Enter most pubs in the 70s and you'd usually be engulfed in a thick fug of smoke. That all changed in 2007, of course, when smoking was outlawed at pubs across England. Pictured here in 1979 are regulars at the Saddle Inn, Woodplumpton, celebrating after it was named the Lancashire Evening Post Pub of the Year.placeholder image
Enter most pubs in the 70s and you'd usually be engulfed in a thick fug of smoke. That all changed in 2007, of course, when smoking was outlawed at pubs across England. Pictured here in 1979 are regulars at the Saddle Inn, Woodplumpton, celebrating after it was named the Lancashire Evening Post Pub of the Year. | Iconic Media Group

North West retro: 15 things you saw or did all the time in the 70s, but rarely come across today

Robert Cumber
By Robert Cumber

Property and retro writer

Published 22nd Jan 2026, 12:24 GMT

How many of these do you remember?

  • They were the most ubiquitous fashions, pastimes, foods and drinks of their day
  • You couldn’t avoid them in the 70s, but they have largely disappeared from modern life
  • How many of these once-popular sights and activities do you remember?

They were everywhere in the 70s, but have largely disappeared from modern life.

These are some of the most common sights and activities of the 1970s, from fashion trends and foods to popular pastimes.

Some were particularly prevalent in the north west, while others could be seen up and down the UK.

If you grew up during the 70s, these nostalgic pictures are bound to bring memories flooding back.

We’ve tried to find photos from around the North West, where possible, with many taken from our archives.

What was the best thing about life in the 70s, and what was the worst?

For more nostalgia from the era, why not check out our look back at some of the most dangerous things we all did in the 60s and 70s?

There are some things you saw all the time in the 70s but rarely see today

. There are some things you saw all the time in the 70s but rarely see today

There are some things you saw all the time in the 70s but rarely see today | Various Photo: Various

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It's not like marbles have gone away, exactly, but they're nowhere near as popular as they were in the 70s. You could see games of marbles being played on almost every street corner back then, and they were the currency of the playground.

7. Marbles

It's not like marbles have gone away, exactly, but they're nowhere near as popular as they were in the 70s. You could see games of marbles being played on almost every street corner back then, and they were the currency of the playground. | Getty Images Photo: John Pratt/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive

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People relied on phone boxes if they were out and about in the 70s, long before we all had mobile phones. You sometimes had to wait your turn, though the queue wasn't usually this long. If you do see a phone box today, chances are it's been turned into a mobile library.

8. Phone boxes

People relied on phone boxes if they were out and about in the 70s, long before we all had mobile phones. You sometimes had to wait your turn, though the queue wasn't usually this long. If you do see a phone box today, chances are it's been turned into a mobile library. | Getty Images Photo: Devon News Service/Express/Hulton Archive

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This was another of the biggest fashion trends of the 70s. They were often knitted by your mum or gran, and came in the brown and orange colour scheme that was the decade's trademark. Some people loved them, but others found them a bit tight under the armpits.

9. Knitted tank tops

This was another of the biggest fashion trends of the 70s. They were often knitted by your mum or gran, and came in the brown and orange colour scheme that was the decade's trademark. Some people loved them, but others found them a bit tight under the armpits. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive

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Playgrounds were only for the brave-hearted in the 70s. They consisted mostly of concrete and metal, and there was rarely a time you didn't return home with a few scrapes. One of the most popular pieces of equipment back then was the so-called witch's hat, which you could get to spin at a furious speed, and which caused many a lost tooth or sprained ankle.

10. Witch's hat

Playgrounds were only for the brave-hearted in the 70s. They consisted mostly of concrete and metal, and there was rarely a time you didn't return home with a few scrapes. One of the most popular pieces of equipment back then was the so-called witch's hat, which you could get to spin at a furious speed, and which caused many a lost tooth or sprained ankle. | Heritage Images/Getty Images Photo: English Heritage

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The highlight of the week for many children growing up in the 70s was a visit by the 'pop man'. They delivered fizzy drinks to homes around the UK, and you got money back when you returned the bottle. Corona and Alpine were two of the best-known brands, but several others existed. Popular drinks of the day included cherryade, limeade and dandelion & burdock. It was usually a case of the brighter the colour, the better.

11. The pop man

The highlight of the week for many children growing up in the 70s was a visit by the 'pop man'. They delivered fizzy drinks to homes around the UK, and you got money back when you returned the bottle. Corona and Alpine were two of the best-known brands, but several others existed. Popular drinks of the day included cherryade, limeade and dandelion & burdock. It was usually a case of the brighter the colour, the better. | Heritage Images/Getty Images Photo: Paul Walters Worldwide Photography Ltd

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Three-wheeled cars were popular in the 70s, with one of the attractions being that they were typically cheaper to buy and run. The most famous three-wheeler was, of course, the Reliant Robin, pictured here.

12. Three-wheelers

Three-wheeled cars were popular in the 70s, with one of the attractions being that they were typically cheaper to buy and run. The most famous three-wheeler was, of course, the Reliant Robin, pictured here. | Getty Images Photo: Chris Ware/Keystone Features

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