Evel Knievel
Remember Evel Knievel?

He was huge when I was little.

Definitely larger than life...

He had 2 claims to fame from what I can remember.

Jumping over stuff on his motorbike... 

It was usually buses...

and lots of them at once...

I seem to remember that canyons were his other speciality for jumping over...

Little ones I would think... but even so...

He was THE daredevil...

And very 70s in his Elvis style white leather outfits with stars and stripes on...
Evel Knievel
source: https://www.history.com/news/evel-knievel-motorcycle-jump

So coooooooooooooooooooooool!

And his other claim to fame, from memory, was breaking stuff...

Usually his bones... as a result of the aforementined jumping over stuff, which didn't always go 100% according to plan.

And after a while other people started copying him but they didn't ever seem to attempt jumps quite so dangerous and they lacked Evel's razzmatazz.

Loads of my friends had an Evel Knievel toy... remember that?  

​Where you sort of revved up a mini Evel's stunt bike and, when it was suitably energised you released it and it zoomed off to hurtle over things.



Click on the piccy (or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv-ePgAhXrU) to see a wonderfully cheesy advert for the toy... "I want one, Mum!!!!" was the chorus.

It was almost as essential as a Scalextric in the 70s (I didn't have one of those either... poor me, sob sob!)

Want to see what all of the Evel Knievel fuss was about?  Or maybe it will bring back memories for you...

Just how long can he drag it out?  Talk about building up the tension for the watching crowds...

 
 
Click on the piccy (or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv-ePgAhXrU) to see a wonderfully cheesy advert for the toy... "I want one, Mum!!!!" was the chorus.

It was almost as essential as a Scalextric in the 70s (I didn't have one of those either... poor me, sob sob!)

Want to see what all of the Evel Knievel fuss was about?  Or maybe it will bring back memories for you...

Just how long can he drag it out?  Talk about building up the tension for the watching crowds...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ratqB20diYE

So 70s... I love it!


Do you remember Evel?  Did you have an Evel Knievel toy? (you lucky #%?@! if you did)  Please gloat and tell me how good it was...

15 Comments To "Evel Knievel"

Loading Comments

Write a comment

Your Name:


Enter the code in the box below:

Your Comment:
Note: HTML is not translated!
Nostalgic Meanderings
A Load Of Cobblers

The 1970s and 80s in the UK weren't just about the flamboyant flares and shimmering disco balls. It was an era defined by a certain ethos – one of mak...

Grandstand Astro Wars: A Trip Down the Pixelated Memory Lane

This chunky wonder was the closest any of us ever got to a Star Wars adventure, the joystick akin to a real spaceship's controls...

A Nostalgic Nibble Of A Fray Bentos Pie

  Oh, the allure of the Fray Bentos pie! My mind tinkers back to the carefree 1980s, and I'm instantly whisked up in a nostalgic whirlwind of ...

The Magic Robot - The ChatGPT of the 1970s

  Ah, the Magic Robot – the board game that was the epitome of a '70s childhood, or more like a jumble sale staple and the subject of many sna...

Car Aerial Made From A Coathanger

Ah, the good old days of the '70s and '80s, when British ingenuity was at its peak, and we could solve almost any car-related problem with a bit of el...

Vinyl Car Seats

Ah, vinyl car seats - the "luxury" of the 70s and 80s. They were the true test of one's mettle on a hot summer's day. Picture this: a quintessentially...

The Six Million Dollar Man

Journey back with me, if you will, to an era when television was our magic portal to the fantastic and the extraordinary. Let us revisit a time when t...

Scratch n Sniff

Ah, the good old days when life was simpler, and the only thing you had to worry about was whether your scratch and sniff sticker collection was up ...

Help! It's The Hair Bear Bunch: A Hairy Blast from the Past

Get ready to unleash your inner child as we delve into a mysteriously nostalgic realm of mischief, motorcycles, and mesmerizing bears - can you guess ...

Wacky Races: The Zany World Of Hanna-Barbera's Craziest Car Rally

Are you a fan of the outrageous Hanna-Barbera cartoon 'Wacky Races'? If so, it's no surprise – since its debut in 1968, this classic show has captur...

