Status report Page 6,039

I once went with a friend to a snooker exhibition match between Alex Higgins and Tony Knowles.
This friend took tight fistedness to another level - he was famous for it.
If he got hold of a pound, it was a prisoner.

During the match, the referee told the audience not to go to the bar during play.
As my friend had bought the last round, he was keen to even things up.
The referee was re-racking the balls while both players were sat in their seats and I got a nudge in the side.
'nip to the bar now while he's setting up'
The only path was to walk right past Alex. As I did, Alex Higgins rounded on me and I was sure he was going to say something nasty.
He said 'Are you going to the bar?' Still wondering if he was going to have a go I meekly said yes.
'get me a pint of lager will you' 'oh, of course Alex'

I came back holding three pints of lager and Higgins took the front pint. He then slipped a fiver into my shirt top pocket.
and said have the beers on me. (a fiver was more than enough for them in those days)
I sat down and gave my friend his drink and was about to say these are on Alex Higgins but my parsimonious friend had already seen the exchange.
Before I could tell him, he said 'it's still your round next time'.

You told me that was strictly between me and you and would go no further.

Sorry friend.

Awwww.............. ..................(too much?)

Had Jersey Royals tonight. Yummy!

Thought "Royals" was an anathema to you.

Only the human form. *pukes violently*

Quote: Briosaid @ 27th April 2019, 1:06 AM

Only the human form. *pukes violently*

View original

You can't pick and choose them you know.

Went back to the doctor about my vertigo, which won't go away, and he told me I'm unlikely to shake it now because I have glue ear and asked if I had grommets when I was a kid. I said no. He said, well I think you should have done. Fair enough...bye then. Excellent result!

Quote: Chappers @ 29th April 2019, 12:40 AM

You can't pick and choose them you know.

View original

You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.

Just went to stroke the tortoise for a bit (don't). The sun isn't bright enough for him to settle in, but he keeps walking up and down, tilting his shell towards the direction of the dull glow of the sun and keeps trying to crane his neck round to look behind him to see if he's got it right yet. So frustrating to watch. I can't stop him, because he just doesn't understand what I'm telling him. His hope is admirable, but he's wasting precious energy and won't eat unless he's hot enough. I put some greens in front of him, but his face is shouting, "Cucumber!" ...which he'll eat at any time at all, but which I can't keep giving him, because it's just a load of water and gives him the squits. So now you know.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 26th April 2019, 8:07 AM

I once went with a friend to a snooker exhibition match between Alex Higgins and Tony Knowles.
This friend took tight fistedness to another level - he was famous for it.
If he got hold of a pound, it was a prisoner.

During the match, the referee told the audience not to go to the bar during play.
As my friend had bought the last round, he was keen to even things up.
The referee was re-racking the balls while both players were sat in their seats and I got a nudge in the side.
'nip to the bar now while he's setting up'
The only path was to walk right past Alex. As I did, Alex Higgins rounded on me and I was sure he was going to say something nasty.
He said 'Are you going to the bar?' Still wondering if he was going to have a go I meekly said yes.
'get me a pint of lager will you' 'oh, of course Alex'

I came back holding three pints of lager and Higgins took the front pint. He then slipped a fiver into my shirt top pocket.
and said have the beers on me. (a fiver was more than enough for them in those days)
I sat down and gave my friend his drink and was about to say these are on Alex Higgins but my parsimonious friend had already seen the exchange.
Before I could tell him, he said 'it's still your round next time'.

View original

So Alex got a round in

The nostalgic in me wants to know what the lager was. Harp?

If I was to take a good guess... it would be the horrible Kronenburg.
The venue was at a sports centre called The Richard Dunn centre.
Usually when a place or institution is named after someone, it's because they have done worthy or notable things.

Richard Dunn was a scaffolder that worked on the building of this sports centre.
He and his brothers were well known in the area as - shall we say debt collectors and minders.
You did not want them knocking on your door.
Richard was an amatuer boxer that had a chance to fight for money and to be able to call himself a pro boxer.
His style was haymakers and wild swinging.
He connected a few times, usually knocking out his opponent.
By very unusual circumstances, he fought for the british heavyweight title and so earned a crack at the one and only Mohamed Ali.
The fight was comical because Ali was showboating the whole fight. He knocked Dunn down several times but he always gamely got back up to take more.
Watch the last 2 rounds... it gets funnier as it goes on. Especially when Ali points at the floor and tells Dunn he is going down for good in this round.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 1st May 2019, 10:16 AM

Watch the last 2 rounds... it gets funnier as it goes on. Especially when Ali points at the floor and tells Dunn he is going down for good in this round.

View original

You've got to admire his pluck though.

I went off Ali when 'Enry put him down with his 'ammer and Ali's corner fiddled with a glove to give Ali more time to recover.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 26th April 2019, 8:07 AM

I once went with a friend to a snooker exhibition match between Alex Higgins and Tony Knowles.
This friend took tight fistedness to another level - he was famous for it.
If he got hold of a pound, it was a prisoner.

During the match, the referee told the audience not to go to the bar during play.
As my friend had bought the last round, he was keen to even things up.
The referee was re-racking the balls while both players were sat in their seats and I got a nudge in the side.
'nip to the bar now while he's setting up'
The only path was to walk right past Alex. As I did, Alex Higgins rounded on me and I was sure he was going to say something nasty.
He said 'Are you going to the bar?' Still wondering if he was going to have a go I meekly said yes.
'get me a pint of lager will you' 'oh, of course Alex'

I came back holding three pints of lager and Higgins took the front pint. He then slipped a fiver into my shirt top pocket.
and said have the beers on me. (a fiver was more than enough for them in those days)
I sat down and gave my friend his drink and was about to say these are on Alex Higgins but my parsimonious friend had already seen the exchange.
Before I could tell him, he said 'it's still your round next time'.

View original

What a lovely story.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 1st May 2019, 10:16 AM

If I was to take a good guess... it would be the horrible Kronenburg.
The venue was at a sports centre called The Richard Dunn centre.
Usually when a place or institution is named after someone, it's because they have done worthy or notable things.

Richard Dunn was a scaffolder that worked on the building of this sports centre.
He and his brothers were well known in the area as - shall we say debt collectors and minders.
You did not want them knocking on your door.
Richard was an amatuer boxer that had a chance to fight for money and to be able to call himself a pro boxer.
His style was haymakers and wild swinging.
He connected a few times, usually knocking out his opponent.
By very unusual circumstances, he fought for the british heavyweight title and so earned a crack at the one and only Mohamed Ali.
The fight was comical because Ali was showboating the whole fight. He knocked Dunn down several times but he always gamely got back up to take more.
Watch the last 2 rounds... it gets funnier as it goes on. Especially when Ali points at the floor and tells Dunn he is going down for good in this round.

View original

I have never been to a boxing match but I have loads of autographs signed especially for me from famous people like John Conteh and Terry Downes. They were got for me by a local government officer who was also a member of the criminal underworld based at the Manor Place Baths near the Walworth Road. Coincidentally, it was the place where my parents went to bath monthly forty years earlier. Terry Spinks. That is another one. I would need to check - my mind was mainly on East Street Market vegetables at the time - but there might be a dozen in all. Literary boxers. Not sprouts,