40 Years Strong
Today we mark the 40 years since the incorporation of FLR Group. A lot has happened in that time although it still feels like yesterday for our Founder and Managing Director Jeff Walker. Whilst still in further education on the 20 December Floor Restorations Limited was officially registered as a new company in England & Wales.
Here’s a look back at some of the other momentous events that year.
Bat out of hell
1982 brought us a number of now classic songs and albums. Flying high was Birmingham’s very own Dexys Midnight Runners (Come on Eileen) and Duran Duran’s Hungry Like A Wolf. Culture Club’s Do You Really Want To Hurt Me and Madness Our House were also big hits this year.
Michael Jackson released the album Thriller, but it was legendary Birmingham rocker Ozzy Osbourne providing the thrills when he hit the headlines for the wrong reasons biting off the head of a bat live on stage at a show in Des Moines, Iowa.
Making your mind up
Things were a bit calmer closer to home as the Eurovision Song Contest – held in Britain – was won by Germany’s Nicole, with Ein bißchen Frieden.
In the week of the companies incorporation The Jam released their final album, ‘Dig the New Breed’, a collection of live recordings (including a track from Birmingham’s Bingley Hall). Meanwhile, Maneater by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates was Top of the Pops.
But it wasn’t just the big acts of the day hitting the high notes. Slightly less melodically, Susan Birmingham, (ironically from Newcastle), entered the Guinness Book of Records when she issued the world’s loudest ever scream, at 120 dB.
Royal births and papal visits
In the news: Mark Thatcher, son of then-Prime Minister Margaret, was discovered safe and well in the Sahara, after going missing for nine days whilst taking part in the Paris-Dakar Rally.
In April, Argentina, under dictator General Galtieri, invaded the Falklands. The 74 day conflict would only be ended when a British task force recaptured the islands in June.
June turned out to be the busiest month in the headlines, as Pope John Paul II visited the UK, preaching to millions of Catholics across the country, while Princess Diana gave birth to our heir to the throne, William Prince of Wales.
This could be Rotterdam…
Cinemas were rolling out the red carpet for ET as the film had its premier, and went on to become the biggest-grossing film of the ‘80s. In literature it was a vintage year for children's books. Roald Dahl’s The BFG, Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾ and Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse were all published.
Perhaps the biggest event of the year as far as Jeff was concerned took place on 26 May. Jeff had no intention of calling home, when Peter Withe scored the only goal for Jeff’s beloved Aston Villa against Bayern Munich in the European Cup final in the Netherlands.
As the year came to an end the number of people unemployed in the UK hit the 3 million mark for the first time since the 1930s. There was further bad news on this front as more than 1,200 jobs were lost in the West Midlands when the Round Oak Steelworks at Brierley Hill closed after 125 years.
This makes Jeff’s decision to start his own business at this point, straight out of school an even bigger achievement, given that 40 years later Floor Restorations Limited has gone from strength to strength.
Today marks the start of our 40th celebrations, so watch this space for events and giveaways throughout the year.
