Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Motorbikes, getting ones leg over was never so difficult, or dangerous, lets see what happens.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

We await with bated breath

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

The old Christmas cards certainly had a way of expressing sentiments ...nicely. These days the same sentiments would have to be accompanied with an F word.

Did a catch up on Who do you think you are with Guest Gareth Malone. He wanted to trace where his musical gene came from and he certainly came from a line if entertainers which led him eventually to Dublin whhere his G,g,g....Daniel Lowry had been in the Erin Music hall..now called the Olympia.

I mention this Jem because maybe you have been to the Olympia and how wonderful it must be for a performer like Gareth to go back like this and stand/perform where your past relative did and all thanks to records and data being kept

http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazi...pisode-summary

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I have many great memories of the Olympia Solo, and we didn’t always have to pay in, when my son worked at the printing his boss was on the board of directors and he got us free tickets for many plays and shows, good seats too. It’s a lovely cosy theatre, full of atmosphere of the past, you can feel it as soon as you enter the place. I still have the printed programs from all the plays, some of the names went on to greater things, Liam Neeson, Gabrial Byrne, Angelina Ball, to name a few.


“Motorbikes, getting ones leg over was never so difficult, or dangerous, lets see what happens”

One is inclined to get more leg ups than leg overs as the years progress Spitty.

The nearest I got to a motorcycle was a Honda 50, and I was pinched by a copper because the girlfriend hadn’t got her leg over, she was in a leather skin tight skirt and sitting side saddle behind me, he pulled me over and I was fined 10 quid afterwards in court. I never knew that it was an offence to sit side saddle on a mechanically propelled two wheeled vehicle.
There was no way she could have straddled the bike in that skirt. We had to go back to her house and she changed into jeans.
I only had a provisional licence so when that expired it was the end of my involvement in road traffic, I sold the bike and decided for the good of humanity and the environment never to drive or ride anything again, Sherlock Holmes himself couldn’t find my carbon footprint even if he had a mine detector.

But for six short months I was king of the road riding along on my trusty Honda 50.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

If you had a good Motor bike back in the day it was was the next best thing to an E type jag. Both were magnets in there different ways. Did some courting in and on both. Ditched the Jag owner and married the biker.

Used to love the Music Hall shows with all the varied acts and one of my favourites was Danny LaRue. Risque, funny but never smutty or vulgar and always got a standing ovation when he played.

Whatever the reasons and I guess there are many there is nothing like him now mores the pity as this world needs more like him and his humour.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Yes indeed, Danny was a true professional and a real gentleman, and whenever he wasn’t a gentleman he was a real lady.

Back in the 70’s while you had an Irishman in the shape of Danny La Rue pretending to be a woman, we had on the cabaret scene here an Englishman doing the female impersonations in the form of Alan Amsby, who went by the stage name of “Mr. Pussy”, he was a very popular attraction and always drew a big crowd, Phyllis with her gang and myself went to see him several times, hard to believe he was a man, he went on to do some acting, I think he still lives here, he’s in his 80’s now.
Good job I remembered the fellas name, God only knows what would have come up if I googled Mr Pussy.

“Alan Amsby was born in 1937 in Peckham, London, England. He is an actor, known for In the Name of the Father (1993), How to Cheat in the Leaving Certificate (1997) and The Podge and Rodge Show (2006).”

I got lucky!, I found a photo of the two female impersonators together.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

I personally don’t do politics at all, as far as I’m concerned they’re a bunch of self interested liars and i’ve long washed me hands of them all, different parties all with the same goal in mind, power and money. Whatever happened to “A government of the people for the people”? the crop of chancers we get are way out of touch with the people, they’re from a different planet altogether.
As Terry Thomas would say. “Stinkers of the first order”.
The sooner the better they get robots to do the job.

Just to say, and for the day thats in it and in these uncertain times, I sincerely hope things work out for my friends and all the people of Britain today in this important general election, I wish you all the best of luck no matter which colours you wave.

On voting day the people will have their say
And hopefully cast the corrupt politicians away
But alas it doesn’t work that way
The system is geared to make the rotten ones stay.

