when l was a runner

It's hard to believe now, but back in the day, as a way of keeping fit for football, l used to do a lot of running.
Some of the evidence for this l have just dug out of an old box in the garage that l thought had 78rpm singles in. I've still got some old medals and t-shirts from those days, but the chances of the t-shirts fitting me now are zero!

toodle pip

the new strand shopping centre in bootle

Here's an old postcard of what was dubbed The New Strand in Bootle. I remember it opening in 1968, seeing Ken Dodd there,  being tickled with his tickling stick (Oeerr!), and lurking around the area when l was a little nipper, when l wasn't playing football in North Park.

Sadly it's now known as the place from where Jamie Bulger was taken from in 1993. 

Although l support Manchester United (it's a long story), l'm proud to be from Liverpool, and love going back there. There's been an awful lot of bad stuff that's happened to the place over the years, and the regeneration of the city centre and riverside has been staggering, but it's about time some more of the regeneration money spread to the outer parts of town, where there is still a lot of poverty and the associated problems that go with that. I know money has been spent in Bootle, but there's no pride in being known as 'Only the tenth worst area for unemployment in Britain'. 

Still, lots of happy memories from my time there, and the roads are now a lot busier.

toodle pip

the imaginarium of doctor parnassus

Good news and bad news. l am off work with the flu or something, aching a lot, but the good news is l am staying in bed most of the day and then watching films and football (Manchester United have just beaten Marseilles 2-1 to go through to the Quarter finals of the Champions league). Well worth the aches and pains.

Watched The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, today, it's a 2009 film by Terry Gilliam, which, like some of his other films (Brazil, Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and The Fisher King), to me at least, have excellent sets/scenery/design/imagination, but the stories leave me wanting more. It was interesting to see how the death of Heath Ledger was handled, and it was done well. The story had a bit of a re-write and Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell played some of his parts, which sound crap but worked really well within the story.

My favourite one by the good Mr Gilliam is still Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but l still preferred the book.

While the computer has been down l have been a busy lad, working (sadly), but also finding time to read and watch films and series. I will post some of them up one at a time, rather than lumping them all in together. What excitement!!

toodle pip

things you don't see anymore (part 328)

I was pondering (as is my wont) about how language changes and words evolve. Also about insults and old expressions (exciting life I lead), and it occurred to me that you never have anyone saying "Phwoor!" while doing the motion above (Ray Langton in Coronation Street, 1974, for all you youngsters out there).

I might start a one man campaign and try to bring it back. Wish me luck.

toodle pip

san francisco market street

A great old movie of a journey down San Francisco's market street 100 years ago and the same scene in 2005. How times have changed

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