General Chat

My you have been busy again.

William, My dad was born in Bethnal Green, and I worked for many years in Cunard House, Leadenhall St, then into the Baltic Exchange , St Mary Axe, When I first started in the office I was a messenger boy. I would walk miles around the Square Mile every day. When it rained I could go from Leadenhall St to Smithfields Fish Market Lower Thames St. and only cross roads, The buildings were so close together. Likewise I could go the distance from Leadenhall St. to the Bank of England under cover.
I would travel from Woodford to Liverpool st every day. and knew where DIRTY DICKS was. There were so many sights to see around that area, They were building a new office block on Cheapside and uncovered part of the OLD LONDON WALL. I would spend time on Tower Hill during my Lunchtime watching the escapologists getting out of their chains and padlocks, and out of the sack they were tied up in. I also use to have to go into the New LLOYDS in Fenchurch St. and was amazed by all the old letters around the main hall, and of course the "LITUEN BELL" Which they rang when a ship was lost.

Pat what are you going to do at the end of Feb ???

Holby still on T.V.

Never had any Smells from Mum , she never wore makeup, purfume or anything. Just plain soap and water.

Back in the 60s, I knew a chap who worked in a tannery. He gave me a conducted tour, from when the skins came in, and were stacked with salt between the skins, then into the dehairer, smell was terrible, After a lot of treatment including the dyeing they would end up in the LEATHER store. when the door opened ,you were almost knocked over by the smell of fresh leather. Jane that was at Chowns Mill Irthlingborough. on the side of the NENE. I think there is a roundabout there now.

Well i'm off to get a Coke and either watch a bit of tele, or go to bed and read.

Good night All,

William, Just thought. A new car smell was quite the norm for me, I had a new one every three months for over 30 years, being in the motor trade. I would never buy new.!!!!

daughter & boyfriend just gone home, so I'm all locked up and ready for bed, I can't stop sneezing think I am in for a cold. will take a Lem&ip before I go to bed.

night night
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Frank, first my Dad was born in South Woodford. William and Frank - I also worked in the City for a long time from the 60's until 1995. I started off working for an Insurace Brokers so I actually knew the old Lloyds building which was a beautiful building fantastic architecture all those places you mention Frank I know.

The new Lloyds building is very modern and futuristic with a lot of chrome and pipe work ouside the building.

I love the City of London and I loved working there I have many happy memories of my time working in the City.

Would love to hear more of your memories of London.



:-) :-)

Morning all,

William I am sorry What a stupid mistake. It was BILLINGSGATE FISH MARKET. When I layed in bed reading last night, it came to me.

Denise, I will have to PM you to get details of your Dad and age, My family might have known him or the name. We were a well known Family around the area.
Going to my my ear sorted at 11am DEAF AS A POST THIS MORNING "WHAT" did you say !!!!

BBL

Morning everyone,

Lovely sunny day here , still stiff as a board :-S so i suppose its another day of sitting for a while and trying to get up and walk about !! :-S
Why is it that you seem to drop things more when you have a bad back!!

So not much happening here !! getting bored now .

BBL

Morning Frank, we posted together :-D

Morning All,

Started sunny and I thought oh good perhaps we are in for a lovely day. Wrong it has now clouded over. Also very damp toda.

Denise my mum was born in South Woodford!! My gt grandad drove the first horse drawn tram from South Woodford to Woodford Green. Mums dad lived in Woodville Rd and my nan on my dad's side owned Victoria Stores on the cross roads of Woodville and Cowslip rds. On aSaturday afternoon we would visit when I was very small and mum and dad would drop me off at the allotments under the viaduct to sta with grandad and help (or hinder) him there till he brought me back on his byke which had a little two wheel cart in which were the veg he brought home. I would sit on the crossbar or the saddle if grandad walked back. I had noticed that you had Chigwell written at the bottom of your postings and meant to mention it before. Had family from there two. My gt gt grandparents worked or ran The Kings Head at one time and my gt gran was born there.

Smells....... mums makeup draw always comes to mind. I loved sitting on her lap when she had it open and yes she had Ponds Cream in there too. did'nt it have a lovely bumble bee on the lid?? The old fashioned roses always remind me of Ponds Cold Cream.

The smell of the stables is another I remember, and feeding the horses in the winter when Liz would boil up barley for the feeds in a big black oval pot. Or linseed which would go all gooey and slimey like snot!!! Horses loved it though. Also when they soaked sugerbeet to add to their feeds.

The smell of grease and metal at uncle Les's place of work. He sold lathes and had an office somewhere in Forest Gate or Walthamstow I think. I was only about two when mum would take me to work as she did his bookwork and typing. I would be placed on a great big black leather chase lounge that was studded all over with buttons. Told to have a sleep. I could'nt get off it as it was so tall to me then.

The smell when I came in from school of my baked potato that had been in the rayburn all day put there in the morning by my nan who we lived with in Redbridge. Dished up with a huge pat of butter and steaming hot. Soemtimes there was a pudding basin of gravy if nan had cooked stewed steak. I loved it out of the basin as it was different with a nice slice of bread to dip in. I liked to see the small globdules of fat floating on the top and making patterns.



