, you can organise your own retro music party night at home anytime. All you need is a few albums of the greatest hits from the decade you’re celebrating, and the accessories to go with it. For instance, for a 60s night go hippy with big flowers on everything, tie-dye bandanas and glow necklaces. And to recreate the 70s in your living room, shift out your regular sofa and armchair and scatter a few beanbags around the place. Light the room with lava lamps and put on your fedora hats and flares, put on some Abba tunes and you’re away.
