jonab
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Posts posted by jonab
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When I worked at Gerards there was a little old fella there named Fred Radford who was a QC sample collector. His wife ran a wool shop somewhere in Bulwell. Does this strike anyone as familiar?
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When I lived near there (1970's) there was waste ground just above Hair By Him and Sheila Noke's DIY shop - now Granger & Oaks (Westminster Bank on the corner Hucknall Road/Mansfield Road - now, apparently an Indian Restaurant). The houses that were there, I was told by an old local in the Grosvenor were, indeed, as katyjay says lace workers and knitters houses.
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I don't drive at all now (lack of function in legs) but I took my first and second test at Chalfont Drive. Passed the second time. When I moved to France, I decided that a French licence would be a good idea. It took five attempts! I don't know whether it was a language thing or what (I always thought I spoke (almost) like a native) but it was always something very minor - and different every time. Perhaps the examiners just didn't like foreigners.
I think that I would be too scared to drive in modern conditions, especially with the hotheads there are down here.
I am lucky enough to be able to afford domestic staff (including a "manservant"/driver) so moving around is not too much of a problem.
(Please don't think I am boasting about having domestic staff, it's very common here to have live-in employees and necessary in my situation of being somewhat disabled and living in a large property fairly extensive grounds).
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Kent Walton doing the commentary.
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I am astonished that this wonderful man doesn't seem to get a mention on these pages.
Does nobody remember him?
He was, amongst many other things, a chemistry lecturer at Nottingham University but most well known to most people as an expert on explosives. He used to tour the country with his lectures - which were always the most entertaining you could possibly imagine with a different explosion every couple of minutes.
I saw his lectures several times at the Albert Hall and at the University. They were always different but they all had plenty of entertainment, amusement and learning. The last time I saw him was at the University 1970ish when he was a few minutes late for his lecture to student teachers as he had been in court all day defending the "Angry Brigade" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Angry_Brigade
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Duncan_Shaw
My "A" level chemistry lecturer at NDTC (Nottingham & District Technical College - the pompous building on Burton St) was a Mrs Shaw. She was about the same vintage as the colonel. I wondered if they were husband & wife.
There is (apparently) a blue plaque dedicated to him at his house 185 Queens Road, Beeston.
Edit: Of course, in these days of elf & safety, even the popping of a balloon would probably fall foul of the regulations. I shudder to think what the reaction to the Colonel's demonstrations would induce. I recall a lecture at the Albert Hall where one particularly loud bang made some of the organ pipes resonate and clouds of dust were produced.
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Against my better judgement, and contrary to what I said earlier, I went down to Cannes last evening to visit a friend.
What chaos there. Almost the whole of the Croisette has turned into a mass of hardboard, MDF and various strips of wood which will make the opulent-looking (but totally deceptive) façade that makes up the Cannes Film Festival. A bit like Cannes itself (and Monaco, for that matter) a pink stucco façade with rather ordinary and dull buildings hidden behind them.
If you see the Cannes Film Festival on telly, be aware that a lot of that apparent opulence is not real - just as in films themselves.
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No bank holiday here but there is a film festival starting on Tuesday down on the coast then, at the end of the month, there is a car race a few kilometres further along the seafront.
Both to be avoided at all costs!!!!!! I will keep well away.
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It wasn't just smelly, it was VERY noisy.
I heard it was quite a common side effect.
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Back then was Esso's "Put a tiger in your tank" and on buying a certain number of gallons of petrol, you collected a singularly useless faux fur Tiger Tail key ring which lasted about a week (if you were lucky) before it fell apart.
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17 minutes ago, MargieH said:
I remember giving the streptomycin injections - it was not pleasant for the children as it was a very thick liquid and had to be injected slowly, also the oral meds you mention were like horse tablets - very big!
The PAS had to be continued for several years after the hospital discharge and they were, indeed, like horse tablets but they were cachets made of rice paper (a bit like sherbet flying saucers) which were dipped in water before swallowing. The timing of the dip was crucial so that the cachet was soft enough to swallow but robust enough not to fall apart before it could be got into the mouth. Apparently, the PAS tasted foul but one side effect it did have - which affected all those around the patient was that it caused very severe smelly wind.
