Month: January 2011

Old Movie Guy’s excellent trip down memory lane,  ‘A Night at the Orchid’

https://charioteers.org/2011/01/21/a-night-at-the-orchid/

seems to have veered off like an errant Vauxhall Victor into a discussion of what we were driving back in the day.  Please have a look at OMG’s post to get the flavour and then I’d like to know a) what you were driviing then and b) what you’re driving now, as I’m wondering if the flair, style and romance has gone out of motoring, or, if as Bearsy says, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.

Continue reading “Ah, but what are you driving now?”

McGuiness-Flint

It was a little wet around Sandy River last week – about 16 inches of rain at the 6,000 ft level on Mt. Hood, Oregon, along with the thaw of a couple of feet of snow…

Sandy River Flood.

I couldn’t resist this one, which accompanied an article in which a resident of Goodna swore that he’d seen two sharks swimming down the High Street.   I don’t believe a word of it!   Goodna must be around 40kms from the sea, by road or by river; shorter by air, but even our sharks don’t fly. 😆  

This is 92-year-old Edith Brickhill – kicked in the head and beaten black and blue on her own doorstep… for just £30.
A callous thug pounced on the part-blind gran as she let her dog out at home in Moston.
He kicked and punched her in the face before snatching the cash from her purse and fleeing – leaving her battered and bleeding on the ground. (Manchester Evening News)

This is an area in which I grew up. What the hell ihas happened to our society?

You have to dream before your dreams can come true.
Abdul Kalam

Goodnight everyone. Sleep well.

Val

I could not find the blog or comment I posted about the 60s, so I have jotted this down.

The Ford Zodiac and it’s silky smooth six cylinder engine purred like a well contented cat as it moved swiftly along the Brighton Road, slowing briefly the driver executed a U turn and stopped outside a large dance hall bearing the legend, ‘The Orchid Ballroom’. He remained in the car just long enough to light a cigarette and then opened the door and stepped out. Anyone passing would have seen a tall, well built man wearing a classic camel hair coat, open at the front and with belt hanging loose. The man locked the car and entered the dance hall, moving swiftly down the stairs into the warm, beating heart of the dance hall. He breathed deeply and inhaled the heady scent of perfume and cigarette smoke, he smiled to himself as the music skirled up the stairs to greet him, always the same song, ‘You’ve lost that loving feeling’, always the Righteous Brothers. He  checked his overcoat and over tipped the girl, knowing full well that she would give him his coat without him waiting in the usual Saturday night crush at the end of the evening. Anyone passing who cared to look and a few did, would have noticed his height, 6′ 4″ and  the beautifully cut Mohair suit that he carried off so well, together with the self assured way that he moved through the crowd. He went to walk into the Gentlemans toilet and as he did so three youths started to barge out, the tall man held his ground and said nothing but the youths looked down, standing back as he entered. He checked himself in the mirror and made a few minor adjustments to his gold silk tie before taking a comb from the top pocket of his jacket and running it back through his hair. Satisfied with what he saw he made his way out to the dance hall and his heart quickened a pace as he took in the bright lights, the swirl of sound, the scents and smells.. and the women, ah, the women, he smiled again, he was home, this is were he belonged, this was why he was the best salesman in the showroom, this was why he spent what he did on his clothing, this was what it all came to in the end, the Saturday night dance at the Orchid.. and he owned the place.

To Be Continued…