My word, the weather must be bad - you haven`t stopped posting all week! If it`s any consolation, which I`m sure it`s not, the weather here is appalling! So you won`t be coming back with much of a tan then? Well, not unless you are a smoker - the smoking areas in the airports are wonderful for guaranteeing that you come back with that `healthy` tanned look! Remind me to tell you about my last trip to the States when you get back, I had one of the most unnerving experiences of my life! (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Answers

Howay Clarky. It's been at least 4 hours since we had a weather update. I'm beginning to wonder if you've drowned. If so, I'm sorry, but can I have your ST?

On the basis that most of wor weather comes from the States, can you please get them to make it a bit better. We've got a Bank Holiday coming up this weekend and the ITK family are off to WB for their jolidays. Just imagine how miserable the owd bugger will be if the rain doesn't stop.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

We don't wear wellies in Washington (Tyne&Wear).....we're hard us!!

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Hmm!......oh........aargh.......ouch!!!! That was me biting my tongue Gav., so as not to come back with an unseemly reply about wooly jumpers! (:oP

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

You have a problem with me loving sheep?

Get your own house in order first love....sleeping with humans...URGGGHHH!!!

:))))

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Gav
Are you another unfortunate who wasn't consulted before you had your home town dropped in the shit by having it made a haemerrhoid in the arsehole of the world ? Worst thing that ever happened to Washington, being lumped in with the stinking makkems.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Sorry Gav, too late now, I`ve just had my medication and am back in full Hyacinth Bouquet mode! Any further postings by me today will be frightfully prim and proper! (:o) (couldn`t think of a way to make my smiley look snooty!)

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

To Pit Bull - I only realised the other day, when I was reading one of the threads on here, that the boundaries had changed. Had to admit, the Washington one seem pretty illogical to me! I think it should have gone to a referendum! (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Pit Bull,

Yup I am a Washington boy and I mental and I am mad...

Strangely enough I've got absolutely NO IDEA what districts I used to live in....to me they were always just Barmston, Oxclose and Albany :))

Galaxy, Medication sounds good.....anything that could prevent me from being smutty would have to be some kind of miracle cure though!! and come on....tell us about your States experience....it might start an entertaining little thread off :))

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

It`s a non-footie story - when I`ve got a minute, I`ll start a `stranger than fiction thread`! Will that do? (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Galaxy,

Cool....I'll read it and then see if I can outdo you :)) or at least match it :))

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Gav,
I'm born and bred, but unlike you, didn't have enough sense to get out, or at least stay out, before the sub-humans moved in

Even before it fell under the makscum curse, it was one of those borderline places where you ended up supporting the team you saw first.

I used to cringe to think that but for the grace of being able to get to SJP on one bus, but it took two to get to that s**tpile on Roker Ave., I could just as easily have been a demented barber's pole rather than a Mag. Thank your lucky stars and count your blessings, eh ?

I'm sure that's why I've never won more than ten quid on the lottery - Her on High reckons I've already had vastly more than my fair share of good luck just in avoiding becoming one of life's unfathomable side effects.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Galaxy,
As far as I'm concerned, it's still in County Durham. They could have had that chunk of land where Nissan is, for nowt, and Usworth Aerodrome (s'land-would-you-bliddy-well-believe-airport), as long as they left the rest where it was.

Still, if they hadn't made it a new town, once the pits went, probably the whole place would have died, like a lot of other Durham pit villages.

This should have been on an 'All our yesterdays' thread.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Pit, so where'd you live then?

I used to LOVE that forest that they chopped down to build that shithole Nissan....sigh, I used to have so many little adventures in there :)) is the Pond still over there? I'll never forget swimming in there naked and my mates running off with my clothes....wankers :))

Galaxy,

What happened to the story thread you were gonna start honey?

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Screacher.

I'm afraid I promised my seat on Sat/Sun(?) to an Uncle some time ago. He was laregly responsible for getting me interested in the Toon when I was a lad. Unfortunately, his wife is now an invalid, and so he never gets to see the Lads these days. So, I was pleased to be able to provide him with this opportunity. However, you were near the top of the list of 'alternates', honest!
Hope you manage to get hold of one, to be able see the Lads return to form - yes, I'm confident.
Still raining here BTW, and get colder to boot!! We're gannin to the Whyte Hoose to see Bill 'n Hilary, come hell or high water - most probably the latter. Wonder if the sun ever shines ower here! See y'all.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

You need to watch out you don't grow webbed feet: they'll divert you to Teesside International Airport on the way back and take all your kids away...

