sandykent

OK... so go on Sandy and tell us which Chief Constable really was a transvestite! You'll get away with it EITHER if the man is dead or you can prove it! :D Charles. The transvestite Chief Constable was - as I suspect you've guessed - one of the fictional characters. This storyline was introduced after I had worked myself into a corner and was lost for an idea on how to finish off the fictional element of the story. In 2005 I visited Inverness courthouse to get the feel for court procedures/terminology. I explained why I needed the information and indicated to the very helpful court staff that, in the book, I was presenting the Highland Constabulary as bumbling and incompetent but I was a little concerned at the possible reaction from the then Chief Constable should he read the book. The staff were caught up with the idea of my taking the mickey out of the local police and a comment from one of the staff gave me the idea of a transvestite Chief Constable. As far as I am aware no Chief Constable has ever been a transvestite but the court staff may have other views. One of the most bizarre storylines in the book was that of our hero John Urquhart writing intimate letters over a long period of time in the mistaken belief that he was writing to a young female nurse in the Royal Northern Infirmary only to find that he was writing to a male nurse at the hospital. This part of the story is based on a real incident. When I was at RAF El Adem in Libya in the late fifties I wrote and received letters weekly over a fifteen month period from a young girl from Leeds who wrote to me following a request in Tit-Bits magazine for pen-pals for lonely airmen. Or so I believed. The truth came out when one of my desert colleagues told the truth (in front of a packed NAAFI) the night before he was due to return to UK. He had set up the whole thing. I had been writing to his brother Dennis not the Denise I had wet dreams over. I came bloody close to proposing to Denise at one stage. I have been to Leeds twice in the past three years. On one occasion I got lost in the red-light district on the way back to my hotel and had to ask one of the girls for directions. I often wonder what happened to Dennis and what would have happened had I proposed to him - how different would life have been. Which reminds me of the boy/girl I ended up with in Bugis Street, Singapore!!! Take care, Sandy

Pull my Finger - your criticism is a fair criticism as the buyer has the right to pass comment. "The Lads from the Ferry" got a mixed reaction in Inverness - favourable from those who could relate to the Inveness of the 1940s50s - and derision from those who failed to see it for what it was - a fictional trip down memory lane from a Ferry lad. One reader went as far as writing to the publisher stating that the writer (myself) had clearly never been to Inverness. Another reader/critic stated that Alex Mabon must be living in Narnia if he thought that he could convince readers that he was from Inverness. Names of people and places were changed in the book for obvious reasons but most of the story (80%) is factual. I was approached by several readers during an Inverness signing who remembered me from my Inverness days and recognised some of the incidents mentioned in the book. I even had a couple of readers state (at an Inverness library reading) that they recalled a particular incident despite the fact that that particular storyline was a complete work of fiction on my part. The word "Fiction" on the spine and the blurb on the back cover provided sufficient information for readers to appreciate that the book was a fictionalised account of some youngsters (all real) growing up in Inverness. As the saying goes "You can please some of the people..." Delighted to see Ross County doing so well. Scarlet Pimple - Rodney, Good to hear that you are still alive and kicking. Regards - Sandy

Good luck on your book launch Charles. Forum readers may be interested to know that I have had several books published with an Inverness theme following the success of "The Lads from the Ferry" some five years ago. The other novels comprise a follow up to "The Lads" entitled "The Battle of the Ferry", a children's thriller "The Boy who saved the World" and three murder mystery/thrillers involving an Inverness based detective agency. Full details on www.alexmabon.co.uk or Amazon - just type in Alex Mabon. It is some 55 years since I stood on the terraces at Telford Street. What wonderful memories. Where has the past 70 years gone? Good luck to ICT in their endeavours to get back into the top flight.

