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Just got back from my physiotherapy. I think it's helping me so will keep plodding on and doing the homework. Twentieth anniversary of my first wife's death today. I don't tell you that to be a downer or crave sympathy. lots of folks face this at some point. Mainly it makes me think of how quickly time goes. You never forget it, but time has a way of removing the sting just a bit. She was a fine woman, a good mother and a good wife. Loved dogs too.

I’ve never fainted but have witnessed several others collapsing, in school assembly, lining up for TB jabs at school and the same in doctors surgery for Smallpox jabs in the 1970s when there was a Smallpox epidemic in Europe. I was only going to Amsterdam for the weekend but still had to have the jab. The funniest fainting event I witnessed was during a hospital consultation with my Consultant. He was explaining what was involved in my upcoming operation and the nurse in attendance went down like a sack of spuds onto the floor! She was very embarrassed.

I had piano lessons around age 13-14 and reached a reasonable level, and I could sight read fairly well. I also had some training on organ, including the dreaded foot pedals. My main reason for doing it was that I was into rock/prog music of the late 60s and early 70s and wanted to be like the keyboard wizards of the day. As I got older I lost enthusiasm for the learning, and I decided that listening to records was easier and less stressful than actually playing the stuff, so it turned out to be a case of "what you can learn in 5 years and forget in the next 50". The hi

Got to be E4 ?

When I was metal detecting we had many experts in the club - and I don't mean that in a disparaging way! The amount of knowledge some of these chaps have is amazing and very diverse. We had one guy who was an expert in old buttons! I was an expert in silver foil and bottle tops!

An evocative choice Col, I remember them all. My parents didn't have a TV in our house until about 1967. But we always had a good radio (Murphy 146 being the latest) which was always on whenever someone was awake in the house. In those days I learned by much listening how and why music 'works'. It seems to me there was such a wide variety of music broadcast in the 50s (which was mainly on BBC) the memory of which remains with me to this day. Wayward Wind and Little Things are amongst those instant recalled memories. Edit to add.. Murphy 146

I am annoyed. I AM ANNOYED!! I get repeat prescriptions online. So, being due a new lot for March I prepared to make the request on the 4th. I usually request repeats in the first week of the month. Since I'm going to be out of the country when I need to request April's, I called the surgery who told me to just put a note on to explain and request two months. It takes them 48 hours to process a request so today I checked on line only to see in bright red... 'REQUEST REJECTED'. No explanation, no advice, just 'rejected'. By the time I'd seen this the surgery was closed. So, by th

To Col and Willow. I'll respond to your posts in What are you listening to now, later. Rotten Ipad puts the thread up but then shuts it down again before I can read what you say. Have to get my laptop out. I'm not just ignoring you.

After physio we decided to splurge and go to the Blue Willow for lunch. Nice trip and good food. Helps to refocus your day a bit. Now too full to do me practice. Cuppa tea and gerratit.

Thank you for your comments Col. We acquired this radio new when I was about 5 or 6 (1949 ish) so didn't appreciate the finer points of audio reproduction then. But as you related the ideal is to isolate front from back. Still listening to music on it in 1959/60 it was a good quality general listening radio, 10" speaker. For instance I can remember 'Jailhouse Rock' when it was first broadcast and the opening bars which included a raunchy bass walk-up (pitched about E2 I think) sounded impressively rounded, smooth and even; that's one feature I remember in my early audio learning curve but tha

I remember Roy and Joan who the first landlady. Some others from mid 1950s were Alan, Lol and Bert and the original sign hanging outside now lives in my Summer House.

Eww, now there's a mental picture not easily expunged - especially when I'm eating my breakfast

Loved listening to 'Little things mean a lot' and 'The day that the rains came down'. Even Paul started singing to the latter but, like me, he didn't know all the words...

I've posted this elsewhere but one day some family researcher may be pleased to see it . He looks like Buffalo Bill or some other gun-toting cowboy from the Wild West . In fact it’s Tommy Strong of Sneinton in Nottingham . A well known character around the fairs and markets in the late 1800s with his strongman act . Using the Census’ of the time ,Thomas was born c1848 to an Irishman , (also called) Thomas and his wife Mary (nee Goodwin) from Stainsby , Derbys . Thomas had a large number of siblings and half siblings , possibly as many as 13 brothers and sis

Had lots of Minis, and never a poor one. Pale green van, yellow one, green one, Royal blue one, cream one, but my favourite was a Jet Black. Beautiful.

My first car was a Mini, bought in 1974 for £650. No idea how old it was at the time but I kept it for about 5 years by which time the floor had rotted, it was like driving a pedal car in the end. Then I had a brand new Ford Escort. Had lots of nice cars since those days, never want to change my car but when I’m persuaded I always love the one I’m driving at the moment. My husband’s first car (probably 1961) was an Austin 7 which he dumped in a bomb crater, he’s always regretted doing that!

I played the piano by ear from the age of 3. If I heard a piece of music, I would go and play it. As I grew older, I was sent for piano lessons and told that I must not play by ear any longer and must read the music. I more or less lost the ability, although I found it fairly easy to memorise the music and play without it. My maternal grandfather and his sisters all played by ear, although my mother had been taught to read music. I think it possibly runs in families.

Some people are natural musicians though Dave, my late Mother could listen to a song on the radio, and in minutes play it on a piano, yet she couldn't read music.

