Here are the biggest news, sports and entertainment stories of 1994 …
The English and Welsh welcomed a change in the law that meant they could go shopping on Sundays. Since 1950 they had not been able to do so due to a law that prohibited the opening of shops on the traditionally holy day. Church groups opposed the measure, but both the people and the government agreed that it was an outdated concept.
The first British national lottery was launched to mixed reactions; some feel it is wrong to promote gambling and others simply love the opportunity to win easy money. However, the fact that a considerable amount of money each week went to charities was enough to sweeten the skeptics enough and, having gotten the go-ahead, the first draw was a massive success; the jackpot is over £ 7 million.
Someone who won a personal lottery was the man who received a ‘bionic’ heart. The media is very interested in the pioneering operation, led by UK doctors in Cambridgeshire, in which the world’s first battery-powered heart was implanted.
In the political world, people finally dared to hope for peace in Northern Ireland after ceasefire announcements from both the IRA and the Loyalists; the conservatives who finally negotiated seemed to have paid off. Despite that, it was not a great year for John Major and company, although they may not have realized it at the time, as the little-known and fresh-faced Tony Blair was hired as the new leader of the opposing Labor Party. ; bringing with it talks of “change” and a modernizing agenda.
As for sports in 1994, Great Britain missed the fun of the World Cup in the United States; the first time since 1938 that no British representative had been to the event. Brazil won that competition, eventually defeating Italy in the final on penalties, but a lot of attention was still paid to Argentine Diego Maradona, who had been suspended mid-tournament after being caught taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Since home country football matches were of no importance, it was an ideal opportunity for the 5 rugby union nations to take center stage. Wales dominated the tournament, but were prevented from sealing a ‘grandslam’ by defeating England in their last match.
Britain’s television screens lit up in 1994 with two familiar faces in new appearances on BBC 2. Steve Coogan’s creation of the socially inappropriate Alan Partridge was a huge success, with viewers embarrassed when Partridge humiliated and vilified his guests on the fictional chat program. ‘Knowing me, knowing you’. The second BBC triumph was ‘The Fast Show’; Created by Paul Whitehouse, a Harry Enfield regular, the show reinvigorated the tired sketch show format and released a variety of key phrases.
On the big screen, this was the year that Hugh Grant became a household name as a result of his starring role in “Four Weddings and a Funeral”; the same movie is also in charge of promoting the much loved / hated ‘Wet Wet Wet’ song ‘Love Is All Around’. The most fashionable film of 1994 was Quentin Tarrantino’s gangster film ‘Pulp Fiction’. Telling the intertwined stories of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster’s wife, and a couple of dining room bandits, this was all about violence and redemption.