Stallard12 Posted January 15, 2019 Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 It's about 5:30 pm, the glimmering landscape fading to the view (apologies to Thomas Gray), it's freezing cold outside, at least 40 degrees. Three cats snoozing by my side, one being Mrs Stallard12, Man United v Tottenham rerun on tv, heaven. My recliner has never been so comfortable and I wonder, have our combatant posters ever visited this heaven? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 I have been is a trip to Wales and it didn't rain!! (the first time in fifty years in my personal experience) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchford Locks Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 Oh yes frequently.. When I was young I yearned to go out round town as often as could and would sit and sulk during the week when I couldn't afford 10 bob to get me to town on the bus; ten No 6 Tipped; And 3 pints in The Britannia on Scotland Rd. Now I could go out 7 nights a week and no work(alarm clock) the next day. But what do I do now I have reached my "Silver" years ???... Curl up in my chair and listen to the wind and rain outside and smile whilst picking a nice interesting documentary on BBC 4, My cat smiles at me (at least I pretend he is) and I open a can of lager. Ahhhh Bliss Isn't Life Strange🐈 🍺 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 Retirements great isn't it. Rain in Wales !! Forty years ago myself, my business partner and two clients, went to a fancy golf course in mid-Wales, Friday thru Sunday. The rain was horizontal when we left, even more horizontal at the golf course and it never stopped for three days, we actually managed to play three holes, then spent the rest of the time drying clothes ! Interesting thing happened though. We were staying at small hotel which was also the local bar. The first night we were sat in the bar drinking and at the end of the evening, a guy stood up and made a short statement in Welsh. At that time, a man on the next table leaned over and whispered "stand up". Everyone stood and the room burst into song, Land of my Fathers . The guy later told us that if we had just sat there, we wouldn't have gotten out alive ! Who'd a thunk? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 Well I've been retired now for two and a half years and other than constantly not knowing what day it is because every day is like a Saturday, I've yet to sample the true relaxing benefits of retirement. My Ahhha's have been more Aggghs of pain or Ah-ah's as I finally find the screwdriver I know I had half an hour ago. I reckon that given a couple more months and it'll be time for a real Ahhha time! I've not really worked out what's going to occupy my time after all my jobs are done but it's certainly not going to be carpet slippers and daytime TV for me. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 What's "daytime tv?" 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Daytime TV used to start at about 11 am with public service broadcast followed by watch with mother and a few other such programs,knock off at two for a couple of hours then start again about 4 pm with childrens programs that continued up to the news at 5 pm where it then stayed on until about half eleven when we had the epilogue followed by the national anthem and the white dot until midnight when a mysterious voice would tell you not to forget to switch your tv off.👻 These days it is endless current affairs programs or Jeremy kyle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latchford Locks Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 13 hours ago, Bill said: Well I've been retired now for two and a half years and other than constantly not knowing what day it is because every day is like a Saturday, I've yet to sample the true relaxing benefits of retirement. My Ahhha's have been more Aggghs of pain or Ah-ah's as I finally find the screwdriver I know I had half an hour ago. I reckon that given a couple more months and it'll be time for a real Ahhha time! I've not really worked out what's going to occupy my time after all my jobs are done but it's certainly not going to be carpet slippers and daytime TV for me. Bill Living alone these days,I try not to do one big supermarket shop a week.which was the routine when we both worked. Now I enjoy bobbing to town using my bus pass and wandering around shops to pick something for tea and also to bump into fellow school friends from 50 odd years ago. Then maybe a visit to the library to replenish my reading, Followed by a bob into the Museum occasionally; Then home to a bit of cleaning or washing and ironing.😒(Back ache alert🔔) Plus when the weather allows ,I walk up to The Rowing club to feed the swans and ducks.🦆 Home to surf the web and plan the evenings tv. I very often wonder how I managed to run a business 5 days a week as well 🤨... Apart from the obligatory aches and pains of advancing years this really is one of my "Better Era's" Oh and the rugby season is also in sight 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Your not alone Bill, although I savor the relaxing evenings re my original post. My days are pretty frenetic, from exercise programs, home projects and visits into town, a 60 mile trip during which time I berate every slow driver who gets in my way ! My wife claims that I'm the most uptight retiree ever. I say that you have to maintain scheduling principles, retired or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 Well it's very different for me at the moment Stalard and truth be known I'm not really looking forward to full traditional retirement. I think my problem is I still think I'm twenty years younger than I actually am, to the point where I sometimes feel a bit out of place with several of my friends. Sure I have all the aches and pains that match my age but it drives me bonkers when all the conversation hinges round age related health issues rather than things that interest me. A few weeks ago I went with my wife and a couple of friends for a weekend break at a hotel chain specialising in adults only (Warner). Their adds on national TV show people that must have retied very early in life, whereas in reality, the place was more like an upmarket old peoples home full of zimmer frames and wheel chairs. It really wasn't my cup of tea but unbelievably the others thought it was brilliant and wanted to book another. Noooooooo! