Think that Victory Brushes was long gone. Portsmouth was slowly being redeveloped when I was there and lots of little IT firms were popping up, especially around the docks area. Loads of hideous modern apartment blocks were going up there and in Milton at my time which just added to the awful 60's architecture, making it a mixed up place. The world is full of coincidences (I drink at the Swan when going to watch Brighton play.... just need a Brighton shirt or proof you live locally or you won't get in on match day) as when I was at Portsmouth Uni (one of the reasons I was down there) it turned out that my future brother-in-law was also there though neither of us come from there and he graduated the day after me. Also, I was born near Oxford in a town called Bicester. Many years later, my best friend down in East Sussex married a lady who had lived and worked there when she first graduated from Uni. She was born down here so had no connection with the place. Lots of coincidences if you keep looking.
Bicester is one of those names created to confuse our American friends with the pronunciation. Like Leicester.
I've heard it pronounced on the news and by various people throughout my life as 'Bi Sester' which just makes it sound like you have a female sibling who swings both ways.
It's not just Americans. I've heard a number of non-Londoners say......... "Green Witch" for Greenwich "Wool Witch" for Woolwich and my favourite is the ****ing mess most people make of Plaistow, which is pretty coincidental given the state of the place.
Ian says it best. What a ****ing angry song, brilliant. I am reminded that he is accredited with actually creating the expression "Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll" and his 1977 song of that name was the first recorded usage in popular culture. It's so 60's that I presumed from 'way back when' that it had always been a saying for the good life since then. He'd have died a very rich man if he'd been paid 1p every time it was used since. A true genius.
Anyone else at the 'Only rock and Royal' concert a Crystal Palace Bowl? Late 70's I think or early 80's. The one Ken Livingstone put on to celebrate the Charles and Diana Royal Wedding. After Livingstone had gone on stage and said, 'If the tories can spend a million every year on their Opera houses, l can spend 25k on a rock concert', Dury walked on stage, looked at Livingstone at went 'Arseholes, bastards, ****ing ****s and pricks'.
A great venue that's woefully under used. I lived in Crystal Palace for 20 years, up at the top of the hill. Great place with some incredible memories. I remember being on the roof of a mates house, adjacent the park, just down from the railway station, stoned off my tits, listening to Paul Weller paying in the park. Also saw The Pixies there back in the day. Happy days. I wasn't there for Ian Dury but this might bring back the odd memory....... please log in to view this image
Jesus, where did you find that, you're making me feel old now, my memory ain't as good as I thought it was, although almost certainly I'd spent the morning in the Swan and Sugarloaf, perhaps HBIC can tell us if that pub still exists. Would have been Tennants Super Lager or Special Brew in those days.
My cousin set up home in The Swan in the 80's. We used to go to there and drink 10-15 pints of Tenants Extra. I met a bloke who used to DJ in there on Sunday nights, he and I got on really well. He asked me if I wanted to help him do some stuff over in West Croydon/Thornton Heath. I asked "Where?" "Oh, I've got this regular gig at Mayday, it's all nurses and stuff. It gets a bit rowdy"................Oh My God. Oh My ****ing God.
The building exists, but as for the pub...well let's just say this photo says all you need to know please log in to view this image
It's a small world. I went to the Only Rock and Royal concert with a local nurse who had the keys to the drugs cabinet at the local hospital. Come to think of it that maybe another reason why my memory of that day is so poor. We went on her motorbike with me riding pillian. God knows how I stayed on the bike.