This is a memory dump tale, a collection of snippets from my time living in Arden, an SSHA slum clearance project where hundreds of tenements were thrown up with shoddy workmanship to a flawed design. (More of this can be read in my story called “Moving On”.)
The core tale is about a Winter Walk out to ‘The Dams’, our local name for the reservoirs which served the Gorbals Water Works.
These reservoirs still exist and like six decades ago, they contain wild brown trout. In theory fishing is prohibited but back then this ban was not enforced.
On that long ago winter’s afternoon, I would come close to death.
Read on........!
As before I have self-edited using the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word. If you spot errors, please make you best jugement as to my intended meaning and read on.
Thank you for reading my stories.
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This is a memory which still seems vivid.
It took place in the early hours of Christmas Morning.
My Mum was exhasuted, worn out by the recent birth of my youngest brother.
She had stayed up late, parcelling Christmas presents, using the iron and a damp cloth to press the wrinkles from my new cowboy outfit.
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This is a memory fragment which we often talk about, particulary the day we moved to Westbourne Drive.
Susie was a lovely, affectionate cat. We still miss her.
As a wee boy, we briefly had a Roller Canary. My father’s older broher, Uncle Bonnie (real name William), bred canaries for a while and gifted us one. My Mum was scared of him and when she was cleaning Rusty’s cage, he escaped and flew out through the window. When I was a teenager, my father told me Rusty would not have survived as he was not a wild bird.
There is another story which features two budgies offered to us as a gift. Here is the link:
https://www.thebuzzinbee.co.uk/updates/2019/10/american-cream-soda-2500-words-100-minute-read/
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a snippet story about green gardening using Ladybirds by Post to fight in The War Against Greenfly.
At this stage, the battles are just starting but we are confidant the our Ladybirds will succeed.
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The first version of this mini-treatise was tapped out on my iPad while sitting on our veranda in Tenerife during a recent winter sun break.
It began with a morning chorus of the birds in our garden and expanded to uncover a few new surpises.
Ah, Tenerife, ‘The Island of Eternal Spring’ is indeed full of suprises.
The images were provided ‘royalty free’ from the Internet. Much of the other information came from Google.
This final version was self-edited using the ‘Read Aloud in ‘Microsoft Word’.
Please forgive typos etc.
If you spot any, please make your own judgement as to meaning and read on. Thanks.
Click here to download the PDF.
This piece was written for Writers’ Circus on the topic of ‘rings’.
It is a fictionalised version of a meeting with a former choir buddy who deserted us to ring bells.
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This is another tale tapped on my iPad on the veranda in Mallorca last month.
It is a memory of my 14 year old self at a BB Camp in 1962, a mere 62 years ago.
Jump in your Tradis and join me.
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This is a story which came to me on the veranda during our recent winter sun break on Mallorca.
It is based on a recurring vibrant memory of Glasgow Fair Friday in July 1964.
Please do not take offence at the nickname assigned to Sidney Goldman. He accepted it, even welcomed it as it gave him a chance to add his Jewish comedy routines when performing to an audience. And Sid loved and audience - as did Willi.
Put on your time traveller’s bunnet and read on.
For ease of reference, here are the You Tube links which will take you quickly to the songs referred to in the text:
Song of the Clyde
https://youtu.be/iZX0h4X7s1c?si=Cju7wFMJ6vxsj3CP
My Way
https://youtu.be/qQzdAsjWGPg?si=bMJ1rUbRMESk2CP_
Fever
https://youtu.be/JBANWpzsHts
Nice work if you can get it
https://youtu.be/FB1MxIZrmCk?si=0-J9eZfgbeTjb64I
Begin the Beguin
https://youtu.be/sYHXTJxoZqo?si=tFrwnRLfd-uNNK1C
Fly me to the Moon
https://youtu.be/ZEcqHA7dbwM?si=_N4wEdZ5l4kZIiY-
I can’t tell a waltz
https://youtu.be/QI8z5gBNDWk?si=DXiP4S-LJrE2iR9A
Jimmy Shand medley
https://youtu.be/vhxtmqYyI_w?si=0tUl6Exs0Ee0FnxV
The Day we went to Rothesay-O
https://youtu.be/xvHgHxu4cbQ?si=9Zdwb4EQPuozGmhn
Where or When
https://youtu.be/tbnA78ravpY?si=JI2l1NgwHCKZc-ft
Will ye no’come back again
https://youtu.be/JyaCv41-VM8?si=8TzvKmObS66QMVwa
Auld Lang Syne
https://youtu.be/i4pN0zn16jk?si=8mbB5vF9BijRcttg
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Our Writers’ Circus challenge for January 2024 was to write about ‘Memories of 2023’.
As some of you may know, I love singing.
I have also become ‘addicted’ to YouTube.
Put these two pastimes together and out pops this offering.
I hope you enjoy my selection.
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This is another tale based on a conversation with my grandson Drew (aged 8).
The entire story as written is almost verbatim from a journey we made through heavy traffic.
I suppose part of my motivation in publishing it here is to provided a record for my sons Stuart and Craig and perhaps for my five grandsons in the future at a time when they might be interested.
If you are wearying, skip through the indented part and scan the dialogue sections alone.
Click here to download the PDF.