Topic: Reading Festival 2006

[Simon]

Yes, the Soup Dragon used to bring the soup from the wells.  There were Frogletts too!    As it happens, I used to hate the bloody Clangers - give me wholesome entertainment such as Pogle's Wood any day.

[Rodders]

I imagine I'd be knocking back a beer while watching 'Debbie Does Dallas' around that time.  Good job you were tucked up safely in bed by then, eh?   :wink:

[Simon]

A box in the cupboard under the stairs actually, Rod, but at least I had the rats to cuddle up to.  

[Rodders]

You had Rats?  Luxury!

We had to use mice - and that were only on't Sunday.  Rest o't week it were next door's Preying Mantis.  Right glad of it we were, too.

[Mac]

Sounds like the dinner lady at school Sandra.

Who plays the iron chicken, Mrs. Thatcher?

Anyway it is good to see that you are all well informed.

What do you read at this festival?

[Simon]

You had Rats?  Luxury!

We had to use mice - and that were only on't Sunday.  Rest o't week it were next door's Preying Mantis.  Right glad of it we were, too.

You had next door?  You were lucky!

Our next door was bombed, and they never replaced our front room wall.  Aye, it were chilly in that tin bath some nights, but if we were lucky, we'd get fresh water once a week, from t' broken sewer pipe down the street.

[Rodders]

A tin bath?  By 'eck, what we'd have given for a tin bath!

We all had to bathe in a soggy cardboard box in't garden - and that were only when it rained.  Otherwise we'd just have to roll around in't wet nettles before going to school.

[mistybear]

The excuses you English come up with for not bathing.

[Rodders]

That sounds like the voice of experience.   :shock:

[Simon]

Garden??  You had a garden?  You were blessed!  We had a six square foot yard, and that was only for t' lavvy, which incidentally had no roof or rear wall after next door's chinmey fell on it in the bombing.  We never found Grandpa after that.  
We were evironmentally friendly even in those days, as we had to use t' water from t' tin bath to flush t' lav - that's what tha call recycling!

[Mac]

Ah yes, I do remember a certain 'froglette'.

[Rodders]

Garden??  You had a garden?  You were blessed!  We had a six square foot yard, and that was only for t' lavvy, which incidentally had no roof or rear wall after next door's chinmey fell on it in the bombing.  We never found Grandpa after that.
We were evironmentally friendly even in those days, as we had to use t' water from t' tin bath to flush t' lav - that's what tha call recycling!

Of course, when I say 'garden' it were more a small heap of builder's rubble, but it were good honest rubble - not like t' rubbish they try and fob you off with nowadays.  Every week, we'd borrow a toothbrush from't workhouse and polish each lump of brick until it gleamed.  We didn't have a front door, so we scribbled t' house number on't ear of a stray dog.  There were hell to pay when it wandered off one day and t' parish relief officer couldn't find us to deliver t' weekly gruel ration.

[mistybear]

That sounds like the voice of experience.   :shock:

Yes it is, I was over there in 1987 and saw it for myself.

Mind you I wasn't that keen on bathing in the water that came out of the taps in London.

[Mac]

Not when the water has been re-cycled seven times. Ugh!

[Sandra]

We keep the best water for us northerners Misty, after we have washed in it and done other unspeakable stuff with it we send it down to London