Catching up...

Andrew

05/19/2009 - 07:52

Nice to catch up with anyone in our area; I'm from Matlock in Derbyshire; Jean's from Northallerton in Yorkshire.

Topic

Food and Wine

Location

Ascoli Piceno Province

Colli del Tronto

Marche

Comment

don't forget to check out the user map http://www.italymag.co.uk/community/map/userto find out who is close by to you.A presto,Ronald

Hi Andrew and Jean and welcome to the new community. We all look forward to hearing more from you.

Hi Andrew have sent you a pm, another one from Matlock here I am afraid!, small world.A

Hi folks; o.k., let's get more specific. Smedley Street / Farley Hill? Ernest Bailey Grammar School? Jepson's the Grocers? or even...Matlock County Junior School? Matlock (Bailean's) R.U.F.C.? Sycamore Inn on Friday nights?

Yes to Ernest Baileys, but Starkholmes primary school, I think you are probably much younger than me Andrew!!, its a long time since I left Matlock, and came to Italy via Sussex. But look forward to meeting you at the BBQ and catching up on some of those old haunts, just dont mention the cycle sheds!A

Now then, I reckon if you're Robert then we both had to dodge the chisels that Basher Wooton flung around the woodwork sheds, if you're Angie then probably you also had to suffer Grannie Bowser's very animated history lessons and Godfrey Curry's rather particular lessons also. Did you by any chance know a prefect called David Moseley? John Paulson was Head Boy I think. I was born in 1951 incidentally. My Dad had the grocers on Smedley Street, and we delivered all over Stalkholmes as well.

I fondly remember Grannie Bowser dressing up in a sheet to demonstrate the wearing of a toga, it was a very weird school, what about French with Mr Teague?, he always had mad temper tantrums and finally before I stray too for down memory lane and bore the rest of them, Mr Wood who taught geography?, he made me sit at the back and he used to throw chalk dusters at me with a deadly aim....happy days, I was 2 yrs ahead of you.Angie

Well, as you say, a small world! Celts Romans Mercians Danes were we...Grannie was a real star; her sort of teaching obviously stood apart, and she was far ahead of her time! I never got on with Mr Teague, as he was not a fan of my improvised French! Planky Wood was great, but obviously not being a Mercian I couldn't spend time with him...I think you were in Barry Farnsworth's year. Incidentally I was the drummer in Clockwork Orange, the 'pop' group invented by the Mr Clark the music teacher with the posh voice. I majored in Art with Clara Bailey, later to be replaced by Geoff Richards. We generally had our histroy of art lessons in the Gate on Smedley Street.Bad news is I've still got those long and wide school photos, so maybe one day....

I wont tell then of the day when some naughty boy locked Clara in the Art store room, for the entire lesson, down in the orchard nobody heard, seemed funny at the time, not now though. My sisters were at the school before me and elder was head girl, a tradition she still carries on to this day!Lots of memories we can share, my father worked for Kennings, and knew everybody in Matlock, my youth was blighted!.Re BBQ, you really dont need to bring anything but yourselves, look forward to it.Angie

This is amazing. I was born in 1951 too, but didn't come to Matlock till 1969 and I'm still here. What part of Italy are you all in? Our house is just inside Liguria next to the border with Tuscany.By the way, what is the Italian for "Eh up me duck?"

Hi Alma; this is getting silly; we'll have to start Marche Clubhouse Matlock branch I reckon... I was born in the old Coop on Wellington Street, and my father's family all hail from Matlock Moor and Lumsdale. Mum still lives on Farley Hill. Where are you in Matlock?We live in a small village called Colli del Tronto, a small place situated on the Salaria road, between San Benedetto del Tronto and Ascoli Piceno. We're very lucky to be about 15 mins drive from the beach, and the same distance to the Sibilini mountains.We've tried to translate "Eh up me duck" but I have a conflict as my good lady; Jean; is a Yorkshire Yakker, and we have a cross referencing of dialects! Maybe "Now then yowth, ow art tha goin on?" might be handy.Be great to meet up some timeJeppo

I live in Marche Alma, close to a place called Montegiorgio, up in the hills between the mountains and the sea, think Andrew is around these parts too. I can remember in Derbyshire when the old guys still spoke a sort of dialect, but I guess they dont now, but its still going strong around here!A

Hi AngieWe live in Colli del Tronto which is on the Salaria; between San Benedetto del Tronto / Porto D'Ascoli and Ascoli Piceno. Up until last August we lived in Fermo, and know Montegiorgio reasonably well, and in fact during the annual festival at the race track - Porche / VW Beetle parade etc; staged a Touch Rugby demo in the centre of the circuit. We also have some mates up in Magliano di Tenna (Dave and Maggie) who you may also know.We still maintain a very high standard of alcohol induced dialect, although since Jean is a Yorkshire Yakker we sometimes stumble into incomprehension. I often tell her that the best thing to come out of Yorkshire was the road to Derbyshire, which generally results in a thick ear.Be good to meet up some time;Andrew

Ciao all of you. Andrew, you must be Andrew Jepson. I knew Smedley St well as I went to Matlock college. I also know Farley well as I used to live on Burnett lane, which joins Hackney Rd to Farley Hill. Now I live on lower Hackney. I 've never been to the Marche area but it sounds gorgeous. We are very close to the Cinque Terre as the crow flies but the odd mountain slows us down a bit and it takes us an hour from our hamlet , via the quietest back roads, to park in Monterosso. Our nearest sea is at La Spezia, about 25 km away. Going again in just over 2 weeks and cant wait!Angie, when did you leave Matlock?

I left twice!, once at 18 to go to college and then for good in my early 20s to go to Art college in Worthing, Sussex, and liked the seaside so never went back there to live. We lived up Starkholmes, just past Charles White school, so the other side of the hill to you and Andrew, looked up towards Riber castle.Derbyshire was lovely as was Sussex by the sea, but Marche beats them all.A

Correctamundo Alma! That's me, so as you probably know Mum lives on Farley Hill still, house below Marples the builder, just behind the Laburnum. Did you by any chance go to College with Sally Boyd? She lodged with us when we had the shop and also attended the College.We have some good friends on the West Coast - Genova area, plus I've been involved with the Rugby Clubs in Cecina (the President is English) and also Livorno where I've also ran coaching courses.I've never had the chance to visit 5 Terra although Jean had a day there a couple of years ago. I also have run management development courses for OttoMelara; the tank makers at La Spezia.Let us know when you are coming over.

Dont know Sally Boyd, though I do remember you had students lodging with you. Did you ever go to the college folk club at the Crabtree? I still love Derbyshire and we have wonderful views from our simple abode, that's why it was essential to have magnificent views in Italy, even on our miniscule budget. This we managed as it's difficult to avoid sensational views in Italy! Means we can chill on our terrace and not need to venture forth at all, apart from buying the odd bit of food, if funds are challenged (which they will be in June as we are having a section of roof replaced.) We are coming out on 9th June until 25th. It means I should have enough time to actually remember which cupboard I've put what in. Through the winter our visits are only 4 to 6 days, just to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms, and it's never long enough.Did you ever go to the superb ceilidhs at (I cant remember the name, oh god I've got Alzheimer's, down Chesterfield road anyway)