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Gav,
Brady Squre area. I was never too familiar with the Nissan end of Washington - too close to Lambton Castle where the Caad Lad o' Hylton had his pitch, so I don't know about the pond

We used the pond beside Cook's Steelworks, where they used to make pit tubs, but that's long gone, The ponds at Barmston now belong to the Wildfowl Trust or somesuch.

The bits you remember - Oxclose etc - used to be complete wilderness when ah was a bairn, but when I say I can remember (just) searchlights and bombs, you get some idea of how long ago.

Went to the original Biddick school (Columbia or something now, I think) to start with, then the Glebe juniors (John F.Kennedy), and then the Grammar, etc. etc.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Gav,
For Squre read Square.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Pit,

I know Brady Square/Columbia pretty well....I stay there these days when I visit cos I've a cousin who's got a flat in Willows Close :)

Is Archie still there or has he sold up?

Used to go into Dickeson's sweetshop (next to John F school) when I was a kid :))

Drank loads in The Vic, The Westwood, The Celtic and even the Snooker Club....my gran was a barmaid in The Westwood/Celtic when I was very little :))

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Still no news from our man in wellies? Hmm! Must have stopped raining over there. Either that, or he`s taken his golf clubs and joined the protest march! And there`s me writing a short novel on the Mystery and Imagination thread, purely to relieve his wet weather bordom! (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Maybe I scared him off with all my drivel about The Real Washington....

:)

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Nah, ya canna freeten away an ald un in aqua-boots as eesy as all that, ya kna.
I'm still here in Atlantis. The only change is that it's got bloody cold as well as bloody wet!! I've just noticed that the temperature here is even lower than the Toon.
The baseball game I was going to report to you on was rained off last night. Trudged around the museums today along with what seemed like 10 million American teenagers on their Spring Break, which seems to involve school trips to the Washington Museums. Not totally surprising, 99.9% of them looked bored out of their skulls. Fortunately, I've only got one more day and then I'm off to - hopefully - sunnier climes. If not, I might just be back in Toon for the Leeds match after all.
BTW: Had a cup of tea and a toasted tea cake with Bill & Hillary this afternoon. They send their love t'all the Toon lads & lasses, and hope things pick up a bit soon.
Be in touch soon - have a nice day!

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Just in case you can`t post when you get to Arizona, have a great rest of your holiday - hope you get some sun. Looking forward to hearing more travellers tales when you get back! (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000

JFK - had the pleasure of attending that establishment 3 days a week when our secondary school (Usworth Comp) was burnt down - made the 9 o'clock news on that Sunday night. It was ridiculous, all these spotty teenagers (aye the lasses as well) overwhelming junior school desks and chairs.....

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000

Bliddy 'ell, it's starting to get like a Washington Old Boys get together on here now.

Gav and Muzza
Archie's still going strong, and it's still like going into Alladin's cave - he still out-pakkies the pakkies.

Was the paper shop still Anderson's when you knew it? The Vic and the Westwood were my locals when we lived in Nelson Street, but I didn't use the Celtic much. You might know Alan McKinley from there though - he was one of the three of us who went to every home game we could get our hands on, and that was all of them. Couldn't afford many away games, though, even then.

Eeeeeeee, them was the days, eh?

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000

Clarky,
Arizona's impressive - don't miss Death Valley, and if you're anywhere in the vicinity, definitely, definitely must see Bryce Canyon, although me owld brains seem to be telling me Bryce Canyon is more up towards Utah, so it might be a bit too far if it isn't already on your itinerary. Well worth a visit, but.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000

Pit,

Yup I think the paper shop was Andersons at that time...

Nelson Street eh...that's the one right next to Dickies isn't it? if so then I've got a mate who lives there...surname Turnbull? his family have been there or thereabouts for donkey's years...

You know the McMann's or Kinross's from there? not friendly with the McMann's but good friends with John Kinross's son Graeme....

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000

Gav,
Nelson Street is the one running up towards the old railway line from where Syd Dickeson's butcher shop was. Or coming from the other direction, the street you hit immediately you crossed the railway line via the old iron bridge. Nelson Street is really closer to the JFK school than Brady Square

The names you mention don't ring any bells, but that might be cos we haven't lived there for donkey's years.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000

The sun's been shining....yeeesss!

We've actually been tourists today: had a smashing day dashing around all the monuments, White House, Capitol etc. We've been here a couple of times before, but it's still a very impressive place - when the rain stops.
Visited the Viet Nam Memorial for the first time - a very moving experience. Made it worth the wait.
On to AZ tomorrow - I'll try to keep in touch, but it will be more difficult.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2000