THE FLATLEY DRYER

[Marilyn]

Agreed, but it remains that many of us took silly risks with our backs when younger and now pay the price. I have a friend who used to be a dance instructor - now she can barely walk. ( for females, there is the added strain of pregnancy)

[Stanley]

Peter, Ken likes living dangerously....
Ian, I didn't 'generalise' I only asked the question.
The way I got a bad back was having to work it too hard, it was the only way to make a living! I have always let my daughters know how much pain they caused me! Thankfully God has cured it, just as Arthur said He would. I only suffer now if I do something inadvertently that I know triggers it. Unfortunately another of Nature's immutable laws has kicked in, 'The older they get the dafter they get'.

[plaques]

Must admit I went over the top with my satire. I believe they are back in vogue in some of the keep fit classes and yes there are lots of young and not so young ladies going to the sports centre and other private gyms. See lots of joggers passing our house some in full flight and others in total pain but at least they are trying.
The swimming pool in Colne's sports centre is now open on a very limited access basis. The pool is all laned off into three sections to suit different categories of swimming speeds, from fast to drift along, bags of room and well controlled. Some sessions are very quiet with just five people in the pool. Again more women than men, must be a sign of the times.

[Stanley]

Too embarrassed to show their beer bellies Ken. Unless you have a six pack you aren't qualified to be a man these days outside boozing circles. Doesn't worry me, I had my glory days....

[plaques]

In my days everything was black and white. Here's one of when we won the Mills and Workshops Shield a very prestigious race in its day. Sad to say that I'm the only one left but they are still remembered in the swimming circles.
.

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[Marilyn]

Which one are you, Plaques?
( it’s ok...I won’t tell anyone)
We all had great bodies at some point. Good enough that another wonderful person wanted us as a mate, but beauty is only skin deep. It is what is inside that counts!

[PanBiker]

Sally and her friend Carol have been swimming back at West Craven pool since it re-opened a few weeks ago. She has to book slots about a week in advance to get a place. She is enjoying getting back into it although on a bit of an ad hoc basis. She and Carol have a segregated lane as Carol is an amputee and needs the lift to get in and out, Sally is classed as her carer for the purposes of the pool.

[Stanley]

He's the tall dark handsome one Maz.
I look back on the old pics and remember what a work machine I was. I pay the price now but don't regret it!



Only 44 years ago....

[plaques]

Which one are you, Plaques?
( it’s ok...I won’t tell anyone)

You amaze me Marilyn I spotted myself straight away and I did say I was the only one left alive. How many clues do you need?

Here's another one. One of my old school photographs, Tallish but not as tall as Kev. Its all a long time ago and some have passed on but since we don't seem to go in for reunions I've only ever seen one of them and that was about 5 years ago. Incidentally my avatar is a photo of the carving next to the school entrance door (the Old Man). The school is now closed but is Burnley's Hogwarts equivalent.

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[Marilyn]

Eeeeee...( most of them look pretty good to me!)
I am still no wiser. I do like your Avatar though.
Oh gosh...which one to pick...

[plaques]

Middle row. Third from left David Hamer, (Dentist) died about 20 years ago. Fourth from left Gary Pickles. Killed in Hapton Valley Colliery disaster 1962. So the next tallish one. So add the two pic's together. and bingo.

[Cathy]

This is me 45years ago.

Not bad ‘eh? Haha

[Cathy]

Oops

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[Big Kev]

1981

1981.jpg

[Marilyn]

Awww..lovely!
Same to you Cazza (I was there, )

[Cathy]

Yes, just looking at more pics now.
My bridesmaids, hint hint

[Stanley]

Ken, How come everyone on those old grammar school pics looks 40 years old?

[Marilyn]

Well I can’t of changed much. I can still fit into the earrings I used to wear in high school....

[plaques]

Ken, How come everyone on those old grammar school pics looks 40 years old?
This was the fifth year science class, taken at the end of term making most of us about 16 year old. Unless you studied the classics you were considered as 'rejects', the headmaster being an MA. I believe 90% of us left at this point and went into industry. Hated my time there couldn't wait to get away.

[Wendyf]

I went looking for old photos too! This is me and my friend Val outside our hotel in Spain, August 1972. I would have been just 22. I didnt want to go, hated flying and hated the heat....then this Spanish boy came along and I didnt want to leave!!

Wendy & Val.jpg

[Stanley]

Lovely hair Wendy. That pic reminds me of how distracting short skirts were in those days. We weren't used to that acreage of flesh and I often wondered how many tail end shunts they caused! (And a fag on the go as well?)
Les Girls.....

[Marilyn]

Especially if you ran into the back of your own wife...while looking at pretty girls. ( and that is NOT “acreage” of flesh. Bad choice of word that one!)
Great photo Wendy.

[Wendyf]

Yes, I could take offence at my legs being described as an acreage of flesh! I had forgotten what they looked like before varicose veins took their toll.
I started smoking when I went to college at 18 until I was 26 and Col had his first brush with cancer, never more than 10 or so a day and I probably didn't inhale much!

[Stanley]

You both forget, I was talking about the 60s when that much leg was acreage! It didn't take much to excite us working lads!

[Marilyn]

It was 1972.
( see...you were still distracted...)
Hormones. We are better off without them