The Utterly Brilliant "The Banana Splits" TV Show

What is the link between the fab 1960s weirdness that is "The Banana Splits" and the scary 1976 horror classic "The Omen"? Read this to find out! P...

Christmas Tree Memories

A couple of weeks ago we made the annual trip to the garden centre to pick our Christmas tree. I had measured the height, floor to ceiling, in ou...

Countdown to Christmas Part 2

Only 19 sleeps to Christmas (as I write this)... It was a regular December memory that I recall from my childhood so it definitely qualifies for ...

Countdown To Christmas Part 1

This is when it started to get serious... Christmas really was coming. The first sign was the appearance of the advent calendars... Not tha...

70s Mania

A while back I wrote about the bands from back in the day which are still doing their thing... Human League, The Cure etc.  If you missed it you ...

70s / 80s Music Icons

I'm nervous... I came up with an idea last week and I'm not sure whether it will go down a storm... or die a horrible death through lack of inter...

Strange 80s Radio

  Back in the day... I think it must have been the 80s... there was possibly one of the strangest things to be broadcast on the radio... and i...

The Beautiful Game

  Hello I went to Wembley last Saturday to watch the League 1 playoff final (football!) where my beloved Wycombe Wanderers were playing Sun...

Mr Benn

Hello David McKee sadly died about a month ago.  He was 87, which is a good innings in anybody's book. You're probably thinking... who? ...

1970s Horrors

Almost 50 years later this still sends shivers down my spine... and not in a good way. It's in the same category as scraping fingers down the bla...

Chockle - Our Best April Fools Joke!

As you can probably guess, it's not a bad job to be the person behind the virtual counter in an online sweetshop. Aside from being surrounded by ...

Charley Says...

As Vic Reeves would have said... "You wouldn't let it lie...". Brace yourself for a nostalgic rant... Don't you find it depressing how many re...

Plimsolls

I took William, our 13 year old, shopping the other day to buy a new pair of trainers.   The old ones had lasted about 3 months until h...

Sketch-a-graph

As I look out of the window here the sky is grey and it's raining. Back in the day, before there was 24 hour a day entertainment for children (on...

The Great Egg Race

Back at the end of the 70s a new, how did they come up with that idea, programme appeared on BBC2.  I can remember if it was on Sunday afternoo...

Westerns

As I'm doing mundane stuff around the house and in the garden I spend a whole load of my time trying to think of obscure nuggets of things that I reme...

Christmas TV Times

How many of these childhood Christmas memories can you remember?

The Gift That Keeps On Disappointing!

The devil is in the detail they say... and that was certainly true when it came to tokens at Christmas. One, in particular, made my heart sink when...

Stickle Bricks - The Love Child of Lego & Velcro?

Remember Stickle Bricks?  Take a trip down toy memory lane...

The Worst Biscuits Ever

Do you agree with my controversial list of the worst biscuits ever? ... from an 8 year old's perspective anyway...

The Best Biscuits Ever?

How many of these can you remember?  Have I left out your favourite?

Birthday Parties

How many of these memories remind you of birthday parties when you were little?

I can't believe they still make...

Iconic foods you thought had long since disappeared... or have they???

Whatever Happened To...?

It was one of the staple puddings of school dinners at our junior school. In the queue I would repeat to myself internally... "Please don't let ...

Horror Snacks!

I say that these are the most nostalgic snacks ever. Or am I wrong?  You decide...

The Iconic Sony Walkman 2

Remember when the coolest cats wore orange foam headphones?

The Chart Rundown

Did did you do this too on Sunday afternoons?

My Saviour: A Bic Pen

They wrote well.  They leaked horribly.  But what else were they really good for?  

CDs: You Could Eat Your Breakfast Off Them... Apparently!

They were unscratchable... and you could smear them with butter and jam, pour coffee over them... wipe'em down and then pay them. Because Tomorrow'...

The Legend Called William Shatner

Do you remember tribbles?  Or this song from 1987 that was number 1 for two weeks?

The World's Worst Toilet Paper

There's one item from my childhood that stands head and shoulders above all others as being completely and horribly unfit for purpose.

It Never Stopped!

