philmayfield

Yes there still is a bus station at the rear of the Victoria Centre behind York House.

I've been twice. Once for funeral purposes and once to eat. Very good fish and chips. Mr. Haddock also had a branch in The Ossington building on Beastmarket Hill in Newark opposite the castle. The funeral was to do with an uncle. As I recollect I was the first to turn up at his house (I was 21 at the time) and then the funeral director arrived alone and I had to act as his assistant. I helped carry the body out to the van. All very strange!

As long as you washed your hands afterwards I'm sure you would have been O.K.

Just looked at a 'photo of Mr Haddock's and that did have arched windows. Perhaps they were a later embellishment when it was converted from the funeral parlour?

Perhaps it didn’t have arched windows. Can’t see them on the old ‘photos.

The building with the arched windows was Clowers/ Mr. Haddock.

Clowers were the undertakers. It was also a restaurant called Pengellys.

I remember the restaurant in the former undertaker’s. When I last ate there it was called ‘Mr. Haddock’, an upmarket fish and chip shop. It was the left hand side of Canning Circus going out of Nottingham. Ben Bowers was diagonally opposite on the other side of Derby Rd.

I remember that gent's and its alleged reputation. I only used it for its designated purpose though and was never propositioned!

We hardly use salt at all in cooking. Haven’t done for many years. The only exception is sprinkled on broad beans! I do realise that salt is a seasoning and a flavour enhancer and can be part of the ‘chemical’ cooking process but when you get used to going without you don’t miss it.

Filled with spaghetti and melted Stilton.

Yes, but it’s spelt Haydn.

What about Haydn Rd. Basford? Is that pronounced after the composer? Was it named after him?

I wasn’t trying to be brave - I was my usual flippant self. Never think before speaking!

Just a horse’s head on my pillow that night. I accepted the caution!

I once made a lighthearted remark about the Mafia over lunch with some Italians in Naples. "In Naples we don't make jokes about the Mafia" I was told.

Italians with table manners. Which part of Italy do you frequent? (just joking Brenda!)

I always dread my 'phone going off during a funeral service. Fortunately I don't have a jolly ringtone!

I remember being in a toilet cubicle at Heathrow airport and listening to the man in the next compartment saying on his mobile 'phone "I'll have to ask my secretary but she's not with me at the moment".

I wouldn't think washing hands with soap and warm water destroys all the bacteria. Look how surgeons scrub up before an operation and even then they wear surgical gloves. Possibly not a good idea to live too clinical a life.

The English attempt to pick up food in a gentile manner with chopsticks and lift it up to their lips. The orientals bring their mouths down to the level of the plate and use the chopsticks to shovel the food in. Unlike Johnny Foreigner, we are taught proper table manners!

I certainly wouldn’t eat the peanuts from the dish on a bar!

As you leave you pick up the bacteria on the door handle from the great unwashed so that rather defeats the washing process.

I rely on spell check but it obviously doesn’t recognise context! Why would you remember unless I made a dreadful exhibition of myself whilst eating it?

What did you get for a shillingsworth back in ‘61 then Ben?