Scooters on Duckett Road outside Strand Motor Cycles, 1962-3 | 4

Comment by Brian Faulkner on November 1, 2020 at 17:27

Hi John, Good to Talk brings back Some Great Memories times We will Never See Again !!.

What a World We live in Today !!?, Covid Worst Time in My Life Time !!?.

Susan was 2nd Youngest, Francis is the Baby 58 !!.

My Wifes Sister has had a Apartment in Lisbon,( the Capital) for over 30 Yrs !!

So Many Holidays here over that Time !!, and Also back in the EU but Not for Much Longer !!??.

Good Country & the Weather !, only thing the Language, but We get by !!.

Had Holidays here when We lived in Oz, 2 wks UK 2 Wks Portugal.

Great Ex Pats Community here in the Village where We live, English Bar !!!!!, Good Life at this Age !!.

Yes I landed in Fremantle in 68, After 3 Wks 3 days on the Ship !. 2 stops, Las Palmas, Canaries & Cape Town S/Africa !!. It was Party Time, Until we docked at Fremantle !!!!!.

Showed Us the New Brick Emigration Camp Buildings in Oz House London !!!!!!!!!!

Wooden Huts Ex Army Barracks !!!!!. Gave Us A Goal to move on, Which We did !!.

Yes Micky Duckworth, More of a Mate with My Brother Micky, Who has Also Passed on, Cancer !!.

Comment by John Shulver on November 9, 2020 at 15:51

Back again Brian.    My best old mate from Harringay days (we met up in '63 and have remained mates since)  has enquired after your family group.  He went to North Harringay and crossed paths with Mickey while there, lived in Fairfax Road.  This is how I know of you.  He was amazed to hear I had been communicating with you after so many years down the line.  So he has asked if you can pass on to me list of your siblings in date order please ?  Just out of interest.  He can recall some names.  But he didn't realise there were 10 of you and that Mickey was a twin.  My mate Colin Phillips was born 1948.

Sounds like life has been pretty good to you Brian on reading your accounts.

I visited Fremantle and thought it was a quaint little town.........away from the docks of course.

And I fully understand what you mean about the immigrant hostel from my brother' accounts and TV documentaries.   In fact reading a book on Ten Pound Poms now.   But you probably would've paid more than 10 quid for a week at Butlins then eh !

Bloody cancer mate, everywhere innit !

Good luck mate..........

Comment by Brian Faulkner on November 12, 2020 at 18:51

Hi john, Joan-22-08-1940, Me-14-05-1946, Barry & Micky-23-03-1947,Paul-14-09-1949-David-15-09-1951, Marian-26-09-1952, jacky 28-10-1953,Susan-18-11-1955,Francis-06-04-1957  !!!!!!. The Gang !!.

 Yes Life has been Good ,most of the Time, But Worked Hard for IT. 7 Days a week Some time !!.

1st Job Apprentice M/B Mechanic, Strands, Appre Plumber, Worked for Demolition Company. 100ft above Oxford Street, with the Pick & Sledge Hammer, Driving truck with 2nd Hand Stock Bricks delivering !!!. Glazing for 15 Yrs, Scaffolding out on Tools, Then Running Yard !!. Jack of All Trades !!!!!!!!!. New How to Earn A Shilling !!, getting the Hands Dirty !!??.

 Brickies Labourer in Oz, then to Mt Tom Price, Iron Ore Mining town in the BUSH !!!.

 3000 Blokes in Camp, Not much Life there, No Girls !!?. Plant  Operator driving Cat 944 front End Loader, Ect !!.  BIG Dump Trucks, carrying 100 Tons of Iron Ore to the Crusher 24-7. Big Mothers !!.

 Great Life in Oz 21& Single, 2& half Yrs out their. 

  Prostate Cancer here in 2014, had Brackenthery treatment !!, Radio Active seeds Implanted into Prostate Killed 2 Tumors inside, 6months dead & buried !! All Good.

Heart Attack in Dec 2017, Main Artery blocked, drove Myself to Clinic !!!, They called Ambulance, Vent Inserted into right Arm 7into Heart !!!!. All Good still Breathing !!.

 Enough babble for Now, Keep Well & Safe, Cheers Brian.

Comment by Brian Faulkner on January 6, 2021 at 19:00

Hi John, Yes Vespa up for Sale Now !!, All ways been Into Classic Cars.

Had Colin Chapmans 1st Lotus Elite, 1961,& many more !!. Bought Ford Mustang 1966 Coupe in Oz.

Shipped it to Portugal when We Moved here, 2013. Sold It September last Year.

 Bought a Porsche 356 Speedster Replica Convertible, Lovely Car !!!.

Portugal !! Been coming here for many Years, Wifes Sister has a Apartment in Lisbon for 35 yrs.

 So many Holidays here !!. Think it is the Best & Safest place To Be at this Time. 95% of Portuguese are Good People, & where We live is a Small Village & Good Expat Community. 10 mins from the Airport, & Main shopping centres !!.  Total Population in Portugal is Around 10& 1/2 Million.

