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The Autumn leaves .. or arrives .. you choose
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Hi Bill
Get the garden furniture out again Bill - summers back!!!
Have fun in the sun.
Cheers
Steve
Oct. 8, 2010
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Hi All,
Yes it's looking good for the weekend isn't it, Indian Summer or
what !! Mowed the lawns yesterday, never been done in October before. It
was just like the first cut of the year.
Just found out the Easyjet flights to Corfu for next June are out
and I've booked. £58 out and £55 back times 2, well I have to take the
wife don't I. So that's me sorted. I've only got around 6 stones to lose
to get into the "speedos."
Have a great weekend everyone.
Rich
Oct. 8, 2010
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Hello guys,
Well, just for a moment there I thought you were right Steve !.
However, the fog is very much upon us again today, it has not lifted at
all. Yesterday it did in the afternoon for a few hours though. I am
sorely tempted to get at least the bench out for the decking near the
back door, even more seriously I`m considering getting the Motorhome out
next week ! The 39th wedding anniversary is coming up.
I have been a bit remiss lately about posting on here, but I
have an excuse, a good excuse. The long awaited Book / Autobigraphy
is taking shape. I`ve enlisted the help of B.T. business to provide me
with a free web space (well only £5.90 + v.a.t.every two years).
It`s cheaper and simpler than paying for web hosting (about £60.00 a
year minimum). You`d think at my age I wouldn`t worry about the cost
wouldn`t you? (old habits die hard)
To make it low cost venture I have downloaded some web creation
tools and FTP server uploading tools from a web site called "Snapfiles",
the software is designated as "Freeware", no trials or hidden software
in it. It`s such good stuff, and I`m sorely tempted to donate to the authors web sites ! (now threre`s a turn up!) When
the HTML folders and links have all been sorted out properly I will do a
DVD version based on a web browser for playback on a P.C.
I`m not sure what everrbody is up to, and less sure that anyone
might want to browse what I have assembled so far or not. If you are
interested send me a private message or email and I`ll send you the link
to the web space (if you can stomach it Ha Ha.) There is lots left to
do yet, music and video etc etc. Ther are some dead links for years that
have not been upload (and written ) yet, as well as a host of photos
that I have not cropped and sourced on my various computers.
Best regards to all, and where`s that Eccles gone again? Is he in Spain with you Steve?
Oct. 9, 2010
(Edited Oct. 9, 2010)
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Hi all.
Interesting stuff, Bill.
Yeh, I was also wondering about Anth, still we shall see.
Incidentally, just in case anyone is the slightest bit interested, I finished up the week in Southampton, Friday.
Bad move, it was hellish. Traffic was hell and the road works don't help!
It was all helped along by the visitors come to see the new Cunard
cruise liner dock for the first time in her home port. She is being
named 'Queen Elizabeth' by H M The Queen on monday.
Guess it does not bode well as I didn't get the job completed and have to go back again on Monday.
Oh, what the hell!!!!
Have fun all.
Sticky.
Oct. 9, 2010
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Interesting stuff there Francis. My late Dad, died in
1993, wrote his memories down on an early 'Commodore 64' computer. About
2000 I compiled them with pictures as a booklet with a basic desk top
(Appleworks) program and circulated them round the relatives. My life is
either so forgotten or boring that I will not bother. Best of luck with
yours.
Will not get to Corfu, but off to Crete on Thursday. 'er
indoors will have got a good deal, but the Greek airline went bust so we
are flying with another carrier. Oh to see the sun in summer mode!
Autumn
was kind in Bristol on Friday so my last daughter is now off my hands. A
memorable day and my burblings were well received. I escaped with my
life when I insulted all my son-in-laws Bristol relatives by pointing
out that Bath was so much better!! Funny thing that my twins were born
in Bristol, so I had double trouble. Bentley was great.
May not be on
again for a while, so sympathy about the Southampton journeys, and that
the wanderers return! Couple of pictures posted. How did an ugly
s*d like me father such a daughter?
Oct. 10, 2010
(Edited Oct. 10, 2010)
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Hello John & Graham et al,
John, I hope you get to meet the Queen on monday, give her our best
wishes won`t you. It`s about time she had a new boat to play with. I
think it was disgusting the way we abandoned "Brittania", dtill, saved a
few shillngs I suppose. At least it`s a bit more civilised on the south
coast, and maybe a bit drier than Burnley.
Graham, I shouldn`t worry about looks, they are not everything in
this life (unless you`re a woman looking for a husband pehaps). The most
attractive women seem to go for fat wallets, and fatter ugly men
usually. I suppose the thinking being, `a good provider with little
chance of straying` is better than a flash git with a
wandering eye !