Both Eliza and The Scarlet Pimpernel are correct in their statements regarding the route for admission to the the Academy and Technical High School in the 1950s (and probably into the 60s and even 70s). As Scarlet Pimpernel pointed out the primary school pupil's preferred option of secondary school was noted prior to taking the 11 plus. I left the Merkinch School in 1950 having passed the 11 plus. My chosen path was a Commercial course at the Technical High rather than the Academy - the same route as Eliza took. There was three streams at the Technical High namely Commercial, Technical and Practical. Generally speaking those who passed the 11 plus were taught to university entrance level in the two Commercial and one Technical class for the first three years (out of a total of 14 classes). Those in the Commercial and Technical streams who passed their lowers at age 15 (at the end of their third year) had the option of staying on a further two years to take highers and thence university. One Commercial class was dropped at this stage. At the top end of the scale the Techie pupils were on a par with the Academy. Many of the old Techie pupils went on to greater things. In 2006, fifty years after leaving the Techie, I visited the High School as guest of honour on prizegiving day. The impression I gained was that although the fabric of the building is in a poor state and the dedicated Commercial, Technical and Practical streams have been dispensed with, the standard of the top pupils remains high. Those who read 'The Lads from the Ferry' may be interested to know that my sixth book is due out next month. These all have an Inverness theme. The 'Boy who saved the World' involves pupils from the High School and the other books have an Inverness based detective agency as the main characters. Visit www.alexmabon.co.uk. Enough of the commercials.

Jock, I'm not the least bit surprised the 4th won both the PE and Drill cups in the same year. As I recall in the early to mid fifties the 4th were one of the more successful companies, along with the 5th and the 3rd. The 12th (Dalneigh) and 2nd (Ness Bank I believe) held up the table in most competitions. Re you initial enquiry I'm afraid that I don't know if Peter has an email address. I can still smell the dubbin and the blanco from the good old days. Loved the comment in the earlier posting about the 4th defending the Empire. The only good thing about getting old is the memories.

I remember it well. I was in there for six months in 1949 with rheumatic fever. It was the best Christmas I've ever had. After York Ward I went to a large convalescent home outside Forres for six weeks.

I assume that the club at the top of the Raining Stairs was the Fifty Fifty Club which started in the mid fifties. Another club was the Jazz Club which operated from the basement of the shop situated on the corner of the road next to the town hall leading up to the castle - it is now an Italian restaurant.

Alan. I am experiencing technical problems with my website. Messages left there are not being relayed to me. I believe it has been like this for a couple of weeks. The matter is been looked into. Can drop me a line at alexmabon2@aol.com Alex

Alan, My family lived at 49 Laurel Avenue from 1949 - 1980s. Drop me a line via my website www.alexmabon.co.uk and I'll send you a free, gratis and for nothing copy of the Ferry books. These should help to stimulate the nostalgia buds. If you have not been on the ICT website before you will find that from November - February the nostalgia really flows as we all try to outdo each other on our fondest memory of old Inverness. I left Inverness in 1957 and now live in Kent. Sandy (Alex) Mabon

Stuff the running Charles. After a few years of fruitless running after a ball I turned to chasing women in the Meeting Rooms and the Caley. The women were even more difficult to catch but it was more fun than chasing a bit of leather. Back to the point however. Heilandee's summary of the scramble in playing football where we had out own rules brought back great memories. Up until three summers ago I kicked a ball with my ten year old grandson on a large playing field (it has two football pitches) just outside my front door. There were several other kids with parents/ grandparents kicking a ball around. On Sundays there are competitive amateur games played between local teams to a fairly high standard - rather like the Inverness Welfare League. Only on reading this thread has it dawned on me that in the 18 years I have lived here I have never seen a group of kids get together for a kick around - either on the park or in the street - in the way we used to. I am curious - do the kids in Inverness continue to organise themselves into "mass" football matches? Or is this something else that is part of history. Again out of curiousity. Does Clach Rangers, Hill Rovers and Hilton Athletic still exist?

Brilliant Heilandee. Reminds me of my days in the Merkie School 60 years ago. I was always the last one chosen for a team, regardless of whether it was made up of 5 or 50 players. My record is being on the pitch for thirty minutes withough kicking the ball - but running about ten miles in an effort to get close to it.

Charles, I am unsure as to whether there were two entrances to the La Scala. Memory, or your question, may be playing tricks on my mind but I visualise the entrance to the ground floor front and back stalls being through the front Academy Street entrance and the side entrance was for the gallery (was there a gallery?). I do recall the queues at the Playhouse and Palace. Those for the cheap seats stood on the left of the front doorway and the richer folk on the right. My ambition was to get into the right hand queue. I still live in hope.

