We move into the 1980s to find out how Neville Butler kept the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) going during a decade of austerity. We learn about the benefits of reading for pleasure for children’s English and maths skills. We also ask study participants about their teenage years and find out what it was like sharing their 19th birthday with 4,000 other people at Alton Towers.

We explore these topics and more with:

• Professor John Bynner, former BCS70 director.


• Professor Alice Sullivan, current BCS70 director (also known as ‘Principal Investigator’ or ‘PI’ for short).


• Professor Scott Montgomery, epidemiologist and former BCS70 researcher.


• Study members, who share their memories of life in the 1980s, and taking part in the study.

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