Yesterday we had our pre Christmas forget me not cafe with regular presenter Angela Bishop bringing with her a whole host of Christmas memories and different costumes which included dressing up as a sprout.
Angela prompted many memories from those present. Two of my favourites were memories of teachers throwing water across the playground on very cold day so that it froze to provide the children with slides. Can you imagine that happening in today's culture of health and safety and risk assessments?
Then there were memories of days when the Norfolk Broads froze and some brave, or should that be foolhardy people, drove a mini on the ice while others held a barbecue. I couldn't quite work out why the barbecue didn't melt the ice. I couldn't find anything about these things on the internet so if anyone can enlighten me I would be most grateful.
There was plenty of talk about sledging on Household in Norwich using anything from a home made sledge to a dustpan lid. I remember having a large wooden sledge and going over Royal Norwich Golf Club.
As we sat and reminisced, I couldn't help wondering if today will be the good old days for youngsters. Will they look back in 60 years time as we do now. Will they reminisce: "I remember when you could get a mince pie for £1.50." they might say.
"Do you remember when you could post a parcel one day and it would arrive at it's destination nine days later. Aaaaah those were the days".
So whilst the "good old days" for me might have been 60 years ago, these might well be the good old days for those under 10 today.
Angela did tell us one fact I didn't know. We've all heard Walking In The Air from The Snowman as sung by Aled Jones. But did you know the original version wasn't by Aled but by a choirboy by the name of Peter Auty. The following is taken from Wikipedia.
"Auty was a choirboy who sang at St Paul's Cathedral. At the age of 13, he sang Walking in the Air, the theme song of the 1982 animated film The Snowman but in the rush to finish the film his name was omitted from the credits until the film was remastered for its 20th anniversary in 2002. The composer, Howard Blake, decided to re-record the song for a commercial for Toys R Us in 1985. Aled Jones was chosen instead and the song became a hit single. Many people assumed that Jones was the singer in the version used in the film."
As for Peter Auty. Well he hasn't done too badly, having chiselled out a career for himself in the world of opera.
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I have been wading into a Facebook site from Ipswich Town football supporters having a go at Norwich City. Childish, puerile and pathetic are just some of the words I have used to describe this page.
"I know who I'd rather support" writes somebody from Ipswich. I have pointed out in strongish terms that it doesn't take a university degree to work out that somebody from Ipswich is going to prefer Ipswich while somebody from Norwich is going to prefer Norwich apart from the idiot who walked into a Wymondham cafe on Saturday just before the match between the two teams. He knew he was deliberately being provocative by wearing an Ipswich Town shirt deep in Canaries territory.
What I can't understand is why both sets of fans can't be supporters of all things East Anglian. I have nothing against Ipswich Town. I hope they get promoted. They deserve it and I'd rather see them than say Birmingham or Huddersfield or many others. I'm still a Norwich supporter though.