Alumni Memories: Eurovision 1985

Posted on: 20 April 2023 by Development and Alumni Relations Team in 2023

In another of our alumni Eurovision memories’ series, Dr Sarah Green (BSc Hons Molecular Biology 1998, PhD 2005), University fundraiser and Eurovision superfan, shares her earliest childhood memories of Eurovision.

“I love Eurovision and always have”, says Sarah. Her parents say that, as a two-year-old in 1976, she used to dance around the house singing ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’, the Brotherhood of Man’s entry for the UK that year. “I used to sing it constantly and my parents ended up buying the single so they could at least listen to a version that was in-tune!” she laughs.

‘Save Your Kisses For Me’, which won Eurovision that year, became a worldwide No.1 in many countries, including the UK, where it was the biggest-selling song of the year, and remains one of the biggest-selling Eurovision winners ever.

For many who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, at a time before the internet and multiple television channels, the BBC’s Eurovision coverage was a highlight of the year for many families, drawing in millions of viewers in the UK and across Europe, during what was a particularly strong period for UK acts.

“I definitely wanted to be in Bucks Fizz”, says Sarah, referring to the iconic UK winners of the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. “And the first single I bought was Bardo's 1982 UK entry, ‘One Step Further’”. Bardo, who were managed by the same team behind Bucks Fizz, were tipped to win but on the night were only able to manage seventh place.

“But my all-time favourite is ‘Let It Swing’ by Bobbysocks!” says Sarah, which was the Norwegian entry in 1985, and the eventual winner of that year’s competition (pictured below). It was also the first time Norway had won, after a run of particularly disappointing entries which saw them score the now notorious ‘nul points’.

Sarah has remained a committed fan to this day and her enthusiasm has clearly rubbed off on her eldest son who she describes as being “even more obsessed than I am!” Sarah is planning to fully immerse herself in the action this year. “I am so excited that it is coming to Liverpool and I was devastated not to get tickets, but I’ll be hanging out in the city and drinking in the atmosphere. That is unless anyone has a spare ticket they’d like to give me?”