General Chat

OK - All done, read away. Comments welcome, but please ignore spelling and grammar errors! LOL CB >|<

Muddlesbrough Meet - 25/02/06 It was Saturday morning - after an uncharacteristically early start, there I was, standing at the most windswept spot on King's Cross mainline station in the middle of a very chilly London, just hoping I wouldn't be there much longer, when walking towards me I suddenly spied a smiling, red-headed lady in a tan-coloured coat. Surely she must be Buttercup? Yes, she was. What a relief! She had my tickets. Immediately, we began a 'getting to know you' conversation that was to last for the next few hours. Fortunately, our train arrived on time and we had no trouble locating our reserved seats, even though the train was very full of people and luggage. It wasn't long before we set off, and the miles of buildings that form North London were soon in the distance. I hadn't noticed the time passing, and we'd gone a fair way when BC suddenly said she'd dropped her glasses on the floor. To help her 'fish' for them, I lent her my umbrella, which was no use at all, as the handle promptly fell off. As we struggled to move bags and coats out of the way for her to reach down and find the specs, an announcement came over the PA system that the next stop would be York. I repeated this to BC just as her mobile phone rang, and she thought I'd said the next stop was 'yours'! A moment of panic, then we established that the train had indeed stopped at York, and BC answered her call. It was Babs, who was with Jenny and the others, awaiting our arrival on Darlington station. Babs asked where we were, so BC said 'York'. 'What the hell are you doing in York?' was the astonished reply.

BC managed to convince Babs that we were actually still on the train in York and would be arriving in Darlington later, so it was decided that, instead of waiting for us, everyone else would go on ahead, and we promised faithfully that we'd be able to get the train to Middlesbrough on our own, then catch them up at the pub when we arrived. It didn't seem difficult, as we had a streetmap, so we were hopeful. Darlington eventually appeared, so BC and I struggled off the train with the bags and established, after a bit of banter with the blokes at the ticket barrier, when the next train to Middlesbrough was due, bought our tickets and braved the 'Unisex' loos, which weren't really, as there were separate doors inside the main one. I formed the impression that folk in Darlington have a sense of humour. We hadn't long to wait before a little two-car train appeared, destined for Saltburn, and we lugged our bags onto that. No problem finding seats - it was almost empty. It seemed to take ages to get to Middlesbrough, during which time I realised why the train was empty - hardly anybody lives there! Eventually the trackside fields gave way to buildings and we'd finally arrived. We then had a choice of exits, so naturally chose the wrong one first and found ourselves standing in a deserted street and nobody in sight. When we tried the other side, we found our Babs waiting at the top of the stairs in the ticket hall beside a large sign bearing the words 'BORO MEET'. After brief introductions and hugs, we bundled into Babs's car and she drove us round the corner to the pub, where everyone else had already gathered and finished lunch. We were surrounded immediately by smiling, welcoming faces and further introductions were quickly made.

Before I knew it, I had a drink in my hand and was meeting the folks from the Board who I'd only known previously as names or on the phone. They were wonderful and made me feel at home very quickly. A short while later, after BC and I had eaten a very welcome lunch, I was off in a taxi with Jenny and Ann to find our hotels. Mine was deserted when I arrived and collected my room key, and still deserted when I trundled my bags back down three floors in the lift to tell the receptionist that my key wouldn't unlock the door. She checked the card and found it hadn't been activated, but once that was done I was able to go back up and finally get into the room. It was a very welcome relief to be able to stretch out and relax for a little while with a cup of coffee, as I'd been travelling since 9 a m, and it was then around 3 p m. After a rest, shower and clothes change, it was time to jump into a cab for Newlands, and it was no surprise to find I was the last to arrive at the Meet. So much for trying to creep in quietly, unnoticed. They all looked up and saw me, as I promptly fell down a slope in the floor! All I'd had so far was coffee - honest! A top-hatted Daniel was on hand to point out where the bar and the food were, and almost before I'd got my coat off, I was handed a drink and started chatting. Dan had asked me to bring some family history stuff to help him with his article, so we established what he needed, and I got talking to Jeanette and Sue, who introduced me to the incomparable Bill Oddeye - a scraggy-looking, stuffed, green budgie with a strange yet beguiling countenance. Later I learned he was a present for Daniel. (Why was I not surprised to hear this?)

