A Slice of Pie With... Sir David of Retrohenshire (pt. ii)

Photo courtesy of David Henningham

NAME: David Henningham

AGE: 53 (I had to think for a second!)

FROM: London

LIVES: Manchester

OCCUPATION: I develop breakfast cereals and snacks

FAVE PASTIME: Writing (mainly about things from the 70s and 80s)

We hope you enjoyed the first part of our interview with nostalgia blogger, David Henningham, aka Sir David of Retrohenshire, creator of the awesome Retrohen blog. Check out the second part of this interview as we continue to have a slice of pie and a natter with Sir David.

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You are the creator of the fabulous Retrohen blog (For those of you who haven’t checked it out yet, do so NOW!!!) Where did the name come from? How and when did you get into nostalgia blogging? And why did I not know about you until last year???

My colleagues at work knew I was into retro and one guy called me “Retrohen”. Prior to this, they used to call me “Hen”, a shortened version of my surname. Therefore, Retrohen equals retro and hen put together. I got into nostalgia blogging in 2015. I’d been doing a home study writing course and blogging was a way to test the water with my work. My first blog was about Brut aftershave and I was so nervous about hitting the ‘publish’ button. I really didn’t know how it would be received, but luckily it turned out well… phew! Haha, why did you not know about me until last year? I could say the same thing about you. But seriously, there are so many blogs out there and it’s not always straightforward coming across ones that tickle your fancy.

That's true. And I'm glad you've been hitting that 'publish' button since your first post. You’ve also written a book that’s available from your site: Section N Underpass. Tell us a bit about it and yeah - really sell it to us!

Poor Carlton Krane. He went on a routine train journey that ended up taking a strange detour into the Section N Underpass. Things don’t get better for him as he’s lead off the train into a region when mobiles, contactless payments and the internet don’t exist. A region when cash rules, the streets are graced with Ford Cortinas and Austin Allegros, and four-star leaded petrol is sold at the pumps. Within the new home that he now resides, Carlton begins learning about the people and happenings within the Underpass region by reading a stack of typewritten accounts of happenings found with a Freeman Hardy Willis shoebox. Sat leant against the warmth of the running twin tub washing machine, Carlton reads through them. Who is the master baker called Mr. Kipling? Why is the Green Cross Code Man so helpless? Is the Milk Tray Man the perfect partner? World of Sport or Grandstand on a Saturday afternoon? The biggest question is how will Carlton survive in a place that displays all the characteristics of the 1980s?

That sounds awesome and a must for any nostalgia fan especially if you grew up in Britain during the latter part of the last century. I never knew that my calling in life was to be a nostalgia blogger. If I had known that, I would have kept more things from the years of my childhood to early adulthood. I’m now spending a fortune on eBay buying back my lost childhood! Are there things you regret not hanging on to, especially now that you’re also a nostalgia blogger?

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I also spend time trawling through eBay buying stuff I originally had. My biggest regrets are not holding onto my payslips from my first ever job. I was 16 years old and I got a part-time job at Asda in Park Royal. I worked on Friday evenings and Saturdays from 7am – 5pm. Supermarkets were closed on Sundays during these times. I was getting about £18 per week for doing this and I so wished I’d kept hold of my payslips and the envelopes they came in. The other thing I wish I’d kept was the weekly British Rail train tickets I had whilst attending college – they were really robust and had the British Rail logo on them.

Goodness, the days when everything was closed on a Sunday. Hard to believe now. It’ll soon be National Retro Day here in America. But there’s no reason why those who love all that is retro shouldn’t celebrate wherever they are. If you ask me, it should be International Retro Day! Nostalgia addicts who live outside of America might not be so familiar with this day. But now that you know about it, are you planning to mark the day (February 27th) in some way and if so - how?

I had no idea that this existed in America. It's a fantastic idea and it should be a worldwide event. Now that I know I will do a little Twitter (X) post to highlight the day.

It absolutely should be a worldwide event! One of the prerequisites of National Retro Day, apart from immersing yourself in all that is retro, is being offline for the day (shock horror!) as a way of remembering simpler times. How easy do you think it’ll be to steer clear of modern day gadgets and gizmos that require Wi-Fi, and revert back to old-school technology for this one day? 

OMG I’d find that almost impossible even if it is for just one day. I think I’d end up cheating and I’m sure I won’t be the only one.

I'm saying nothing! Some of us will remember a time when the internet was just a lightbulb moment in the inventor’s head (gosh, I’m really ageing us here!) And now we live in a time when we have to be online for just about everything. The only thing we don’t need Wi-Fi connection for is going to sleep, but trust me - that will be happening soon! In your opinion, how easy is it nowadays to live a life where we’re not so connected all the time - like how it was back in the day? 

We’ve really embraced technology and it is part of our lives. Life has become faster and we’ve adapted to that. I remember TV adverts for K-tel records: to order a record you’d have to fill in a coupon, write a cheque or postal order, post it and then wait 28 days for delivery. I’m sure many of us would not even accommodate a 28-day delivery these days and be straight onto Amazon. I’ve even noticed that there are places where a smartphone is mandatory to scan QR codes to access services. I’d say it’s now impossible to lead a life where we’re not connected all the time.

Kids, this is the kind of thing Sir David is talking about! (Angel Noire)

I agree. And wow, postal order! Now that's taking me back! We’re nosy - What future plans do you have for Retrohen?

The aim of Retrohen was to make people laugh by making a unique twist of events, experiences and advertising from the 70s and 80s. The plan is to continue to do this whilst throwing in some facts.

I can honestly say that nostalgia blogging has changed my life for the better in so many ways. For one thing I’ve met so many great people - like your good self - and come across so many fabulous sites - like Retrohen! Would you say that Retrohen has enhanced your life in some way, and if so - how? 

Each time I write a post I do smile whilst thinking back to those retro days. It's also like I’m transported back to those days when I was growing up in Harlesden. I switch off from the day-to-day pressures and just write and have fun. I hope I enhance the lives of people who read my posts by making them smile and say ‘I remember that!’

I can honestly say you do!

This or That:

• 1980s or 1990s? 1980s

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• Hyde Park or Roundwood Park? (if you know, you know!) Roundwood without a doubt.

• Man U or Arsenal? (This could get dangerous...) Arsenal
  

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• Spice Girls or All Saints? The Spice Girls

• No. 18 or 266? (Again, if you know…) The No. 18. I hopped on this a few weeks ago from Euston to Harlesden.

• Pot roast or Pot Noodle? Pot roast

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• Opal Fruits or Starburst? Opal Fruits

• Noel’s House Party or Kid 'n Play’s House Party? Kid ‘n’ Play’s House Party

• Holiday for two or cash prize? Holiday for two

• Easties or Corrie? It’s got to be Corrie

Corrie's Ken and Deidre the first time round (YouTube)

And Finally…

You’ve time-travelled back to the Eighties. You’re in a fancy restaurant and the waiter brings out the dessert trolley at the end of the meal. Which retro pud do you go for?

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To be honest, I’d go for more than one! The one I’d go for first is Butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight. After that I’d asked for jelly with rum and raisin ice-cream.

Sir David, it's been an absolute pleasure, mate! Thank you.

If you'd like to follow Sir David of Retrohenshire in a non-stalkerish way; check out his amazing work, say hi or purchase his book, here are his deets below:

WEBSITE www.retrohen.com

EMAIL: keepitretro@btinternet.com

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: https://twitter.com/HenninghamDavid

Insta: @davidhenningham

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/retrohen

Photos: David Henningham; Angel Noire; Wix; Unsplash, and YouTube

GIF: Wix

Blog graphics: Angel Noire