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How many times was it found that railwaymen's stories were a bit unbelievable/exaggerated or outright madeup?


OnTheBranchline
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On 25/03/2023 at 14:18, The Stationmaster said:

It sounds like on of the many tales that grew up about the 'go anywhere' depots' such as Saltley (the seagulls), Eastleigh, and at one time Didcot.  A common one on the Western was to ask a Dicot Drver how the road learning was going which would hopefully get the answer 'where to?' to which the response was 'to the moon because I bet you lot will beat the Yanks and the Russians to it.

 

There were numerous stories - many of which were absolutely true about the goings on at those three depots and no doubt there were others elsewhere with a similar reputation (our Top Link at Radyr had some candidates for that particular prize).   A Didcot driver on nee occasion got to Harwich - without a Conductior driver having done twice that week tutoring a Stratford Driveroin the traction following which he duly signed the road.  While on the occasion of a major derailment two light engines off Didcot mgrs had to get back to the Midlands and between them the Saltley men managed to volunteer enough road knowledge to make their way via Acton, thence Willesden and onto the WCML to get back to Brum.  Eastleigh Drivers regularly got involved in SPADs in the Brum area where various GPLs were on the wrong side and misleading to those who didn't know the area properly - and Eastleigh men didn't officially know it in those days.

 

PS In any case the Captan would not have been in charge of navigating the ship into Southampton - that would be the job of the Pilot.  I knew Cunard's retained Inward Pilot for Southampton.  On the transatlantic trips the original two 'Queens' never stopped to pick up a Pilot so he had to go over to France to join them when they docked there.  The Outward Southampton Pilot stayed onboard until the ship docked in France..

No naming names but I have an ex Saltley mate who on a cruise negotiated a visit to the bridge of the ship he was on and asked if he could take the wheel… 

Saltley Seagulls signing the road and all that…😜😀

 

Edited by Matt37268
Bad spelling
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24 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

There’s a bloke at work called , “ three sh*ts”.

Because if you’ve had two, you can guess how many he’s had 

I remember a comedy drama from the 1980's called 'The Ritz'  in it a bouncer was asking another called 'Kai' how he was such a big hit with the ladies. Kai told him that he had to impress them. so when chatting to the next lady he said "I've had 3 sh*ts today"

Sadly I worked with someone who thought that sounded like a good technique....🙄

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One of my drinking buddies in the days of my misspent yoof used the chatup line 'fancy a sh*g, then'.  He claimed that it worked about one in 500 times, which got him at least as much action  as any of the rest of us on average; sometimes a girl just likes to be able to give a straight answer to a simple question.  It got him slapped a lot as well, but hey, no gain without pain...  One of the positive aspects was that it made the rest of us look cool and sophisticated.

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10 hours ago, The Johnster said:

One of my drinking buddies in the days of my misspent yoof used the chatup line 'fancy a sh*g, then'.  He claimed that it worked about one in 500 times, which got him at least as much action  as any of the rest of us on average; sometimes a girl just likes to be able to give a straight answer to a simple question.  It got him slapped a lot as well, but hey, no gain without pain...  One of the positive aspects was that it made the rest of us look cool and sophisticated.

Similar story, it was the high-functioning autistic computer nerd in our year at school, and it worked often enough. He used to start at one end of the mezzanine floor in Japanese Whispers in Barnsley and keep going until he either pulled, got punched or got dragged out by a bouncer. Hilariously good fun to watch with the added edge that it could all end in flying glass. He only got seriously injured once to my knowledge, Barnsley lasses don't mess about with girly slaps ...   

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2 hours ago, Wheatley said:

Similar story, it was the high-functioning autistic computer nerd in our year at school, and it worked often enough. He used to start at one end of the mezzanine floor in Japanese Whispers in Barnsley and keep going until he either pulled, got punched or got dragged out by a bouncer. Hilariously good fun to watch with the added edge that it could all end in flying glass. He only got seriously injured once to my knowledge, Barnsley lasses don't mess about with girly slaps ...   

 

One of my brothers worked in IT in that part of the world.

 

They had some east End lads transferred in, all capable of looking after themselves but bog eyed in amazement at what they saw in Barnsley Night Clubs, mostly I think it was the fact that grown men could be beaten to a pulp by the Barnsley ladies.

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On 26/03/2023 at 23:20, The Johnster said:

One of my drinking buddies in the days of my misspent yoof used the chatup line 'fancy a sh*g, then'.  He claimed that it worked about one in 500 times, which got him at least as much action  as any of the rest of us on average; sometimes a girl just likes to be able to give a straight answer to a simple question.  It got him slapped a lot as well, but hey, no gain without pain...  One of the positive aspects was that it made the rest of us look cool and sophisticated.

Yeah, that’s the same story as a “ swan can break your arm “. I’ve heard a few versions of that theory 

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12 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Reading your words immediately reminded me of the Beighton accident in 1942; ...

David Gould records Southern Railway Corridor Thirds 1145 & 1146 being written off "Enemy Action, Beighton   3.42" ... little doubt that this was the same incident - though differing in detail - but what was the third Southern coach ?

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31 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

David Gould records Southern Railway Corridor Thirds 1145 & 1146 being written off "Enemy Action, Beighton   3.42" ... little doubt that this was the same incident - though differing in detail - but what was the third Southern coach ?

Not the same, the accident was in February, the enemy action clearly in March.  Beighton Junction sidings would have been a highly visible (and worthwhile) target for the Luftwaffe.

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One hell of a coincidence if it wasn't the same ! ...... and clearly there WAS significant damage to two or three Southern coaches at Beighton that Gould doesn't otherwise mention. I suspect he was aware of a report made in March and - without researching further - assumed that damage had been from enemy action. 

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On 23/02/2023 at 16:17, The Johnster said:

 

He must be knocking on a bit; I'm 71 on Monday and he's got a good ten years on me!  Not sure I'd want to be touring, that's a young mans' game.  Good for him, he's a decent sort for a chat in the Bridgnorth station bar... 

The other weekend we saw David Essex who is 75 and he can still sing and gave us a fantastic evening

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So I click on this topic title for the first time and get taken straight to a post about David Essex.

 

Can I now be bothered to go through the previous 8 pages to find out how we got from the thread title to this?

 

Darius

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1 hour ago, Darius43 said:

So I click on this topic title for the first time and get taken straight to a post about David Essex.

 

Can I now be bothered to go through the previous 8 pages to find out how we got from the thread title to this?

 

Darius

 

No need to go that far back to find out. 

 

Maybe a page or two 

 

Andy

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2 hours ago, Darius43 said:

So I click on this topic title for the first time and get taken straight to a post about David Essex.

 

Can I now be bothered to go through the previous 8 pages to find out how we got from the thread title to this?

 

Darius

Via Joe Brown being an ex-fireman and still being good for a yarn or two in the bar at Bridgenorth. I think. 

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On 26/03/2023 at 21:19, rob D2 said:

There’s a bloke at work called , “ three sh*ts”.

Because if you’ve had two, you can guess how many he’s had 

 

 

I always thought the expresstion was of nautical origin, "three sheets to the wind" relating to being completely out of control due to a surfeit of alcohol.

 

But perhaps there are other versions

"Your Honour, the accused was as drunk as a judge"

"I think Learned Counsel will find the expressions are  as sober as a judge or as drunk as a lord"

"As your Lordship pleases".😳

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