Howie's World of Comics: A "Look-in" to the Seventies: 1974

1974: The first year we had New Years day as a public holiday and there were two general elections this year as Harold Wilson returned as Labour Prime Minister. Jon Pertwee left Doctor Who after Planet of The Spiders being replaced by Tom Baker. Ceefax was launched, McDonald's arrives in the UK with a premises in Woolwich and Turkey invades Cyprus.

For me this was a year of change as I did my "O Levels", left school and started catering college. I also joined the Young Liberals.

Photo: By Source

Meanwhile Look-in continued to bring all the UK's children the entertainment provided by the ITV network. Doctor In Charge was joined as a comic strip by the fourth Goon, Michael Bentines Potty Time. Ed "Stewpot" Stewart was running the letters page and David Cassidy appeared as the main feature with a "pinup" spread over the colour centre pages. The lad was popular with the girls I recall.

Other features included science fiction serial The Tomorrow People in comic strip form, Bless This House and the ever popular Follyfoot.

They were joined by The Kids From 47A which I vaguely remember an this was the year of Kung Fu with David Carridine.

The winners of the 1974 Eurovision song contest were probably the most memorable of all time. Sweden's band Abba won over listners with Waterloo whihch shot to number one in the UK and all over Europe as they went on to be one the super-groups of the Seventies.