Topic: Shanklyboy's auld arse thread.

[only5times]

Winnie and Big dad always took me to the River rooms Berni inn at the Pier head (how grim was that place in the 70's and 80's ?)  Always had an auld fella on the door  dead smart in his commissioner's uniform with his medals on. Few bob for an old serviceman.

[Johnnowhite]

You know something - PARTICULARLY reading through this thread - there's a wonderful strength, a kind of commonality that shines through in so many of the posts. To summarise in brief, it says that our ordinary working class forebears mainly had nowt to spare (sometimes they had literally nowt - never mind to spare!) but what they all of 'em thankfully managed to dredge up out of the drudgery and tragedy of bloody hard times - in peacetime as well as war - was honest, warm and caring times spent with their kids and then with their grandkids.
They gave all they were able to give and so many of us are who we are today because of them.
They shared of themselves and they gave their time because in truth, it was all that they had to give.

You know what, what they gave to their families was better than all the tea in China as me Grandad used to say.
God bless them and keep them all.
We - all of us - should be:-
so very proud of who they were, then grateful for what they did for us , and finally rejoice in the greatest gift they gave to us - the gift of the life-values that sustain us today and will do so for the rest of our lives.

To parody Churchill's famous Battle of Britain speech, never have so many given so much of value from so little a material starting point.

[pewithree3]

Johnno,

That was a post an a half,
remembering having to blanco pumps with
whitening for school and easter.
If lucky got a pair of baseball boots,
but they were no good for school.
My missus said something about liberty bodices as well.

[Fat Scouser]

Can't stand up. Can't sit down. Can't lay down. Don't know if I want a shit or an haircut. This really is bad. Tried going through this to take me mind off it all, but I could only get through a bit. Have to comment on something though....
world wide media, tv, radio and print, is pretty much owned by 6 companies. It's nothing but the mouth piece of the man. It's in their interest to keep us all at each others throats and our eyes off them.
Something dawned on me during this Suarez/Evra situation. This racism malarkey is really just another tactic of divide and conquer.
Don't want to harp on about that too much. I've other things to say, but think about it. Football has been making multi-millionaires out of young black men for ages. Instances of racism in the English game are very rare.
Yes. It was bad 40, 30, not so much 20 years ago. Something had to be done. It was... young black men got better and better at the game. It's hard, even for morons, to abuse one person for being black but love another in their own team. The first kid of Indian/Pakistani decent to become a top player will be an absolute mega-star. The fat rich white bastards that run and milk the game will make sure of that. But I want to comment on the media role in all this...
We are living in the hey-day of the internet. It won't be long until they find a way to clamp down on it. Look at what was achieved against H&G, all done over the web. They won't allow that to continue much longer. If you say that, you are immediately mocked by the main stream media and called a tin hat wearing conspiracy theory nutter.
The few that go against them are ridiculed and shouted down, so people are divided yet again.
Ask most Man U supporters what they think about SOS, they will go on a rant about a few pissed up idiots singing Munich songs. But they are still in the boat we were not long back. Sorry Johno, I know loads of you are decent working class people with a brain, but - just like our divs - your's are being suckered too.
Rangers is about to go to the wall. FFS Rangers, not AuchtieMochtie, Rangers.
Football is a microcosm of what's happening in the real world. (Don't tell anyone I know words like microcosm. I've an image to keep up). The 1% at the top are stealing absolutely everything we have, and with a few bits of trickery keeping us all snarling at one another instead of them.
Look at the occupy thing... how was it reported, dirty bastards that should go get a bath and a job... where the fuck do they get a bath when they are homeless, where the fuck do they get a job? Why didn't any one report what it was actually all about? The BBC is the worst. They are so terrified of losing the license fee that they will do anything Cameron tells them to do. Have a look at day time telly.... inbetween the repeats of gameshows and cookery shows, clock the programes about the dole fiddlers... what about Magaret Thatcher's million pound annual dole fiddle? And I see another brave Prince is facing down the Argie bastards for the plucky little Falkland Islanders and BP.
I don't want to go on too much, I'm just saying it's all bullshit and have a think about it. They're conning the fuck out of us. It's been around for hundreds of years. It's called divide and something, I can't be arsed. It's driving me mad. I'm off to watch X-Factor and throw me Joe Strummer LPs in the bin.

