A stroll down memory lane.

Discussion in 'Wish You Were Here' started by Mike Allen, Jan 28, 2021.

  1. Mike Allen

    Mike Allen Total Gardener

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    Not wishing to appear morbid but. The telly is all about bad news. For us oldies. 'Oh woe is me'. So I have decided to, if need be, close my eyes and rummage throgh my mental archives. So friends. Please join me. Speak freely about your past. Share with us those moments of laughter and tears. I honestly believe, each and everyone of us, could write a best seller, about our past. So, c'mon open up and share your history.
     
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    • Michael Hewett

      Michael Hewett Total Gardener

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      I agree @Mike Allen the tv is boring, I hardly ever switch it on, but about my past - where do I
      start ? :scratch::biggrin:

      Well I can tell you about the time we went to Cornwall on a holiday, and being as both of us were plantaholics (and I still am) we called in every garden centre we saw.
      When the time came for us to return home and I was loading things into the car (and we always took everything but the kitchen sink when we went on holiday), we had so many plants that it was difficult to fit them all in .... and I told B there's not enough room for everything, so what did she want to do - take the luggage and leave the plants behind, or take the plants and leave the luggage behind ?
      She said take the plants and leave the luggage ha ! :blue thumb::thumbsup::dbgrtmb::spinning:

      Well in the end we did manage to take everything, but B had to sit in the passenger seat with plants all around her and on her lap, and when we stopped in the services I had to remove all the plants for her to get out, and put them all back in the car before going into the cafe/tiolet, ... and then take them all out again for B to get in the car and replace them all around her and on her lap before we could continue on our journey :heehee: We never stopped laughing about it ... :heehee:

      We swore we'd never buy any more plants after that, but it didn't last long :heehee:
       
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      • DianneW

        DianneW Head Gardener

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        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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          I suppose it depends on how far back your memory goes.

          There are some incidents from my long distant past that I can't relate in public as they are a State secret. :heehee:

          I have lots of stories from years gone by, from being on the Aldermarston marches to my world travels. Having mixed with, or been friendly with, 'celebrities' from film stars to pop stars. Mainly happening to be in the right place at the right time :noidea: although it was much easier to mix with, and be friendly with, pop stars in the old days as they used to frequent the 'normal' places.

          Memories of 'where were you when...' etc.

          When JFK was assassinated I was at the American missile tracking station on Ascension Island amongst a crowd of marines that were bawling their eyes out. I found it embarrassing as I hardly even knew who he was - well, I did know who he was but his presence had hardly impinged on my life.
           
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          • ThePlantAssassin

            ThePlantAssassin Gardener

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            I know I know.....if you told us you'd have to kill us.....:heehee:

            great idea @MikeAllen
             
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            • Upsydaisy

              Upsydaisy Total Gardener

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              Gosh I went on a few too back in the day!
               
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              • Mike Allen

                Mike Allen Total Gardener

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                Shiney. You really have had something of a charmed life. I take my hat off to you, Sir. I recall having posted in relation to my police days. You straight away posted a photo of Park Row police station, having been bombed. I don't know if I mentioned it. Actually the nick was in Park Vista, but still called, Park Row.

                I honestly find you to be such a remarkable man. Your exploits, early morning shopping, your gardening committments, your charitable works. Certainly. No disrespects but! how do you do it? I take it. There is little difference in our ages, yet you are still so active and to coin a phrase, you've got your fingers in so many pies. Good on yer mate. I truly do look forwatd to the day when this covid thing is over and your garden is open again. I look forward to some interesting chat with you. My dear friend. Take care. Stay Safe and lets all look forward to a brighter future.
                 
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                • DianneW

                  DianneW Head Gardener

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                  We have a very good memory of Mr. W and I...on our homeward journey from our Caravan touring Holiday in Spain and we are now in Andorra just inside the border a Lovely location with a river within metres skirting the campings...Mr. W doing his vehicle checks before hitting the road.He was taking note of a pussy cat on a lead being taken around the campings for an early morning walkies..found it fascinating. We travelled about 15 minutes up and up the step terrain and suddenly out of the blue the steam burst out from under the bonnet so quickly Mr. W pulled over and inspected to see what the problem was. The vehicle had obviously overheated so we found the nearest life and summoned help. A tow truck turned up and towed us including our caravan to the nearby Camping Site...Some luck a nice town campsite near where we broke down and walking distance to the Garage.Just up the road past the Garage was an ice rink and a swimming pool..
                  Ice skating – Palau de Gel – Andorra
                  We have still to this day a regular saying..Don't let Cannilo get up your nose....But it did big time...to be continued...
                  Here is the camping site we are camped in the middle amongst the other few campers..now Middle September so the rush season has past.....





                  Next day we walked the few minutes to the Belgique owner of the Garage
                  stated that is Mechanic had fixed the car by taking out the thermostat:scratch:...We paid our bill and left to go back pick up the Caravan and say our Goodbyes to our fellow campers who actually cheered us off..we had spent the evening with a older Spanish couple and an English Couple and he was an anaesthetist and had lots of on the edge stories. He said he had Hepatitis B caught during his work, that was sad.
                  We climbed the first of the hills and guess what, the car overheated again..:mad:I cannot remember how we phoned the breakdown service, thinking it m must have been via the nearest breakdown roadside phone..many on route..Soon back at the garage and for the mechanic, to re-think the problem. We had been there for another two nights and had now hired a Car on a daily basis..Went up the mountains and meet some wild horses which were friendly but still gave them a wide berth. We had already walked along into Canillo, to the ice rink and wandered around the swimming pool that was huge.. just passing the time, getting slightly worried after going into the local bar near the Garage and there was the mechanic ..quite drunk.:gaah:..apparently his usual lunchtime habitual state...:mute:
                  Went straight back to the Garage and was told that we best phone the Volvo Garage now...We did and the Garage once again with his breakdown vehicle towed the car and caravan and we kept the hired car so drove over to the far side of Andorra, passing the camp site where Mr. W done his vehicle checks and got distracted cat on a lead and forgot to put back the water cap on the radiator:yikes:.
                  The Volvo Garage was a dealership and very impressive from the off. Chief Mechanic said it would be a week before he would have the good or the bad news as the local holidays would extend the time...Within the week the news via a local phone was that the head has been skimmed and only just able to do that because it was quite warped..He said I will go with you right up that highest mountain ... you can see for yourself the result...It was now a different vehicle the speed was something else...£1000 paid out in Spanish Pesetas(they took French Francs or Spanish Pesetas at that time)
                  The Manager stated..come back this time next year and you will see how well it runs then...We didn't go back the year later, but the car did really take on a new life...was not our only breakdown abroad previous incidents taught us...be prepared and of course when they occurred:cry3: we had AA cover for driving abroad but it still was always challenging...:catapult:
                   

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                  • shiney

                    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                    @Mike Allen Thanks for your kind words :).

                    A lot of it is simply because I've never needed much sleep so need to keep myself busy. Two hours is usually good enough for me but I must admit that in more recent years I tend to doze a bit more during the night. I spend the night in my armchair (a fancy one, very comfortable, with recliner) and watch some TV and read a lot. Either the TV programmes have become more boring or I cat nap (without the cat :cat-kittyandsmiley:) during some of them. I never feel tired during the daytime :blue thumb:. I don't drink alcohol (medical reasons) so aren't able to have a nightcap tipple. :heehee:

                    Many years ago I got to know a London police Station (Leman Street) but from the wrong side of the bars :loll:. That was the part, above, of not being able to mention the incident and it was removed from the records :whistle:
                     
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