5 guys meeting up over 30 years for a photograph

This is the kind of thing l can appreciate.  Five guys have been meeting up at Copco Lake, California, and re-enacting the same photograph of themselves every 5 years over the last 30 years.  A splendid idea, and the dedication to such a task leaves me suitably impressed.
From here.

toodle pip

another night out in the boro

Mmmmmm   a new Indian we hadn't used before

Instructions for Kerry's injections

The joys of having Mr C - the house is a playroom

Went off again to Middlesbrough yesterday evening to see Robbo and Kerry (and Mr C!) as a kind of joint birthday do for me and Robbo.  There were a couple of disasters beforehand, as Robbo had to take Kerry to a private hospital for some cortisone injections in her back (she's now knocking on a bit), there was also some drama in the Boro with people that we are all close to that l won't go into, and l had to turn around half way towards their house as there had been some kind of a crash and the road was shut down.  We only had a quiet night anyway, with myself and Robbo heading to the Rudds in Marton (for the first time), getting some food from the Jolsha Indian Restaurant at Marton Square (also for the first time), and then returning to Nunthorpe to talk shite until Robbo fell asleep (not for the first time, and he's also knocking on).  I was impressed with the Ruds pub and the indian food (despite them forgetting a dish), but less impressed with the ageing process. Luckily l am now invincible and indestructible, and still look 21 (after many ales have been taken).

Nearly forgot, l bought Robbo an excellent book about Steve Ditko, which l managed to leave alone and not read beforehand prior to handing it over. Believe me, that took strength of character.  I'll have to nick it from him in the future when he is not paying attention.

toodle pip

richmond live 2013 - my brother is lost

A photograph of Richmond Live 2013 (not taken by me) that features my brother wandering around with his pint, as we all lost each other within a short time of arrival, due to chatting to people and getting sidetracked (drink may also have played its part).
I bumped into him again shortly afterwards, despite hiding behind some bushes for half an hour or so.
He's hard to shake off.

toodle pip 

the real tarzan of the apes and gerald the gorilla

Tarzan of the apes, looking a bit camper and longer haired than the best known Johnny Weissmuller portrayals.
Brothers and sisters, I present to you the largely forgotten Elmo Lincoln (Otto Elmo Linkenhelt), the first movie Tarzan from the 1918 -1921 versions (unless you count Gordon Griffith, who played the young Tarzan).
This was a time when even wild men of the jungle weren't afraid of their feminine side, and who also looked as though they had a more than 'special' relationship with the apes.
Lincoln also made fleeting appearances in a couple of the 1940's Tarzan films, then starring Weissmuller (Tarzan'e New York Adventure) and Lex Barker (Tarzan's Magic Fountain), but was uncredited.
Fame can be so fleeting.

And thinking of special relationships....Gerald The Gorilla, from Not The Nine O'Clock News, featuring the recently departed Mel Smith, with Pamela Stephenson and Rowan Atkinson as Gerald.
Wild...l was absolutely livid!



toodle pip

the darlington monthly magazine (slight return)

After my brief piece about The Darlington Monthly magazine the other day, oh joy of joys, l actually found a paper copy when visiting someone in Darlington Memorial Hospital.
Sadly l couldn't find the article l was originally searching for, but l have found out the cover star is Mick Copeland, the business development manager from Frank's Factory Flooring.
I can now rest in peace.

toodle pip

mr jet black from the stranglers

You'd think that not having to have a proper job and being in a punk band that have quite a following would make you happy.  Mr Jet Black (Brian John Duffy) from The Stranglers begs to differ.  Mind you, he is now 75 years old, so no wonder he is looking pissed off.

toodle pip

the nude / topless photograph of marilyn monroe

Most people are aware that Marilyn Monroe was a playmate in the first copy of Playboy magazine in 1953, with some old snaps that were taken before she was famous, and these can easily be googled if you wish to see them.

However, there is also a picture being sold around the web that shows Marilyn topless and holding a flower, which l came across (fnarr fnarr - stop snickering at the back) by accident while searching for something else. Don't get me wrong, l wasn't displeased by the find, but it does bear a remarkable similarity to another shot of Marilyn holding a flower, only this time she has a dress on.
Now l would never accuse anyone of downright fraud (as though l can cast stones and aspersions), but l certainly wouldn't have thought licenses have been granted and permission obtained from the original photographer, but who knows, maybe there were two more or less identical photo shoots (but l very much doubt it). Either way, she looks great with or without the dress.
Now how do l work photoshop, there's some pictures l want to doctor.

toodle pip

the hildyard arms

There was a bit of a mix up last night, as l thought it was the last night of The Hildyard Arms pub in Colburn before it gets refurbished. I blame Col Moore myself, but me and a tasty crew of Rocker, Ritchie, Pon, Lammy and Powlie decided to head down there for a few ales to say goodbye to the old place, as we used to drink there years ago when Graham ran it.  We all met in The Wine Bar at White Shops because we forgot the Hildyard wasn't open until 7pm, and then when we did get down there, it wasn't the last night after all, there was only about 4 people in it, and it was still crap. We headed straight back to White shops after one drink.  It was still a good time though, as plenty of ale was consumed, the arguments and tales all kicked off, and myself and Lammy ended up being the last ones kicked out of JT's.
Hic.
Back to work today, but it's my last shift for nearly 3 weeks, and l'm off out in Middlesbrough at the weekend (and probably the weekend after). Hurrah!!!!

