AN EXPLOSIVE Retro this week to coincide with the fireworks going off across the sky, as I look at some of the big bangs of 1983.

There was a big bash in June with the finals of Miss News Shopper 1983 at Bromley Court Hotel, which saw the girls display bright smiles, swimming costumes and mild fear, as many men turned up to watch, some with telescopic cameras.

Julie Spicer, of St Paul’s Cray, was crowned the winner then all the contestants hit the dance floor for a boogie to the sound of disco music and camera lenses zooming in.

Yes, Miss News Shopper 1983 probably led to many restraining orders being made against some of the more heavy-breathing members of the audience.

In February, residents of Bromley town centre tried to get their own permanent restraining order against plans to open a shopping centre on their doorstep.

The Heart of Bromley Residents Association (Hobra) started a leaflet campaign against plans for the £23m Holwood Centre shopping precinct.

As the Holwood Centre never opened, Hobra were successful, which is surprising considering they risked not being taken seriously by giving themselves a name suggestive of a brand of lingerie for ladies of the night.

Perhaps they celebrated their victory with fireworks (see how I’m cleverly linking everything to bonfire night).

There was some straight-shooting advertising from a slimming club in January 1983. Perhaps one of their members was named Catherine Wheel.

Successful Slimmers ran classes across the region and used the advertising slogan “FAT? You needn’t be!”

This style of straight-to-the-point advertising was avoided by developer Wimpey Homes when trying to sell houses in Sidcup.

Judging by a photograph in News Shopper in December 1983, Wimpey went for the more surreal approach of placing a cardboard cut-out of a cat outside the houses it was trying to sell.

Perhaps a French avant-garde conceptual artist was in charge of Wimpey’s advertising department at the time. Perhaps he was called Guy Le Fawkes.