Stuff We Like

Before health and safety forms, risk assessments, and “supervised public displays,” there was one man — usually your dad — armed with a box of questionable fireworks, a lighter, and unwavering confidence. Back in the ’80s and ’90s, Bonfire Night was less about organised fun and more about lighting something potentially explosive in your back garden and hoping for the best. Here are five fireworks that somehow passed as “safe for home use” — and the memories (and minor singes)

Every November, we’d dutifully colour in a picture of Guy Fawkes, make a wobbly cardboard Houses of Parliament, and chant 'Remember, remember the fifth of November' as if we were about to uncover a national secret. But here’s the thing — a lot of what we were told about Bonfire Night wasn’t exactly true. Between playground retellings, half-remembered lessons and a few centuries of propaganda, the real story of Guy Fawkes is a bit messier (and less heroic) than we learned at s

Before the internet, we had the playground. That’s where stories spread faster than head lice, whispered behind the bike sheds or during wet playtime. Every school had that one ghost story that everyone swore was true — and no adult could ever convince us otherwise. Here are five ghostly legends that haunted every playground in Britain. 5. The Girl in the Mirror The story: You’d stand in front of a mirror — usually in the girls’ toilets — turn off the lights, chant a name (of

Halloween is all about monsters, but let’s be honest — some of them were weirdly attractive. Whether it was the hair, the attitude, or just a hint of eyeliner and danger, plenty of on-screen creatures made us feel things we didn’t quite understand at the time. So light a pumpkin-spice candle, dim the VHS-glow lighting, and let’s confess our questionable crushes. 5. David Bowie – Jareth the Goblin King (Labyrinth, 1986) The allure: A glam-rock villain with spectacular hair, a

When a beloved movie hits theatres, the marketing machine goes into overdrive, and sometimes that includes creating an animated tie-in series. Ideally, these cartoons expand on the story, give fans more of what they love, and make narrative sense. But, as any fan of 90s and 2000s animation can tell you, sometimes the results are… baffling. Here’s a look at five movie tie-in cartoons that left audiences scratching their heads. AI Generated image. Source: Shutterstock. 1. The R

Saturday mornings were once a sacred time for kids: cartoons, cereal, and a few hours of glorious escapism. But not every show delivered predictable fun. Some series went so far off the rails that viewers were left questioning reality, narrative logic, or just why anyone greenlit them. Here are five of the most bewildering instances of Saturday morning chaos. AI generated image. Source: Shutterstock 1. Mighty Max (1993–1994) On paper, Mighty Max sounded like a dream: a boy wi

Music videos were meant to be fun and stylish — but in the ’80s and ’90s, directors often leaned into experimental or surreal imagery...

Everyone remembers Blue Peter, Grange Hill and SM:TV Live. But what about the oddball kids’ shows that aired once or twice, burrowed into...

Long before The X Factor and The Voice, talent shows were often seen as one-hit wonders factories. For every Will Young or Girls Aloud,...

School assemblies were supposed to be about inspiration, information, or at least making sure everyone was awake before first period....

Theme tunes should be fun and catchy — a warm invitation into the world of a TV show. But sometimes, children’s TV went in a very...

Children’s TV is supposed to be colourful, fun, and harmless… but every so often, a character would appear that sent us diving behind the...

Growing up, we tuned into TV for light entertainment — a bit of fun after school, or harmless Saturday evening drama. But every so often,...

There was nothing like walking into a corner shop after school, pocket money jingling in your blazer, and staring at a wall of sweets...

School wasn’t just about lessons and exams — it was also the battleground of fads. Every few months, a new craze would sweep the...

Tiny stories, big paradoxes. Try not to rewrite history. 🧠 1) The Mysterious Postcard (Easy) A man receives a postcard in the mail with...

School dinners in the ’80s and ’90s were… a mixed bag. Sometimes delicious, sometimes suspicious, but always memorable. Whether you...

Board games in the ’80s and ’90s weren’t just about rolling dice and moving pieces. They were contraptions, contraptions with elaborate...

Before the era of cinematic universes and billion-dollar blockbusters, TV dared to ask: What were our favourite heroes like before they...

Try to solve each riddle from the story alone—no outside facts needed. Ready? 🧠 1) A Startling Order (Easy) A man walks into a quiet...