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Post by a more piratey game on Mar 14, 2021 12:21:38 GMT
'I initially planned to stay in the UK for only 12 months to improve my English, but the good weather, the tasty food and the classy women made me stay. In order to blend in with the locals, I decided to get extremely lazy, spend money I don't have and, most importantly, to unjustifiably bang on about my great sense of humour. This is why I decided 1,646 days, nine hours and 42 minutes ago to try my hand at stand-up and become the German Comedy Ambassador'
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Post by The Concept on May 22, 2021 8:10:05 GMT
Next up, a couple of years ago, an old boy from Bridgwater... He told me that he didn't get to attend very often nowadays, and that he used to have a season-ticket at the Mem. Interesting point: despite being from a town 40 miles away, an area not usually noted as being a hotbed of Rovers' support, much closer to Yeovil, and even City, both he and his next door neighbour were Rovers fans, and travelled together to games, to sit in the South Stand. But although being a resident of Bridgwater, he mistakenly thought it was an 'E' missing from the place-name and didn't realise it is the 'L': bridgwater-tc.gov.uk/history/the-dark-and-middle-ages/the-middle-ages/
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
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Post by kingswood Polak on May 22, 2021 10:53:31 GMT
People stood around me on the East Terrace have often been a bit loud and unruly. It's funniest when the family down in front of the newest tent start arguing with each other and people around them. I had the dubious “pleasure” of hearing them. The friend with whom I go, tried to calm them down but ended up having dogs abuse directed at him & it was a very close run thing that he never KO’d the loudest of them. If the same people, it’s one lady, in a wheelchair, with around 3-4 carers. The stewards refused to do anything
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
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Post by kingswood Polak on May 22, 2021 10:59:25 GMT
Next up, a couple of years ago, an old boy from Bridgwater... He told me that he didn't get to attend very often nowadays, and that he used to have a season-ticket at the Mem. Interesting point: despite being from a town 40 miles away, an area not usually noted as being a hotbed of Rovers' support, much closer to Yeovil, and even City, both he and his next door neighbour were Rovers fans, and travelled together to games, to sit in the South Stand. But although being a resident of Bridgwater, he mistakenly thought it was an 'E' missing from the place-name and didn't realise it is the 'L': bridgwater-tc.gov.uk/history/the-dark-and-middle-ages/the-middle-ages/Very interesting mate. Had no idea & I absolutely adore history. Gasheads.org, educating numb nuts since 1883 👌🏻
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Post by lostinspace on May 22, 2021 11:27:56 GMT
odd how both the Hamp and Sydenham estates are two areas of somewhat dubious inhabitants [or were ........things may have changed in recent history at least since AD 998 anyway
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
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Post by kingswood Polak on May 22, 2021 15:52:18 GMT
odd how both the Hamp and Sydenham estates are two areas of somewhat dubious inhabitants [or were ........things may have changed in recent history at least since AD 998 anyway I had a fantastic history tutor, well ahead of his peers in the 1980’s. He brought history to life, he would , often, turn up to a lesson in costume and made me feel immersed in whatever period he was teaching. He told us that many English and British villages, were suffering from chronic inbreeding. Kids were being born with awful problems. Dubious is one way of putting it, apparently the railroads and, more importantly, the navvies building them, made the gene pool much healthier I often think, what is a true Englishman ? Roman, Norman, Viking, Celt & pict are just some that are in the mix. Apparently the Welsh have the purest bloodlines but that was some 40 years ago. I wonder how much that has changed now ? Apologies for going off on a tangent but , as I said, the topic fascinates me There is real strength in diversity and no, I am not talking of the dance group 😂
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2021 16:16:39 GMT
Chronic inbreeding/Bridgwater. Not a lot changes eh?
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
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Post by kingswood Polak on May 22, 2021 16:37:49 GMT
Chronic inbreeding/Bridgwater. Not a lot changes eh? 😂😂😂😂👌🏻
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Post by toteend3 on May 22, 2021 16:52:20 GMT
Chronic inbreeding/Bridgwater. Not a lot changes eh? That's harsh! In a past life I actually lived on Sydenham Estate and went to Sydenham Secondary School and it was a delightful place to ...... ...................No your right a gawd awful place and until recently before Cellophane shut down Bildgewater was just a long street with a smell!
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Post by The Concept on May 29, 2021 10:41:09 GMT
A couple of years back (well, it would be now, wouldn't it!) had a chap sitting next to me whose back story is probably more interesting than I prised out.
I'm rubbish at guessing ages, maybe late 50s? Dr Marten boots, roll-up on the jeans, Harrington jacket (I think) - so of the Ska / 2-tone era of his youth. Originally from the Eastville area, and had only moved back to the UK in the last few years having worked in the USA and Far East (I think). If I recall he had been a journalist (I think, again!). Now has his own business in Bath and keen to watch the Rovers again.
I recommended the hospitality options, encouraged him to get involved with the sponsorship, and mentioned the annual 1883 Draw for shirt sponsorship - hopefully he has become more involved with the club in some way.