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The Harlow Wood picture reminded me of Newstead Sanitorium/Hospital (very close to Harlow Wood) which specialised in TB treatment and where my Dad was a patient in the 1950's. At Newstead, not only did they have the beds outside in good weather but also seemed to have the big windows open all year round. Saved on heating bills, I suppose.
This was in the early days of treatment with streptomycin, PAS, INH and they worked.
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My first book was an alphabet book made of cloth. Don't remember any others until I was getting Rupert Annuals and later Dandy and
Beano annuals (although I didn't have the comics until much later).
My first "real" book was a Dickens compendium including A Christmas Carol bought as a Christmas present from Marks & Spencer, (Albert St/Listergate) by my granny. The next book I recall was Meredith & Co https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_and_Co.
I remember that book particularly as I always had a mental block with the title which, for some reason, I got confused with Meredith & Drew who made biscuits - perhaps they still do.
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Greenshield stamps
Pink Stamps issued by Fine Fare.
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Your cherries, LizzieM, look like mine did about 3 - 4 weeks ago. Just had a look at them and it seems that there is a very good fruit set this year.
The trees produce very large juicy black cherries and its great to sit outside under their canopy in a summer evening having dinner and then, instead of pudding, just reach up and pick ultra-fresh fruit from the trees.
Should have added:
Even better when the fireflies are out dancing.
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A way of partially ameliorating grief on the death of a pet is to have two of them. This helps the animal longterm (provide each other with friendship when humans are otherwise engaged) and lessens the impact of the death of one.
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I don't let children near my dogs. They are as soft as you like but, they are working dogs and they've not been brought up with children so I'm not certain how they would react to being treated like a stuffed toy. This can be quite difficult as they are Norfolk terriers with an appearance that invites oohs and aahs and comments like "elles sont très jolies" (aren't they cute).
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I didn't think they were around at the same time as microwave ovens.
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I read that the Liverpool Alfie has passed over. What is the next project for rent-a-mob, I wonder?
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I could never figure out how the lids of these pies didn't sink and rest on the very exiguous quantity of filling that was in most of them.
The only ones that had any reasonable amount of filling were apple. All the others had less than a misers jam sandwich.
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Should have said that they always bring back a present. I've lost count of the number of rat corpses I've stepped on or into.
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My two terriers are great friends with some of the local cats but sworn enemies with others.
I think I mentioned before that I lend my dogs out for rat catching, well sometimes they are accompanied by one or two cats. I don't know how they organize their battle strategy but it seems to be very successful.
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Mine is simply a mis-spelling of my first name, John, together with the two initials of my second name and surname. Nothing exciting.
The locals call me Ianglais (Yanglais) or Jonglais and I have used those as a moniker on other forums but I felt there was too much of a French connection in that, especially as I joined Nottstalgia in an attempt to re-establish my Nottingham heritage.
Note jonglais is French for juggler - something I am singularly unable to do!
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A problem with changing your name here is that the references to your original name in the forum text will become meaningless/anonymous
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Seeing Flash Gorden mentioned above reminded me of an event when I lived in Nottm. A schoolteacher friend hired a film for the newly formed school cinema club. I was invited to the inaugural meeting of the club.
To ensure there would be a reasonably large attendance, the films were selected to be of mass schoolkid appeal.
I don't remember the first film but the second was meant to be Flash Gorden. I don't know whether it was the fault of the film hire company or of my teacher friend but the film that was sent was, in fact, Flesh Gorden - the XXX-rated version of the original.
This was in the '70's - a time of much less liberal views than now and the showing of such filth caused much consternation amongst the school governors but great appreciation amongst the pupils.
My teacher friend managed to keep his job and became an icon amongst the pupils at the school.
Would you pass your driving test today ?
in Owt' Abaaht Nowt !
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I could have retained my UK licence but my thinking at the time was that as I was taking up permanent French residence, it would be preferable to have a proper French one.
It doesn't matter very much now as I no longer drive.