[Johnnowhite]

Morning Leo lad - sorry to hear about yer sore back and arse mate. There's nowt worse than summat wrong with yer sitting down gear. Had some once (courtesy of piles) but ferkin' hell, it nearly crippled me. Had said piles operated on about 15 years back and experienced a very disturbing scenario in the local hospital.

Had the op no problems but on coming round - with my arse-ring a little on the warm and stingy side - I am faced with a ward orderly who I once managed when we were both at ICI Macclesfield.
Now I've no idea how long he's been in the room with me and he's smiling at me pleasant-like an' I'm a bit woozy with after-op pissed-up head. as yer do. Then suddenly , and for no ferkin' reason whatsoever, I recall that he's gay.

I can tell you that it was that single thought that had me worried for the rest of the day .........

Hope you're on the mend soon Leo!! And you are dead right with concerns over controlphobia. Don't know how we'll ever topple these arseholes. No pun intended...

[Fat Scouser]

Hiya Johno, yer big Gayaphobe, yer. Be careful you'll have the PC mind control police onto us. Wish it was just me arse. I went up in the air, fucking verticle, and smashed down, full on me back on the edge of a stair. All me innards are bruised and battered, but me right lung has filled up with some disgusting cack, and the couging... oh dear. It's bad. But I know. Me bird's from Bootle... sympathy can be found in the dictionary between shite and syphilis.
I'm just gutted the party's over. I love a bevvy, but I can't go through any more of that. I've still got a bit of a black eye and a coggie on me kipper from Crimbo. Age, eh... what a bastard. Oh well, I think I'll stand on me head, and watch a bit of day time tv, shop me neighbour and donate me dole to the poor donkey's of Kazhackerbejan and wonder will they get round to doing an appeal for the hungry kids of Liverpool and Manchester.

[Johnnowhite]

Thanks for the heads-up Leo. And definately no pun intended there lad   

[The 92A]

Do you think your sore arse could be a microcosm for the game, which is a microcosm for society, which if you cut the middleman out, means  your arse is a microcosm of society,which is pretty f*cked up at the moment, no wonder it's sore, f*ck all to do with the ale. notice I put astricks in to show how polite I am.

[Reds4Life]

Just reading through a few of these posts about the wartime brings back some special memories of mine.

I used to go to school, English Martyrs in Tower Hill, and me Nan and Grandad lived up the road on Windermere Drive.

Me Nan worked in the kitchen which meant it was happy days for me and I'd go over to me Nan and Grandad's after school.

I spent many an afternoon listening to the stories he would tell me.

He was also in the merchant navy doing the convoy protection and was involved in a contact with a German ship somewhere off Russia as he did a lot of that route.

Anyways, Grandad was on the Pom-Poms which did his hearing a world of good as you can imagine. It was a physically demanding job, as every other job during this time no doubt was. On your feet for 18 hours straight, perched behind this heavy artillery would certainly have exacted their toll on many a sailor.

Anyway, during the conflict, the German boat was crippled and the German sailors were taken on board and made POWs.

Grandad and a few others were ordered to board the ship and remove anything of value.

I think the orders of "anything of value" were more of an intelligence gathering sortie but the lads being lads, proceeded to lighten the load considerably.

As they were looking around the Captain's quarters, into the eyesights was a leather couch. The lads lifted the couch and took it back to their station and used it (while keeping a lookout for the Captain) for the next 6 months while at sea.

They eventually got rumbled when they were heading from Fremantle to Sydney. It was the middle of summer at the time, which in Western Australia can be around 35 degrees Celsius easy.

As is normal custom when entering a harbour to dock, the sailors were all dressed smartly and lining the decks. The ship has docked and there are a few supplies being loaded on.

There's a bit of talk in the air about these parcels that are being loaded onboard. Apparently the parcels have been donated by the kind Australian public.

The lads are all pretty keen to know what parcels they may receive from these kind hearted Australian families, being so hot they were assuming t-shirts, maybe some shorts.

After the ship was loaded up, they set sail and once out in the open waters were allowed to open their parcels. You can imagine the look on their faces as they were talking woollen knitted scarves, pullovers, underpants, you name it, it came in wool.

