Buhar Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 10 hours ago, Southernman46 said: Yeah the walk from Springburn to Eastfield past those god-awful tenements back in the early 70's was quite un-nerving as a kid. Agreed. About 14 or 15, on my own. On the way to the shed I got "What ye doin' in ma street?". I ran. On the walk back it was tipping down. A policeman wound down the window of his patrol car. "Ye're getting wet there, son" and wound the window up back up again. Alan 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted October 12, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 12, 2023 My early teenage years were spent chasing steam, which retreated northwards from South Wales in the mid-60s, except for Salisbury and Eastleigh. In '66 and '67, as well as expeditions from Cardiff with the lads, I visited my big blister, living with BIL in Selby, in summer hollys and used it as a base for solo trips to Manchester, Carlisle, and the Leeds area, visiting some not particularly salubrious parts of Leeds and Manchester in the process. Weekend expeditions with the lads pretty much involved living rough, sleeping in coaches wherever we'd fetched up on the Saturday night, eating in factory canteens, that sort of caper. At no time did I ever feel threatened or uneasy from local inhabitants; you could blend in visually to most situations in a duffle coat or parka. The other threat was from sexual predators; 'stranger danger' was not as high-profile in those days and was more likely to come from relatives or parents' friends anyway, but we were aware of it and our vulnerability as 14-16 year olds in railway compartments, particularly if we were flying solo (mob-handed, we'd commandeer compartments effectively enough to prevent intrusion anyway). We never got into that sort of trouble, but the predatory element were there, for real, and by and large we knew how to recognise them, avoid them, and deal with them if we had to, unless they were going to be overtly violent, and the Jimmy Savile type were (fortunately) very rare, they were mostly saddo inadequates that were more scared of us than we were of them, and in mortal dread of being 'outed'. This was a world that would not last much longer; only 20 or so years later parents of teenagaers allowed to live rough for entire weekends in some of the worst urban jungles in hte country would have been reported to Social Services. The threat was no different, but awareness of it was. In 1971, aged 19, I spent a week in Paris with Jean-Paul, an exchange student that our family had hosted two years earlier. His family had a flat in St Denis, and we walked home from the South Bank during the small hours one morning, drunk and happy. The long straight road was quite busy with lorries and delivery vans, and there were plenty of people about, some of whom looked as if they were probably up to no good, and others who looked as if they were definitely up to no good, but nobody bothered us at all. This would nowadays be one of the highest-risk urban walking routes in Europe, and your chances of survival at that time of night would be slim, never mind those of being robbed and beaten up. I would not consider it without a tank at least! The world has changed, but there have always been places like that and there always will be, they just move around with changing demographics and economics, that's all. 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 (edited) 12 hours ago, ikks said: My God! Am I glad, I live where I glad I live where I do. Mike Yeah - apart from a couple of bikie pubs that you'd avoid, and the risk of local surfers telling you to f. off if you went for a surf at a spot they considered their own, I remember growing up in the 70's and early 80's as being mainly cars, pub rock and the beach. I don't think I ever had a real moment of fear of violence due to being somewhere or on being approached by someone. Oh, except for the NSW transit police, they were usually ar5eholes with a grudge because they weren't the real police, but they were still allowed guns. Edited October 13, 2023 by monkeysarefun Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 15 hours ago, Steamport Southport said: Ever go to Maine Road? Worst ground in the country for visiting fans (most of the problems were with the locals not the fans) and I used to go to places like Millwall, West Ham and Chelsea without any problems! Frequently and as an away fan, well I say frequently but I mean in the years that they weren't in the second tier, never a problem. Worst grounds to go to were definitely Anfield and Goodison, had to be prepared to fight your way in and out. This is were having a different accent comes in, certainly attending the football in the 80s/90s, A scouser would not enjoy visiting Manchester that much and vice versa, I used to feel a target anywhere in Liverpool. Only place I have ever had a knife pulled on me, Stanley knives were very popular with certain elements back in the day. Not saying everyone and probably not now, but going to City was a walk in the park in comparison. I worked in Moss Side, Pendleton, Collyhurst and a few other less salubrious areas, never had a problem, local knowledge I suppose. I'm not saying you're wrong but it's probably a case of Mancunians and Scouser, never the twain...