'Makes me want to rip my teeth out': 7 sounds you'll remember hearing if you grew up in the 70s or 80s

• There are some sounds that anyone who grew up in the 70s or 80s will remember
• From songs and games to household appliances, these noises will take you right back
• Do these songs remind you of your childhood?

Were you a child of the 1970s or 80s?

If so, there are some sounds you’ll almost certainly remember hearing when you were growing up.

From popular TV theme tunes and toys to household appliances, those noises will transport you instantly back to your childhood.

Love them or loathe them, there’s a good chance these noises were part of the soundtrack to your formative years, both at home and at school.

How many of these sounds of the 70s and 80s do you remember?

A cacophony of recorders

Anyone who was at school in the 70s or 80s probably learnt to play the recorder, or at least tried.

If you did, the ear-splitting din of 30 recorders murdering Three Blind Mice and other tunes is one that will stick with you for life.

You’ll also probably remember using your sleeve to wipe off the spit from the last person to play that recorder.

Most youngsters struggled to master even the most basic of tunes on the recorder, managing only a mixture of squeaks and breathy bursts, though a few excelled and moved on to the flute.

Pupils do still learn the recorder at some schools, though other instruments are more popular these days.

The hum of a milk float

Milk floats have made a bit of a comeback in recent years, due to growing awareness of plastic pollution, but back in the 70s that was still how most people got their milk.

If you were up early enough, you’d hear the low hum of an electric milk float crawling along, its bottles clinking gently in their plastic crates.

Milk deliveries declined in the 70s, as more people bought theirs at the supermarket, and by the late 90s milk floats had become a rare sight on the nation’s streets.

The buzz of an electric carving knife

The electric carving knife added a touch of theatre to the traditional Sunday roast in the 70s and 80s.

When they first came out, they seemed so futuristic and they were used at every opportunity.

But the glamour soon faded, and in most households they would only make an appearance on special occasions, like the Christmas dinner.

As household appliances go, they’ve stood the test of time particularly well, with many people still using the electric carving knives they bought or received as wedding presents back in the 70s or 80s.

The screech of fingernails on the blackboard

One of the most horrific sounds known to humankind, and a vital resource for exasperated teachers in the 70s and 80s.

Anyone who went to school back then will remember the sound of fingernails being scraped along the blackboard by a teacher trying to get their pupils’ attention - a trick that never failed.

One person described how the noise of nails on a blackboard makes them ‘want to rip my teeth out’, while another said it was the one sound that always ‘gives me tingles’.

Blackboards have been replaced by whiteboards at most schools, with some having upgraded to touch-screen displays in the classroom.

The clatter of imPerfection

It’s more than half a century since the infuriating but addictive puzzle game Perfection first hit the shelves in 1973.

The aim of the game was to get all your different-shaped pieces in their respective slots before your time elapsed and the board sprang up, sending them flying into the air.

Everyone had their own tactic, whether that was fitting the tougher pieces first or lining up the shapes before starting the timer, which bordered on cheating.

It was almost impossible to walk away until you’d completed the game and had the satisfaction of stopping the timer after fitting your final piece.

Other popular games and toys of the 70s and 80s included Operation, with the familiar beeping sound every time the tweezers went awry; the click-clack of Clackers; and KerPlunk, soundtracked by the clatter of falling marbles.

The Wombling Song

The Wombles first wobbled their way onto our TV screens in 1973, and the quirky litter-pickers quickly endeared themselves to the viewing public.

Youngsters everywhere back then could recite the words to the ridiculously catchy theme tune, The Wombling Song, penned by Mike Batt, which reached number 4 in the UK singles chart in 1974.

All together now: “Underground, overground, Wombling free, the Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we...”

The crunch of Mr Frosty grating ice

Mr Frosty was on every child’s wishlist during the 80s.

The plastic snowman would make you an endless supply of saccharine slushie drinks.

You simply poured a few ice cubes into his head, used the hat to crush them down and then turned the grater in his stomach to create the ice shavings.

Mr Frosty came with a selection of different flavours, including ‘Outrageous Orange’, ‘Cheery Cherry’ and Loopy Lemon’, which you added using Mr Frosty’s handy helper, Percy the Penguin.

Follow those simple steps and sugary delight, accompanied by the inevitable brain-freeze, ensued.

If you remember the 70s and 80s, you might also enjoy this photo gallery looking back at how we spent our Sundays back then.