Turk Thrust

The next time I go to Derby, which isn’t often, I must visit all my old haunts. The area around Abingdon Street where I lived till I was 8, then around Dairyhouse Road where I was till age 15 then to Valley Road, Chaddo before I left and my mum and dad moved to Alvaston. Must go to all the pubs I went to in the 60s such as the Dolphin, Seven Stars and the Bell. Seem to recall meeting up before a match at a pub called The Vine.
 
Watched Long John Baldry and his Hootchy Cootchy Men featuring a youngster called Rod Stewart at the Cattle Market Inn, now I assume long gone. Must go to my old place of work at the Library in the Wardwick, and branches at Alvaston Park (think now demolished) and Littleover. Must go to the Golden Gates at Elvaston Castle where my parents’ ashes were scattered. Is the Sha Bagh Indian restaurant London Road still around? Then known as the the Shagbag where I had my first curry.
 
Ah memories……….

Remember your Road well. I lived in Valley Road from age 15. I left school (Joseph Wright Art School now sadly gone) and went to Derby Art College in Green Lane but left and became a librarian in the Wardwick. Went to Aston Uni to qualify but left to become a cocktail barman in Estartit in Spain at the Custard Beast Bar (you can tell the era from the name). For a short time worked for a shadowy unit in MoD in London. Back to Derby after 18 months, signed on and was taken on by the dole office in Normanton Road. In 1976 I moved in the Department of Employment to Birmingham where I worked in Sutton Coldfield. Then onto London to work first in the Careers Service and then the Wages Inspectorate and then became a records and information manager. Best move ever. I worked on British and World Bank funded aid projects (mainly civil service reform and economic strategy). Went to over 50 trips to the Caribbean, India and Malaysia but mainly to Africa (got arrested and imprisoned as a spy in Sierra Leone, and had a bad experience with goats in The Gambia). In the final few years before retirement I worked on the UK Freedom of Information Act but still keep my hand in and work with computerising the Nigerian Court of Appeal and sorting out records management for Nigerian prisoners. Since my name is Crooks, this is very apt.

I passed my 13 plus to go to Joseph Wright and then along with most others in my class went on to Art College but I quickly realised that I wasn’t as good as the others so left to become a librarian. When I worked in the Wardwick the Museum had a clear out of stuffed animals, many of which I took for my bedroom. Mum didn’t like it though. I had a stuffed badger but it had woodworm and had to be thrown out. By my bed I had a stuffed squirrel and birds hanging from the ceiling.  Wright’s paintings are fantastic, an example of chiaroscuro.
Things always work out eventually and I like to think I’ve had a good and interesting life. Hopefully more to come
 

On a similar theme of creeping Americanisms, we've just been invited to a gender reveal party. 
What the actual fook is that about?
Surely the parents know?
I wondered if we'd all been invited down to the hospital when she has the initial scan, all craning for a better view of the monitor trying to distinguish umbilical cord from genitals, or not, as the case may be.
Then I realised it's being held at their own house, and marvelled at the over stretched NHS sending along an obstetrician along to attend the event and make the reveal, maybe things aren't as bad as the press make out.
While musing this out loud, my son informed me I was misguided in my wonderings. 
Apparently, some people who go down this path ask for the gender to be sealed in an envelope, then hand over this paper sheath of utter  pointlessness to a party organiser, who fills a balloon, pinata or some such form with confetti matching the matching generally accepted gender colours of pink or blue.
 
If that was my job, I'd be fired after 6 months.
When they marched in to demand an explanation, and I gave them a tin of pink or blue paint, a paintbrush and no apology.
 

The phrase "uptick" - as in "we are seeing an uptick in sales". Does the word 'increase' not quite work to describe that? It seems to cover most of the needs of expression in the sentence so I struggle to see the place for "uptick" in our vocabulary. It adds nothing, except making people sound like David Brent.

I passed my 13 plus to go to Joseph Wright and then along with most others in my class went on to Art College but I quickly realised that I wasn’t as good as the others so left to become a librarian. When I worked in the Wardwick the Museum had a clear out of stuffed animals, many of which I took for my bedroom. Mum didn’t like it though. I had a stuffed badger but it had woodworm and had to be thrown out. By my bed I had a stuffed squirrel and birds hanging from the ceiling.  Wright’s paintings are fantastic, an example of chiaroscuro.
Things always work out eventually and I like to think I’ve had a good and interesting life. Hopefully more to come
 

Nice one Turk...High 5 ?

