Master of the dark hearts

THE YEAR 1976 was hugely eventful. Concorde made its first commercial flight. Jim Callaghan succeeded Harold Wilson as Prime Minister.

- Mike Ward

The UK won Winter Olympic gold, then the Eurovision Song Contest, then went on to bask in a heatwave.:

And, perhaps most significantly, on Wednesday, September 8, Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, a 46-year-old sales executive for Sunshine Desserts, arrived at work 11 minutes late, although seemingly not for the first time.

"Staff difficulties at Hampton Wick," was British Rail's latest excuse, he told his secretary Joan.