Another cruel joke played on them was the provision of a gramophone to allow sailors some small pleasure.

The lads are all quite taken aback by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the gesture.

Imagine, swanning around the south coast of sunny Australia, kicking back on your leather couch, enjoying the warm sun and listening to the gramophone.

This gratefulness quickly takes a turn when the only record they were left with was Bing Crosby's "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas."

Anyway it was while they were doing some exercises off the Australian coast when the Captain was a wee but too quick for the lookout and they were caught.

The Captain obviously took possession of the couch and used it for his own personal use but they had a good run of it first..

[peterb17]

43 tomorrow...Can I come in yet?

[Johnnowhite]

Aye, my old fella was an anti-aircraft gunner in the RN and he told me plenty about what the the Vickers Pom-Poms could throw up.

He opened fire once without being given orders and was nearly charged with dereliction of duty. Something about the ship was in Malta in Valetta harbour and the German reconnaisance planes were flying above. Every single fishing boat in the harbour was firing  - with whatever they had, rifles, little maching guns etc - at the Dornier overhead (or whatever plane it was) except the only ship in the harbour capable of hitting the bleedin' thing. So the old fella opens up on the Nazi plane (and winged it was his story.... )

Seems he was under consideration for being charged with giving away the ship's position.

[Johnnowhite]

Course yer can lad. Come on in ...tomorrow....












PS .....and happy birthday

[montysmum]

43 tomorrow...Can I come in yet?

For a trial period maybe

[happydaze]

Happydaze posted :-]Well mate sadly I'll miss that as I'm here in Belgium - plus I don't do Sly.

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With you on the sly situation Johno, wouldnt entertain them in our house. That channel I get through Freeview box, nothing to do with sly.


Wasnt correcting you about the Arctic convoys either mate. When you said Baltic convoys I reckoned that would have been a bit hairy to say the least , in close proximity to the coast of the '1000 year Reich' , luftwaffe and Uboats a plenty. That said I think I'd have opted to take that route and all the Germans could chuck at you, rather than the weather extremes the likes of your grandad and his mates had to endure going up round the north cape!  A different breed mate !

just did a quick web search on HMS Curzon, and found this site with a few pics on , one of the ships company. wonder if your relative is on it


http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/084.htm

[jambutty]

As all of you know, during and after the war every luxury was very difficult to come by, especially fruit, meat or cream, so we all made do.  Those lucky enought to have some Yank friends were always better off because they could waltz into their PX and pick up alll kinds of goodies and then use them to ingratiate themselves into English families with nice looking girls.

My Gran had 3 stunners,  so we had more than most.

We'd get loads of Hershey bars which we'd thank them for, then never eat because it wasn't nice milk choccy as we were used to.  They brought ciggies for the adults and tinned fruit & meat and cans of evap.  We would have tinned fruit with evap over it and think we were in heaven.  To this day I won't eat canned pears or peaches without evap over it.  Or as one of my kids called it 'infected milk'.

[pewithree3]

Just been to my local library to get a book and on the table for newspapers
is a big sign which said;
"Owing to the continual stealing of the DAILY MAIL from this table
it can only be collected &  returned at the counter."

 

[Cadno]

Just been to my local library to get a book and on the table for newspapers
is a big sign which said;
"Owing to the continual stealing of the DAILY MAIL from this table
it can only be collected &  returned at the counter."

 

Is there a shortage of toilet paper round your way?

[Fat Scouser]

Breaking news...
Luis Suarez has been charged with the murder of Whitney Houston in a racially motivated attack. Eye witness, Patrice Evra, said he seen him kill her at least 10 times. Mr. Ferguson has called for the death penalty. Kenny Dalglish said, he has never heard of Whitney Houston and has questioned if she ever actually existed. Howard Webb has confirmed she has and that he seen it all.

[The 92A]

I know we all want it to go away but just been listening to the Anfield Rap on the Man U game and the Suarez handshake and got to say good listening, fellas coming at it with differing opinions but first thing I've heard that really got me thinking, they've got a lad from Lpool 8 who runs Kingsley FC an he talks alot of sense, don't agree with everything he says but makes some good points about Liverpool engaging more with the supporters who live in the city etc. in fact first intellegent debate I've heard on the situation, well worth listening to
 
http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/

[Johnnowhite]

Happydaze posted :- Wasnt correcting you about the Arctic convoys either mate.

