Alpha

Hi! Katyjay, I used the Red Lion quite frequently in the early 60's, in the lounge, of course. A very nice place to have a drink with friends. The landlord was Roy with Eddie in the bar. I remember the two daughters coming down for the evening from the staircase in the extended lounge room.

Hi Mess, I also attended these two very nice doctors and remember them well. Their surgery was on the corner of Western Boulevard and Newlyn Drive. Both would give children sweets when visiting the surgery.

Sounds idyllic Oz. In south Devon, it’s cold with a light feathering of snow over the fields. I’d like to change places with you especially at 16 degrees and sun.

You're obviously upper class Oz.

Replying to Oz's comment on UK snow conditions, I believe the capability of this nation to deal with seasonal and most other organisational variations is of apathy and and incompetence. The more 'advanced' we become the worse it gets. We are becoming a nation of snowflakes afraid to offer our opinions on any given situation as we might offend or upset some minority. In this I include those latent CEO's in the NHS and similar organisations that we as citizens, as a whole, should openly condemn and force the governing bodies hold them publically to account for their failures.

Not that I am at all interested in football, but the truth is that the English team are plainly mediocre and appear a weary worn out team. I cannot see why as they are mostly quite young with enormous benefits for playing the game. On this sobering thought, perhaps they should all return to their mansions and reflect on their past and present performance. Compared with Stanley Matthews time they, and the whole game, have a lot to learn.

It gets more ridiculous and embarrassing by the minute. Roll on the end.

Football. Over. Soon!

Looking good, Nonna. I'm pleased you had a nice time out.

Oz, I deeply regret not pursuing my application more vigorously in '63 when my mother, surreptitiously, intervened in my correspondence and with another poor decision in ’79.

It cannot be denied that GB, (delete the great), that we are a backward, third world, decrepit nation. The bottom of every scale, accountability, good government, health, tansport and communications, social services, justice and law, policing and the worst standard of both tiers of education..... Our national priorities appear nothing more than crass football and its players, game shows, reality shows and moronic TV programmes amongst others.

So, you are best placed to get around all the obstacles, Phil.

Yes Oz, the last pint I had from the barrel, not pumped, was at the Crown in Old Dalby about 1960. We sat in the sitting room mas you would find in a cottage, and I recall the barrels were along the wall. The beer, however, was not to my taste and somewhat flat and watery.

Mild, bitter or mixed, perhaps a thickly Guiness. Going further back how about a Mackeson Stout, or going up market with an IPA, real cool dude!

At 12/13 years of age, I drove two grey Ferguson's harrowing and rolling fields around Old Dalby. Pleasant on sunny days but miserable in the rain with no cab, of course, only sacking tied around the shoulders. Dalby would be a good place to live near to Nottingham but not in Nottingham itself. Wished I had gone to Aus in 1963 with my friends from work. Frank Fairholm who lived in the Meadows just off Cremorne Street.

In similarality to Mess's morning excursion I also travelled from Nuthall Road on the 1, 7 or 22 services to Hanley Street: then down to the Market Square for the number 40 trolley bus to Wilford Road which stopped by Exchange Walk stop. On one occaision I just happened to catch a number 40, jumping onto the platform as it was moving off. I believe the driver saw my jumping on attemt and as I grabbed the vertical rail, he accelerated rapidly as only a trolley bus can with their electric power. I was dragged along the road hanging on to the rail as I feared letting go of it would have

Hi Mary, when younger? Oh, that's interesting. Whether it was a boy/girl you were looking for how and old you were!

Of course, you did Margie, who would dare to contradict you!

Hey Ben, you certainly know how to turn a place around!

He was there, at the very beginning of the greatest music phenomenon of our age. What an entertainer!

Andrews Liver Salts, in a white tin. A teaspoon of white salts in a glass of water was refreshingly effervescent. I often drank it as a child, almost like lemonade!

Margie, I never tasted this emulsion; I thought it was just a tonic, as a vitamin boost for schoolchildren. Jill also described it as a general tonic; it may have been a local education initiative for children at that time. It appeared to be discontinued after a few weeks. It had nothing to do with stomach upsets.

Going slightly off topic, can anyone recall at school buying bottles of 'Emulsion'? It was ordered by pupils through the teacher and came in the typical medicine bottles at the time with a cork. It must have been around the fifties; I asked my mother if she knew what it was for, and she wanted to buy any, which she didn't.

I seem to remember that watery orange juice sold in bottles, but the price escapes me. The humble farthing was still in use but rarely tendered.

Very interesting memories Mrs B. Let's publish more of these popular Nottstalgian reminiscences please!