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2019 Congratulations Bill, nothing good about being an old fogey. I have the same blessing, I'll be 80 next Tuesday but I look about 30 !! Naw, make that 60, 65 ? Been a Lycra fiend ( racing cyclist) all of my life, it was wool when I started, and I still train every day on the road, plus 18 holes of golf. However I'm beginning to find that on all my construction projects around the house, the first piece of equipment on the job is a lawn chair - work for 15 mins and sit for 15 mins - a man's got to know his limitations ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 I finally retired 18 years ago although I had previously taken early retirement after working 25 years for ICI at Runcorn 25 years ago and in that time I have enjoyed many 'Ahhha' moments but the one that stands out in my mind as probably being the best was tootling around the canals in our narrowboat, a close second was being out at the crack of dawn and sitting fishing on the banks of a lake or pond listening to the birds singing and being at peace with the world whether I caught anything was totally immaterial, happy days, I'm afraid with the onset of old age all that has now gone, great memories though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 I'd forgotten about fishing Algy, it must be the best aaah of all time. I used to live at the top end of Glebe Ave in Grappenhall, close to the hump back bridge to the village. Lots of nights I'd get home around 6 pm after a stressful day, grab my rod and basket and in five minutes I'd be fishing the Bridgewater, singing gently to myself. Funny tale, many years ago, on a U.K. trip, my buddy Smithy and myself took my US wife fishing on the upper reaches of the Dee. She was the only one of us who caught anything, a really small roach. Bearing in mind that any catch in Texas will feed three people, she made her catch, held it up on the line, turned to me and said, " I didn't know we were fishing for bait! ". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 Wow, Texan fish are mouth sized too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 Yea, that's why they're called Big Mouth Bass, average 6 to 8 lb. and rife ( means a sh**t load) in our local waters. One of the many things you don't know PJ. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 16 hours ago, Stallard12 said: Yea, that's why they're called Big Mouth Bass, average 6 to 8 lb. and rife ( means a sh**t load) in our local waters. One of the many things you don't know PJ. Whoooooosh ! I know they aren't born that size, ergo there must be small fish too Duh! They probably overeat and under exercise and get over weight being Amerkin an all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 Stallard, were you born and/or brought up in Grappenhall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 No Alg, but I wish that I was, it's a beautiful and bucolic area. I was born at 81 Gig Lane Woolston on 22nd January 1939 , pretty close to you. It's my 80th birthday today. I spent many happy years there, leaning against the tiny den wall listening to 'Dick Barton, Special Agent, prior to that it was' Germany calling, Germany calling..........'. Thanks to my Cottage Homes father's acumen, we sold our mom and pop grocery on Pinewood Ave and in 1958, moved into a decrepit property in your most desirable area. Thankfully we were both physical engineers and we spent several years renovating, you know of which I speak, I think that you now live on the fields where Liz Richardson let me ride her pony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 A belated "Happy Birthday" Eric. My father also went to Padgate Cottage Homes (the Industrial School) he didn't say much about it though other than it was a harsh but fair regime. Yes we do now live on the 'Turnpike' field where you rode the horse, our bungalows were built on it in 1984 and I do remember Richardson farming the Bellhouse Farm obviously no longer a farm as it was donated to the community and became the Grappenhall Community Centre only to change yet again and is now a public house called the 'Bellhouse'. Eric do you happen to have any photos of Bellhouse Lane. Grappehall village is still a lovely village although the cobbled Church Lane is blighted with parked vehicles with their drivers completely ignoring the 'No Parking' signs. The two village pubs The Parr Arms and the Rams Head are possibly still as you remember them although the Rams Head has recently closed for the first time in it's history with no indication as yet as to what is happening to it. Very little happens here of note although Granada TV filmed an episode of Sherlock Holmes in the village, the Large Room was made up as a Police station and the Rams Head Inn as The Bull Hotel. The episode aired in April 1988 and as far as I can ascertain the filming was in 1987. The latest event (and possibly the only one for many decades) to cause uproar in our community is that the Public Right Of Way by way of the steps at the side of Bridge House ( it used to be the little shop Bridge Stores owned by Mrs Hanson) leading from Bellhouse lane to the canal bank has been gated off by the new owners of the house with all Hell let loose by the community in general and the council have ruled that the steps must be opened up to the general public again as they were the original access to the working narrowboat people and are of national historical interest, I mention this as from what you have previously said regarding where you lived they would have been quite close to your home. Alan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted January 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Very interesting history Algy. After I married I lived at 14 Glebe Avenue, about six houses down from the bridge into the village and both of my sons went to the church school. Mrs Hansons was a working store and we used her for all our off the cuff groceries. The steps you mention were the ones that I used on myway to my evening fishing. Until the community center was built, Richardsons was a working dairy farm. We had a very succulent pear tree in the back lawn at Thelwall View, we let them fall onto the lawn where they turned to an alcoholic mush. One day, Richardson showed up at the house to complain, cos dad had been feeding the pears over the back hedge to the cows and they were all giving sour milk. When I lived there, apart from the community center and the loss of our fields, nothing had changed for about two hundred years. On my last trip about a year ago, we ate at the Parr Arms at lunchtime, I had a bun with grated cheese and plum chutney and I enjoyed it so much I still have them here at the house. Really surprised about the Rams Head, it was always the premier pub in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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