OLDACE

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Everything posted by OLDACE

  1. Unfortunately in the far North it doesn't get dark enough to see the Northern Lights this time of year.
  2. Thanks for all the kind words. BTW when he rode the Market Square wheel, in order to get a better shot he actually stood up when it was at the top, much to the consternation of the operators. His camera may have been a Rolliecord not a Rollieflex. I remember that in his early twenties he taught himself French prior to travelling to Paris on a photographic holiday. He on occasion caught the train to London on photo trips, in his book of London scenes there is a photograph of the Duke of Windsor. I mentioned to him that this was probably one of the first papperazi shots. Douglas was not a
  3. Yes Cliff Ton, he was J.D. Whitworth.
  4. Douglas Whitworth, local historian and photographer passed away yesterday (Friday 29th May). He had been ill for some time. He would have been 88 next Tuesday (2nd June). He had many books published containing photographs of old Nottingham. I knew him all my life, he was my uncle (my mother's twin brother). I remember him going out early Sunday mornings with his Rollieflex SLR. His enthusiasm for Nottingham images never waned, when in his eighties he rode the wheel in the Market Square in order to take photos.
  5. How strange that on a Nottingham forum I find my favourite 'Spoons' is mentioned, namely The Archibald Simpson in Aberdeen. We always try the local Wetherspoons when we are south, last year we were in the Roe Buck, the one on Mansfield Road, and the Red Lion in Skegness. When returning home we always have a night in Aberdeen before catching the ferry to Shetland, and last year there was a wonderful range of obscure Scottish real ales on tap when we were there.The food is excellent and the staff are great. There used to be several good pubs at the east end of Union Street, but the Prince of W
  6. I started at Carlton Forum in late 1969, Albert Hampson was the sensei for the beginners class along with a bloke from Northampton, whose name I forget. Albert had been a prisoner of the Japanese during the war, he was tremendously fit for his age, and a wonderful teacher of beginners. Regarding the Shotokan stance, in 1971 I attended a Wado ryu session at the Lion on Clumber Street at the suggestion of my mate Mick Newman. My Shotokan stances were longer and therefore I was lower down than my partner. I think that Shotokan is more powerful because of the stances, and that Wado ryu is initia
  7. It was cloudy on the last two nights here in Shetland. The aurora is visible quite often up here, although I usually miss it. Shirley your opinion of Northlink Ferries compared to P & O Scottish Ferries is shared by everyone up here, Northlink is run by Serco, so it is to be expected that corners are cut. Prior to winning the contract, Serco's only experience of boats was operating a ferry across the Thames. I'm pleased you enjoyed your time in Shetland, it is quite different to the rest of the UK.
  8. Yes I was at what became known as the Peafield Rally, Fortunately I didn't take the short cut across the field, but I well remember the effects on the bikers boots. I seem to remember that someone fell over in the peafield and his leather jacket was ruined. I also recall that Tom Carr threw up in his billy can in the night and that in the morning, Dosher while suffering from an almighty hangover heated up the billycan and had a mouthful. Our reactions prevented him from consuming any more. The 'Peafield' Rally marked the start of me getting a more healthy diet together
  9. One of the Rollers had the registration number 1 ANN or ANN 1, the reg was given to the ms Windsor as a wedding present when she married Armstrong-Jones. She sold it.
  10. Thanks everybody, I feel better all ready, I'll keep you informed of my progress.
  11. Thanks Andy, Carni and Melissa, I am nervous about this op, much more so than with the prostatectomy, I am trying to concentrate on the postive outcomes and not on the actual operation. Regarding two or three pints a day Carni, I love real ale, but on my last trip to Notts I declined the complimentary booze on the train and ferry and spent a miserable 4 hours in Aberdeen Weatherspoons drinking non alcoholic Beck's Blue, while my wife sampled all the wonderful Scottish ales. BTW The Archibald Simpson on Union Street, Aberdeen is my favourite Weatherspoons in the UK. If anyone is ever in Aber
  12. I've been told that I need a double by-pass op, has anyone here had this operation, any info would be appreciated. I've had the angiograph, that wasn't too bad.
