Physical jerks

Any unnecessary, disruptive and over-elaborate move made by a child particularly one that is obstructive.

I found myself saying this when Bertie was doing contortions on the stool as we were getting Balderdash set up last Saturday.

Pic of the day: Here are a couple of bathing beauties c 1975. Pity about the quality of the pic - but I think we know Mum's bikini is bright red from previous evidence.

 

Gently, Bentley

A expression for advising caution or care in a manoeuvre. Who was Bentley, I wonder?

Pics of the day: Here are two of Adam in contrasting moods, it seems. I think the youth shot was taken c 1975 in Pembrokeshire. We all remember the other one, of course, from being on top of Mum's wardrobe for donkey's years.

 

A trip down Memory Lane

Well, a trip down Great Knolly's Street, to be more precise. After supervising the visit of a BBC TV News film crew to an apartment block site at the end of Friar Street I couldn't resist nipping just around the corner to check out the old Thimbleby & Shorland haunts.

It's so long since I was down that way I wasn't sure I was on the street until I reached the T&S H&Q. Unlike much of the rest of the street it still looks the same and very smart. As I lurked I think that Richard Dance came out. He began as the office junior with me in summer 1984 and is now a partner, Mum says. The Red Lion next door has gone and on the other side is a small set of units for garagey-type businesses. The entrance to the market is just the same and brought the memories flooding back. I also checked out the Market Cafe.



The building is so unmodified I wonder if it's
the subject of some sort of conservation order.

 

 

Remember sprinting through the green door with the slips.

 

Listed in the Egon Ronay guide by now, surely.



Nice touch - on a side road off Great Knollys Street.
Not so much of mural as a "moo-ral". Ha, ha, ha.
What appropriately lush grass too.

 

Dad in The Guardian

We know the story well enough and we've seen in it The Guardian but here, for the record and online posterity, is that clip. A fine follow-up to an octogenerian Mum in a canoe, though I say it myself.

more phrases!

Firstly though, thanks for the recordings Paul - I don't remember the give me 5 minutes more while wrestling with Mum anecdote - although it seems to sum up well his constant rebuffs from Mum in the cuddling department - they were very ill-matched in that way, weren't they...

Also - what a CUTEY!! (I was) as you say Paul - and that romper is adorable - where did it all go wrong...?! Adam's pose is rather grandfatherly and no idea who my boyfriend in the middle is - maybe Russell from next door? (horrid name, Russell)

SO, today I'd like to add Paul's "now you're talking" which we may already have logged, but deserves to be enjoyed again I think.  How did it come up...?  I described the Colditz youth hostel in the old German guards' quarters where we are staying next week and Paul responded with ...."now you're talking".

ANother one that popped into my head the other day was (and sorry again if repeating) when we were putting off the moment of getting up in the morning and so Dad would threaten - "If you don't get out bed now, I will pull you out feet first!"  He did it too,  I seem to remember and it wasn't nice crashing to the floor in your jimmies!

Keeeeeeeeeeeeep posting!

Two songs

I don't often download Perry Como or barber shop tracks but these two are a worthy - and rare audio - addition to this blog. The first, of course, includes the refrain Dad used to sing in response to Mum trying to wrestle from his amorous clutches and the other was what he sung (often to our irritation) when we were looking tired.

Hear the songs in full probably for the first time:
 

listen to ‘Give me 5 Minutes More’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Little Man you've had a Busy Day’ on Audioboo

Tip: If you can't get the second tune to play after the first then refresh the webpage and it should work.

Pic of the day: Here's one of Beck looking particularly cute. But who's the fella in the middle? The brother we never knew off ... ?

 

New online family tree

Here is the link to a great new family tree produced by Chris Kirkwood, a distant relative in Australia (our grandfathers were brothers), with whom I was put in contact by Uncle James. Now you find out precisely where that middle name we're all so fond of came from and see a pic of our great grandfather and great grandmother. Youthful pic of Aunt Peggy on there too. A fascinating browse, in my view. As you will see I've supplied Chris with some archive and contemporary pics. There are a few errors but providing updates becomes a bit of a time bandit ...

 

To access the tree click sign in as me. User name: pkkirkwood. Password: Suttonbank01. Move your cursor to the top left and 'Family Trees' then 'Kirkwood family tree' will appear below. You can zoom in and out and scroll around to see people you're interested in. Clicking on the little green arrows at the bottom of each person takes you to their siblings. To centre the tree on someone just click on them then 'View his/her family tree'. Have a play.

 

Pic of the day: What a bunch of squirts! Particularly those two in the front - and doesn't Uncle Andrew look tall? The back of pic reveals only that it was taken in Scotland c. late 1930s, I guess.

 

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