We've all had them havenââ¬â¢t we? The bold, unequivocal statement that we will bare our arses in a local shop window (in C-L-S it was always Doggarts window until it shut back in the 80's) if something doesnââ¬â¢t happens we think it will. Something so certain it warrants the ultimate stake. Things we are all so absolutely sure it will happen as we declare, that we both risk ridicule and police attention with our boldness of gambles. Then it goes horribly wrong. Know that feeling? Following SAFC this happens quite a lot it has to be said but one such incident was the play off game v Charlton. The game was incredible anyway, rolling one way then the other but after we netted the 4th goal and with only minutes to go, my mate, normally cynical and hardened after we have been going to games together since 1981, turned around to me and uttered the immortal words; "Even we canââ¬â¢t throw this one away now can we?"................................ The rest of course is history but a classic "I'll bare my arse" moment nevertheless. Lets share some others whether footy or personal moments to lighten the mood a little and change the tact.
Unfortunately with age come distant memories mate. Doggarts, Kingstons, Leggerts and Ye Olde Tuck Shope..........ah the wonderful bliss of childhood memories. All places from my youth in CLS and sadly all gone now to be replaced by charity shops and ****ing banks.
Bishop Auckland is all full of Estate Agents, Banks, Building Societys anyone remeber Deftys you could buy anything in there
Plenty of cheap ****e shops as well. There are Albanian refugees who refuse to lower themselves to shop in the cak retail environment of CLS these days. The halcyon days of quality shopping in my home town has long since disappeared.
I remember Binns in Sunderland was on both sides of the street and was connected with an underpass. Sadly AL-Fayed got hold of Binns and closed it down. There used to be a store called Blacketts in High Street which used the same cash payment system that can now only see at Beamish Museum.
The closure of high street shops throughout the country is predominantly down to the rise of 'out of town' shopping centres such as the metro centre. It always makes me laugh when one government after another preaches 'green policies', yet allows these places to continue with free parking for thousands of cars.
Try Stanley, if it wasn't for Asda and a store called Ugo the would be nothing. The market is rubbish
Doggarts, Cest, us townies never had the store, if that what it was, can we interpose JOPLINGS, also ****ed by the way, but pertinent to us townies.
In my heart and mind there's still a Doggarts. There's still a Vaux Brewery in the middle of Sunderland and a young lad called Gabbiadini turning out for us at Roker Park. **** me, senility is a wonderful thing. It's also a recognition that things just turn to ****e as you get older. Don't you think?
The original burned down when I was a just a toddler and the President Cinema that opened up in the 70's / 80's, where Wilkinsons is now, was doomed from the start as it was an independent (the other one was in Concord) and never had a place at the top table of distributors. They would get films weeks after they had hit the likes of the Odeon etc in Noocarsel and Sunderland. If it were around now, the films would be out on DVD before the CLS pictures? Lol Not cricket - Doggarts had the same vacumn cash system and was a wonder to a kid like me at the time. Great shops and times. What an old set of ****ers we really are. Lol
Jesus the fairworld cinema now you are taking me back. Paying ã2 to watch an 18 then ã1 the next day to watch a U just to stay out of the rain.... You could smoke, drink AHHHHHH they don't make em like that anymore.... is a funeral home now quite fitting really. On Washington memories anyone remember forties the snooker and coffee shop on concord front street run by the sisters who looked like puppets from the Dark Crystal... is now the spoons. Many a happy afternoon in there with a frothy coffee (not cappuccino) and a couple of frame.