Bloody Keys/Aching Legs/End of an Era
Funny old day today woke up to the news the House sale is finalized and money banked (hoorah) so I suppose that finishes the old life and its welcome to the new ( I have to confess I am enjoying it ) I sincerely hope my partner finds everything she is looking for.Hung a wall clock which promptly leapt of the wall and smashed the glass!! Off to pick up Kirstie and buy a few knick knacks for me flat,THEN I discovered my house keys are missing ! first thought get to a locksmith BUT with D.I Kirstie she worked out where to locate the landlord for emergency set,let meself in NO keys to be found so I rang all shops I,d visited to no avail,turned the car & the flat upside down and nothing !! as I walked away looking rather sad I saw my keys UNDER the car wheel !! musy have dropped out of my pocket when I first went out ! Alls well so I treated Kirstie to Lunch and we chatted away about this n that.Thanks to Jan who lives below me for letting me in the main door.Family dinner was at Treshas and a lovely meal was the order of the day.hopefully all mishaps are now gone!! Now its off to the pub for a well earned alchohol or few !!
Washing Machines/Ma Kellys & Life
Bought a washing machine & drier today and surprise surprise the washer don’t work !! Not had it a few hours yet! Still awaiting for my Internet to be connected (they say could take up to 7 days !) These past few days have been rather warm and lots of men walking around shirtless and most people walking in the Sun, how very different from Oz where Melanoma is rife among seniors (due to NO sun advice given when they were younger) Life is good here I am lucky enough to have met lovely people of whom some of them I sit with at my local pub The Queens .Hervey Bay seems to have faded into the past and I have moved on simply because time is now important.Blackpool is full of things to see & visit, meeting up with and making lots of new friends and of course surrounded by lots of family. Our house is in the process of being sold and any day now CLOSURE.The weather is typically British one day very sunny next very windy,wet and even cold and I LOVE it ! Bus pass is extensively used,NHS looking after my health just wish I was a wee bit younger.I am in the process of booking a flight to Australia shortly to see my family there BUT will hopefully be back for Bonfire Night & definitely Christmas and New Year. Cinderella Pantomime is on the cards for my Grankids and their parents arrive for the festivities and I can,t wait to see their faces at their very first Pantomime…Happy Days Oh Happy Day one of my old youth haunts is at the promenade end of my street and has been closed for along while BUT it has been bought by a group known as Ma Kellys (very brash,bawdy,fun loving pubs) and I feel I might become a local !! It used to be called Uncle Tom’s Cabin very popular in the 60/70 s and where men took other people s wives!! Opening day is in August and maybe, just maybe they might do something for locals (Yes that would be ME!)
Domestication and a Park
Seems we are currently in the midst of a Heatwave (FOUR days of Sunshine,wow!) and yes it is hot,but I,m surviving.My daughter has sent details of flight from Perth to London and altho 6 months away everyone is so excited,its going to be the best Christmas ever! This morning I did a deal that has secured a washing machine and a drier for my flat (that should stop me smelling a bit!) Also did another massive shop,but I,m buggared if I can find any clothes pegs ! Next,because it is a lovely day off I ventured to my best grassy playground of my misspent youth Stanley Part and it is still a magnificent place full of lakes,floral areas,bowling greens and a lovely Art Deco cafe overlooking a brilliant water based Italian Garden ( Flash..just been on the roads some bitumin roads are melting !!) In the park is a large clock tower built by Mr Cocker ( seekin the truth we would use a local phrase “according to Cocker” to establish we are speaking facts )that in our younger days we would climb those stairs inside with ease But now? Band stand bythe lake is used at weekends to display local/national and international singer and is a great attraction drawing large crowds,Tonight I will settle in,watch telly and swig on the extraordinarily cheap Cider,ahhh bliss
Pomms/Heat/Curtains & other stuff
Been a busy day today went out to B & Q (Bunnings alter ego) and got curtain rails BUT on the way home the main road into Blackpool was blocked off SO all traffic had to be diverted miles across country and thru a lovely village I had forgotten about called Staining,ah the smell of cow & pigs wafting thru my open window can only be described as magnificent!! (smells I had forgotten) Seeing as my new fridge is now working away merrily in the kitchen,appropriate food has now been purchased. Curtains are now hung an look natty.Next up a visit to friends near the Old Sherbourne arms who are having problems with their email ! I explained IF you cant remember your password you will never get into your account! we had a good laugh at their expense tho.Whilst at the Hardware store at 11 am exactly a minutes