Commo

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Posts posted by Commo

  1. The sports car is not an MG, could it be a Singer?  The registration would as you say appear to be inconsistent with the car.

    Power petrol was certainly available into the early 60`s as Dad would drive miles past Esso and Shell stations to find it, making do with National Benzole if all else failed.

    Edit - Power petrol is still available although not widely.

  2. Bathtime in our house required a Sunday afternoon visit to Gran`s house on Curzon St as she had a conservatory on the back of the house in the yard which boasted a plumbed-in cast iron bath, shampoo was Drene or, I think, Vosene with the scent of coal tar.

    Never thought too much about it at the time, but it was pretty strange to have a bath in a glazed conservatory, just accepted that it was there!

    Afterwards always thought about it when reciting Spike Milligan`s rhyme about people who live in glasshouses should draw the blinds before removing their trousers.

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  3. And in the song he explained that the rhyme referred to the practice of hatters and cobblers pawning a tool used in sewing thread, known as a weasel, for drinking money, popping being the slang for pawning an item at Uncle's.

     

     

     

     

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  4. I remember that the handbook for the Anglia 100E stated that the performance was such as could have been expected of sports cars a few years earlier! Always wondered what sort of sports car could have been as sluggish as that. Mind you, Dad was not renowned as being a swift driver, so driving up Wilford Hill in a heavy downpour really caused visibility problems with the wipers struggling to move.

    Remember the reg. number TLW 856

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  5. I believe it refers to the marriage of Catherine of Aragon of the royal Spanish court to Prince Arthur, the eldest son of Henry 7th, but the reference to nut trees evades me, unless it meant that Arthur had very little wealth and needed her dowry. Arthur died within a year of the marriage and in order to keep her dowry she was then wed to Arthur`s brother Henry who became the 8th on his father's demise.

  6. Thanks Chulla, as you know this resonates so strongly with me and although I understand some may find this sadness difficult to bear with, when you are in the slough of bereavement the task of trying to express your grief by both writing and reading is for me necessary and to some small extent comforting in my loss.

    I have not posted much of my writing as I am aware of the effect it may have on others more fortunate to still be with their life long partners. If you want to pm any more of your writing to me please do, but don't stop writing even if you stop posting them.

    Thanks again mate.

  7. Like Loppy, our first house was a Wimpey on Churchill Drive in Ruddington, moved in on our wedding day. It was one of their chalet type semis and talk about posh, we had partial central heating installed for an extra £200 making the total price an eye watering £3400, mind you that was in 1968.

    We were told that the pair of semis next to us was "the apprentice`s house" and we assumed that this meant built by them to finish their time. Can anyone confirm that this was the procedure?

    Went past when in Ruddington in October and still looking OK.

  8. Moi aussi mesdames.  The building used as the Wilcox`s New apartment in London is Queen Alexandra`s House now in use as student hostel accommodation. My daughter lived there for a couple of years in the early 90`s when she was studying at the Royal College of Music.

    The building is used regularly by film and TV when an Edwardian location is required. It was originally built under the patronage of Queen Alexandra  as hostel accommodation for student Queen Alexandra nurses.

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  9. Oz, I was an avid Mad Mag reader, reckon that Willow Wilson is perhaps Alfred E Neuman himself.

    Disturbingly, I remember fondly  Milly Molly Mandy, fascinated by her cloche hat which she wore.

    Learned to read with The House at Pooh Corner and Enid Blyton`s Weekly, remember that cost 3d a week, then Secret Seven, Famous Five and the Jennings books. I do still read Jennings, had an omnibus edition for Christmas a year or two back.