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 13, 2023 (edited) And I thought Glasgow was bad ................. I think we all have experiences of when we were young and stupid ! I like Glasgow. I think it may have peaked in the noughties , certainly Covid and Internet shopping has done for the City Centre . Still feel pretty safe in it though . The outskirts I think you need to be pretty savvy and know where you are going , but thats the same of any big city . Just been reading about San Francisco and how all the shops have moved out post covid leaving deserted areas with lots of crime . Not menacing , but suspicious was a young guy in a hoodie loitering about Tyndrum Lower . Apparently its the drugs run and he was waiting to collect according to my friend who is a local ! Who would have thought it in Tyndrum ! Edited October 13, 2023 by Legend Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2023 (edited) My first early attempts with a digital camera werent very good, but I decieded to have a day out in Brixton… Being one of the first sites visitors must have seen, it must make a good impression on our French visitors to London i gave up after an hour…there was a riot kicking off downstairs on the street. note the “white” stones on the ballast, just in front of the Bulleid… these were discarded Syringes and needles, they were discarded all along the platform. ive had to drive through Brixton several times, and a few years ago I wrote to Top Gear with a program suggestion… That suggestion was a challenge to drive between the A23/A205 junction at Streatham to the A23/A203 at Brixton, in either direction at any hour of the day, any day of the week… Thats Brixton Hill / through the High street, and not spot any of a Police, Fire or Ambulance with its blue lights flashing. Ive done it many times, its impossible.. theres always something, usually around the station, or Electric ave but its a sure fire bet. (i didnt hear back). Edited October 13, 2023 by adb968008 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 On 12/10/2023 at 11:36, Southernman46 said: Yeah the walk from Springburn to Eastfeld past those god-awful tenements back in the early 70's was quite un-nerving as a kid. My workplace (Glasgow Control) for the last two years of my railway career was relocated from Buchanan House (in Glasgow) to the West of Scotland Signalling Centre, in the triangle of lines at Cowlairs. The walk there from Springburn station, as I described it to a forthcoming visitor, was 'through the pee-stinking underpass, past the wasteground and the burnt-out pub'. One of my female colleagues encountered a flasher at the underpass one evening. Some things never change! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 13, 2023 23 hours ago, adb968008 said: Hmmm, that looks like a Budd-built SEPTA Silverliner; but missing the pans. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 22 hours ago, ikks said: My God! Am I glad, I live where I glad I live where I do. Mike The spiders will get you !!!!!! Brit15 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2023 (edited) Certainly one of more interesting cab rides… From Curitiba to Morettes originally a Banana railway, built from Parangua, for settlers from Europe, whom were advertised unlimited riches and freedoms in the Brazilian mountains. All they had to do, was organise a boat from Europe, arrive and take a train to a platform.. and henceforth build your own town. Along the route is various abandoned stations, where quite simply, the boat never arrived (sunk, failed to get demand etc) and so no significant civilisation grew. Curitiba itself was fascinating, not least for its Polish language and being the second largest Polish enclave outside of Poland ( Chicago being number 1). https://www.railsouthamerica.com/blog-posts/brazils-most-famous-railway-the-serra-verde-express heres a few pictures… built 1958 by Budd, apparently one of 6 on the line. (yes this is a bridge, hanging off the side of a mountain with no protection..) these bananas didnt make it.. At the end of the line is a picturesque mountain village with fantastic views.. A really enjoyable dayout. Access to the cab, cost me a copy of steam railway magazine… Always on trips like this I pack items.. 1. A football shirt (always gets you through trivial immigration or legal issues) 2. A few railway magazines to give away (gets you where butter wouldnt on a railway). 3. Chinese takeaway menu, in English and Chinese… no matter where you are in the world, theres always a Chinese restaurant if all else fails, the food doesnt and the language breaks down… they will be able to read chinese, whilst you read english, even in Brazil.