Unable to recall my first game but it was almost certainly at the Telford Street park in 1951 at the age of 12. I don't think I missed a home game during the following five years - until I left Inverness. Of all the memories I have as a child growing up in Inverness, watching Caley play is right there at the top.

Charles. I recall getting half a crown to take to school on the Friday morning - which presumably meant the school dinners was 6d per day. The Palace cinema was a shilling - leaving 1/6d for sweets.

Skipping school on a Friday afternoon (PE under Mr McNab at the Techie) and spending the following week's school dinner- money on sweets in the sweet shop that used to be next to the Palace Cinema. Two hours of sheer indulgence drooling over Doris Day. Starving the following Mon - Thurs lunchtime. 1954 - what a year that was. The first film I saw was "Duel in the Sun" in 1950 at the Playhouse - I was eleven at the time. Favourite cinema - probably the Playhouse - mainly because of the wonderful Christmas set prepared by Mr. Nairne. Best memories - La Scala - the Saturday morning matinee.

As a Ferry lad my automatic response is "It wasn't me officer, I was with my mates at the time." I was in fact sitting in the back of a military landrover, clutching a 303 rifle, whilst on escort duties for RAF staff travelling from a residential district of Singapore to the RAF base at Changi as there was civil unrest on the island. The news was met with shocked disbelief, and a great deal of apprehension, by British servicemen and locals. In the event that alibi doesn't work - I'll have a word with a few of my old Ferry mates who will swear blind -even after all this time - that we were in the Gellions.

Caley D. Any chance of a pic of 49 Laurel Avenue - my home from 1949 - 57. Would be most appreciated. Sandy

On second thoughts - perhaps it was called The Rendezvous?

I recall from the fifties a waitress served tea-room named The Balmoral on the corner of Tomnahurich Street - facing the bridge - close to the Columba hotel. I am correct - or is my memory playing tricks?

Jock Watt - I remember yourself and the Dalneigh Utd team well. I used to stand on the touchline with my elder brother Don. I was in the Youth Club briefly in 1955/6. My family lived at 49 Laurel Avenue. Charles. You are correct on all of your points. I now recall the wind blowing through the fence surrounding the new primary school in the mid fifties. In the middle of the night the sound was terrifying (especially if you had`just seen one of the La Scala horror films.) The Rooneys moved into 55 Laurel Avenue in 1949. Hamish MacIntyre was at the church in the mid fifties. He officiated when I got married in the brick church in 1960. I seem to recall the brick church replacing the wooden hut about the same time as the primary school was built.

Absent Friend. I was in the 4th Lifeboys and there were a number of Ferry lads there. The meetings were on a Thursday night in the Old High hall in Academy Street. I suspect with the creation of Dalneigh the Ferry lads who moved to Dalneigh joined the 12th BB in preference to the 4th BB. You may recall David Rooney from the 4th. I dreaded playing football against the 4th as they were a very physical team. The top BB companies at the time - mid fifties - were the 5th and 4th. I have a faint recollection of the 6th being good but I cannot think where they were based. I met Peter Home briefly when I was in Inverness two years ago. I believe he is the official archive holder for Inverness Batttalion BB.

The Ferry houses were built in the 1930s. For a whimsical look at what life in the Ferry and Dalneigh was like during the forties and fifties read "The Lads from the Ferry". Apologies for this blatant commercial but the book may be of interest to the younger posters. For details see www.alexmabon.co.uk I recall Dan Dyce and the 1945 street parties. There were a number of families of ill repute scattered throughout the Ferry. I lived at No 12 South Drive. Most of the characters from my "Ferry Books" are based on real people. In particular there was a young lad (I remember his name well) who stalked cats with a machete. Charles - I left Inverness to join the RAF in 1957 and the Dalneigh development was almost complete by then - apart from the church and school. The original church was a wooden hut which also served as the youth club.

From the fifties I recall The Washington Soda Fountain, Fraser & McColl ironmongers shop, and the Boys Brigade Drill Hall (now the entrance to M & S)