Wigan Album

The trees look like frozen fountains.

Enjoyed many an after-work pint of beer here, although it would probably be more accurate to describe it as an after-work pint of water.

to give its proper title 'Upper Morris Street Working Mens Club' - spent many an hour in there in my youth - Les Catterall was steward I recollect - remember the prize fish in glass cases over the bar? Greenalls beer!! - saved you putting your finger down yer throat!

I suspect you could have gone elsewhere DTease, but real ale might go to your head.

Howard, I went there because I enjoyed the company of the people I was with. As for the ale all I can say is- each to his own-if you found it to your taste then I am pleased for you, but two things you could never accuse it of. One is of being 'Real' the other is of 'Going to anyone's head'

After working all day drinking didn't enter my head, I loved the company of my family and enjoyed tea together and still do.

I suspect drinking after work caused so many family fall-outs.

Good point Howard P and Alan.

Good man Alan and caring.
All I want to do after work is head home!!

Just for the record, I wasn't married at the time.

I don't doubt for an instant that Dtease was and is a loving family man!!!

Thanks for that Veronica.
For the benefit of the narrow minded few among us who think they have the right to dictate how other people should live their lives I would like to say that at this time I and my workmates were doing a hard phisical job and we called for a pint on the way home in order to wind down from a hard days graft. We didn't need permission from a Posse of sanctimonious no marks then and I certainly don't need it now.
So Howard and Alan, thanks for your comments but you really didn't need to bother....You really didn't.

Also highly intelligent as well as witty with his interesting comments -unlike some.

My "wind down" after work is to have a shower, tea and watch TV with my family. I always remember some of my work mates smelling of beer the following day, I don't think they would get away with smelling of booze at work today.

I suspect my wind-down is a pot of horlicks and early bed.

Let's not get carried away here folks, I'm not talking about a fifteen pint boozing orgy, I'm talking about a pint, a game of darts or dominoes and a bit of friendly banter.
If tv with the family is what floats your boat then "Good on yer" as the Aussies would say, nothing wrong with that. Doesn't entitle you to criticise other people for having different ideas though does it?

Night night Howard, sleep tight.

In my days of working in the office and a shop in Wigan the boss would go for a drink in the lunch hour to the Commercial- Whats the difference? Apart from a workingman's club and the Commercial! Many 'deals' are struck then as well as now I would think. Moderation and common sense -a quick pint after work doesn't do any harm!

Mind the bugs don't bite tonight Howard.

Many firms have breathalyzers and test for drugs today.
Drinking at dinner/lunch time is now forbidden.
suspended then sacked.

Many people stopped by the Police say, sorry officer, I've only had one...come on pull the other one!!

Good grief Alex! All this talk about drink is making me thirsty, I think I'll take myself off to bed with a nice cup of Horlicks. zzzzzz.

"Good on yer" DTease. You'll have us all in trouble with the Wigan Temperance Society if you keep confessing your beer swilling ways. Now i'm off to throw down a tinny or two. You behave.

GW, I had never heard of "The Wigan Temperance Society" so I looked it up on the t'internet. Apparently they should have had a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) but they all succumbed at their annual Christmas Do (Tuesday in Harry's Bar) and nobody turned up.

Howard, Howard are you asleep yet Howard?

Howard just needs tucking in and a story first.

What's the ABV content of Horlicks DTease, any idea ? I ' suspect ' it may be similar to that of Ovaltine, but then, I ' suspect ' I may be addressing my enquiry to the wrong person. It's just that I ' suspect ' I may be developing an immunity to the effects of Warsteiner, as I've only woken up at 3 am in the middle of Marylebone park on two occasions in the past three weeks, whereas, up until recently, it used to be every other night. I've also heard that ' Night Nurse ' can hit the spot as well. Are you able to confirm this, or do you ' suspect ' that there may be a grain of truth in the rumour ?. I ' suspect ' a reply will be forthcoming. Yours suspiciously. Ozy.