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No probs mate. I think you were right with the Arctic.  I've got a similar photo somewhere at home - among the family treasures yer know - and yes my Grandad's on it.

He's second from the right in the 4th row immediately after the 1st 3 rows of petty officers (jackets and peaked caps in front.)

[redannie]

My uncle was on the North Atlantic convoys at the age of 18, he had a right rollicking one time when he was at the wheel for zigging when he should have been zagging, he was torpedoed twice and ended up contracting TB and having half of each lung collapsed.

[Sweeper]

Joking aside, when I was little and lived in Fazakerley, we'd spend all day playing football in the street and you'd see all the local characters go by. One fella had lost an arm, I presume in the war and had the sleeve of his coat stitched up, it made him look like the man from UNCLE who carried his gun across his shoulder, for ages I thought he had a gun hidden under his coat, I never told no one but I was sure he was a secret agent especially as once I'd seen him walking up Rhodesia Road and I knew there was a war going on there, around the bend the part you couldn't see because it was always on the news about war in Rhodesia and people dying there.
 
Being keen on football another local character was this bald fella, always smiling, who had an allotment and would cycle down our street through our football pitch, he'd always go past say 'alright lads' and ask who was winning. I was the only one who recognised him, Bill Shankly. so I always made an effort to look good when he went past, just in case he was looking for players. I think I was about eight before I realised it wasn't him. Dead ringer though looked like the fella in Vic's photo. Last I saw of him was in the bar of The Chaser where the arl ones went, still smiling but not looking that like Bill Shankly.

Wherabouts in Fazak were you playing footy 92A ? Hawksmoor Park? I used to live in Manica Crescent (next door but one to Colin Harvey) and then later Morgan Heights in Haven Road.

The Chaser....used to be a great alehouse that. Played for them in early 1970's under Jimmy Brown and then managed them years later, before it went into the decline that sees it like it is now. Shutting shortly I believe....

[Sweeper]

Do you know any of the lads in the pic above? May ring a few bells mate

[Sweeper]

That pic was take on Simonswood Lane and I reckon is the second pitch up on the LFC Academy site. Who would have though that Windy Arbour would play host to one of the world's greatest clubs.

We were in the Kirkby Newtown League (sunday) against teams like The Woodpecker, The Peacock, Johnny Todd, The RAFA, English Martyrs, Kirkby Libs, Kirkby Amateyrs, Croxteth Legion , Aintree Star and loads more. Lots of the lads would be playing a good standard n the Saturday (Northern Prem etc) and then with mates on Sundays. Really good standard

Remember Kirkby Towns ground used to have stock car racing on on Sunday afternoons as well.

Some great players around then

[Fat Scouser]

That pic was take on Simonswood Lane and I reckon is the second pitch up on the LFC Academy site. Who would have though that Windy Arbour would play host to one of the world's greatest clubs.

We were in the Kirkby Newtown League (sunday) against teams like The Woodpecker, The Peacock, Johnny Todd, The RAFA, English Martyrs, Kirkby Libs, Kirkby Amateyrs, Croxteth Legion , Aintree Star and loads more. Lots of the lads would be playing a good standard n the Saturday (Northern Prem etc) and then with mates on Sundays. Really good standard

Remember Kirkby Towns ground used to have stock car racing on on Sunday afternoons as well.

Some great players around then

It was called Windy Hrbour then. The spelling's probably wrong. The Railway always had a great team. Me Aunties Vickie, Fanny and Mary lived right by it. Our Harry still runs the under 12 league there.

[Fat Scouser]

told this before, but... me Granda was torpedoed on the convoys. He couldn't swim a stroke, survived 40 odd hours in the North Sea. I was about 10. He was telling me the story. IU says, how'd you do that Grandad. Me Ma shouts... shit always floats.

[vicgill]

43 tomorrow...Can I come in yet?

Look just sit quiet by the door and IŽll get you a packet of crisps and a drink ok, now behave yourself

[Sweeper]

Remember the Railway FS, the one by the station. Remember they had a good centre forward called Lang or Long. Also the pub a bit further down, The Carters Arms had an OK side.

