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It’s a dilemma
I carry a hell of a burden… Not a heavy load on my back, but a real dilemma in who I am. The problem is I was sixty-six years old in nineteen-fifty-six (1956) but only conceived in twenty-twenty-two (2022) as COVID-19 took a grip. I’m not real, you see… I’m a character in a novel based in the Hulme area of Manchester around that time. The book called ‘Percy’s Pawnshop’ was written by Brian Cummings. My name is Percy Grove, and it relates to the goings on in and around my shop, a second-hand-furniture-cum-junkshop I also use to trade my licence as a pawnbroker. The chap who wrote the book…
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Driving at Fifteen!
Hello, Another Tuesday. I said last week I’d tell you how my grandson, Eric, managed to pass his driving test before he could legally get a provisional license for a motorbike. Eric’s the son of my youngest lad, Frank; He’s another one… Norah calls him Liberace, but I’ll tell you about that another day… maybe next week. Eric and his mate Cudge were a bit miffed about missing conscription, so they went to the barracks on Seymour Grove to enquire about the Territorial Army because someone told them that T.A. people got paid. I think I’ve already told you Eric’s like his old man for pushing boundaries, and the cadets…
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Time is a Discipline
An essential Code for life. Another Tuesday? Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself… Or is it that time reflects your age, banking it as a balance? The longer you live, the quicker it ticks. Six weeks was an age when I was a kid; no sooner does Christmas come these days, we’re putting the clocks forward. We spoke about driving Jose’s van last week. I hadn’t driven much before… I never had to pass a test or anything; they didn’t do driving tests when I got my license, so I couldn’t know where the switch to turn his siren off was, anyway. My Grandson’s a good driver… Although… he passed…
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Everything’s going up!
“Two bob a Pint!” I was having a pint in the Bridge a few days ago with Dougie Glenn; He’s Norah’s friend. I don’t think they’re up to anything; they stayed friends from being in the ‘Bandass’ home when they were kids.Anyway, we were talking about the price of beer going up by a whole penny from April, not a ha’penny… A full penny. One and elevenpence, nearly two bob. Blimey, who’d have thought it? Two bob a pint! Everything’s going up… And they’ll get rid of the ha’penny next, mark my words… They’ve already thrown the farthing on the tip… the next price increase will be thrupence! You see.Dougie…
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Unreal, but ‘Hello’ Anyway
Introducing Percy Grove. Hi, I’m Percy Grove, a character in the ‘Percy’s Pawnshop’ story. (It’s a book available now as a download or in a softcover version on Kindle.) The chap who wrote it thought it was a good idea to introduce myself and chat here, just general chat, seeing that the story is based in Manchester of the nineteen fifties, in a place called Hulme, where iconic buildings, like the Lyceum and Luxor cinemas have long been demolished, leaving the area beyond recognition. He thought it would be interesting to chat across a time warp… I bought the shop on City Road in 1950… and you live in today’s…
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City Road: Too Cheap to resist.
There was always going to be a catch. We spoke last week about buying the shop on City Road, So I will continue where I left off. When I saw the price of the building on City Road, I was more than surprised at the asking price. It was easy to get a loan from the bank to buy it… It was in good order and worth so much more than its cost. Sarah sorted it out with the bank, and as we moved some of the old furniture into the place, it became clear that we hadn’t just bought a shop; we’d agreed to house a couple of pests…