silence was held in memory of those who have lost their lives in the horrors that are happening right now.Currently watching late night British Big Brother and I,m sure the young people on this daft show are NOT educated ! all swear like troopers and the girls are the worst offenders.Standards have certainly lowered tho since my young days.Day by Day I am getting this flat up to scratch and starting to look OK.Still loving me free bus pass. Kirstie has finally relinquished her modem and it is now established in my flat awaiting set up from provider Talk/Talk.We have endured THREE days of average 27% days and you,d think a drought has been declared!! Everyone complaining about the heat and in the same breath asking me why would I leave Australia Sunshine hehe Whingeing Pomms …Oh dear Big Brother (UK) is getting heated hehe every other word a swear word..where did we go wrong? Still loving Blackpool tho
Evita and all that stuff
Here in Blackpool we are lucky enough to get top class quality shows and Evita is no exception,it is on at the Winter Gardens next week for a week and hopefully we will be in attendance !! Life is getting more comfortable now I have Settees in place (courtesy of little brother and potential nephew) Tis Sunday here and my fridge has just arrived,ahhh cold beer.wine,Baileys,cold TIZER and the obligatory ice cubes We are getting a good circle of friends in our (my) local pub Queens,even got a card when presented with an order gets 12 p credit (Roll on Christmas,my fund should have built up by then) Its great to hear tales from yesteryear and one couple have invited round to their home coz he wants me to put an email on for him (its weird really a lot of people my age and a bit younger dont want to know computers PLUS a few dont have driving licences) People are approaching me with Hello Geoff do you remember me from school.sadly some I do not remember.The house should finalize within a week and that will be that (looking to Bulgaria for a holiday) Best news is my eldest daughter will be coming Blackpool with family for Christmas.Time to get ready for the Pub,just dust my very precious Bus off.Oh? is hot today and Ive employed a window cleaner !!!Next up is a washing/drier machine.Upwards an Onwards….Went for an interview wth Hospital Radio just awaiting results (fingers crossed)
Life Really does go ON
Its been a few weeks since I moved back to Blackpool and I am finding it surprisingly easy to slot back in. I have found a local pub and made great friends,the flat I have moved into is well placed and the only problem being it is on level 2 with NO lift. People have been great with furniture removing and the neighbour below has been a gem !One end of my street is the Blackpool Promenade/Beach and every time I go there memories of my well mis spent youth come flooding back,at the other end of my street is the magnificent water tower ( I have worked inside this building and the echo is fabulous ! especially songs like The Lion Sleeps Tonight and yes I did !) Hervey Bay is a lovely spot but after being here a while I do not miss it but i did make some great people there and some not so great.I am currently canvassing for a couple of volunteer jobs and will elaborate more on them if successful .Medically I am being well looked after and I do a lot of “FREE” bus travelling.I have lots of family here and its fantastic I can drop ( or they here) in and see them at any time.My sister in law does a family gathering HUGE Breakfast on Sunday mornings where we all gather to catch up on Gossip!! Nephew has a pub in Preston that we visit frequently and it is reminiscent of pubs of days gone by,PLUS the entertainment is great,even met up with Elvis last week.Christmas this year will be a very special one as my Perth Australian daughter will visit Blackpool with her lovely family.Roll On !! My furniture is mainly second hand BUT my bed is new,later next month,hopefully,my Australian stuff should arrive.All in All I,m very happy,could have been happier but time to move on Merry Christmas !!!!!
Still ont Tram
Still travelling towards my drop of point and we are now passing the Colonades on my left and they are magnificent .They exist a level below the tram tracks and a level above the beach line,and are enclosed area,s with an open view (some had glass enclosure but vandals have destroyed them) I have had some good times in them during the winter months when we played there and where I got to know the first love f my life.Moving on towards Uncle Toms Cabin which is at the top of my new home street we pass the cliffs and the very grassy slopes again a playground of my youth and spent many an hour there learning climbing skills on the man made rocky structure. Going thru town earlier I see lots of Vapour shops and have NO idea what they are (first thought was a legal drug store) apparently they are substitutes for cigarettes but when exhaled they give off HUGE clouds of smoke !! and people smoke them in pubs altho the norm seems to be smoked outside.Darren took me to see The Mummy in glorious 3 D.Once I have settled in and found my niche I will do a full photo blog on all I have attempted to explain…….