[Manila Vanilla]

My dad and granddad were in the North Atlantic convoys too.

My granddad got transferred by bosun's chair from the SS Oporto to the SS Cressado when the chief engineer on the Cressado died. The SS Oporto later got torpedoed and only four people were recovered. When he retired he called his house "Cressado"!

But a few years after that the Cressado got rammed by a RN vessel chasing a U-Boat on the surface. The ship sank and they only had one working lifeboat after the collision, so a lot of them had to cling to the side. He eventually turned up on Merseyside with his uniform over his pyjamas, no front door key and a cowboy hat on his head. He was bald and someone in Holyhead had given it to him! He was 57 at the time.

[jambutty]

Look just sit quiet by the door and IŽll get you a packet of crisps and a drink ok, now behave yourself

 

[only5times]

My uncle was on the North Atlantic convoys at the age of 18, he had a right rollicking one time when he was at the wheel for zigging when he should have been zagging, he was torpedoed twice and ended up contracting TB and having half of each lung collapsed.

You're Derek Trotter and i claim my Ł5

[blert596]

Look just sit quiet by the door and IŽll get you a packet of crisps and a drink ok, now behave yourself

Me and my sister spent a large part of our childhood sitting outside the Thatcher with continuous coke and crisp refills.

Did every pub have a feller who could do loads of keepy uppies with a thrippenny bit?

[Terry De Niro]

43 tomorrow...Can I come in yet?

Look just sit quiet by the door and IŽll get you a packet of crisps and a drink ok, now behave yourself

Aye..and if you're really good, I'll buy you a bag of chaps at kicking out time..

[richmond-red]

 

Look just sit quiet by the door and IŽll get you a packet of crisps and a drink ok, now behave yourself

  I can't count the number of times that was said to me and my sister back in the day

[bordeauxred]

Just joining in on the evacuee stuff - my Dad and his brother were evacuated down near Hereford, I think. He said that they were split up on arrival but when the family looking after my Uncle found out his younger brother ( my dad ) was in the same village the lady went to the school to collect my Dad so that the 2 could stay together -.some kind hearted people were around.

Years later when my Dad got his first car, a Ford Anglia, one of our first holidays was a trip to that area so that he could remember and relive his experiences. Note to self- must write down more stuff from his past as he is now nearly 80 and only in the past 10 or so years have I really appreciated his stories about our family.

My Dad then stayed in touch with the family and continued to exchange Xmas and Birthday Cards until the last member of that family passed away.

[peterb17]

Course yer can lad. Come on in ...tomorrow....












PS .....and happy birthday

Aye..and if you're really good, I'll buy you a bag of chaps at kicking out time..

Look just sit quiet by the door and IŽll get you a packet of crisps and a drink ok, now behave yourself

.

Haha Many times sitting in the doorway with a bottle of Lemo (got a bass shandy once and thought i was bevvied) and pkt of  crisps with me dad looking through the door every 1/2hr to see if i was ok. Thought i was in heaven

[montysmum]

Look just sit quiet by the door and IŽll get you a packet of crisps and a drink ok, now behave yourself

 

[jambutty]

Note to self- must write down more stuff from his past as he is now nearly 80 and only in the past 10 or so years have I really appreciated his stories about our family.

My Dad then stayed in touch with the family and continued to exchange Xmas and Birthday Cards until the last member of that family passed away.

Get it on video.

[jambutty]

When I were a lad of abar 5, I was sent into the Belvedere on Sugnall St. to fetch someone (my fam didn't drink there).  Looked down the bar, never found 'im, reported back.

First pub I was ever in, seemed biggish to me.

Went in again 8 years later, it must be the tiniest pub in Liverpool.

[Pheeny]

When I was serving (RAF) in Tongeren Belgium,it was with the NATO so there was Dutch,Belgian us Brits and a few Germans.

The "International Bar" on the base was run by the NAAFI and the  manageress was a local,Maddy her name,

she was like a mother to us Brits as her son in law was a Jock,but also because she was a teenager in occupied Belgium.

One night a German came into the bar and after a couple of beers he asked Maddy for direction to Liege,which is 20kms from here.

Without a bat of an eyelid she pipes up

"You found your own way in 1940 so you can find your own way now"