The "Commodore 64", I seem to remember that "Vic 20"?
(somthing like that) was of the same ilk and era. I cut my teeth as a
programmer in BBC Basic with the "Acorn Electron" (tape drive)
& "BBC B" (dual 5 and 1/4" disk drives).
Lovely old machines the model B, I had three at one time. One in
the workshop, one in the video library and one a t home to write the
business software on. One survived until 2002 (in daily use until
motherboard started smoking!. Coincided with an Income Tax review)
I won`t bore you all with any more of this "computer speak" for
now, and my current writing is more a light hearted affair based on
events over the last 60+ years. My son also wants me to write up the
family history for the grand-daughters, and for him to know a bit more
about his own grand-parents and the various branches of the family.
P.S. nearly forgot this ... The weather :- Dull, cloud cover all
morning, intermittent sun this afternoon. Temperature about 18 degrees.
Catch you all later. (I`ll ring Eccles tomorrow and see how his
legs are)
Oct. 10, 2010
(Edited Oct. 21, 2010)
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Hi Bill and all.
Didn't get to meet the Queen to congratulate her on her new boat, Bill.
I guess she's not very interested in rubber moulding factories or she would have popped round!!!!
Still, believe it or not the roads were very clear on Monday, sailed through, and no roadworks in sight, I wonder why?
Saw the new ship if you can call it that, just a floating block of
flats, like the QMII, still, I s'pose they have to make them pay
somehow. Shame all the elegance and romance is gone from our maritime
endeavours, 'tis all about bums on seats these days.
Love your reminising about old computers, I'm afraid I can't
generate that amount of enthusiasm, but can well remember the bad old
days when 58K was considered to be enough memory for anyone!!!!!!
Whilst on the subject, it's a shame really, 'cos I was looking
forward to hearing the music that Rich posted on here, but my
computermabob keeps telling me that it can't play it because the format
is too old. Bit of a disappointment really.
Got to go now.
Have Fun.
Sticky.
Oct. 14, 2010
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Hello John,
Perhaps you`re right, I think it`s Prince Phillip that`s into rubber !!!
Have
another go at download Rich`s songs "It could be tonight" and
"lotti-lotti" again. I`ve uploaded them both in wma "Windows" format,
also balanced the tracks volume levels and given tthem a "spring clean".
(Hope you don`t mind Rich).
I`ve got to go shopping with "her indoors", it`s the anniversary today, so I gotta keep her happy..Ha Ha.
I
spoke with our Tony Eccles yesterday, and he`s been out galavanting to
the Brassnocker Basin on the old Somerset Coal Canal. He`s got to have
another scan for a possible leaky heart valve. Apparently it`s not
emptying his legs properly. I expect he`ll be on here soon and may
update what`s happening (that`s if we can get him away from the
"Wikimapia" work he`s been focusing on lately.)
Catch you guys soon, Best regards .... (P.S. Still cloudy and 12 degrees .. bbbrrrrrrrrr !!!)
P.S. John, use this direct link to upgrade your Media player in
Windows 2000 (this is version 7.1, it is old enogh to be guaranteed to
work with 2000 the later versions will not)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=6ccfee89-3d4f-42ee-9239-0893b2c40a62
Oct. 15, 2010
(Edited Oct. 16, 2010)
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Hi All,
Don't get too excited about the songs I posted John, they are very
60's 70's pop but, nevertheless it was something I wasted my school
years to do and got that far. Thanks for having a tweak Francis, I shall
have a listen now. I put them on my PC using the original singles via
the ION turntable and Audacity so the result was not brilliant but Stu
will need a laugh when he gets back from Turkey and I'm always happy to
oblige.
I hope you all have a good weekend despite the chill that's creeping up on us !!
Rich
Oct. 16, 2010
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Hi Rich, Bill and all.
After Bill's tweaking I have now been able to listen to your
talented efforts Rich, quite impressive for a bunch of lads from Bath. I
was pleasantly surprised. A very enjoyable few minutes. Thanks for the
efforts of you both.
Good week end, got some stuff done so feel quite pleased really.
Fetched Sister in law from Yeovil last Friday afternoon and noticed
banners outside Culverhay school proclaiming a proposal to close the
sachool. Er indoors said that she had read something about it and that
it was being merged with a school near the City centre. She may be way
off beam of course, but I must admit to some curiosity as it would be
rather ironical in a way.......
Have fun all.
Sticky.