Bird goes up, bird goes down, bird goes up, bird goes down...

Saturday Morning TV

How many Saturday morning tv programmes can you remember from over the years? Here's a load of them to rekindle some memories.  How many can y...

Back To School Memories

Memories of going back to school after the long summer hols...

Toys In Cereal Boxes

Remember buying cereal just for the fab toy inside the box?

Watching Television At School

​Do you remember this from when we used to watch television programmes at school?

A Tribute To Sir Clive

Was he really married to a former lap dancer?

Dynamo Bike Lamps

A pedal down childhood bikes memory lane!

Kelloggs Rise and Shine

Remember this from the 1970s? It's orange juice... but not as we know it! 

The Summer Ice-Lolly-days Are Here!

Loads of memories of the most nostalgia-inducing ice lollies from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Which was your favourite?

What's In Your Pocket?

Back in the 70’s there was a British toy company called Palitoy. Ring any bells? They made my sister’s favourite doll at the time Penny Puppywalker...

Things that make you go hmmm (or ewww!)

Did you get the 1990’s music reference in the title? See more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF2ayWcJfxo When I say hmmm I don’t mean it in ...

The Excruciating Excitement Starts Here!

What happened each December, about now, that got us so excited?

Remember Tim?

Remember Tim? We phoned him up and he always told us the same thing. What am I on about?

My Dirty Secret

What's missing today which was abundant when we were little?

Wincingly Cringeworthy

How times have changed... thank goodness.

Original Is Best… Or Is It?

The battle of "new and improved" vs "classic original recipe".

Article Search

Nostalgic Meanderings
The 1970s and 80s in the UK weren't just about the flamboyant flares and shimmering disco balls. It was an era defined by a certain ethos – one of making things last. Back then, the essence of life wa... [Read More]
This chunky wonder was the closest any of us ever got to a Star Wars adventure, the joystick akin to a real spaceship's controls... [Read More]
  Oh, the allure of the Fray Bentos pie! My mind tinkers back to the carefree 1980s, and I'm instantly whisked up in a nostalgic whirlwind of clinking cutlery, gleaming tins, and happy househo... [Read More]
  Ah, the Magic Robot – the board game that was the epitome of a '70s childhood, or more like a jumble sale staple and the subject of many snarky remarks among cheeky kids. It was the kind ... [Read More]
Ah, the good old days of the '70s and '80s, when British ingenuity was at its peak, and we could solve almost any car-related problem with a bit of elbow grease and a coat hanger. I can still remember... [Read More]
Ah, vinyl car seats - the "luxury" of the 70s and 80s. They were the true test of one's mettle on a hot summer's day. Picture this: a quintessentially British family summer trip to the seaside, packed... [Read More]
Journey back with me, if you will, to an era when television was our magic portal to the fantastic and the extraordinary. Let us revisit a time when the cool, monotone hum of dial-up was still a dista... [Read More]
Ah, the good old days when life was simpler, and the only thing you had to worry about was whether your scratch and sniff sticker collection was up to par. Yes, my friends, I'm taking you back to th... [Read More]
Get ready to unleash your inner child as we delve into a mysteriously nostalgic realm of mischief, motorcycles, and mesmerizing bears - can you guess the classic cartoon that captured our hearts and m... [Read More]
Are you a fan of the outrageous Hanna-Barbera cartoon 'Wacky Races'? If so, it's no surprise – since its debut in 1968, this classic show has captured the minds and hearts of over 25 million viewers... [Read More]
What is the link between the fab 1960s weirdness that is "The Banana Splits" and the scary 1976 horror classic "The Omen"? Read this to find out! PS if you're looking for the wonderful toffee meets... [Read More]
A couple of weeks ago we made the annual trip to the garden centre to pick our Christmas tree. I had measured the height, floor to ceiling, in our lounge to ensure that the fir that we bought was... [Read More]
Only 19 sleeps to Christmas (as I write this)... It was a regular December memory that I recall from my childhood so it definitely qualifies for my little Christmas countdown... These days it ... [Read More]
This is when it started to get serious... Christmas really was coming. The first sign was the appearance of the advent calendars... Not that they were a massive surprise because they were t... [Read More]