Everyone was busy chatting and laughing, and I found my long-standing phone pal Jenny at the far end of the room, where I sat and unpacked my Dad's Army memorabilia for Daniel, while several others came for a chat and exchange of FH tales and photos, etc. Jeanette showed me the Victorian recipe book she'd found in her Grandad's house, and we all had a good laugh at the contents. Having also established that, apart from Yorkshire rellies, Jeanette and I have another connection - the same style of living room fireplace - Jenny decided it was time to make a presentation. Andy was quite taken aback when Jenny handed him a small, gift-wrapped parcel for him to take on his Trek. He was told he could open it, so he did - and guess what he found? Lavender shower gel, shampoo and hand lotion. There were a few surprised stares, especially from his brother, and questions from others, so Andy confessed it was an 'in-joke'. An explanation was forthcoming, but to spare any further blushes for now, I'm sure Andy will tell all, if asked. LOL Copious amounts of food and drink were consumed during the next couple of hours, and Daniel did his interviews with some of us about our FH. He handed me his tape recorder and told me to tell all about my Dad's medals and Army experiences, while he read the record book, pay book and other documents relating to my story. I doubt if what I'd said recorded properly, as I kept holding the machine like a phone and speaking into the wrong end of it, but after a few gins, who's counting? Thankfully, Dan managed to get the gist of the story and gave a very good account of it when he came to write it up.

Unfortunately, the Yorkshire girls had to leave us early to get home, so we had to say goodbye to them far too soon, and I'm sorry I didn't get to spend longer with them. Maybe next time? As the hotel was supposed to be the overnight accommodation for most of those who were staying, it was something of a surprise when Babs suddenly announced that we were leaving. I wasn't quite sure why at that stage, but not having a clue where I was, I was in no position to do anything other than what I was told, so I put on my coat, grabbed my bags and headed outside to a minibus with everyone else. We were on our way to a pub, apparently, because the hotel had had builders in and the rooms weren't yet ready. I suspect it might have been more to do with the sight of Bill Oddeye and tales of Andy and Lemon causing a car crash en route to the first pub. I'm told that Lemon was wearing Daniel's top hat as she walked round a corner with Andy, who was laughing at her. This is apparently an unusual phenomenon in Middlesbrough, as at least one car driver appeared more interested in what was happening on the pavement than the fact that he was driving into another car. Poor Babs was faced with having to get everyone booked in somewhere else, but a pub that did B&B had been recommended. It wasn't far away, but we were lucky that everyone made it there, as the bus door kept flying open during the journey, and BC and I were lucky not to fall out!

On arrival, we assembled in the bar and stood waiting for Babs to fix up the appropriate number of rooms. Ann and I decided we needed the loo, so we headed off there. Inside, we found an old lady sitting in a cubicle with the door wide open! We tried to be discreet and found our own cubicles, modestly closing our doors, when this strange lady piped up, 'Are you lot from Amsterdam?' 'NOOOOOO!' said Ann, 'I'm from Darlington!' Trying hard not to LOL, I added, 'And I'm from London.' We had no idea why she'd asked, but I was a bit nervous when Ann finished washing her hands and left me alone in the Ladies with this woman, who then told me her address and said that if I ever wanted to come and stay in Middlesbrough, I should write to her! R-i-g-h-t ! I know people are always going on about Northerners being friendly, but I never realised they were that friendly!!! I'd never seen this woman before in my life! Still, I suppose I should be thankful it happened in the Ladies in Middlesbrough, and not the 'Unisex' loo at Darlington! I could have been telling a very different tale now! Back to the mainstream. The overnighters went off to look at the B&B rooms on offer and get settled in, so the rest of us found some seats, which wasn't difficult, as the place was huge and reasonably empty. After acquiring drinks, Sue and Ann decided a game of pool was in order and went off to stake their claim to the table, and the rest of us sat and kept an eye on them as we talked. As you can see from the pix on the Second Generation Photospage, there were Babs, Lemon, BC, Daniel, in one corner, Beth & Jon (Andy's bruv) in the middle, and Jenny, me, Joan, Andy, Tracey and Kaz in the other corner.

