What of the history of antique wooden furniture? Well wood has been used as a building material for many, many centuries – both for external items such as ships – the Royal Navy was built almost exclusively from oak, but also for internal things, such as furniture. Oak furniture has been made in Europe since the medieval period. Much of the earliest oak furniture is probably of historical value, never mind having value as an antique. Looking now at mahogany, the first furniture was made from it in the mid eighteenth century for the market in main economic power of the time, Britain. The rich red, brown coloured hardwood was sourced from forests in northern South America and the Caribbean and furniture made from it went down an absolute storm in Georgian Britain.

Wood, and by extension wooden furniture, has an intrinsic beauty. Obviously it is derived from a living being, and as such we are able to see its structure, its knots and grains, in all their fine detail. Wood positively hums with a sense of warmth and reassurance. Other materials from which furniture are made, such as metal, plastic and glass do appear cold and clinical when compared with wood.

But how would you go about obtaining a good piece of antique wooden furniture? Well, going by our definition from above, you’re looking at something made before 1930. If we run back to the earliest antique mahogany furniture then there’s a 200 year period during which antique wooden furniture was being made. So they’re not being made anymore, like anything else that adds value. Knowing when it was made and by whom will also add value. Like a painting by an old master, a cabinet by Chippendale, Hepplewhite or Sheraton will have value just because of who built it.

In terms of finding such a piece, it is unlikely that something by one the ‘big three’ will be found in an antique dealers. However in order to find what you’re looking for you are probably best to shop around, using the Internet and visiting dealers who are perhaps ‘off the beaten track.’ Please don’t consider buying directly off the Internet, but use it as a tool to identify what you are looking for and then make sure that you visit the seller in person in order that you can see properly what you are considering. Most of all, do have fun and learn as you go along, taking notes and arming yourself against any unscrupulous characters that you may meet.

What would you wear if you were invited to an 80s fancy dress party?  Well, if you look a bit further than the obvious, there’s a wealth of iconic 80s images to pick from.  What about Madonna in her Desperately Seeking Susan phase?  Or Princess Leia.  Then for you boys, there’s Han Solo, or perhaps a Ghostbusters suit.  Really, ‘the world’, as Del Boy might say, ‘is your lobster’.  If you need anymore ideas, we have loads of 80s fancy dress suggestions at I Heart 80s.

Next up was Material Girl. Again this was such a cool track – the video, thanks again TOTP, was an homage to Marilyn Monore in Gentleman Prefer Blondes. This was only her fifth UK single and they let her make THAT video. Wow, they must have known that she was star material.

Both of these singles made it to number 3 in the UK singles chart. Her next single Crazy For You, a tie to the Matthew Modine movie Vision Quest was a raunchy ballad (an oxymoron?) and I loved it. ‘Swaying room as the music starts…’ you must remember it. It got to number 2 in the UK singles chart, but it was to be her next single Into The Groove which finally made it to that coveted UK number 1 spot. And Into The Groove probably wasn’t considered as being all that great a single by Madonna and her record label as it wasn’t released as an A side in the US – it was the B side to Angel in that market.

Angle was the next UK single and it made it to number 5 in the UK chart. I have to confess that I’m not able to remember how Angel goes, sorry but it was that memorable, totally unlike Madonna of course. Next up was Dress You Up. A bit notorious this one – it found its way onto the Filthy Fifteen, a list of songs deemed by the PMRC in the US to be unsuitable for minors (should that be miners?) due its perceived sexual overtones. It was all a bit tame compared to some of the other stuff on the list (and by Madonna’s own standards later on).

And finally, the last of Madonna’s UK singles releases that I bought was Live To Tell. It has a somewhat timeless quality does this track, more so than Like A Virgin, say. It’s a song about relationships with parents and was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, a long time collaborator of hers. And that was that. As I said, I finished buying Madonna’s singles with this one, so I missed out on buying great tracks like Papa Don’t Preach and the utterly amazing Like A Prayer – my loss I suppose!

You can check out more info on 80′s Madonna or the 80′s in general at I Heart 80′s.

If you’re only going to have just one or two hit singles, best make them good ones. That’s the creed by which Cutting Crew lived their short moment of fame in 1986. (I Just) Died In Your Arms was the group’s first single and made it to number 1 on the US Hot 100 and number 4 in the UK singles chart. Their follow up single, I’ve Been In Love Before also hit the US top 10, getting to number 9 and managed a respectable number 24 in the UK singles chart. But then that was it. The lyrics to Died In Your Arms are allegedly a reference to sexual fulfilment but the lyrics themselves seem to tell a tale of regret with two phrases, ‘I should’ve walked away, I should’ve walked away’, and ‘I followed my hands, not my head, I know I was wrong’ giving us this impression. No matter, this was a top moment of 80’s pop.

Next up, a great start to a solo career after being part of a seminal late 70′s / 80′s band. One time lead singer with Northern Ireland punk stars The Undertones, Feargal Sharkey scored his first solo hit with A Good Heart. Famously penned by Maria McKee, it was number 1 in the UK singles chart for two weeks from 16 November 1985. A Good Heart was McKee’s take on her relationship with Benmont Tench, keyboard player with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. In the interest of balance, Sharkey’s second solo hit, You Little Thief, gives Tench’s version of events!

The Flying Pickets scored the UK’s Christmas number one in 1983 (and the first ever a capella UK number one) with their version of Only You – Vince Clarke’s song that he had written whilst still with Depeche Mode, but had seen them reject. No matter, for with Alison Moyet as Yazoo, Clarke took the song to number 2 in 1982. The Pickets’ version spent a total of 5 weeks at the top. Although it’s more of a lament than a love song, it’s gorgeous demonstration of the art of songwriting.

Love these songs yourself? Think there’s a better 80′s love song?