Robbie64

Yes, it was great to be back down there for the first time since 2005. I stayed with a couple of friends in Harrow and took the opportunity to visit the place I used to work (Harlesden - it still looks run down and crime ridden) and where I lived (Greenford, Notting Hill Gate, Wembley and Belsize Park) A lot of my old haunts have been demolished or have been turned into care homes! There was a pub at the end of the street where I lived in Greenford that has been demolished since I was last in Greenford. The Oldfield Tavern. It's the place where The Who used to practice in their early days and it's where Keith Moon auditioned for the group. The pub used to have loads of The Who memorabilia so I wonder where all that went to. All that history has now gone and in its place is a block of flats. Indeed, it's amazing how much London as a whole has changed since I was last there some 16 years ago. It looks a lot cleaner with a lot of new buildings but in a way I preferred the rougher looking London of the 1980s and 1990s! It had more character...

Caramel

I remember feeling sorry for the boys who wanted to play football at my primary school. There was a very stern head teacher who practically gave them to understand it was their patriotic duty to play Rugby, and heaven help the boys who wore jerseys in the local football-club colours!

Do you remember the 1969/70 tv series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ? It has some fascinating scenes of London at that time, a lot of new buildings then looking very modern and some still to be found on Google street-view, and enough of the old buildings to give it character.

Glad to see you again, Robbie.

List of left- and right-driving countries:

https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/l...ing-countries/

Robbie64

I'm old enough to remember the programme but wasn't old enough to be able to watch it at the time as it was on way past my bedtime. I've seen it since as the programme has been repeated enough times though I have to admit I don't recall much about it as it's years since I last saw it. I like to watch the UK TV programmes The Sweeney and Minder, two programmes made by Euston Films from the 1970s and 1980s, with many on location shots which were often shot in the parts of London where I lived and worked. The same with another UK police programme The Bill which for a while was shot on location in north west London, in the same place as where I worked. It's unbelievable when watching them to see how much of London has changed yet also to see how much has stayed the same.

My sports teacher was a massive rugby fanatic which is why he wanted us boys to play rugby as much as possible. My old school now has a policy of nurturing talent rather than trying to force on people things they don't like and are no good at. The current England football goalkeeper went to my old school so the sports teachers now know what they are doing. I just wanted to be the next Bjorn Borg and instead got lumps kicked out of me on the rugby pitch!

Most of the countries that drive on the left are old British Commonwealth countries. Places like the US adopted right hand driving as a way of rubbing British noses in it after they got independence though of course it was horses and carts back then rather than cars... I've always been surprised though that Japan is also left side driving given that they have never been a British colony nor ever come under any British influence.

SoberLeigh

Good to hear that your old school has changed its policy, Robbie.

saoutchik

Interesting stuff about London. My mum was from that part of London. Gentrification is a double edged sword definitely. We never once played rugby or cricket at my school, it was all football in winter (or 'cross country' running in the park) and summers were athletics. I never missed cricket but as a tall lad I would have liked to have tried rugby although I would have needed to fill out a bit back then. I enjoy watching it.

Quite a lot of countries used to drive on the lefthe The 54th anniversary of Sweden changing over is on Friday. It was known as Dagen H or H Day and in their efficient Swedish way it went pretty smoothly and there were no injuries on the day (I think that's right)

Robbie64

^
I'd forgotten about cross country and athletics. Yes, we did both them too. Cross country in the 1970s in my town basically meant running in the woods near the school. Those woods are now a housing estate. My speciality at athletics was the 100m and 200m sprints as I was very fast. Anything above 400m and I would run too fast at the start without pacing myself and would end up almost last... my cousin was a school champion long distance runner, he could run the 10,000 metres without breaking sweat. I tried it once and ended up almost passing out!

PhoenixJ

Second day of spring..summer temp, hot dusty winds up to 80k/hr...I sincerely hope no sicko arsonists start bushfires..hayfever cranked up

Mags1

PJ keep safe, hope your hayfever keeps under control. Also praying there are no fires started.

Speaking of sports at school I liked the hurdles. I was so skinny I manoeuvred the hurdles easily. Also rounders, loved batting, if that’s the right word.

SoberLeigh

Ditto what Mags said, PJ.

Mags1

Hi Leigh. Must be nearly your sleep time. I’m up early as usual. 3.15 am ish.

SoberLeigh

Wow, Mags; 3:15 a.m. is really, really early. How many hours of sleep do you usually get a night?

Bedtime is getting really close, Mags. I am really tired tonight as a I swam 1/3 of a mike today. 1/2 mile is my goal. I have been working up to it. Five years ago, I couldn’t have swum a length or even a width of a pool as my breathing was so bad. Between each length of the pool, I need to stop and do some of my COPD breathing exercises, so the 1/3 mile is not strictly continuous. In my teens and 20s, I could swim a contiguous mile. Who knows, maybe again someday. ODAAT, right 😊

Mags1

Leigh swimming is so good for us. You’ll get to your target for sure. My body clock is so upside down at the minute. Usually my hand/wrist wakes me up. So I sleep when I’m tired until things get back to normal.

SoberLeigh

Good plan, Mags; catch that sleep whenever you can; so much healing takes place while sleeping.

Mags1

New thread begins

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...er-2021-a.html (Weekend Warriors Weekenders 03-06 September 2021)