Winnie6664

The Orb - yep

Started with a system from Comet in the mid 70's; Garrard turntable, Rotel amp - 10w x2, crap speakers and a phillips cassette with n AC/DC converter made by a mate. (simple wheatstone bridge etc). Now I have a Linn Sander LP12 (1972 - but brought into the 21st century with external power, new baseboard, lid, hinges, suspension, motor wiring etc, KT88 single-ended tube amp (and a Rega Brio), VAF speakers (from South Australia) Oh yeh and a sub from REL in Wales.

Rosellas, Galahs, Skinks, The odd Roo appears down the street. Blue-tongued lizards asleep in the sun. And the odd flabby Pom (me).

Things I will never miss: Shippos beer, snow turned to sludge, weak coffee. I do miss Marmite, although since COVID has stopped my yearly stock up, I have discovered "Ourmate" here in Oz - it actually is Marmite! Now all is well in the world. Maybe I do miss Yorkshire Fish and Chips and a curry in Yorkshire or from that place down in Sherwood. Bum like the Japanese flag after that one. And I do miss a pint at the Trip and a go at getting the ring on the horn (not a euphemism).

I assume that "Give me a crank start" is a euphemism?

The old man had an Allegro - got it just before I emigrated to Oz. Heap of Shite.

I was lucky enough to drive my dad's car from early teenage at my uncle's farm. When it came to my 17th birthday, I already had a provisional licence for my motor scooter, so started driving as a learner to town every morning with my dad to catch the bus to school. A few weeks of that and, with no lessons, nipped off school one lunch, dad picked me up, took the test and passed!.Examiner took me out for 3/4 of an hour, plenty of time to stuff up, but luck was with me. Dad was a great help - convinced me to drive 'smooth' and pause in neutral on the gear change. Car was a 100E Anglia Super. I ca

My dad had a James Cadet. 150cc Great Villiers motor. I got a Tanden Imperial when I was about 12 - 197cc Villiers with the big flywheel. Nice bike.

Vauxhall Viva - my god, another General Motors catastrophe. Rootes Avenger - pathetic. Hillman Hunter - ha ha. Leyland P76. Often called P38 cos it was half a car. The V8 was scary. Here in Oz they put a 4.1 litre straight 6 from the falcon into the Cortina. OK in a straight line, but come the corner. Also a 3.3 litre which was just as heavy, but slower. But he best of all was the Skoda - that weird little thing with the rear engine. Was it a two stroke?

Wow UBE. Fancy you living so close to the old beer off. I remember the stamp on the bottles. She would sell us one fag at a time and beer, even though we were way underage. Decimalisation freaked her out something rotten - she used to try and convert between the currencies! Never knew she was rich. Did you know Patsy O'Carroll a few doors down from you?

My dad called silly people "Wappos" They were "Wappy". Also called people "Tripehounds". I do like "Gobby", "Shurrup" Eerwere. Poorly. Youth and Mardy.

I remember nicking off school at lunchtime, getting ten bob out of the bank and going to the Grosvenor on my Lambretta for a couple of sneaky pints and a few Players Number 6 in 1970! Last night before emigrating to Oz was at the Savoy in January 1978. Went to a Bernie inn with my boss in about 1976 - he asked for a pint and they told him they only served halves. "I'll have two halves then". all class.

Hi MargieH. I don't recognise any names. I was 13 in 1966. probably just coming to the end of my time in the scouts and just before a few years at the youth club on Thursday evenings.

The off licence or "beer off" next to the Dorchester was run in the 60's by an old crone. When decimalisation came in she still marked the prices in LSD and then did a conversion. She sold us single cigarettes when we were broke.

I had a BSA Bantam (2 actually), AN Excelsior Talisman GT (250 2 stroke twin), AJS 350, DKW Hummle Super, NSU quickly, Lambrettas: TV175 Series 2, Li 150 S2, Li150 S3. I rode all except the Lambos on what is now Carlton Forum - coppers watched but only interfered if we rode them to or from the 'track'.

I had a Morris Minor 1000 traveller. The one with wooden bits. The guy before me plated the floor as it was rotten. By the time I sold it, the plates were rotten too. I could see the road under my feet and the brake cylinder came away from the rotten chassis. Took my workmates out to the Palais, got hopelessly drunk. When I got home, one guy from the back was missing and I'd torn a wing off - still don't know how! One of the guys reckoned a milk float was involved.

Anyone remember Norman "Spider" Sullivan from Calverton. Played gigs most nights with his missus up front. He played drums. I worked with him for four years at British Fermentation (a yeast and bakery ingredients firm). He drove the HGV. We all used to go out boozing Monday evenings, I'm talking 1976/1977 mostly, and then go for a stupidly hot curry. Tuesday mornings Spider would say we were shitting through the eye of a needle and told us, when we farted, to "Wipe your arse and call that one a shit". I believe he drummed for Paper Lace, but wasn't taken with them to their one-hit wonder: Bill

Was it the same Steve who fronted Cisco who used to play at The Imperial on Sunday evenings? We used to chug a heap of beer, watch Cisco (Steve and his Cocker moves) and then off to Maid Marion Way for a Chicken Vindaloo. Next morning we could crap through the eye of a needle and it stung like crazy. Didn't stop us fronting up for it all the following week.

And then there was that metal play equipment! No softball under it - just asphalt or concrete. We used to climb over it without thinking.

DavidW - the Gold Coast is sublime. Better in Winter due to humidity in summer. Winter temps in the low 20's - ideal for all outdoor activities.

Hi Oztalgian. We are in Montmorency. I did a bit of contract work in Adelaide after retirement. Lovely place. Hi Radio Pete. I am not sure how the reply function works on this site - got me a bit confused! My name is Martin. Oscar Shrive was my great uncle and brother to my nan: Daisy Shrive. I gather Shrive was shortened from Shriver (German?) We used to visit Uncle Oscar in his shop.

Teesdale was Head - wooden leg? Gave me the cane for strewing stones. Mrs williamson - last class of primary school - lots of creative writing, basket weaving, clay poe=ttery - I remember the heads some blew up in the kiln. Miss King - hit me on the hand with the side of the ruler. Was she the one that collected the milk caps?

Hi. My name is Martin. i attended HM from 1965. I remember Arsey Bottoms, Labby, Miniman, Hitch, Piggy, Jed Strutt, Froggy, Pablo and many others. Never got bullied by other students, but the old, WW2 damaged staff were another proposition. I saw students thumped, kicked and hit with various objects.

I used to make Nitrogen tri-iodide too. We also mixed sodium chlorate and sugar with water, soaked the board run]bber, dried it out and put match heads in. Also made rockets from cloth with dried sodium chlorate and made flares which we set off in the air raid shelters - we had keys we made after pinching that deaf caretakers' set.

Hadwin - Biology, Zoology, Botany. Kept dead fish in the death tank for dissection.