Allabarra

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Posts posted by Allabarra

  1. Ah yes I remember it well. The last time I saw Reg 'live' was at the Grey Goose Gedling. Not long after, he went on one of the TV talent shows and completely ruined his chances of winning by singing a stupid song about: " May the elephant of ???? fly up your nose" Why he would do that seems beyong all reason! He had a superb voice.

  2. Thanks for all the help.

    I think, it just happens to be the case that sometimes these creatures are about without anyone finding the need to "put it on record" or tell the world. Occasionally an expert appears, a great fuss is made of it all and it goes on record again.

    (To be fair, had I been down there and seen this owl now... I would not have thought of broadcasting the fact any more than I have in the past... it has been anecdotal holiday talk, with locals and friends and no more).

    One sad thing that I recall from a vist to the Penzance area, about 5 years ago, was the great number of owls that were road kill. I don't recall ever seeing many owls splattered on the roads, but that particular year there were dozens.

    I know Cornwall very well indeed and there are areas that are absolutely astounding for beauty and wild life.... especially birds... but no-one goes there. [Too quiet for most folk... but perfect for people like me) Almost unchanged since the war, the places remain undisturbed and the locals know I will keep it to myself. The Cornish are not very friendly (as a whole) ...and don't like intruders.

  3. If it looked like this it probably was a snowy owl!!

    They haven't been seen in Cornwall since '48 , but that doesn't mean they haven't been seen elsewhere.

    I'm assuming you are talking of Wales? I have been lucky to see one on Anglesea a couple of years ago.

    No... Tregony is in S. Cornwall. (clue is in the "Tre" bit) That is why I have brought this up.

    Is there another white owl similar? ... if not then WE ASSURE you this is what we have seen for the past umpteen years.

    Near Trgony... South coast Cornwall, Roseland peninsular.

    Particularly frequently in the 80's and 90's .. right up to 2 years ago and going back to the 1940,s The sighting of the bird has always been a huge bonus to a visit down there. ... and since one has swooped several times over our car bonnet, we have certainly had superb close-up views. Cars coming the opposite way have slammed on brakes and pulled off road in excitement etc.,

    These reports are always confusing. We had the same thing about Buzzards in S wales in the 70 - 80s and red kites in Oxfordhire... yet the skies were feckin' full of them.

    I may not be a twitcher, but I have always kept birds and had an interest.

    I would not have thought that this is a bird that you could easily mistake for anything else... unless there is another large white owl....????????

    Or have we and the locals just kept it a good secret?

  4. I am so glad this has arisen, because one of you twitchers can perhaps clear up something that we have experienced for as long as I can remember.

    I am no bird expert, but EVERY YEAR without fail for more years than I can remember, have we seen a bird appearing to be identical to this, on the Ruan High Lanes near Tregony.

    We have even had the fantastic pleasure of it swooping across the car bonnet, on many occasions, when driving through in an evening.

    The locals, including our relatives at Tregony, have always told us that it is a Snowy Owl, and obviously we have had no reason to disbelieve this. We can even recall being asked if we have seen the "snowy owl" this year? etc.,

    One year, I even discussed this with an attendant at an owl sanctuary down on the Liard, and he did not seem a bit surprised.

    Now we are told that a Snowy owl has not been seen since 1948? so.. can someone tell us what bird it is, that we have actually been seeing?

  5. The Scala (renamed the Classic) was quite definitely on Market Street. Roughly opposite where the original Kardomah used to be (which was just below where the Jessops camera shop is now. The Jessops camera shop was a menswear shop). The Scala/Classic was a cinema renowned for attracting men in dirty macs going to see erotic French films. (but, I believe, only on certain nights).

    The Moulin Rouge was on Milton Street, opposite the Victoria Station and just a couple of doors away from the Mechanics Institute (cinema) which was on the corner; (a big white building with steps up the entrance.) When this section was redeveloped, the Mechanics became the Nat West Bank and the spot where the Moulin Rouge was part of a row of shops which changed hands many times.

    I saw many films at the Moulin Rouge, but I do not recall it having a similar reputation to the Scala / Classic.

    The most erotic film I recall being shown was "London in the Raw"; a documentary about everything from Wife swapping to hair implants. (Very controversial for the early1960's).

    However, if any of you were men in dirty rain coats, I will bow to your superior knowledge.

  6. Even more annoying (and it's spreading) is the pregnant pause, "And the winner is- (puts kettle on, nips out and cleans car, feeds the cat, makes the tea, then sits down) and hears the result" ! stupid barstewards!

    Oh yes, an old disease that spreading again. It absolutley infuriates me on Eggheads with that moron Dermot Murnaghan. Every answer is treated with the same inane pregnant pause. I could scream at the tw*t. I could do a lot worse actually) It's not clever and it doesn't add anything to the program. The new guy Jeremy Vine doesn't do it... and it is soooo.... much better.

  7. Jaffa cakes and coffee !!! loverly

    I still make gravy though . Some of the turkey fat,a drop of water, and the liver / kidneys / heart , boiled up . Throw the heart away and finely chop the kidney/ liver . add a chicken oxo and a spoon of gravy powder (First made in to a paste with some cold water ) add some of the water that was used for the veg and boil and stir all the time until it is to your liking.Then using a turkey baster remove the fat that floats to the top. Very tasty !! (I still have about half a pint left )

    I am impressed... This is (almost) exactly the way I have always made it. (and I have been called the greatest gravy-maker in the world) Try mixing Sainsbury sauce flour with the gravy powder (which MUST be Bisto), when doing gravy for white meats (only). It never goes lumpy, does not distract from the taste.. and has a slightly more aesthetic colour for lighter meats. It is important to make sure it simmers for approx 8 minutes. There are a few more tricks to enhance the taste, but they are staying my secret... There is never ANY left !!!

  8. Yes know what you mean, it's this tortured soul anguish type of performance I can't stand with the pleading and face pulling

    Oh yes Ashley! Absolutely! I thought I was the only one to detest this. It seemed that doing that was a ticket to fame... and it went on for so many years. You could see Simon Cowels eyes light up when any fool did it. I remember one of the extremely rare occasions that I watched the program when a girl came on with an absolutely fabulous natural voice.. unstrained, untortured, no face grimmacing ... She was out the door in seconds. That was the last time I watched that stupid program.

  9. I certainly remember those boilers at Weldon & Wilkinsons. I stoked them for a month and gave up a weeks holidays to service them. I crawled into a lot of holes I could never get through now. I also stood up to my knees in hot ashes on the roof, shovelling the ashes onto a lorry for disposal. I must have been mad. What was also memorable was the plethora of different smells in the area as you walked from place to place. The hops at Shipstones, the bleaches and softeners at Weldons, the soaps at Gerards factory on Wilkinson Street (remember the 'INO soapflakes wash the best', sign)? and of course the smell of freshly baked bread at Morleys bakery on Gawthorne Street and the Pyclet factory on Albany Road. A veritable treat for the olfactory nerve.