toodle pip

the gravity film release schedule

The Gravity film is coming out soon, but l have noticed on its webpage that it is to be released in Thailand and Hong Kong on the 3rd of October, and not in the UK until the 8th of November.  What a splendid idea, releasing it over a month early in the market that provides a lot of the pirated DVDs, that will no doubt also be uploading it onto the net before its UK release. Prats.

toodle pip

bleeding london - geoff nicholson

A Sheffield man goes to London to exact revenge on six men who raped his partner.  In the meantime, Stuart decides to walk the London A to Z and then kill himself, and a half Japanese women gets involved with both of them.  There's plenty of asides about the history of London, and lots of sex and violence, but l don't know if it's just me becoming an old square, but l thought there were too many sexual scenes, which l felt were unbelievable, and distracted from the main story.  I don't know if Geoff Nicholson is just another posh git adding saucy elements to sell the story (or get some kicks from it), but Bleeding London would have been a lot better with them toned down a bit.
Bah! Humbug!
Now where are my slippers, it's time for some Ovaltine.

toodle pip

the james bulger walk

I know it's a years old news story, but l only realised the other day how far Jon Venables and  Robert Thompson walked with James Bulger from The New Strand shopping centre in Bootle.  For some reason, l had always assumed that when the press were talking about the body being found on railway lines, l thought they meant the ones behind The Strand.  As it turned out, they walked James quite a distance, nearly all the way to Everton's ground at the top of Stanley Park.  That really brings it home how on another day, with slightly different circumstances, somebody might have intervened, or they may have got bored, and James would still be alive.
On a related note, Venables has just been released from prison (again).

toodle pip

the poems of nasty nick

A couple of poems by 'Nasty' Nick (D.C Nicholson), 'The Woods At Rollencourt' and 'Dole'. He's a fellow l have known for a few years in the pub, and trust me - he's the last person you would expect to be writing poems. However, l got to talking to him about poetry ages ago (as you do) and he gave me some of his that l said l would put up on my blog at some stage.  It's only taken me about two years to get around to it, and there are more to follow, which l will try not to leave so long before sticking them up.

toodle pip

magician cartoon

I like it.

toodle pip

some chanting to make up for the football - and screengrabs!

Watched the Manchester United v Liverpool game earlier, and although l am biased, l thought United deserved a draw, so l am pissed off they never got one.

Here's two videos to take the edge away.

PLUS!!

After all these years, l've just learnt how to do screen grabs (rather than screen capture).  I'm impressed.

toodle pip

waiting for the footie - some bootle pictures

 The Broadway shops in Bootle with the toy shop on the corner

 

Two aeroplane photographs of Bootle, with our house marked where the black mark is.

Houses in Marsh lane, just like my grannies (before they were pulled down)

What Bootle was like when l was a kid

While killing time anticipating (and drooling over) the Manchester United versus Liverpool game, l found these photographs on the net, which reminded me of when l was a nipper in Bootle. It was bleak in those days (and not much better now), but l loved it.

Because l am originally from Liverpool but support United, these are the most important games of the season to me.  I can't wait, have been up since the crack of dawn, and l have taken the day off work for the occasion, so let's hope it turns out to be worth it (or someone will suffer).

toodle pip

the book of revelation - rupert thomson

'The Book Of Revelation' (by Rupert Thomson) started out as a strange tale of sexual shenanigans, but then moved on to with dealing with what had happened, and trust me, it's not too cheerful a tale.
A male dancer in Amsterdam is kidnapped by three hooded women, held hostage in a white room, abused and raped, and suddenly let free. He then tries to get on with his life, doesn't confess what has happened to anyone (apart form his long term girlfriend), and tries to find the captors, who he only knows through their bodies and actions, as they kept their faces hidden throughout the ordeal.  At first l was not so keen on the tale as it struck me as another posh git writing porn trash either to make money or to shock and show how 'street' he is (similar to the feelings l kind of harboured about Jonny Glynn's 'The Seven Days of Peter Crumb) book, but l gave that one the benefit of the doubt (and l don't know Glynn's background).  Maybe that is more to do with my own preconceptions and attitudes, because the 'Revelation' book progressed as l didn't expect it to, it was well written, and l can' t really have any complaints about the motives of it, as it was so entertaining, and left you wanting more.  I shall purchase more of his tales, but in second hand form only, as l still have my principles (and fucked up attitudes), unless l find out in the meantime that he is a fine upstanding fellow, because let's face it, people can't help their backgrounds.

toodle pip

some valiant comics l've uploaded

Some of the many comic pages (from The Valiant) that l have uploaded on another site.
I really need to get a life.

toodle pip

the darlington monthly magazine

Hold yourselves back ladies! I assume he's married, but this is the sight that awaited me when l was trying to find an article in the Darlington monthly magazine about a film an acquaintance of mine is producing. I couldn't get the magazine to open up online, and with that cover, it may have been for the best, as l dread to think what delights were lurking within. I'd have Operation Yewtree banging on my door in no time (or should that be breaking in my back door?).

toodle pip