The Story of George
In the 1960s, I use to serve behind the bar in a pub called The Merryhills in Oakwood. It was one of the vacation jobs I did to fund my way through University.
Although it was a leafy suburb and still is, the pub was only half-genteel. The Saloon Bar was comfortable and had a nice class of client. But the Public Bar was a different story and there was sometimes an edginess. I remember one night, sorting out a fight, by breaking a bottle of Guinness on the bar and jumping over the counter. They didn’t want to take me on, but then we all knew that Mick the large Irish barman was coming round by the easy route with the landlord’s Alsatian.
But it is the story of George I remember.
On a quiet Monday, I found myself talking for most of the evening to a guy called George, who had been in my year at primary school. I said to him, that at school, I thought he might have been a bit rough and that now he seemed to have calmed down. He said that he had. But it hadn’t always been so and a couple of years before he’d been up in court on a charge of vandalism. The magistrate had said that he deserved Borstall, but also said that he had a mate who owned a demolition firm, who was in need of men, who liked to smash things up. If he’d take the job, the magistrate said he’d forget the Borstal.
George had worked in demolition for some months and hadn’t been in trouble since.
Perhaps there is a moral here, in that we’ve now made employment so safe, it just doesn’t appeal to a certain class of youth!
I suspect too, that magistrates can’t recruit workers for their friends!
The Aftermath At Tottenham Hale
I took these pictures at Tottenham Hale today.
The interesting thing was that the fast food outlets were left undamaged. So perhaps they weren’t such mindless morons after all? You have to eat don’t you!
I actually went to the area to go to Maplins. It was open and fully-functioning and I was able to buy what I wanted.
I was Sixteen Once
I’m 64 next week, but all of the mindless violence of the last few days rings a bell in my mind.
I have a feeling that life has now become so constrained for the average male youth, that we are now getting the problems we are seeing on the streets.
In some ways it was a bit like that in the early sixties. We didn’t get the violence, but then of course we had Mods and Rockers. I didn’t get involved one way or other, as I had other things to do and I didn’t have a motorcyle licence.
But just as then, the Police and politicians didn’t have a clue. They don’t now!
In the seventies and eighties, it was all about football violence.
So is the cause of the last three days, just an outlet for testosterone. I bet one of these rioters goes on to in twenty years or so, to be a leader of a main political party or to run a large company like Tesco.
The problem is to channel this testosterone and the anger that goes with it!
Gluten Freedom For Coeliac Travellers in the UK
When I went to Plymouth, I bought a gluten-free ham salad from Marks and Spencer in Paddington station, to sustain me on the journey.
It was excellent.
Today, I had an egg salad sandwich from their shop in Moorgate. It was equally good.
They’ve even got a list on their web site of all their stores that stock the gluten-free sandwiches.
Travelling just got a whole lot easier for coeliacs in the UK.
Is First Class Worth It?
Charlotte Gainsburg was quoted in The Times on Saturday as saying “I always travel first class. I feel I’m being cheap if I don’t!”
I travelled back from Bristol in First Class, but I think it’s the last time, I will on First Great Western. This is not a criticism of the company or even the well-refurbished IC125 trains, but more a criticism of my neck, which finds the soft seats uncomfortable. It’s also a compliment to the Standard Class seats, I found so good on the way down to Plymouth.
So when I go to Cardiff on the 15th of October, it’ll be Standard Class both ways.
Bristol City 0 – Ipswich Town 3
It was a good start to the season by Ipswich and well worth the trip.
My only problem with going to Bristol City and Ashton Gate us the rather dangerous seats without any backs.
Bristol City's Dangerous Seats
The danger is not when you sit on them. But as you walk in and out in a football ground, you always steady yourself on the seat row in front. Two fellow supporters nearly overbalanced on top of me, as the seat in front tipped forward.
How they pass Health and Safety, I do not know. But then the seating at QPR must have done last year.
From the SS Great Britain to Ashton Gate
As I said before it takes about twenty minutes. You start at the side of the museum and walk away from the dock until you come to the New Cut of the River Avon. You go past Spike Island and then over a bridge to cross the River Avon.
The pictures show the industrial doors of the Arts Centre on Spike Island painted by someone with a sense of humour.
Once across the footbridge it is a brisk downhill walk to the ground.
Visiting The SS Great Britain
Before kick-off I also had time to visit the SS Great Britain.
The attached museum is pretty good too. It took me about ninety minutes to tour both. I was also surprised to see a lady in a wheelchair on the ship with an assistance dog. So the disabled access must be pretty easy as well.
I would recommend if you’re going to the football at Ashton Gate, that if you get into Bristol before about 11:00, as I did, you have time for lunch, a walk and a visit to the Great Britain. From there it’s a fairly simple twenty minutes or so walk to the ground.
How To Show Off Technology
On the dockside they were showing off an old electric crane.
Electric Crane on Bristol Docks
Note the scissor lift at the right to give access to visitors.
And here’s a steam one too!
Steam Crane on Bristol Docks
I suppose some might think the smoke was a bit excessive.
Where are London’s working cranes?
The Anonymous Widower 