Oct. 19, 2010
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Thanks for your kind comments John. I was the only
Bathonion though, having decamped to Bristol in 1969 for the
better(then) nightlife. All the rest of the band were from Bristol. In
fact, at one time they were the Cadillacs, as Johnny Carr used to go
through backing bands like lightening. Before that they were the Kynd
and before that Mark Roman and the Javelins and if any of our readers
(except Francis ) remembers them, well I'm impressed.
The Bath and Bristol area had loads of really good bands who all
had Crap agents and that's the main reason the majority never got very
far. Sad in my view because I worked with many of them and saw first
hand how good they were.
Danny Clarke and the Jaguars anyone? My absolute favourites.
Nostalgia over,
Rich.
Oct. 19, 2010
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Oct. 20, 2010
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Evening all.
Just back! feeling knackered, but that's hols for you. I haven't
published any pics yet but am working on it, when I do you may wonder
what an octopus is doing on my head, I can only say that quite a bit of
alcohol had been consumed by that time.
Thanks for the Bristol music link Steve, takes you back a bit
doesn't it, I wonder just how deprived we might have been in Bath
without Fred Bannister promoting the Pavilion gigs.
As you said Rich the stuff you made was very much of its time, fair
play though at least you were out there doing it, I thought the bass
played sounded quite good, held it all together, do you still keep in
touch with him ? haha !!
Look forward to reading/seeing/hearing the memoirs Bill, I'm afraid
that one has a few too many gaps in the memory to do mine, (I either
can't remember ot am too embarresed to want to).
Stu
Oct. 20, 2010
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Hello all,
Just got back myself from an expedition into darkest Midsomer
Norton, been mixing with the natives. Our Indian summer is back .. we
have had plenty of sun interspersed with apache clouds !
I look forward to your latest "vision of the world" when you get
photos posted Stu. Was Roger Bannister a relative of the Pavilion
promoter? I`ll post you the link to my web space where the book is soon,
it`s still looking a bit bare up there at the moment.
The bands of the late 60`s and early 70`s were so numerous in our
part of the world weren`t they?. A few locals to jog memoreies with ..
Chet & the Triumphs, Pinkertons colours, Johnny & the Cougars,
Pete Budd & The Rebels, Spectres, The Mirror, Colin Anthony Combo.,
The Blues Infirmary, Birth (with Bruce Gooding), there were so many that
the names are all jumbled up in my head now.
Catch you all later, best regards.
Oct. 21, 2010
(Edited Oct. 21, 2010)
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Morning all,
Thanks for the link Steve, it'll keep me occupied for a while for sure !!
Francis , there were indeed a glut of West Country bands, some
should definately have made it. Could I just correct you with
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, though. I'm pretty sure they were from the
West Midlands becuase the drummer was one Dave Holland who later
drummed for Trapeze and Judas Priest. As Stu said, Freddie Bannister
brought some really good bands to Bath. I remember collaring him one
Monday evening in the Pavilion to ask him to try and get Fleetwood Mac (
the original band ) down to Bath. He said he'd look into it and did on
more than one occasion. There were so many good gigs at the Pavilion,
not to forget Sunday nights at the Regency Ballroom at the Sawclose.
Mostly 2nd division bands but nevertheless some good ones. I saw a band
up there called The Family from Leicester all dressed in pin striped
suits and playing soul type stuff. A bit later they were just called
Family and what a great band they became !!
Rich.
Oct. 23, 2010
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Morning Rich et al,
I know it`s not really your full name Rich, but it addresses the
issue of addressing the whole of the assembled masses on here .. ha ha..
I think you have me at a "senior moment" time Rich, regarding the
group Pinkertons Colours. It may have been the effect of drink (or
cannabis), that made me associate the name with Bath. I know I have seen
them live, it must have been at the Regency.
Most of my late teenage years (17-20) nights were spent on
crutches in the safety of the Regency Ballrom. Here, I had my own
little bolt hole to encourage any sympathetic female to share her
body parts with me. (Besides, it never cost me anything .. I got in for
free every night with Mick Ringham)
I only went into Bristol once on my alloy sticks, in a van with the
Blues Infirmary band from Bath. We went to Bristol Polytechnic to see
the Nice perform. (Liquid wheel effects and all included). The Pavilion
was visited quite a bit when I was 15-16 as a lot of famous singers and
groups appeared there. I guess the bigger capacity hall meant that
the budget was also bigger. My sister used to go there roller
skating in the Teddy Boy era. I went as a spectator once, only once
`cos the girls screaming did my head in !!
Does anyone else remember that the ceiling panels were always
hanging down, looked very dodgy, especially with all that vibration
!
The weather report:- 22 degrees celsius in the conservatory !