Ozy, I imagine the ABV of Horlicks would be roughly similar to that of the beer in Upper Morris Street but the man to ask would be Howard, that's if you can keep him awake long enough to ask.
As for Ovaltine I really couldn't say, even though I was a member of the Ovaltinies Club in the far of days of Radio Luxemburg. I don't remember why I joined because I never could stand the stuff. I suppose they must have been giving a free gift or something.
Ozy, when you awoke in Marylebone Park were you fully clothed or unattired? If you were fully clothed the chances are that you had a very disappointing evening. If unattired then you need to give the situation some very serious consideration. You may need to give Greenall's Bitter a try.

At times like this a reading of Mike Harding's 'Bring on the Rosey cheeked girls' always pulls me through.

Poet, I like your style, I really do. For a moment there I thought I was fighting a solitary battle but your choice of Mike Harding as given me new hope.

I'd like to know who those zig-zag footprints belong to...

Could they be Howard's Veronica, sleepwalking while zonked out on a surfeit of Horlicks?

Just as I thought Dtease...may I say how true 'the Rosy Cheeked Girls'!

Poet: Thanks for your mention of Mike Harding's words, which I previously hadn't been aware of.
The runner, the walker, those that can hammer ... . Lovely, and in Jollytopermeter.

As far as I'm able to ascertain DTease, I'm still in possession of about 80% of my clothing, unfortunately, a thorough search of the area has failed to reveal the whereabouts of my top set. I've posted pictures of them on Facebook and erected signs around the locality, offering a wad of tincture tokens in exchange for their safe return, however my hopes were cruelly dashed earlier today on Wigan lane, when a passing Cairn terrier flashed me a rather fetching smile before disappearing into the Plantations.

Ozy, I bet that scratchy dog has been parading his shiny new top set all over the Plantations, but look on the bright side Ozy, chances are he had more success with them than you seem to have had. And, whats's more come Christmas Day when you are trying to get some meat from your turkey bone with nothing but your bottom set and a gum, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that there is a poor little doggie somewhere in the Wigan area sitting in front of the fire with a smirk on his face while chomping on his Christmas bone with a shiny new Top Set.

Felix and Oscar?

I obviously can't speak on behalf of DTease, but personally, amongst the O.E.D's many definitions of odd, I find that the descriptions, "strange"', "eccentric ","extraordinary " and "remarkable", fall little short of flattery as far as I'm concerned. Also, considering the fact that I tend to leave my underpants lying about all over the place, I suppose I have to consider my rôle as Oscar as a fait accompli.

Come and join us Julie, we could be The Odd Trio. Ozy and myself could be The Odd Couple and you could be The Odd One Out.

I imagine Julie would be the one clearing up in this odd 'threesome'!

You've reminded me of an incident at an AGM at Downall Green S&S club many years ago Philip, when, after the chairman had announced that the club had made a deficit of two hundred pounds, one of the newly elected committee members, a pleasant chap who shall remain anonymous, but who's primary duty was to collect the glasses, rose to his feet saying, " Mr chairman, I'd like fert propose wi gee it tert pensioners ".

Oops!, I intended posting that last comment on the Makinson arcade thread just in case anyone's wondering. It must be all that blimmin' Horlicks I've been suppin' recently.

Its more appropriate on here Ozy 'anyroad up'!

Belter Ozy!, and from the good old S&S club eh? Committee members' two penn'orths are being recalled with a little bit of frequency at the moment, and why not? Here's another rum example from the Legion, during the 1970's "What wi wa'nt is these here cheers fillin.", and that was it. It seems as though DTease might have a couple up his sleeve, as well - you never know. They'll have us before the stewards, if we're not careful.

You could get more laughs going in these clubs than any professional act by the so called comedians of today. Sadly when I was young it was felt a bit 'beneath' to enter into those portals! It wasn't 'cool' really I suppose then, not my scene. Dancing at the Emp and the Crawford Rooms and going to Bolton Palais and Bolton Casino was more in my line and the pictures. But look what I missed!

A friend of mine, the comedian and former tv star Nicky Martin, was a regular on the Wigan club circuit and remembers fondly the comments of the club secretaries.
One of his favourites, ‘ next weeks artiste is pinned to wall’.