Loud laughter could be heard from the far corner, and the photos show that Daniel was keeping everyone amused. We were a little more sedate at our end of the room, talking mainly about family history, where our ancestors were from and where we lived. I think a funky mowped may also have been mentioned once or twice too! Meanwhile, Sue and Ann were having trouble with bouncing balls and where they were putting their cues, with Sue managing to engineer rubbing the thigh of a young man sitting near the pool table, after she'd accidentally hit him with her cue. (A likely tale, Sue! LOL) Jenny got lucky too, when she was at the bar and was chatted up after telling someone who we were, and Friends Reunited being mentioned, so there you are, girls. Just mention FR and it could be your lucky night! ;>))))))))))))))))))) We spent some time in the pub, then suddenly, just as Andy had acquired a fresh pint (a recurring theme, as I recall), Babs announced that we were leaving in another minibus to go to her house. It was getting a bit like a mystery tour by this stage, but we all piled into the bus and sat waiting for Andy to join us. Once he was safely on board, we set off - this time making sure the door was securely shut. En route to Babs's house, we established that she had plenty of drinks on offer, but not everything that everyone wanted ( You know, weird stuff - like Lambrini! LOL), so we asked the driver to stop at an off licence. He pulled up a few minutes later outside an off licence, on double yellow lines at a bus stop, and said 'Be quick!' as four of us piled out of the bus and ran the gauntlet of a gang of youths playing football on the pavement in front of us. We grabbed the required bottles as quickly as possible and paid for them, and were quite relieved when we left the shop to see that the Policemen who'd suddenly arrived were dealing with the youths and not haranguing our minibus driver into moving off without us.

Right then. We're off again in this bus, which soon got us to Babs's house, where we found her husband and uncle quietly watching 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'. Their peace was quickly shattered as we all trooped in and positioned ourselves at various places round the dining table, kitchen table, etc. Daniel spied the stairlift and wanted to have a go on it, but I'm not sure if he did or not. I suspect not, as I don't recall hearing a loud thumping noise and crash of him falling base over apex down the stairs and landing in a heap at the bottom. Shauna, Babs's little dog, soon appeared and was duly fussed by everyone (see Photospage). She was particularly keen on Daniel and spent some time with him later, after he'd found Babs's PC and logged into GR to see what was happening. He was aghast to see that people were home from the Hertfordshire Meet so early. A thread soon appeared, and various posts were added to the effect that things were still in full swing in Middlesbrough and everyone was having a good time. At least, that was the intention behind the posts. Whether or not they actually appeared spelt correctly and with the words in the right order is anyone's guess, given the amount of alcohol consumed - especially by one who shall remain nameless but was seen downing a succession of cider, lager, wine, gin&tonic and something blue in a bottle. (I just hope it wasn't loo cleaner!) Having already insisted on switching on the outside lighting in Babs's garden, drinking MY gin (and probably anyone else's that was going), then collapsing onto the floor in Babs's breakfast room, Daniel surpassed himself by becoming irresistibly attractive to Babs's dog, Shauna, who climbed onto his lap and refused to leave him alone, despite Lemon's attempts to distract her! (see photos again) Jenny and Kaz invited me to join them in a chorus or two of 'Funky Moped', but I couldn't remember the words, which is just as well, as I can't sing in tune. I'm not sure if this was the reason, but all too soon it was time for Jon to guide Andy home, so off they went to catch their bus. A fruitless exercise, as we learned later that they missed it and had to take a taxi all the way home. I really don't understand why Andy didn't take the opportunity of practising for the Trek - it's only about 15 miles to walk! LOL

