Schools Out for Grange Hill

The Stars of Grange Hill, 1985 Edition

You have to wonder if, when he scrawled out that very first episode of Grange Hill, Phil Redmond had any inkling of what he was unleashing: thirty years of institution-defining, schoolyard drama. Yes, for three decades, Grange Hill brought us schoolchildren like we’d never seen before. They were real, rough around the edges, and came with a backpocket full of cheeky, cockney charm to counteract the harsh realities of youth they were exposed to.

Ask anyone about their favourite Grange Hill era, and they’ll inevitably plump for the one that coincided with their own schooldays - we all saw ourselves reflected in the television screen, didnt we? However, now that the dust has settled on its 30 year run, it’s clear the show hit its zenith in the mid-1980s. Series nine, to be precise: the brilliant, gripping year where Zammo spiralled into heroin addiction.

I first found Grange Hill in 1989, but a few years ago I made the necessary pilgrimage back to those earlier, hallowed series. They were indeed fantastic. Scripted with the effortless genius that only a genius such as Anthony Minghella could produce, these episodes floored me with their unflinching scripts, believable characters and an intoxicating combination of humour and heartbreak.

So, yes, the mid-1980s era of Grange Hill is now my favourite and I can’t help but lap up everything I can about that era. That’s why I was delighted to find this feature on the stars of Grange Hill from a 1985 issue of Beeb, the BBC’s short-lived and almost forgotten rival to ITV’s Look-In magazine. Featuring all your favourite faces, we get to hear Zammo wax lyrical about his sartorial choices, Jackie’s grand plans for the future and the shock news that Cally is a closet Tory.

So, delve deep, relive the past and marvel at the youth fashion of 1985. Click on the images for larger versions.

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