Appointment tonight at 5.30pm with the doc! Not looking forward to it.

Just thought one smell I really hated and still do to this day was coming in and mum was boilig beetroot. I just could'nt stand it at all!!!!!

Mandy I do hope your back gets easier soon. Horrid when you have that and yes when mines is out it always seems like I drop things more!! Soda law I suppose.

I have done some ironing for today and the pile is getting smaller. I did some summer trousers and put those away toady so it just goes to show how big my pile was!! :-S :-) :-)

Summer trousers !!! my goodness how big was the pile :-)

Did anyone watch Edwin Drood last night ? won't say much about it in case some of you recorded it !!

Morning All
Guess what ......I've got the sniffles :-S :-S.

It is a beautiful morning ,very spring like although it doesn't feel as mild as yesterday.Mandy will you be able to potter in the garden just to get some fresh air?Or is your back too sore for that?

Mel your ironing pile sounds like Janice's .She tends to just iron as and when they need something.Do you remember a couple of years ago my BIL lost his passport and had to drive all the way to Swansea for a new one as they were going on holiday the following day.When he arrived home with the new one Janice had found the other one in a trouser pocket that was at the bottom of the ironing pile.So heaven knows how long those trousers had been there :-S :-S

Well I must get on and do some HW :-P

I watched it Mandy.

Don't know what to say really.....................

You popped in as I was typing Jane.

Easily done with the ironing pile. I tend not to do things we don't need and they mount up. I had a haystack before I started doing a bit each day. May do some more later if I get the time.

Have just brought down my little table I put the eggs on outside the gate. It had blown over the other day in the high winds we were having and smashed most of the 2 doz eggs I had on it. I am going to recover it with bubble polythene and then tie it to the fence!! I am loosing eggs sales while it is not out.

Must go and see if I have another banty egg too.

Morning all.

Frank what does PM me mean I am afraid I am quite ignorant about a lot of the abbreviations on this site.

Mel, my Dad was born in South Woodford in 1912 but moved to Kent in 1927 I think.

My Mum was born in Old Kent Road area.

My Grandad on my Dads side was born in Chigwell in 1872.

My Gandad on my Mums side was born in Hoxton Square in 1887.

Wouild love to find out if anybody knew anyone in these areas.

Regards
Denise
11.1.2012


:-) :-)

Mandy, Started to watch it, but couldn't get into it, so gave it up.
Hope your back it a little better today. !!!


Still as deaf as a post. I have to go back next week, after putting olive oil in both ears and massaging it in. It appears this OTEX dosen't soften the wax like olive oil.

Mel, I remember the name Cowslip Road, but can't pin point it. Where was it ??? Did you go to school at Ray Lodge School. That's where I used to buy the 1/4d oxo cube. I then went onto Roding Lane Primary, when the Canadian Fire Brigade moved out 1944/5. From there in 1948. The Secondary Modern School at St. Barnabas at the top of Broadmead Avenue till Dec 22nd 1953. A day to remember.

Spent many an evening at the Kings Head. Chigwell, was the home of the Private School, and the Metropolitain Police Sports Ground. I use to play football there.

did you ever go to the MANOR HALL at Chigwell Row, Saturday night was dance night. That's where I met my first wife.

I can walk a bit Jane ,but then my back starts aching and i have to sit down again, its not good sitting about though ,i did empty the dish washer ,managed to close the door up with my foot :-S
Not sure if a hot water bottle would help ,a heat pad didn't last time seemed to seize me up more !!

Hope the sniffles don't come to much , but with James having a bad cold it does sound as if he's passed it on :-S :-S

You need one of those big weights to hold your table down Mel ,like they have on the market stalls ,just tie it to the table.

Afternoon All

Jane I DO have a cold , my runny nose got worse through the night, and this morning I felt as though I had a thick head (due to a cold , I wouldn't want to mislead people to think that I am a bit of a dunce LOL)
I feel tired now, though I am happy to say I made it out this morning with friends for coffee. going to take it easy as daughter no 1 & Sofia are due around 3pm.

Daughter no 1 really happy as last night she managed to get Sofia to fall a sleep in her cot for the first time, ever since she was born she has had to be cuddle to sleep then put in her cot. mind you it took nearly an hour to settle her down. I warned daughter that it may take a bit of time to get into a rountine, it may not happen every night at first.

Afternoon-All-------no snow but gone very cold again Brrr

Denise my son is not to bad-has had a few Med changes- hope this one will suite him--He's just ten minutes up the road from me ,Hes here at weekends
PM is a message sent to you on Message board here top of the page you'll see little white envelope when you have mail------

I'm with you Mandy my back and hip are killing me just now--Should have seen me trying to get my socks of last night :-S
Not much doing here Son wants chilli to-night so had better start it.

When my Father had a cold he swore by Aspro and Beechams powders.

He had a technique of clearing his nose.He would put a finger against one nostril and blow down the other.Then he would repeat the process blowing down the other side.He would alternate a few times.His coup de grace was to pinch his nostrils then snort down both sides.
It seemed to work :-D