From the “get go”. Aaargh! I know it’s from Get Ready, Steady, Go but what’s wrong with From the start or From the off or From the beginning?
 
These creeping Americanisms are slowly spreading…
 

How do you console an English teacher?
 
There, their, they’re 

My campaign to have the word “so” eradicated from the English language clearly isn’t working. Just watching an athlete being interviewed on BBC and every question was met with an answer beginning with “so”.
 
Q When did you first feel the symptoms? A  So, it was a year ago. 
Q and has your family been a big help?  A  So, they have been full of support 
Q and will you continue to compete?      A So, there’s the World Championships next week
 
Aaaagh!   and so the hell of “so” as a meaningless word to start a sentence, usually a reply, goes on, and on…..?
 
 

Hi anyone who supports the Poppy Appeal and wants a Derby poppy just seen these
https://www.poppyshop.org.uk/products/derby-county-poppy-football-pin-2022

Right, well I guess it's time.
My vote goes to Bristol City who we replace in the Championship next season.

Went to the West Ham match on Sunday. Haarland was an absolute beast. Fantastic player

Remember your Road well. I lived in Valley Road from age 15. I left school (Joseph Wright Art School now sadly gone) and went to Derby Art College in Green Lane but left and became a librarian in the Wardwick. Went to Aston Uni to qualify but left to become a cocktail barman in Estartit in Spain at the Custard Beast Bar (you can tell the era from the name). For a short time worked for a shadowy unit in MoD in London. Back to Derby after 18 months, signed on and was taken on by the dole office in Normanton Road. In 1976 I moved in the Department of Employment to Birmingham where I worked in Sutton Coldfield. Then onto London to work first in the Careers Service and then the Wages Inspectorate and then became a records and information manager. Best move ever. I worked on British and World Bank funded aid projects (mainly civil service reform and economic strategy). Went to over 50 trips to the Caribbean, India and Malaysia but mainly to Africa (got arrested and imprisoned as a spy in Sierra Leone, and had a bad experience with goats in The Gambia). In the final few years before retirement I worked on the UK Freedom of Information Act but still keep my hand in and work with computerising the Nigerian Court of Appeal and sorting out records management for Nigerian prisoners. Since my name is Crooks, this is very apt.

And I thought I had a varied life, Them prisons in Sierra Leone are pretty awful i'm told, As for the Goats...best say nowt ?, My mate had a home in the Gambia he kept asking if I fancied a free holiday there if I'd look after his Goat ?
That's some work history Turk ? 

It’s a long time since I lived in Valley Road, Chaddo but the Kingfisher gone? Was the local just up the road. My dad used to go there at weekends (with a suit and tie of course, as did most working men of his generation). Oh dear, another piece of my memory disappeared. My dad used to go, after he retired from Royce’s, to the Roundhouse every lunchtime. At the time it was officially the Alvaston hotel But known as the Roundhouse

Now you're showing your Finnishness - in England people say Italian War Heroes!

The same Rooney who couldn't spot a player in Louie Sibley, a chancer in Chris Kirchner or a way to win an away game. His observational skills weren't very good to say the least. 

Decent with penalties though-will never forget the one against Sheff Wed that kept us up.

Better off where he can play and develop than sat here waiting for someone to get injured. I might be in a minority here but nothing I have seen from Stretton in a Derby shirt convinces me that he is anywhere near the standard required for our first team as it stands. He needs to be playing games week in week out.

Aubergine! What’s the point?

I was 23. I went but can’t recall a thing about the match so must have had a good time…..

My campaign to have the word “so” eradicated from the English language clearly isn’t working. Just watching an athlete being interviewed on BBC and every question was met with an answer beginning with “so”.
 
Q When did you first feel the symptoms? A  So, it was a year ago. 
Q and has your family been a big help?  A  So, they have been full of support 
Q and will you continue to compete?      A So, there’s the World Championships next week
 
Aaaagh!   and so the hell of “so” as a meaningless word to start a sentence, usually a reply, goes on, and on…..?
 
 

I was 23. I went but can’t recall a thing about the match so must have had a good time…..

If a man saw his sister fall down, why couldn’t he help her?
 
 
 
because he can’t be a brother and assist her too.