Do You Really Want To Know?
Do you really, really, really want to know what the wee pressie is that I bought myself for my forthcoming birthday.
It’s a question of elimination. It is not records / record sleeves / badges / pins / sheet music / cards / post cards / concert tickets / cd’s / flyers / concert programmes / comics (all of which make up part of my rather large collection). It is a storage facility with specially designed clear pockets to hold the items to enable viewing on both sides. Any ideas yet? Think laterally. Think, what is missing that would be considered as a collectable item.
Once again, they are similar in size to beer mats but are used by special people. They can be considered as mint / unused or as used. I look forward to your guesses. So far nobody has got even close hence the list above to help you.
While you are thinking about what the items could possibly be just remember that I am always looking for STUFF to increase my collection. After all, if I am going to open the RSU (that’s Rolling Stones Museum ) I will still need more STUFF to add to it.
I notice the fond memories of the amusement arcades being discussed in the comments. One place in particular springs up every now and again. The Palladium. My Uncle used to own that way back in the 1950’s / 60’s. He eventually sold up and went to live in England. I have no idea if he is alive or dead. But I had great fun in that establishment. As for the Winter Gardens. That was the only arcade that kept the Flipper machines up to date. Every time a new flipper arrived it was a question of who could get the first free game. I can’t remember exactly if they ever had one but if they did I wish I had it now. Yep, a Rolling Stones flipper machine. I seem to remember a Beatles machine there. If anyone can remember for sure let me know please.
There was also the Queen’s Arcade amusements owned by George Allport (I think) not just as much fun but somewhere to go to try and get a wing or two out of the machines. The easiest one for that of course was the great Barry’s Amusements. Many’s a time I / we were thrown out of there by the lady with the keys. (of course, maybe she didn’t realise it then, but I was to work for her in later years) Those were the days.
I attended a funeral the other day. It was one that I didn’t expect to attend. The deceased was considered as a very close friend indeed. She was like a second Mother to me. My condolences to all the family. I do hope that this is not the beginning of another trio of funerals like last year.
One thing I was doing the other day. I was just surfing as one does and I happened to google a particular card set of the Rolling Stones from the mid sixties. Up comes an auction and the seller is selling 37 of a set of 40 cards. I already have a full set of these cards and I know what the value on the present day market is. I thought I would try for them anyway as they are a great seller to collectors who are trying to complete a set of their own. (If my bid was successful I was planning on selling the cards individually) Anyway, I kept following the bids and I had worked out what I needed to pay to make something on them. As the auction was closing I put my bid in with seconds to spare. Bingo, I had them. Or so I thought. When I checked I saw that I had been out bit. Not once, not twice. But four times. All in a matter of 2 seconds. Somebody somewhere has a better system that mine. It’s either that or they just don’t really know who I am!
Whoever got the winning bid must have been buying for themselves and not to sell on. His winning bid has put a new value on my full set!
Spring is here. Blue skies. Some light sunshine. Green stuff starting to appear in the garden. Yeahhhh! Who is going to cut the grass? I know. My son can do it. Which he did this morning. EARLY. He was going to Belfast with his mates for the St Paddy’s Day Festivities. After he cut the grass he came in and emptied the dish washer. Without being asked. Summit was up. Then, I overheard him ask Mum if she had any money he could borrow. No. She didn’t (actually she did but she decided not to let him have it as she would never get it back) He came to me and asked the same. I looked and saw that I had £3 to my name. I told him this and he didn’t take it any further. Time after time I have told him to budget his pay for a month. Will he ever listen? Like feck he will!
It will be interesting to hear how he managed his day out in the big smoke with only his train fare!
St Paddy sends a hearty ho ho to you all.
Any gacky comments to this gack just hit the title above
And a Ta Rah to you all
Posted :: Tuesday 3/17/2009 2:25:00 PM
Male birthdays in March
OK then. This week has been a bit of a something. On Saturday past it was our darling party boys 21st birthday. Did he want to spend it with us, his loving family? No way man. He was going out with his mates who had organised a party for him. There was going to be loadsa drink and more loadsa drink with maybe a couple of pukes in between. We don’t know. He didn’t come home that night. He stayed at one of his mates.
We did manage to spend some time with him on the Sunday though when he did eventually arrive home. This was after he got up out of his pit of course. What we did manage to do with him was to take him out for a nice meal to celebrate the coming of age (not necessarily his coming of age). We booked a local restaurant for four (4 people, not 4 o’clock) Upon arriving we were shown to our table. First thing I noticed was the reserved sign on the table. I thought to myself as we were sitting down, it’s a long time since I reserved anything but this is nice.
Menus arrived, orders were taken. Daughter, wife and I ordered something adventurous while son ordered his usual, fillet steak! (I was nearly going to ask for tomato sauce for him as he takes that with everything) (but he surprised us all when he actually ordered pepper sauce) (Mmmmm, maybe he is growing up. Maybe he is maturing after all!)
We waited. We waited. We waited. We got hungrier by the minute. Eventually daughter went up to ask what was keeping things. Were they killing the cow or something? No. Nothing like that at all. It was the cooking of the steak that was holding everything up. Eventually the food arrived. It certainly was well worth the wait. Daughter, wife and I certainly enjoyed our food. We savoured every mouthful. Son, I have never seen a steak being carved up and chomped so quickly. It was like watching the old Tom and Jerry cartoon when the steak is chomped up in big pieces in seconds. He assured us that he enjoyed it. It was money well spent.
The meal over, we all went our separate ways. Our daughter went one way in her car to her friends. Our son got dropped off near his mates house. We went home to see the dogs. It was nice to share this important event as a family. Even though it was only for about an hour and a half.
The food was really nice. So why, after we arrived home, did I get the trots all of a sudden? Mmmmmm!
That was Sunday. On Monday, I treated myself to a wee prezzie. After all. My very own birthday is only a couple of weeks away. It is something that I want and need yet nobody will buy this particular item for my birthday present. No matter how many hints I dropped. So, I thought, well if you lot aren’t going to buy it, I will!!. It arrived today (Wednesday) We were out. I will have to go and collect it myself tomorrow from the post office. I am really excited. Really, really, really. I can give you a wee hint as to what it is. It’s a storage facility for a part of my Rolling Stones collection. If somebody can tell me what part of my collection this is for award yourself a pat on the back and 2 joob joobs. (I reckon nobody will get this one)
If you have a birthday in March, Many Happy Returns. If not, you can send good wishes to those who do.
Any gack to be commented on please click the title above. You know you want to.
Cheers
Posted :: Wednesday 3/11/2009 11:47:00 AM