Brings back memories of that blundering candidate seeking election in the late fifties here in Dublin, Billy (Budgie) Branigan, up on his rostrum he said that if he was elected he would “Put shoes on the footless” instead of putting shoes on the shoeless, and “The poor won’t be spared any neglect” in place of the poor will not be neglected. and on the unemployed he proudly shouted out “I was never work shy, I worked when there was no work!” then quickly changed it to ”There was no work where I worked…we were on strike”
He never got in, but at least he was always good for a laugh.

Here’a an old cartoon from the past, note the boss is still the boss even today.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

Well said Jem. As my dear old Dad used to say "It doesn't do to air your views on Politics"..and it could not be more true today. Best to keep quiet rather rather than be insulted for daring to have a mind of your own.

He kept his views close to his chest no matter how hard pressed he was and that was in the days when a canidate hoping for your vote would come to the door and offer to drive you there and back to the polling station. We kids loved the build up though as there was always a derogatory ditty to sing to wind up those who you knew voted a certain way....and if the candidates were handing out free biscuits etc you could change allegiance ditties at the drop of a hat. None of this tactical stuff you get today ...this was good old fashioned no nonsense political bribary at it's best and we were definitely up for that.

We would trail after any candidate to watch how they were treated with either booing, hissing, cursing and swearing.. or if they were lucky cheering and it all seemed so much more down to earth then as we all knew B/s when we heard it..but it was at least honest B/s.

Giving biccies was a good guide as if they gave you posh stuff like expensive shortbread you knew they were on the make so not to be trusted and best left well alone..and no matter how politely we asked they never let us have the empty tins. Us kids learnt early

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

All the kids loved polling day, a day off school and a few bob and plenty of sweets off the canvassers to go around shouting “Vote No,1 Paddy Murphy!” or whoever, true as you say, all good open honest bribes right in front of your eyes, it was then only a matter of picking the least harmful devil from the bunch.
Wonder what the collective name is for a group of devils? just googled it, it’s a Legion of demons.


Fooling the multitude for personal gain is as old as mankind, a very very long time ago a greedy smart arse came up with a real gem of an idea, what if I go up a mountain, stay there for a few days, come back down again and say I had a visit from an all powerful alien while I was up there, he told me to tell everyone to obey ten major rules, which he had already thought up and chiselled onto two stone slabs he found handy, if they didn’t obey not only would they suffer in this world they would also suffer for eternity in another world when they die, but if they obeyed without question they will be rewarded when they die.
All the loopholes were sealed with that little beauty at the end, “When they die”, and the chap who was talking to that alien would be in charge naturally as he was the only human who could understand the very important messages straight from the aliens mouth. There would be many more messages to come he promised.
Everyone fell for it, even today that mans name is spoken with reverence, and we think we are the most intelligent species in the universe, laughable ain’t it.
All that still continues to the present day, only now we have more and more people meeting their own special aliens and special leaders appointed by said aliens with different rules but more or less the same message, obey me or your banjaxed.

Very cold weather we’re having here, 0.3 today all day, what used they say, there’s a brass monkey in agony outside looking for a welder.

Re: Leisurely Scribbles (part 5)

So you won't be watching for the 3 wise men bearing gifts Jem

The beauty of childhood was we were mostly unmarred by most cynicism/facts and doubt. I did believe in Father Christmas and as the Christmas star was in the sky there for me to look at (and still is) I did not doubt the nativity and why should I have...especially when a gorgeous missionary told me the story who would never have lied to a small child.

It was nice till the bubble burst and commercialisation became the new all powerful religion. I know which I preferred.

Which brings me to Christmas food. Had a very early wander round the shops for essentials and trying to find the basics at this time of the year becomes a 'hunt the bread, milk and whatevers' as they are now craftely and deliberatly hidden by packets of vol au vents, nibbles of every type, dips and dabs, pies stuffed with cranberies and loads more to make your shopping... pure hell.

I was so contented at Christmas to have a piece of pork pie with home made chutney or a ham sandwich and some delicious piccalilly on the side...and a lettuce leaf wasn't needed then for decoration either.

Like most things today it is overkilled and the true spirit and taste of what used to be a lovely time of the year is now commercially murdered.

At least my robin who cares nought for such festive goings on gets his usual bit of cake