Bygone Ballymena: 'I stepped back in time and visited Ballymena in the 1980's - here's what I saw'

When you consider that the start of the 1980s was 45 years ago, it’s easy to see why many towns and cities look completely different now compared to how they did back then.

The decade was a time of great social and economic change across Northern Ireland, and Ballymena was no different.

Join us in our time machine as we leave 2025 and head back to Ballymena in the 1980s – let us know which photos surprised you the most.

9. Life in 1980s Ballymena

Youngsters gathered at the old bandstand at Broadway. Photo: Old Photos of Ballymena

10. Life in 1980s Ballymena

Many of the buildings at the bottom of Wellington Street remain the same, even as the retailers that occupy them have changed over the years. Photo: Old Photos of Ballymena

11. Life in 1980s Ballymena

Who didn't love a Pick n' Mix from Woolworths? The younger generation in town may remember Woolies at its ‘newer’ home within Ballymena’s Tower Centre, while others will fondly look back at the store in its heyday on Bridge Street. Photo: Old Photos of Ballymena

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