In reply to UKC News: My first memory of the Dale was mid-sixties and the Grouse (opposite the chippy) with the landlady's long blonde hair and thick black roots,and TP clutching a glass of still orange (what a guy!)while Mr Street held forth. The Cioch lads were the real thing!!
Keep the Padarn - the Grouse was the place!
Comments relating to grafitti on the bog wall of the cafe, remind me of two classics which survived for years and many 'repaints' during the late sixties and early seventies:- one was (to the effect) scrawled on the wall
next to the cistern -"Flush hard - kitchen a long way"....but the classic
was "Boil all Berzins!"....which I always blamed 'Billy B.' for.
(although he has always denied it). Any attempts at decorating always painted round these!!
Certainly great memories of Eric in the sixties, and then the arrival of
Jim and his son Roger, (with his axminster wig), pouring innumerable pints
of tea out of his two huge teapots!!...while casting quick glances up at you to see if you were spotting the parting!!
Plenty more tales of the cafe and clientele of the late sixties and the
dosses, eg. 'The Mansion' -[sadly demolished circa 1967 to make way for
the carpark/layby opposite the woodshed!]....or the 'farm' up the track on the left at the final right-hand bend at the top of the dale...nights of 'um-gowy' battles with TP (generally fast asleep by then - nice quiet lad!, Colin 'Winf', 'Big John Con' and the rest of the mad brigade....weekends never to be missed!
When the cafe had a 'posh part' (?), we'd arrived and Mike Watson's dear lady, Joyce, did not seem very impressed with the 'great unwashed' section and wanted to mix it with 'china cup' brigade. It was almost "It's me or climbing!"...as we all (Gobbie, Con, Paul Anderson et al.) chimed in - "Go on Mike....tell her....!". Oh dear!! Sense prevailed and order was restored.
Although, on one occasion, as one would queue to order and also get up and collect when your order was ready....Mike had ordered something for him like egg chips and beans, while Joyce had ordered something with sausage. As Mike walked back to the table with the two plates, Gobbie was in the queue and as Mike went past, Jim grabbed a sausage and swallowed half of it!! "Mmmm...tasty!" Mike's face went white!! I never knew how he explained it to Joyce!!
And yes...Gobbie!! We'd come in the cafe after some big jamming experience - Gobbie's hands bleeding and full of scabs - Tony Nick (Nicholls) and Tut in the cafe - Jim tells Nick they don't hurt...are you sure? says Nick as he gently slaps them...."N0!"...so...Nick sprinkles vinegar on Jim's hands...still no flinching...Jim smiling..."No problem"...!!! Nick grabs Jim's hand and slaps it profusely....last we saw of Jim was him running howling up the dale trying to find cold water!!
And all this before chalk!!
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