PeverilPeril

Interesting day today setting up my exhibition stall at the County Showground. Sat and Sun - all about fly fishing. I should really be too old for this sort of thing but I have always enjoyed exhibition work. The exciting thing is that the unexpected always happens and some interesting people are met. Life is good.

I worry about Boris being let loose on the Ukraine crisis? What is he hoping to achieve with the £88m and weapons training, while the Germans, French etc. being a little more patient and diplomatic? Is it a vainglorious attempt to regain respect at home and to be seen as a leader? Cosying up to the yanks? Deja vu? He can't face a crisis at home so off he goes to meddle somewhere else!

Bekay is right about Jacky Pownalls. I took scrap in there regularly. My Aunt Min's green grocery shop was just up from Pownalls on the same side. On the opposite side, on the end of Peveril St was Jack Hensons - also a basin cut barber who used hand clippers (ouch). I hated going there as a boy. Cost 3pence in my day.

I gave DJ a like, not because I agree to what he is saying but simply because he explains his political beliefs and makes his cases quite clearly. No one liners or 'worrabahts'. I've said this before - the Brew and DJ debates are interesting, educational and enjoyable to read.... and a good example of how arguments can be conducted respectfully. Wish I had their level of acumen to join in

Heyup Carni Just read about your setback but knowing your attitude to life, you will soon see all that behind you. Just get well enough ready for the early Spring sunshine on the canals.... and please visit our bit of canal one day. Love to see you here. PP and Mrs PP xx

Good morning Phil

My day started early. We had a power cut yesterday so Mrs PP had to reset the bedside clock. She inadvertently set it 2 hours late! So, I got up at 5.15 instead of 7.15 Anyway I just carried on as normal, took my meds then did 50 min on the exercise bike. It was interesting watching the business news before 6. Made change from all the repetitive stuff churned out on the normal news. It seems a long time waiting for lunch.

A pal of mine used to repair his teeth with Araldite!

Today was the first day that I have felt reasonably well following a week with a heavy cold. Not had a cold for years and can't remember one as bad as this. Several LFT's proved negative. Anyway, yesterday and today I wrote a short story, intended for juniors, for our club magazine. It is entitled The Enchanted Trout and is about 3 trout who are on a mission to help our Planet. Our club chairman liked it so much that he wants more instalments, so it is becoming a trilogy. I even did a steady 70 minutes on the bike and rower, so things are looking up. Life is good

Clever you Margie I suppose when DJ discovers the volume of the virus the question will be 'what sized bucket'? These musings would have never come about a year or so ago.

Who owns and funds the National Archives I wonder?

Heyup Perro and welcome Look forward to sharing your experiences.

Many superb pictures there RM and CT - thankyou. I was searching for a picture of the Beal's Hosiery factory on Peveril St. They were quite a large employer around that part of Alfreton Rd. There were in fact 3 hosiery firms on Peveril St when I lived there.

Oz - that's astonishingly pathetic! Make our lot look caring and professional by comparison

To a certain degree I agree with you RR. As a founding member of the Coffin Club (meet every Sunday in the local), I and fellow members often discuss our mortality. We are all hoping to drop dead - not just yet I might add! No dying slowly in nursing homes for us. So we put our energies into keeping physically and mentally fit enough to enjoy a great quality of life prior to 'dropping'. We have proven that it works, being comfortably in our 80's. OK I was discharged from the cardiac ward last Thursday, but Friday was a good day. Bike and rowing machine am, then two of the Coffin Club aro

Happy anniversary Carni - you must have married at a very young age Re the champagne - it won't improve by keeping it any longer, in fact it has likely gone well past it's best. I suggest that you open it. Hopefully it will be good. Enjoy it, then save the bottle.

Did a carefully measured and monitored 30 min on the bike and 2k on the rower before breakfast. Felt good, so the new medication is working. My HR would not rise a few days ago but it rose normally this morning. At 83 my heart is still good - its the aging arteries that are the problem. So, leading the planned fishing day on Monday is still on. I have always believed that appropriate exercise cures or helps just about everything. I have several dead friends that thought I was a bit silly.

Just returned from a short stay in Stoke cardiology dept. No procedures done this time - just more pills and can't drive for a month. Our trip to Somerset for Christmas with the family postponed for a while. I'm lucky - two of the guys in my ward will still be there on Christmas day.

I spent a lot of my childhood and early youth at the church hall shown on the right. Cubs, scouts and dances were held there. It was the centre of our community. The vicar was Cannon Leaper. A very kind man. He let some of us boys have a mini allotment just behind those railings. I started school at the Bentick, just opposite. When my sister started 10 years later our Granddad was the lollipop man. No traffic lights then.

I fished our syndicate water today and caught nowt. Enjoyed being there though. A committee member of the syndicate caught more than he expected. He cast his fly out, put his rod down and attended a call of nature in a nearby bush. He retuned, only to see his rod being towed at high speed out into the 40' deep lake. . three of us using the boats searched for it in vain. That pee cost him £700

I wondered why St Michael's looked too close to the road. The road must have been widened when the traffic lights were installed. Prior to that there were iron railings surrounding the church. On the photo of the Blackpool bus trip from the Forest pub I can see at least one auntie and possibly three.

Yes CT - a great shame to see St Michael's demolished. I was a choir boy there. I used to go to Flints when Parkers, the newsagent on Peveril St were out of stock of something. Just around the corner from Eric's was a butcher's and I used to do deliveries on the bike. When Bovil St etc were demolished the residents were re located to the new Clifton estate. Some of them remained customers and I had to cycle all the way to Clifton on the heavy butchers bike! Most of my family lived on Alfreton Rd. next door to the Spread Eagle. My Gran and auntie had the grocers shop opposite the ban

There was more than the Brexit issue that got Boris the backing of the party - he was deemed the one that could win a general election through populism. Both reasons for supporting him are now redundant.

I bought a new fly fishing line and prior to fitting it to the reel I unwound it carefully and laid it out on the floor of the conservatory, into the dining room and then back into the conservatory. All spread out neatly. I needed to inspect it and make sure it was not twisted. It is painstakingly, tedious work. Everything looked good so fixed it to the reel and started winding in. Oh! it's snagged on something? Tried winding in again and followed it into the dining room only to see the line disappearing into the kitchen? Still trying to wind it in I followed it into the kitchen. Then through

Ouch! DJ. Reading about your fall again I think it gets at least 9 out of 10 for artistic content . Maybe it was not Mrs DJ's fault our your imbalance at all- maybe you had just heard the by election result on the radio? Hope you are OK mate.