hello world

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huw
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hello world

Post by huw »

Hi Chris,
Good to see your ugly mug again! seems that you live round the corner from me.
A boat person as well! Is it Taggs that you live on?
Grovenor Rd, ahhhh . What a place for a 16/17 year old to find his feet. Me just a posh ankle biter from down on Twickenham Green. It set me up (well almost) with a set of values that have changed only a little since. People say you mellow as you grow older, that you become stuck in your way. I find that I feel MORE radical as I am able to look back with a little perspective and know that G.R. was a genuine attempt to crack at the 'system' and more forward. Got a hell of a lot wrong, but what the hell. It burnt with a passion, energy and ideal that rippled out. Butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil .... Look at the chayos we caused up and down Kew Rd. Ahhh crazy days.
Qustion is that the famous THE WOOOP JOHN and BEANIE? Hi Beanie, if its you take note that I did finally get the 'country music' thing after you had banged on about it to my deaf ears. Mr Cash walks on water. Into Balken music now and run club in Portobello Rd once a month. Great bands (Rroma/Balken) drink and dance. Great fun. Had the Specials road crew come down last month for the party, word must by finally getting to the people that count. I hope.
Domanic. Hi mate. I cant forget the kindness that you showed us nippers at the time as we hung about getting underfoot. Good to hear that your still alive an fighting the good fight.
Chris. I've got a boat. A sailing boat that I keep on the Medway. Old wooden and bloody great fun to muck about on. Me and my partner are about to buy a dutch type barge, its that G.R. mobile thing again.
As for Eel Pie Island. There is a great scene down there now!!! The boat yards at the end of the Island have become a hippy haven. Run properly that is.
Better stop here. Ment to be working away at being freelance.
Looking forward to hearing from from voices in the ether.
Love peace and hairgrease. Huw

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Joviale
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Re: hello world

Post by Joviale »

welcome on board. I don't seem to remember you but was that your (nick)name in GR? And anywhay, as someone said, if you remember the 70's, chances are you weren't there!
Check the reunion topic and see if you're into it, and also the Festivals topic, bit about the BGG.
french joelle (formerly N°7)
If i can't dance to it, it's not my revolution

huw
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Re: hello world

Post by huw »

Hi and thanks very much for the hello. No I never lived in 'da' road, but as a wayward teenager spent as much time there as I could. I was young, naive and ready to score! My friends and I went on to squat three lovely houses in Kew. Chris S.S. lived at 172 Kew Rd with us, and we were close friends with the Richmond Hill gang (being about the same age, since they like us, were a bit younger than the 'originals').
I see Ola sometime in Ladbrook Grove, and I really MUST take up her kind offer of afternoon tea. Gary 'Littlebrother', (now known among the river gang from Brentford as 'Gary the Tank' since he did own one and drive it about! ) has built a lovely 60 steel houseboat (fully mobile of course) with a firehose mounted on the bows to repel all boarders.
I have been asked to Poker evenings by Mike Tweedy, with Dave King and various other unknown guests, but have never been able to raise the high stakes that they are bound to play for. Must go sometime since its round the corner.
I will keep my eye on the site, and look forward to hearing from folks I once knew, but are long gone long gone long gone. Love peace and hairgrease. Huw

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Chris S-S
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Re: hello world

Post by Chris S-S »

Hello Huw.

Sorry not to have got back to you sooner and welcome to the GR website and forum. How nice to hear from you again after all these years I live on Ash Island next door to Taggs, where are you?

Whoop John appears on here from time to time but unfortunately couldn't make the reunion but Gary was there. I run into Nick P and Neil P most Sundays at our local car boot sale where I go to buy stuff nobody in there right mind wants but hey it's cheap

All the boat stuff sounds great as does the Balkans music. Does Henry still have an interest in Eel Pie?

Let me know where you are and perhaps we can meet up sometime I promise not to beat you at poker.

Chris
Chris Selwyn-Smith

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Dominic
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Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:33 pm

Re: hello world

Post by Dominic »

______________

Hi' Huw, - Welcome to the forum and thanks for your kind words. I wish I could put a face to your name, my memory is a bit scrambled. Perhaps you could post an old photo on the forum.

It seems that there are quite a few Groadie connections living on boats, sounds great! - I've been on Little Chris's boat at Twickers and Gary's boat, also the huge barge he had about ten years ago. --
huw wrote:'Littlebrother', (now known among the river gang from Brentford as 'Gary the Tank'
-- I believe the 'tank' (Ferrett armoured car)(that's like a tank with wheels, not tracks) was some time before that. I'd love to have seen that. He told me about it but I didn't know that it had stuck to his name.

It's interesting to hear about the boat yard on Eel Pie. I worked there for a few months when I lived in the hotel (commune) which was immediately adjacent in 1970. Then it was the base for the main fleet of leisure launches that floated up and down the river, including the now infamous Marchioness which sank with a party on board some years later.

I would hear the works hooter while still in bed, jump up still dressed from the night before and run next door just in time to clock-on before the few minutes grace ran out.

I started as a shipwrights mate caulking decks, cleaning bilges and moving boats up and down the slipways, until they found out that I did a bit of sign-writing at college. Then they gave me a workshop to myself with a radio where I painted 'the names' and the word 'London' on all the life-buys from all their boats. If ever I hear Lee Marvin's 'Wondering Star' from the film 'Paint Your Wagon' I get a very strong nostalgic image of that place, it was being played to death on the radio at that time.

I also worked there again for a few months when living in Grosvenor Road a few years later.
Last edited by Dominic on Sun May 17, 2009 11:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

huw
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Re: hello world

Post by huw »

Morning. Me, I was young, curly blond and a naive. I will never forget you Dominic, drawing a pyramid, pentagon, square, rising sun with full hand of 4 fingers and thumb in the steam of the window inside the goldfish bowl of the L'auberge for me. Then the steam just ran, and it ended looking rather sad I seem to remember. But those first 5 all at once, wow, cooool.
I will keep an eye on this site with real interest. Right now I'm of for a ride on my M.bike on an early sunday morning. Just fixed the clutch after months and months and I'm longing for the wind in the hair and flys on the teeth.
Stay cool dudes
Huw

Jane Greene
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Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:48 pm

Re: hello world

Post by Jane Greene »

Hi Huw, Hope you are well. Like you I was just a visitor to GR but it had a big influence on my life. My sister and I came to your club in Portobello Road a year or so ago - but I think we came on the wrong night and you were not there. We did send greetings through your partner - although I am sorry I have forgotten her name. I hope you enjoyed your bike ride. Jane

Jane Greene
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Re: hello world

Post by Jane Greene »

Huw. I thought you would like to see this drawing that Dominic did for me in about 1973. Luckily it was on paper so unlike yours it did not disappear. It is of him and Steve. I think anyone who knew either of them then will appreciate it.
Jane
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dominic and steve.jpg

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Dominic
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Re: hello world

Post by Dominic »

That's slightly embarrassing! - I should explain, - that caricature was scribbled into a letter, an illustration of what Steve and I were up to in Ireland. We were tramping around with all our worldly possessions in back-packs, sleeping rough and living on bread, cheese, musely and Guinness. :cheers:

huw
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Re: hello world

Post by huw »

Hi Jane, you missed our club! How dare you. I will get back sooner rather than later, but right now the dogs has got his legs crossed and needs a walk. Great to hear from you and 'sis', (which one?). Its the club THIS WEEKEND!!!!! Great violinist from Serbia and his band, come on down for a drink and a dance and a huge from me.
Much love, I'll be back later. Cheers Huw.
PS Hi Chris and Dominic. Catch you sooner rather than later. H

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