  13. We bought a Bose Wave 3 radio and CD player a few months and we are very happy with the system. It can be hooked up to the TV but we haven't bothered yet. The sound is very good with no distortion at full volume, not that we play it at full volume any more, it was just that when it was new we tested it.
  14. I was a TGWU shop steward in the 70s and 80s and agree that a lot of trade union reps were communists. Their loyalty was to the Communist Party first and their members second. However, at times I was able to use their predictable actions for the good of my members, this did not make me too popular with the comrades and I had to watch my back.
  15. Sorry to hear that your PSA has risen Andy, I wish you well.
  16. I was a Juvenile member and later a Junior member of Notts CCC in the 50's and early 60's, and remember Reg Simpson opening the batting with Johnny Clay. Notts were not among the top teams in those days, although they had some good players. LizzieM, I don't think his autograph will be valuable, he would often sit in his car after the match and collectors would form an orderly queue to get his signature, he would sign everyones book before driving home. R.I.P Reg Simpson, wartime RAF pilot.
  17. Pink Feet have been noted flying South over Shetland since 24th September, 1600+ being counted on the 27th. Barnacle Geese and Grey Lags have also been seen moving South in large numbers. On another point, about ten days ago I was talking to some members of the Notts Birdwatchers who were up here on holiday, and .they told me that they had ringed over two hundred juvenile Barn Owls in South Notts this year, many pairs having two clutches, This compares with only 12 ringed last year. the birds were in nest boxes put up by the club. They have also been improving (expanding) the habitat favoure
  18. I remember seeing Bolt at R.O.T in 1961, was it him or some other biker who had barbed wire wrapped around his jacket? His outfit was known as Bolt's Coffin. Another guy called Johnny Dench had a complete coffin as a sidecar a few years later, he had built it himself, for that was his job, ie, a coffin maker. One bank holiday, he rode it to Chip alley in Skeggy, after buying a couple of fish suppers he partially opened the coffin lid, an arm came out and took the chips. Johnny shut the lid, mounted the Triumph T110 and rode off. The effect on the many holiday makers and their kids was a sig
  19. Yes, they started cropping up this morning.
  20. Last December I decided to scrap my XP tower system and buy a laptop with windows 8. A techy mate helped to set it up and had difficulties, eventually an engineer came round and decided to replace the hard drive with Windows 8.1. When it was set up I just didn't get on with it, and eventually did a swap with the wife for her windows 7 laptop. She is happy with the 8.1 and I like the 7. I suppose the fact is, that she accepts new technology, and I don't like change.
  21. The bird life in Shetland is so different to elsewhere, there are 100,000's of seabirds on the cliffs,although breeding success is erratic due to the shortage of sandeels, but nature abhors a vacuum, and in 2012 there was a surfeit of juvenile saithe which helped breeding. Many of the birds that are common in Notts are rarities here, two weeks ago there was a song thrush in the garden, only the second one in the garden in 22 years. Two years ago we had a great tit in the garden, but we have never had blue tit, coal tit etc. We do get lots of finches in the winter, even hawfinch in the garden
  22. Hi, Plantfit, The Gossy Ibis seems to be more frequent in the UK nowadays, as are some other Herons and Egrets, Ken Clarke MP puts this down to global warming, but I think that cleaner waterways and estuaries are probably responsible..
  23. I been a bird watcher for many decades now, yesterday I twitched a lifer. It was a White-crowned Night Heron at Reawick, Shetland. It was an adult male feeding on froglets in a burn, it was only twenty yards away and was truly magnificent. The other highlight of the year so far, was finding a Glossy Ibis at Spiggie, Shetland in January, another magnificent looking bird.
  24. Good luck Benjamin. I am sure you will be OK.
  25. I remember speed boat races on the Trent, They were held on Sunday afternoons between the sea scouts base and the sailing club. As Trevor says, they could be heard in Lady Bay, and I would suppose in Colwick and Netherfield as well. I would often go down Trent Fields to watch them, they would get within a couple of feet of the bank, although I never saw one crash into it, sometimes one would capsize on the 180 degree turns.