 All the best for The New Year !!!???  Keep Well & Safe & All Your Family.

             Cheers Brian

Comment by John Shulver on March 2, 2021 at 12:09

Watcha Brian.........don't know what's going on cos I've only just found your message of November 12th. !!

Thanks very much for family names and dates Brian, I will now pass them onto my old mate Colin.

He has an old school mate still living in Harringay by name of Colin Servantes who is quite knowledgeable about old Harringay.

Great CV you've built up there Brian, must've been a lot of fun along the way.  Good on ya !

Mount Tom Price, is that Western Australia ?   No way would you have experienced stuff like that anywhere else.

Prostate cancer eh !  Same here but I had to have mine cut out in July 2010.  So you've done well mate.

Bastard thing but of course could be a lot worse.  Reckon it must be something to do with quality of Harringay drinking water !!

Look after that heart then mate..........bloody amazing what surgery is achievable these days.

Did you spend most of your Harringay days down at the Salisbury end ??

Take care Brian.......good luck to ya.

Comment by John Shulver on March 2, 2021 at 12:28

Brian, meant to ask how big was your house ??

Comment by Brian Faulkner on March 2, 2021 at 17:55

Hi John, Yes Way up in the Bush, Western Oz !!.

House at 37 Cavendish, Was 4 Bedrooms, Top floor 2 beds. Mum & Dad & Eldest Sister Gloria !!.

next floor down, was 2 Double beds, 2 Sisters in Each !!. 1st floor, again 2 Doubles.

2 Brothers in One, Me & two more in the Other Bed, 2 up top, One down the Bottom !!!!!.

There Were Some Fights !!. Saturday night, Dad would have Us Boys Put the Boxing Gloves On !!!!??.

  Sparing in the Passage, Remember one Saturday, Sparing, or Boxing with Barry. I caught Him on the Nose !! Blood !!. Had Four Brothers on Top Of Me on the Floor !!!!! Punching S--T out of Me !!!!

  Good Laughs !!!!.  Remember Collecting the Tar Blocks, When they were Relaying the Streets  with Ashfelt & Tar !!. Home to Chop & Bundle for Selling as Fire Wood !!.

Beers Bottles, back to the Offie for pence !!??.

Worked in Booths the Hardware Store, Corner of Mattison road. Saturdays, Filling Paraffin  Cans, & the shop Shelves !!??. THEY Were the Days, Will Never See them Times Again !.

 Nice To Speak To You Again John.1th March Gov looking at Opening Up Lockdown !!??. Only 3 Areas Including Lisbon as Still High Risk Areas !!. No Deaths here on the Algarve for 3 weeks !!

    Keep Well & Safe & Your Family !!.   Not Salisbury End, Duckett & Cavendish End & the Railway Pub in Wightman Road on the Corner of Burgoyne Road !!!!!   MEMORIES !1

                    Cheers Brian.

Comment by John Shulver on March 8, 2021 at 22:22

Watcha Brian.    I only made it across to Perth to visit friends for a couple of weeks only visiting Fremantle and going down the coast about 30 miles or so and upwards into the country about same distance.  Never got into the wild country/ Kimberleys areas.  Remote is putting it mildly from what I know of it.

For some reason i thought you lived Effingham or Falkland roads.  Life must've been pretty hectic for your lot in that house.  Did you have indoor loo ?  We had 3 room ground floor flat in Harringay Road. Front room was straight off the road  and doubled as bedroom, bedroom in middle room and kitchen at back of house.  Just a cold water tap and outside loo.  Dragged tin bath into kitchen in front of fire and took turns in it.  We had gas lighting but I remember electricity being connected !  Mum and Dad and 4 kids though Dad died of cancer aged 40 in 1955.  I was born there in '49.  Basic but loved that house, always will be home to me.

Your dad couldn't have been that old when he died Brian.  What was his work ?

Tar blocks Brian.......when was that ?   I have read about them on here somewhere but never realised it was in our sort of time !  Bet they burnt well.

Yeh and collecting up old bottles and claiming the deposit.

Had forgotten all about that hardware store till you mentioned it !  We used to get our paraffin refilled there, blue and then pink I think it was ?  We relied on paraffin for heating, surprised we never died from the fumes, used to be alight all night on real cold nights. Hah.

As you will know lockdown has been pretty tight over here as well.......whoever would've guessed this scenario eh !  It's stuffed things up right left and centre, makes you wonder how many businesses will survive.  And the long term costs and damage, it is shit !  I made my Oz trip just in time getting back New Year Eve 2019 !

Oh The Railway pub ! That reminds me, we had a 5 piece band and used to practice in a room upstairs.

I was down to be the next Charlie Watts but ended up as Jack Shit !!  So where did you spend your nights ?

Okay mate, enough for now.........you take care and keep smiling.

Good old Harringay forever eh mate !!

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