But Wait ! Theres More
As I pass the Tower to my left is the glorious Irish Sea,where we played dodge the HUGE waves,but in those days we couldn,t get killed eh?and jutting out into the sea are 3 very entertaining Piers each with its own characteristics and entertainment theatres.Once upon a time when a lad you cannot see the sand because the beaches were so heavily populated ! Men & Women with their dresses and suits on and knotted handkerchiefs to stave the sunburn off !! Nowadays its is very easy to get on the beaches as there is hardly anyone on the golden sands ( they are actually very clean) Underneath the piers we would catch small crabs,shrimps and the odd starfish (somehow have disappeared since those days,Global Warming?) Opposite the Tower a gigantic memory pad to commemorate past sayings of mainly comedians and can be easil read from the top of the Tower.Trams are very evident running passengers from Squires Gate to Fleetwood an ex Fishing town (more on that in future blogs).To the right of the North Pier is the magnificent Cenotaph in remembrance of our fallen war heroes and of course the @Main Event@ is on November 11 th.Just on this short journey alone there is so much more to see in the haven that was my youth.In between this the lady beneath me asked for help setting up her King Size bed and all we did was laugh!!! Nice to have such a nice,friendly neighbour (also made me cups of tea coz I don,t get my Fridge until Sunday) More tomorrow …
Memories of another lifetime
After visiting few Pound & Poundland shops I drove back to my place from Squires Gate (home of the Sandhills) where I had lotsa fun as a kid sliding down those massive sand dunes and just beyond those sandy hills the beach is very flat and when the tide is out it becomes a sand yacht racing pitch and in itself is very entertaining to watch.Going North towards Cleveleys I passed the Star pub adjacent to the Pleasure Beach which was one of my first pub visits courtesy of my late boss George ( I was 15!) Alex Higgins used this pub to practice his magnificent Snooker skills earning him the nickname Hurricane Higgins.Next memories came flooding back as I drove past the Pleasure Beach where I spent a lot of my misspent youth,especially in the Fun House that consisted of various contraption that tested our speed,agility and know how skills.Sunday was always the best when drunks came into the Fun House and attempted to negotiate a massive rotating barrel and of course they fell about losing change out of their pockets !We were very skillful at negotiating the barrel and could run thru quickly whilst picking up loose change (in those heady days we had scams that kept us with money in our pockets,thank goodness mobile phones weren’t invented then) The Pleasure Beach is crammed with lots of rides and amusements that kept the huge crowds busy and spending lots of money,Sadly the Pleasure Beach charges for entry into the area these days and lacks the crowds of yesteryear,wonderful,wonderful days tho. Riding down the very windy promenade (our playground as kids) I noticed how thin the crowds are for this time of the year,in the 60/70,s the promenade was packed with holidaymakers who now seem to favour overseas holidays .Blackpool I have now heard is the Gay capital of England and weekends here now attract large groups of people celebrating Stag & Hen nights in the bawdy pubs ( and yes I like them too) 2 Cinema,s and great pubs were favourites in days of yor,sadly all gone to make room for more amusement arcades.Blackpool Tower is still a magnificent sight and boasts one of the best Ballrooms in the world,spent a lot of time in there too playing hide n seek in the massive Aquarium (now gone to make room for more amusements) The Zoo had all sorts of worldwide animals in there BUT looking back it was extremely cruel to keep them in very small cages just for entertainment ! Stanley Holloways Albert the Lion is a good listen from those far off days…..more to follow tomorrow
Elvis Bless Him was on top form tonight
My nephew has a pub in Preston and weekends are brilliant there! this weekend Saturday was NO exception Elvis and his girl backup singers wee in town and what a show it was !! The pub was packed to the rafters and I met so many wonderful people.Bar staff were dressed in the era of the 60,s and looked magnificent ( I wish I could still look good in drainpipes,quiffed hair,brothel creepers and finished of with a natty shirt n tie )Ahhh happy Daze.Needless to say lots of cider and Baileys was consumed by myself and we had least 10 family members in attendance all having a Ball.We ambled out of the pub at 1 am and home to my lovely new bed ! Sunday morning and a few family members turned up at my sister in laws who makes the biggest Pommie breakfast I have ever seen (so many people turned up we had to eat in 2 different sittings.Lots of paperwork to complete so off to my niece Jenines for printer use.I was that knackered organizing my lovely brother (72) to shift a huge treble and double settee up 2 flights of stairs I stayed in at night watching Beauty and the Beast ( thoroughly enjoyed it too!) Once I have really settled in photo,s will be added to this blog D day is looming for house sale and then I will start thinking HOLIDAY (needed to re energize) I originally thought I,d regret coming back to UK but as it is said “Perish the Thought”
Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 