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george
Joined: March 2016
Posts: 63
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Post by george on May 29, 2021 15:12:31 GMT
Chronic inbreeding/Bridgwater. Not a lot changes eh? That's harsh! In a past life I actually lived on Sydenham Estate and went to Sydenham Secondary School and it was a delightful place to ...... ...................No your right a gawd awful place and until recently before Cellophane shut down Bildgewater was just a long street with a smell! Well its changed now. A lot to do with Hinkley money I suspect. And the football club has come into money with plans drawn up for a new ground change of name and many other things that will see them probably go from strength to strength. Oh and incidently Bridgwater used to have an extra "E" in its title. Also lots of Gas in the town as well.
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Post by matealotblue on May 29, 2021 15:52:25 GMT
That's harsh! In a past life I actually lived on Sydenham Estate and went to Sydenham Secondary School and it was a delightful place to ...... ...................No your right a gawd awful place and until recently before Cellophane shut down Bildgewater was just a long street with a smell! Well its changed now. A lot to do with Hinkley money I suspect. And the football club has come into money with plans drawn up for a new ground change of name and many other things that will see them probably go from strength to strength. Oh and incidently Bridgwater used to have an extra "E" in its title. Also lots of Gas in the town as well.Think that's more to do with the food and beer consumed there.............
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Post by toteend3 on May 31, 2021 16:02:33 GMT
Well its changed now. A lot to do with Hinkley money I suspect. And the football club has come into money with plans drawn up for a new ground change of name and many other things that will see them probably go from strength to strength. Oh and incidently Bridgwater used to have an extra "E" in its title. Also lots of Gas in the town as well.Think that's more to do with the food and beer consumed there............. I accept its on the up, hasn’t looked back since the town twinned with the Forest of Dean.
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Post by The Concept on Jun 1, 2021 7:06:08 GMT
I often get a bloke sat next to me making notes, scribbling things on bits of paper, a notebook, or clipboard, and usually they don't want to be engaged in conversation. One chap had been fairly high up at Newport County. Not sure on his exact role, but was on the board while they were going through troubled times and helped them stay afloat while they became 'The Exiles'. But it appeared he had severed his ties with the club. There must have been some falling out (I think it was something to do with the ground share with the rugby club), and he hadn't been to watch since they moved back to Newport. He'd become a bit of a Nomad himself, watching other clubs and lots of non-league matches. He was very knowledgeable with the goings on at other clubs, including Rovers, and knew all about Rovers connections with South Wales, going back to the 60s and 70s, and the nursery run by Stan Montgomery. I wonder if he was cheering Newport on yesterday. EDIT: Hmm, David Hando would fit the bill, going on he stopped supporting Newport Rugby (after they toured South Africa), and might be why this chap wouldn't want to go to Rodney Parade. But Hando is Honorary President: www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/10045958.first-person-newport-stalwart-david-hando/www.theguardian.com/football/2019/feb/15/newport-county-inside-story-club-rose-dead-manchester-city-fa-cup
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Post by The Concept on Jun 6, 2021 10:41:22 GMT
One of my favourites, an old boy from 2/3 seasons ago, and serves as a reminder that there are people out there who can't attend regularly for a number of reasons, but they are still Rovers supporters. These reasons could be many and due to things like: family commitments; work; distance; travel arrangements; mobility; age; finances etc.
It's also has the added interest of how people come to be a Rovers' supporter in the first place, and this was one of the more unusual.
The bloke sat next to me was originally from Freshford, the other side of Bath, right on the Somerset / Wiltshire border.
He had heard that The Harlem Globetrotters would be playing at Eastville Stadium - this piqued his interest and he travelled over to Bristol by train to watch. This would have been Tuesday, 26th May, 1959.
After this visit he realised that even though it was a fair distance to get to the ground it was fairly simple as there was a halt at Freshford and he could travel straight there. And then he thought that he'd take the journey again and next time watch a football match.
From there he was hooked on the Rovers and became a regular supporter for a number of years. However, family commitments got in the way and over time he wasn't able to get over to watch games so often. He moved home a short distance into Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, where he still lives.
But, crucially, and this applies to many people: he still considers himself a Rovers supporter and still looks out for the results.
As such his daughter buys him a ticket to a game once a year as a birthday present. He'd got the train to Temple Meads, and a bus to and from the ground, so a bit more of a challenge than it used be, especially at his age.
Oh! And Rovers won - he had a grand day out!
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warehamgas
Predictions League
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,430
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Post by warehamgas on Jun 6, 2021 13:21:12 GMT
Lovely story Concept, it’s why nowadays I like to sit at Football or Cricket, sometimes you can be very lucky and find yourself in the company of some interesting people. At the moment I’m sat at Taunton watching the cricket for the first time since September 2019. In the past 4 days I’ve talked to a couple of Bristol ***t ST holders, someone who climbed The Matterhorn when younger and someone who’s visited every racecourse in England, Wales and Scotland. With the fine weather it has made for a fascinating 3 days so far. Good conversation, in fine weather at a sporting event is pretty much up there on a list of enjoyable things. UTG!
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