Photo-a-Day  (Thursday, 19th August, 2021)

Nice pic Dennis, used to love a pint in the old brickmakers did Casa Carlos once be at the old whitesmiths on standishgate.

Bring back the lantern that hung on your door,
Drink through the seasons, the names who once swore,
Faces long pasture, now forgotten in swim,
Your time maybe over but your craic roars within...

Walking up Hallgate in the 60’s Tom Jones walked out of that pub. He appeared at The Ritz that night replacing (can’t remember his name now) who’s trousers kept splitting (was it PJ Proby?) the old grey matter kicked in.

If Carlos opened his Casa in places Harrogate or Southport, it would be frequented by nice people spending an evening enjoying black pudding on sticks tapas.
But here in Wigan it will just be the sup as much as you can in a short time crowd.

Casa Carlos used to be The Bricklayers Pub. There is, (or was), a restaurant called Casa Carlos in what used to be The Whitesmiths Arms too. The shop to the right of the photo, (with the paintings in the window), was thought very trendy when I was in my teens, (long ago!), and was called "Present Trend"....I think it still is. "e", I love your poem.

Indeed Linma.....PJ always seemed to have a trouser problem !

The building couldnt look much less of a Casa Conos , more of a spit & sawdust drinking dive . Awful set up.

Linma - a case of the replacement being better than the main act where P J Proby was concerned.
I recall Dave Berry walking into the Ball and Boot for a pint around that time. I think he was on at the Ritz too.
Always think of the Bricklayers as a step off the street pub. Served a decent pint.

'e'..You're missing your way with your poems.
I recognise the painting in the middle of the window next door..it's by Jack Vettriano and is titled,'Dance me to the end of Love'..I copied it and took it together with a portrait of Elvis and Marilyn to. Hospice when I visited someone there for them to raffle off.
I go this way every time I get off the bus and it still has the same atmosphere as it did years ago.

They should make more of this street seeing that it is one of the last streets to remain. A Victorian feel with 'gas lamps' to match would make a lot of difference. Beamish is a good example....even the public houses are shown as they used to be. A great attraction.... but still the rowdyism near the 'Moon' pub would spoil it!

Funniest pair of tight keck's ever ? Max Wall . It would have been something to see him exiting the 'Brickies' at closing time to full snare drum accompaniment .

O Mick lad, was you never eighteen years old? Did you never go out with your mates and get gloriously befuddled? Was there never a time when you hadn’t a care in the world and every day was fun to be alive?
You’re a long time dead Mick. Wake up each day and tell yourself that today will be even more fun than yesterday.

Teasy Ive done all sorts of things when I was young and I'm still doing most of them today
But what I wont do is these silly fads of knocking what they call shots down my throat just to get legless
And I wont going into these modern pubs that pretend to be foreign.

To get me into Carlos Casa it would have to be proper Spanish that sold only (no english ales or your blackcurrant ciders) Spanish drinks and food served with a waitress who could wiggle her bum and tap her heels like a flamenco dancer.

Fancy a job at Casa Carlos, Dolly? Let's get our flamenco frocks out of the mothballs, dear! It'll be a change from the station buffet and DTease might turn up with Mick.

As long as you don't expect ME to wiggle MY bum Irene, 'cos I would probably dislocate summat!

We ALL would these days, DTease! But we're still here, and still having a laugh, and that's all that matters. The moths have probably got to mine and Veronica's flamenco dresses! Isn't it nice to share a bit of fun?!

It is,Irene. If only we could convince Mick!

Maureen, Dance me to the end of Love is a Leonard Cohen song.I like the music to this song..Good Photo Dennis.

I'll not bother if you know who turns up.
( must not mention his name) He might video us Irene and it'll go straight on ytube.. besides he'll need gas and air to have a bit of fun....I wouldn't mind swirling the red cape though and putting the dagger in! Instead of Casa Carlos we could rename it
' Gangsta Grannies'!

Fame at last, Dolly dear! "Gangsta Grannies" on youtube! That made me laugh! Maureen, I think your gesture of passing on your paintings to be raffled for the Hospice is marvellous. I have seen your paintings, (of our mutual friend's cottage in Haigh), and I know how talented you are, as is Veronica, whose beautiful painting of flowers hangs in my bedroom. Talented ladies both!

I agree Irene, I also have some of Veronica's.They are both missing their way. x

Edna. My own favourite Leonard Cohen song is Closing Time which is also appropriate here. Its also - despite the title - quite a funny and uplifting song which often surprises people who think he only sang gloomy songs

Thanks Carolaen, I'll have a look for that on YouTube.x