Trash Puppies

A few years ago I bought two pairs of Hush Puppies - one brown and one black. These I kept for special occasions, which don't occur very often on the canals. So they lived at the bottom of a locker  until we emptied the boat for the winter.  Last Monday we went into London for a number of events - the V&A exhibition of  Medieval embroidery, a talk on Charles Voysey  and to meet Margaret's sister. That seemed special enough to warrant wearing my smart shoes. When we left the tube at Charring Cross station (which used to be more appropriately called Trafalgar Square) I found myself hobbling  like walking on cobbles. It transpired that Hush Puppies have an affinity for tube trains and my right shoe had been reluctant to leave the train despite being laced up. That which could - the sole - stayed continued its journey to the Elephant & Castle whilst the uppers came with me. I do not recall seeing a Best Before or Use By date on the box when purchasing these shoes and I have never considered shoes as perishable but obviously Hush Puppies are. I have to admit to ignoring the adage Never wear brown in town and acknowledge its sagacity in regards to such footwear.

Good Morning America !

I seem to have picked up considerable interest form USA over the past couple of weeks.
If you would like to say hello and let me know what brought to Gecko's Progress please leave a comment on this post.  I shall not publish it unless you ask me to.

Slide Show to go

Google has just informed me that they are withdrawing the programme which I use to present the slide show in the right hand panel of this blog. apparently it will disappear on Sept 29.
So if you have nothing better to do why not sit and watch it for a while.

Someone IS Listening

A few days ago I wrote a piece entitled Preston Lesson in Wasting Money     where I suggested some  attention could be directed at clearing up the detritus in New Hall Lane instead of erecting signs saying that the council was improving the local area.
Well, Preston Council may be deaf, but Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews have announced they will make funds available for local businesses to smarten their shopfronts. See this report in the local paper.  
Grotty Shops in New Hall Lane
I don't suppose I was the only person to entertain this idea but  this is not the first such coincidence.

Beer for Breakfast

There are parts of London which live in different time zones from you and I and the wholesale markets are some of them. Back in the 1980s I worked in Goswell Road, London which is close to The Barbican and, more relevant to this story, Smithfield Meat Market Through the night lorries arrive from all over the UK with carcasses of beef, lamb, pork and more exotic fare. And in due course this meat is shipped out again to butchers and meat processors all over the country.  This is tiring and thirsty work which is recognised by the local licensing laws  which allow the pubs in Smithfield to open at 3am. From time to time colleagues of mine would arrive a couple of hours early for work and go to the pub for (a very meaty) breakfast. This usually included several pints of Guinness.  Work output on these days was always rather suspect both in quantity and quality.  I was reminded of this by two events: Farnborough Air Show which opened to the trade this week (our work in Goswell Road was defence electronics) and the line-up for the Saturday night ceilidh at Scarisbrick Marina Festival was a band called Beer for Breakfast.  To accompany this Irish group there was a hog roast. There was not much dancing but I guess that was because most of us had had a busy day around the marina.

In addition to the usual bouncy castle the army had brought their assault course version for the larger kids. Unfortunately they said I was ineligible.After being rejected by the army I made my way to the marquee where I could hear music emanating.. This turned out to be a troupe of Morris dancers (is that the correct collective noun?) Very entertaining but a little too  stressful for my artificial hips.
This was not an issue for some of the audience who were encouraged to join in.








Even er indoors was tempted to trip the light fantastic.

I think she was attracted by wielding a stick.




The vigour and enthusiasm she put into whacking the staves had me worried.





 


So I withdrew and went to admire the 1915 Ford parked up by the craft marquee.

Scarisbrick Marina Festival

Four years ago the crews of  a dozen boats moored in Scarisbrck Marina got together one summer's evening. This year the   number of boaters has been restricted to 200 and the Scarisbrick Marina Canal Festival runs from Friday evening July8 to Sunday July10.


For the past couple of days there has been a steady stream of visiting boats arriving and many have remembered their bunting and lights.

Friday night kicked off with  a boaters-only evening with music and food.


Over the weekend the Marina will be open to the public with a ceilidh and hogroast on Saturday night. Craft stalls and visiting bands will keep the public entertained  in the two marquees.
2016 is the 200th anniversary of the completion of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and this promises to be a worthy start to our celebrations.

In two weeks time we will be attending the Blackburn Canal Festival which is also in its fourth year.

Pop Goes the Weasel

Last week I underwent an annual checkup at a hospital in City Road , London. I have been attending this hospital for 52 years and during that time many changes have taken place in that area of London. As I had a little time in hand I jumped off the 205 a stop early and walked down the road.

These buildings weren't here 52 years ago. In fact I don't think they were here two years ago.

 

There is a space between them which has existed for over 200 years but has only recently been opened up for the travelers on City Road to see-

City Road Basin of the Regent's Canal

With the sun shining, a tune came into my mind (and has still not gone a week later!)

It is a nursery rhyme:

Half a pound of tuppeny rice

Half a pound of treacle

Mix it up and make it nice

Pop goes the weasel

Up and down the City Road

In and out of The Eagle

That's the way the money goes

Pop goes the weasel

Every night when I go out

The weasel's sitting on the table

I take a stick and knock it off

Pop goes the weasel

There are various claims for the origin of the rhyme but all agree on the last line.  It refers to the habit popular since the 1700s,  of East End workers popping or pawning their best coat (weasel and stoat is Cockney rhyming slang for coat) in order to enjoy some luxury.

Almost adjacent to these new apartments is -

The Eagle pub.

With great self control, I resisted the temptation to pawn my coat and spend the proceeds on beer.

Of course you have spotted that this building is not 18th century. It was built around 1900




and replaced a music hall of the same name.


Whatever your view on the merit or otherwise of these changes I have experienced one change which has not been an improvement. With all the new technology and medical research it takes twice as long to carry out the same checks that I had 52 years ago. Such is progress!

Those of you unfamiliar with the rhyme might like to listen to Anthony Newley's rendition from the 1960s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opr_7f0Z0os 

Preston Lesson in Wasting Money

Budget cuts in Lancashire are currently threatening to close the world's only steam-powered weaving mill at Queen Street, Burnley and the spinning mill at  Helmshore.  Both were due to close in March but have received a stay of execution until September.

Meanwhile Preston Council has seen it fit to waste money erecting these signs all along New Hall Lane.
From our flat we can see three on this side of the road and more on the opposite side

If they really want to improve the local centre how about clearing up this mess?

Joey Found

You will be please to know the Joey stolen in Birmingham recently has been found at the top of Brades Locks

Canal Boat Stolen in Birmingham

Sometime in the last few days the boat in the right of this picture was stolen. If you are in the Birmingham area please go for a walk on your nearest bit of canal and keep a look out for it

Contact Mike on

ansonpowell63@gmail.com

if you see it