* 4. Teabags.. Europe, Americas, North Africa just doesnt do Tea how it should be done. * I was in Brazil on three occasions, for the worlds local bank, this trip lasted several weeks so I used my weekends well. those who know me know i’m not a small guy, but I lost a lot of weight eating a diet of pretty much meat and fruit as much as you want.. I came home healthier, tanned and a good knowledge of Churrascaria. I took plenty of video footage on this trip, including one point the unit slipping to a stand on one of those bridges, needing to set back and retry with the guard throwing sand in front of the unit, balanced precariously on the front. Some of my flights on this trip were as interesting as the rail trips ! Edited October 13, 2023 by adb968008 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Brazil ? You have to be nuts to go there. This is an interesting though long and sometimes (very) scary video. Anyway back to reality. 1967, aged 15 went on my own by train to Leeds to "do" Holbeck. The front entrance near the diesel depot was an obvious no go - so a mooch around the corner into Bridge Road found a way in !! This is a much later picture, but I scrambled up the stone wall and over the concrete panel fence shown below where a couple of panels were missing. The Yard & two steam roundhouses were easy, didn't go near the diesel shed though !! My photos from that trip are on my Flikr site https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/albums The first album is the above trip. Most sheds I found easy, only being thrown out of Gateshead (before I got in) and Edge Hill (get out or I'll throw you out Laaa !!!). Back in the 70's I did my ONC Mech Engineering at Riversdale College Liverpool, Gas Engineering courses at Birkenhead (a bus, train and a ship to work !!) and HNC Gas Engineering at Stretford Tech Manchester - I commuted to all from Wigan over my 5 year apprenticeship with very few "problems" - so few I can hardly remember any !! except the son of a Sheik at Stretford Tech, which was mostly Petrochemical back then - he was no bother but his armed guard(s) (or so we were told) was, well, just keep away we were informed, - so we did !!! In my service years I was on standby 1 week in 6 or so, called out to gas mains escapes at all hours and weathers to very posh places, and some at the other end of the spectrum - I could tell many, many tales, interesting, funny, downright scary (the gas not the folk mainly) etc. I suppose I was lucky as my districts over the years were Wigan, St Helens, Warrington, Runcorn, Frodsham and Helsby. Yes there are rough bits in all of them but I never thought there were any "no go" areas, even on my own late at night, and I never came to any harm, or was threatened etc. If "youths" were around a 9" chisel up your sleeve gave peace of mind, but I never needed to reveal it. Liverpool and Manchester from what I was told was a different kettle of fish. They sent two gangs to jobs in some areas. That was in the 80' & 90's, god knows what it's like nowadays. I suppose I was lucky, but I worked with a lot of good lads, we all looked after each other back then, and that included the bosses. Brit15 7 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 3 hours ago, adb968008 said: Certainly one of more interesting cab rides… From Curitiba to Morettes originally a Banana railway, built from Parangua, for settlers from Europe, whom were advertised unlimited riches and freedoms in the Brazilian mountains. All they had to do, was organise a boat from Europe, arrive and take a train to a platform.. and henceforth build your own town. Along the route is various abandoned stations, where quite simply, the boat never arrived (sunk, failed to get demand etc) and so no significant civilisation grew. * I was in Brazil on three occasions, for the worlds local bank, this trip lasted several weeks so I used my weekends well. those who know me know i’m not a small guy, but I lost a lot of weight eating a diet of pretty much meat and fruit as much as you want.. I came home healthier, tanned and a good knowledge of Churrascaria. I thought Curitiba was a fairly safe place (went there once) famously having the reputation of drivers actually stopping at red lights! There was one town in up country Sao Paulo state - Presidente Epitacio - where a local appeared waving his shotgun while I was photographing a couple of Fepasa diesels. Sort of par for the course in a country where many people are really friendly... Churrascaria was the second word I learned in Brazilian Portuguese - the first (from necessity) was borrocharia! 