Just been sent this: http://neverlose.info/american-mans-amazing-facebook-post-about-england-goes-viral/?fbclid=IwAR008oys1NDvL_2xquqkmWFeshkgzXM9XPkOHcB3c3jF_KRaws8WZsNC0eA

Good for you LL. I've posted before about the number of musical instruments in the house (five at last count) but I my brain will not allow my left hand to work independently. Having a modicum of talent would also help. I would love to play the piano but unless you want a rousing chorus of chopsticks it 'aint gonna happen

After many pushbikes, my first foray into motorised transport was a Raleigh Moped and I can still remember, even Fifty Years later, the thrill and exhilaration of finally moving from pedal to motive power. Having said all that I, at 6 ft 3 inches, must have been a sight to be behold on a Moped. The frame finally cracked at the bottom and for the want of an alternative solution I pushed it all the way from Hucknall to the Raleigh Factory on Gregory Boulevard only to be told in no uncertain terms to go away To rub salt into the wounds I had to push it all the way back. My first car was a Commer

It's those 16/32 pipes that make organ music so satisfying to me. Still takes some pretty good speakers to reproduce them to any degree, especially the 32s. You just tend to feel those rather than hear them. I don't think even the two pipe organs I've played had anything over 16s. Electronic organs, as you know, I,m sure, tend to be scorned by purist pipe players, but they did have one at the church where I took lessons. The subwoofers were as big as a wardrobe and they produced a pretty realistic rumble on the 32 foot stops. Closest thing I've ever heard to pipes in an electronic. If y

WOW! My sister collects Wasgij jigsaws and there are dozens of them on that stall. I've sent her the photo and although she lives in Northumbrland, she has a daughter in Nottingham who may be able to get out to Retford to take a look for her. What day is the market with jigsaws held? I notice from the internet that there are markets on Thursday and Saturday but a Bric-a-brac market on Friday - would this have been the Friday marlet, Rog?

Fainting in morning assembly was something of a regular occurrence for me. Fortunately we were so close together that I never hurt myself but there was I'm told, a bit of a domino effect.

Great post Davidw!

Hobbies, especially the boring ones! I can see a thread starting.

Live slightly nearer Hucknall town centre than Bulwell...decided to try the Wetherspoons (Pilgrim) in Hucknall. Even though over the years have played Football for Hucknall team,,worked in two shops namely Farrands and Vernons ,,done a bit of courting and drinking.........could never really take to the place,,so thought i'd try again today,,...............NO....still summat not right about the place......no friendly faces,,no ey-ups,, 60p to park,,very quiet no hustle and bustle like Bulwell,,even detected a different accent from some older folk.

Interestng radio Willow. Can't quite work out how much is 'style' and how much is practical audio, The single speaker viewed from the front looks like its on an open 'panel'. or 'baffle' which is about the simplest way to mount a speaker. The idea is to prevent sound waves from the back of the speaker cone cancelling those from the front by separating them. If not mounted somehow, a speaker drive unit without some sort of mountng or enclosure is very inefficient. Theoretically the baffle should be infinite in size but the most common practical application of that is a sealed box. I'd lov

I well recall fainting one day at FFGS. It was a hot day, and I'd cycled up Berridge Rd quite rapidly as I was a bit late. I made it in time, but midway through the first hymn, my forehead began perspiring, my neck tightened, and my eyes went glazed. I remember just collapsing into the back of the person in front of me, and hitting the floor. The funny thing was, as I lay there, I plainly heard everyone else singing away merrily. I think a teacher got me up, and onto a chair at the back of the hall. Strange though, no one ever mentioned it to me.

Well.. as they say in these parts... 'Oooda thowt it?'. I do recall school caretakers always being on hand with a bucket of sawdust if some poor kid threw up. For some reason it was always in assembly.... On one spectacular occasion at HP, during Assembly, I recall some lad 'hurling' his breakfast down the neck of the lad standing in front of him. The crowd parted in disgust, the 'Vomitor' was dragged away and the 'Vomitee' stood, quivering slightly, as the offending lad's stomach contents ran down his neck, down the back of his jacket, etc. I

I heard similar tales but spreading the leaves was more to ensure complete coverage and pick up dust than anything else. Many shops back in the 60s used damp sawdust in a similar fashion.

I'd imagine there are numerous online craft suppliers etc., who can supply spinning wheels and I'd imagine you can spend as much as you like on them.. especially genuine antiques. I'm reminded of a time in Henry Whipple Primary when I developed a project to make woollen yarn. Myself and one other, but I don't recall who it was. We went off into the fields where Top Valley etc., is now and collected sheep wool off barbed wire fences. We brought it back to school and used the staff room stove to boil up assorted 'dyes'. Onion skins worked well, as did certain yellow flowered wild

Whilst driving on the Gold Coast(Queensland) I sighted a car with the number plate "AYEUP".

This is from around 1900 and Catstone Farm is clearly marked, as well as Catstone Hill just to the east. Strelley village (and the Broad Oak) are over on the right.

I was there from 1954 to 1959. Castle House. PE with Mr Blenkinsop, English with Dr (Benny) Goodman, science with Mr (mad) Myall. Appeared in school plays - Toad of Toad Hall. It was a happy school.

Interesting because when I was a kid, I remember various grandparents and relatives would say something like "who do you think you are, Tommy Strong" when I attempted to do anything which required force or strength (being around 5 or 6 years old). I never thought at the time about where they got the name from, or if they'd just made it up. His name could definitely be included in the "things our parents used to say" thread.

Good ride this morning,weather was quite nice,warm ish and clear with no wind, coming back up the cycle/footpath back to our village and lo and behold a bit of inconsiderate car parking, this one is parked just round a sharp bend in the path so couldn't spot it till the last minute,the only way to get passed it was to either go across the muddy grass or go out into the road, apart from that it was a pleasant ride This picture was taken in the village hall car park about 100 yards from the inconsiderate parker And this one is our new village hall which

The perfect market stall for Carni and Compo, hundreds of puzzles on Retford market Rog