Eventually, it was time for the rest of us to depart and leave Babs and her family in peace, so we said appropriate goodbyes, made arrangements to meet the next day and left in our taxis. I got back to my hotel at 12.40 to find it still deserted, so I went up to my room and was very dismayed to find that (a) the heating was in overdrive, and (b) the window didn't open very far, so it took a good while before I felt comfortable enough to go to bed. Then the noise started. I suppose the local yoof wanted to make me feel at home, so they (just like my neighbourhood yoof) continued running around and shouting in the street till two in the morning. Some things are universal, aren't they? On Sunday morning, Jenny arrived to meet me at the appointed time, followed not long later by BC with Babs in the car. Time to toddle off again. This time over the Tees to Norton, a very picturesque village with Georgian (or earlier?) buildings and a very old church, where some of my father's family were baptised and/or buried in the 1580s. Despite the hailstorm that started the minute we got out of the car, I managed to get a couple of photos of the church, but there wasn't time to go hunting through all the gravestones - especially during a hailstorm. I shall return. From Norton, Babs drove us back into Stockton, to a place where a cousin of my Great Grandfather's was born in 1840. There's just a church and a pub there now that would have been there in 1840, so as it was around noon, we decided that the pub's Sunday lunch on offer would be very welcome after a drink. Into the pub we went, and the barman greeted us with a smile. We asked about lunch and were told that they wouldn't be serving any food that day. I said I'd come all the way from London for lunch in that pub, but it made no difference, and the barman went to call the landlady to explain to me, while the others went off to the Ladies. Out comes the landlady, who was extremely pleasant and full of apologies for there being no food on offer. She said she'd had to cancel bookings for lunches, and normally the pub would have been full. I asked her why there was no food, so she said, 'Wait there. I'll show you' and disappeared through a doorway. She came back a minute later with something large, oblong-shaped and black, which she put on the bar.

'THAT!' she said, 'THAT is why there's no lunch today!' I looked but couldn't make out what it was at first, with the lighting in the pub being quite dim. Then it dawned on me - it was a roasting tin. It was completely blackened, inside and out, and lying inside it were two wizened, incinerated chickens and two mounds of something that had been tied with string - all completely turned to charcoal. It was quite an artistic arrangement, in its own way. I laughed. The landlady laughed. The blokes at the bar opposite laughed. 'It's HIS fault!' said the landlady. 'HIM! The one sat over there by the window, behind that partition!' I asked, 'What did he do?', so she explained. They don't live on the premises, so the landlady has to arrive at the pub early in the morning to prepare the food. She'd put the roasting dish into the oven, with two chickens, a piece of pork and a piece of beef inside it and turned on the gas, then she'd left, intending to come back later to serve the food. When her husband left home to go to the pub, she told him to turn the gas off when he arrived. What he thought he'd heard her say was, 'Turn the gas UP when you get there'. He did as he was told. The landlady then arrived at the pub to find the kitchen full of smoke and the food completely incinerated. She then had to phone the people who'd booked lunch (including the local vicar) and tell them there was no food available. BC, Babs and Jenny came back into the bar, so I told them what had happened and we decided to have a drink anyway - and a bag of crisps. We laughed. Well it was better than nothing! As we drank, and laughed, Jenny photographed this work of art, and we pondered with the landlady on the future of her 'Study in Charcoal'. We laughed some more, then we decided that it would be well worthy of The Turner Prize. Tracey Emin? Eat your heart out! Might as well, 'cause you ain't getting no chicken today! Next time I go North, I'm taking sandwiches. AND I never did get to taste Lambrini! CB >|< P S A MASSIVE THANK YOU to lovely Babs and her family for entertaining us at your home - and to everyone else from me. I've never felt more welcome in my life! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CB...that was wonderful! And am so relieved that you left the bits out where....well, thank you:-) lol BC

You were very kind. I enjoyed reading that :-)

Well done CB, it was worth waiting for and made me ROFL, we really must keep meeting like this XXX

CB That was brill!!!!! Ever so delicately put !!! Good job you missed out the bit where Lemon was propositioned for £15, the erm thingies in the ladies loos & the half naked gaelic footie team !! lol :0) Joan xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ROFPMSL :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) CB that was brilliant, especially the bit about Daniel and the dog lol Juliexx

Eh oop Our Joanie!!!! Did I miss something??? The half naked Gaelic footy team????? Where was I???? lol BC

How did I miss the football team?? I must have been distracted lol oh and Joan if those handcuffs in the toilet had lemon fur on I would of bought them :-) Oh and PS....cheeky beggars £15...fuff...and that was for Kaz too....£15 each I mean.......I think!

Thank you kindly, folks. Joan, I wasn't there when Lemon was offered £15, and although she told me about it, I thought it best not to mention. I also thought better of the proposition I got, but that has nothing to do with the fact that no payment was mentioned! LOL Lemon, I really do think it should be an annual event! CB >|< XX

SO DO I CB...and for £20 I might of considered it..........................NOT!! ROFL