.. about 13 degrees outdoors in the back garden, about 5 degrees
out the front (in the shade). Sun is intense, not a cloud in the sky.
The only wind ios coming from her indoors !!
Happy Sunday ...
Oct. 24, 2010
(Edited Oct. 24, 2010)
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Hi Rich, Bill and all.
All this talk of the great bands that appeared at the Pavillion is making me feel quite envious.
Why did I miss out on all this action?
Oh yes, I remember, as a teenager I was permanently skint!
'Tis a long way to ride to Bath on a pushbike.
Not only that being a bit before you guys I guess that I would come under what Bill calls the Teddy Boy era,
so may only have got to see his sister and her mates screaming anyway.
Sorry I missed it all though.
As you say amazing weather, all this sunshine is incredible, goes cold nights though.
Took the sister in law back home to Yeovil today, fairly uneventful
journey although every time I go through Bath I can't help thinking
about the old days and how things have changed.
Still, that's progress for you......
Have fun all.
Sticky.
Oct. 25, 2010
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Hello John,
I shouldn`t worry about missing the music
too much if I were you .. most of it went over the top of my head, a
lot of the ..well, to be honest, ALL of the time was focussed on
"connecting" with the opposite gender.
The Teddy Boy era in Bath
was well remembered by me, as my sister in her "Hula Hoop" skirts, sugar
water based "boufont" hair-do spray in her blond hair, used to entice a
steady stream of "suitors" away from the cafe at the bottom of Holloway
road. It was close to where (Stus mum had a shop.)
Another image
I will never forget ... this one was two guys both in suits (Red &
Eggshell blue), brothel creepers, with open "cut-throat" razors outside
the Bus Station in Manvers street in 1957. They were on the pavement
near the toilets end, opposite the cafe. They were taking it in turn to
cut each other, the one who moved off the spot lost the game and was
deemed "chicken".
The fights at the Pavalion, and around some of
local pubs were sometimes spectacular. We had a few "Teds" in our
street, One called Steve Lewis lived in the corner shop a few doors away
from us in Third Avenue. Funnily enough my sister went out with him in
recent years.
Enough rambling for today .. catch you guys later on
Oct. 26, 2010
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Evening all.
I'll only ramble for a few mins, got a dodgy foot and can only stay
in one spot for a short while before it becomes uncomfortable.
Reminiscing about teenage years it seemed that there was often a
bit of a fracas after the Monday night gig at the Pav, especially when
the Who played, and that was after being deafened by girls screaming all
through the gig. I remember one occasion vividly, Manfred Mann were top
of the bill and part way through the set Paul Jones asked for quiet for
the next song, "quiet", I though, "you'll be lucky", antway it did go
dead quiet and the band started into Dylans With God on our Side,
partway through the first verse someone coughed at which point PJ
stopped singing got all petulant and said "If you can't be f*****g quiet
I'm not going to do it", you could have heard a pin drop after that.
The Regency was the best though, a proper dance hall not like the
barn the Pav was/is, shame it didn't survive as a dance hall, bloody
Bingo. Every time I see the film Quadrophenia I'm reminded just how much
the dance hall in the film looks so much like the old Regency, both in
appearance and atmosphere. Some great nights there, Screaming Lord Sutch
chasing girls around the dance floor with a bog seat round his neck and
a bloody great axe, Episode Six with future members of Deep Purple,
I'll get maudlin in a minute.
Our other hangout imediately after leaving school was the Central
Youth club in St.James hall, of Tech memory, not so much a youth club as
a hangout for 16 - 18 year olds, play ping pong if you wanted but more
fun to be had snogging in the coffee bar downstairs, I think that's
where I properly discover the opposite sex.
Gotta go, foot needs moving Stu
Oct. 26, 2010
(Edited Oct. 26, 2010)
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Hi Bill,Stu and all.
Wassamatter with the foot Stu, nothing too serious I hope, could it be related to the exotic holidays????
Cor, didn't you city guys have exciting lives compared to us poor countrey lads.
There was bugger all at Corsham, the occasional dance at the community centre of a Friday night, but not much else.
I think the best band that ever appeared there was Johnny Carr and
the Cadillacs, but I missed them for some reason, probably skint as
usual. I remember that very often we used to stand outside wishing we
had the money to get in!!! Often finished up at the Railway pub, bit of a
spit and sawdust place but it was cheap, half pint of cider for
sixpence ha'penny and a packet of KP nuts for tuppence!
Never realised that St James' Hall had a history of such rum goings on, fraternising with the opposite gender indeed!
What a sheltered life we led out in the country.
Have Fun.
Sticky.
Oct. 26, 2010
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