Old Friends
Another get together with the old boy workmates from the late 60's, last Friday, this time to celebrate my birthday to come.
I found us a pub just off Cornhill in the City called the Jamaican Wine House, none of us could remember if we had been there before, but I suppose we could be forgiven for that, bearing in mind we are 40 years plus later!!
Anyway, I arrived at 11:30, after over compensating for roadworks on the way to Romford station,so I was early.
No harm in that, so I settled into my first pint of Bishops Finger in this Shepherd Neame pub.
As it turned out, this proved to be a very popular drinking house with the locals, so was heaving all afternoon, certainly until we left at 7:30 having decided we had probably had enough.
Food wasn't bad either, usual pub grub, but we ate in the basement bar at about 3o'clock, rather than amongst the elbows in the bar.
Another great fun filled reminiscing 7 hour(ish) chat over beer, and then too many bottles of red.
I nearly overslept the Romford stop, awaking just in time for the first time on a Liverpool Street train .......stopping all stations!!
Can't remember walking home from the bus, but I do remember needing to get up for an Alka Seltza at about 3am for a pillow thumping head.
How many times do I tell myself beer and wine shouldn't be mixed??
Pie & mash
I was recently reminded that whilst I was on one of my sorties down to Harold Hill, I found that F Cooke's had opened up a pie, mash and eel shop.
This brought back more memories of my enjoyable years working in Baker Street for the Abbey National and the things we used to do of a lunchtime.
Well, apart from sitting outside the pub for a couple of hours in George Street watching the Marks & Spencer office ladies on their way to the staff canteen,sorry restaurant.
Anyway, I digress on occasions we used to drive out to Chapel Market via a Youngs pub, one of my co workers was an "invalid" and he parked his car just around the corner from the office, there was always a surveyors company car in the car park around the back too. So always a good size group.
After having a pint or two of Young's Special, we would retreat to the Manzes pie & mash shop in the market. Most of us had a couple of pies and the wodge of spud(eyes & all) with lashings of the green liquor, and plenty of proper vinegar.
Some of the gents had eels. I'm not a fan of jellied or stewed eels, so I had the pies.
My taste in eels goes no further than the smoked variety, delicious by the way, if you've never tried them.
So back to 'arold 'ill and the pie and mash. It didn't seem to be as good, but perhaps that was the lack of a pint of Special, and the great company!
For those whingeingYorkshiremen,(yes I know you read this) this is proper food and beer, it certainly beats batter pudding and gravy, and Tetley bitter served like an icecream in a cone!!
PADDY DIED
His will provided £40,000 for an elaborate funeral.
As the last guests departed the affair, his wife Colleen turned to her oldest and dearest friend.
"Ah well, to be sure Paddy would be pleased," she said.
"To be sure you're right," replied Mary, who lowered her voice and leaned in close.
"So go on, how much did this really cost?"
"All of it," said Colleen. "Forty thousand."
"Aw No!" Mary exclaimed. "I mean, it was very grand, but £40,000?!!!"
Colleen answered, "The funeral was £6,500, I donated £500 to church. The whiskey, wine and snacks were another £500.
The rest went for the Memorial Stone."
Mary computed quickly. "For the love of God Colleen, £32,500 for a Memorial Stone? How big is it?"