2 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, EddieB said: I thought Curitiba was a fairly safe place (went there once) famously having the reputation of drivers actually stopping at red lights! There was one town in up country Sao Paulo state - Presidente Epitacio - where a local appeared waving his shotgun while I was photographing a couple of Fepasa diesels. Sort of par for the course in a country where many people are really friendly... Churrascaria was the second word I learned in Brazilian Portuguese - the first (from necessity) was borrocharia! Curitiba was fine, i was told downtown at night might be spicy, but my nocturnal issues were more of keeping certain part of the population “at ease” with their proposals, than walking in fear. Copacobana and the favelas was a little different, you could hear the shooting at night in the hills. Edited October 13, 2023 by adb968008 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2023 On 12/10/2023 at 15:54, adb968008 said: ive never had any issues in Liverpool, ive always found the people to be quite genuine. Admittedly around depot area at Kirkdale looked a little bleak, The Royal has seen better days. . One of my pubs from the late 1970s / 1980s - to save sensitive ears I won't go into detail but the entertainment was just that - entertaining, we also went to the Bank Hall hotel, the Dominion and the Griffin - basically all down the hill the way the arrow is pointing, had some good times in there but I'm not sure how welcome a non Scouse accent would have been. Along the road the white vehicles are following was Paddy's Market - a street market where lots of stolen genuine bargains could be had, but you had to be there early, by 07:00 it was too late for most bargain. Manchester - Mad for it our kid I used to work in Salford, next to the shopping centre, same building as The Sunday Sport so we saw Freddy Star eating hamsters, and Elvis with his Lancaster bomber on the moon first hand. I started there in 1987, we (the company) eventually moved to Warrington in 1992 (because of the landlord, not the area). The area went down hill in the last couple of years, we had several cars stolen and lots broken into. The record was one of the engineers who parked his car in the public car park, walked about 50 yards across the car park, realised he'd left some manuals in the car and turned round to see his car driving away - gone in (less than) sixty seconds, it was found burnt out a couple of days later. We used to go to a pub over Broad Street, called The Church, interestingly on google maps, the pub is there on the overhead view but has recently been demolished on the street view - it had entertainment similar to the above ^ ^. Back to shed / locations : Never really had any issues over the years, but wouldn't go to some places now I'm more senile senior - the few times we were approached by the "Yoof", speaking the broadest Scouse we could muster seemed to either scare people off, or get an offer for a few beers - had some great times with randoms (non railway) in Scotland that way, couldn't understand a word they said and I guess they couldn't understand us but we just laughed and drank all night anyway. 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2023 One of the more amusing antics of the scrotes was black handing… They’d get boot polish and put it on carriage doors. Of course a unsuspecting passenger grabs the door handle and…. They did it to my mate once too (days before a mobile phone), he called from a phonebox to check I was around, turns up with a black ear… 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Just before retirement I had to do some planning jobs in both Liverpool & Manchester areas. Manchester, and the folk there was just miserable, really miserable. Liverpool on the other hand was another world. One job was on the main road near the docks in Boot Hill (Bootle). I needed to site visit premises to arrange service renewals etc. One firm was very hostile, would not let me near the meter, virtually threatening me etc. I knew they used gas as they had heating on etc., so I just said "OK" La and left. I recorded that "This premesis does not use gas so cut off the supply", and ensured the gang did just that - never heard a dicky bird !!! On another occasion planning replacement mains at Cantrill Farm (Cannibal Farm) the housing association guy insisted we relay the flags in footpaths on 2" of wet mix concrete - why I asked, we normally lay flags on gritsand - to which he replied - Look down the road, see any missing ? - Nuff said !! - Oh he said, don't park your car next to the flats, your a stranger and an old fridge may land on top !! On another job again in Boot Hill I was meeting a guy from the Highways, I put on my yellow reflective vest with GAS emblazoned on the back, and had my clipboard in hand - For gods sake put that coat and clipboard back in your car out of sight he said, they hate gas men here and some scally will take a pot shot at us with an airgun. Just walk around and don't look official !! I asked the reason why and the answer was that during the Toxteth Riots back in 1981 the police borrowed gas vans to get inside the area for surveillance etc. Scousers have long memories !! It's by no means not all bad in Liverpool - Just go with the flow etc. My son and one twin daughter got their Masters degrees at Liverpool Uni (Mech engineering & Biology) They love the place. I got my ONC Mech Eng there back in 1972. We like to visit occasionally and love the many ethnic restaurants on Bold St (The Brazilian one there is superb). Nice though to come home to "Woolybackland" - (Wigan) !! Brit15 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted October 13, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2023 4 minutes ago, APOLLO said: Nice though to come home to "Woolybackland" - (Wigan) !! Brit15 Pie-eaters 😉🙂 - wools are more St Helens 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 15 hours ago, adb968008 said: Curitiba was fine, i was told downtown at night might be spicy, but my nocturnal issues were more of keeping certain part of the population “at ease” with their proposals, than walking in fear. Copacobana and the favelas was a little different, you could hear the shooting at night in the hills. I learned, with some embarrassment that "motels" in Brazil (and Portugal) aren't what there are in most other countries. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 I've had my share of run-ins with the human populace (official and unofficial), but what my worst has been the tethered guard dogs that feign sleep and let you tiptoe past into "where you shouldn't really be", but wake up to challenge you when trying to slip out again... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 13 hours ago, APOLLO said: Boot Hill (Bootle). As they used to say, "Where the bugs wear clogs"... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 14 hours ago, APOLLO said: On another job again in Boot Hill I was meeting a guy from the Highways, I put on my yellow reflective vest with GAS emblazoned on the back, and had my clipboard in hand - For gods sake put that coat and clipboard back in your car out of sight he said, they hate gas men here and some scally will take a pot shot at us with an airgun. Just walk around and don't look official !! I asked the reason why and the answer was that during the Toxteth Riots back in 1981 the police borrowed gas vans to get inside the area for surveillance etc. Scousers have long memories !! There’s cooperation between Canadian and US utilities to recover from serious events. If an area in Canada has been disrupted, US utilities will send crews and equipment, and vice versa. I’ve heard stories from Canadian workers sent to help in the US. One phone company employee commented on the poor quality of some of the work done previously in a part of a city where he had been doing repairs. He was told that that was because it was not somewhere you wanted to linger - get in, get things working as quickly as possible, get out. Don’t bother about neat and tidy. Canadian crews suspected (actually more than suspected) that they were often dispatched to areas of cities which local crews preferred to avoid, given the option. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted October 14, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 14, 2023 When Belfast was bombed during WW2, the Dublin fire brigade attended to assist, another example of cross-border co-operation, this time from a neutral country to one at war. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 (edited) To comment on 2 posts above, I have to own up to being on a Crompton with the Sheerness - Temple MIlls scrap empties passing through Brixton one Friday night whilst there were cars burning and the locals fighting the Rozzers in the streets below during the 1982 riots and playing "Dee-Dah-Dee-Dah-Dee-Dah" on the loco horn to add to the general atmosphere ........................... 🤣 Moving forward to my PW days at Clapham - it was quite common to get pot-shoted at Clapham Junction and West London Jn from the tower blocks opposite - air rifle pellets at very extreme range so generally harmless but still un-nerving 🙄 Edited October 14, 2023 by Southernman46 1 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 One last Liverpool tale. Back when the twins were born in 2002 we visited The Stanley Sunday Market in the old, listed Tobacco warehouse off the Dock road. The thieves market as it was (rightfully !!) known. Knock off everything. Walking round I spied one of these in the hub cap and car stereo section (!!) on a stall selling all sorts of things it should not have done. What's this I asked (knowing full well what it was) - Dunno La was the reply, £20 if you want it, so I bought it. It is a FIM (Flame ionisation meter) gas detector, I used one at work when on standby, new cost £1000+. Obviously stolen from the "Liverpool Gas Company" (as it was known). I took it to work and presented it to my manager - found this in a Liverpool market, cost me £20, you've got it back. Well the manager wanted to report it to the police, description of seller, me to identify etc etc. No way I said, here's your machine, I'll put £20 on expenses and that's it, end of. And so that was it. Not another word heard except a word of thanks from the Manager over in "The Pool". The warehouse is now being renovated and is near to the new Everton football stadium. A busy area now, wonder where all the "Tea Leaves" went !! Brit15 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted October 14, 2023 Share Posted October 14, 2023 On 13/10/2023 at 07:31, Red Devil said: Stanley knives were very popular with certain elements back in the day. Yes, nasty, especially with two blades taped together to achieve a wider "unstitchable" cut ................................. ☠ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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