rytenuff

I remember when an angler hooked a fish in the Legion Pool he would cross the bridge passing his rod hand to hand under each of the cable supports until he got to the other side of the river bank to land it. Why I don't know. Huge crowds would stop to watch the spectacle. However I think I must be mis-remembering ( though the image is clear in my mind) as I don't see how he got the rod through the big tower. Any old-timer fishermen care to enlighten me?

Here's another: http://tworedshoes.wordpress.com/

As Inspector Clouseau said to the Meenky's organ grinder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnlIWpZSPXU @1.33 "Are you bland?" No, Monsieur. The Inverness Flock (born circa 1964) See #41.

"Size 4....doesn't seem familiar" If Size McKay was in the band, it was Size 4. Ian only ever played in that band except for one night in a scratch band with Roderick in the Muirtown Motel "Jeep Solid" and one night with the Caley Band filling in for Beenz when he was sick. EDIT: Just remembered they were also called The Grope for a short while. Maybe them? Roderick played with many other bands including with some guys from Edinburgh. May have been them you saw too. "It wasn't the Flock either......." http://www.rytenuff.com/flock/img004.jpg

Re Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers: They didn't play the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders War Memorial Boys Club (Planefield Road) I believe you're thinking of The Rebel Sounds from Keith with the late Benton Green on Lead Guitar.

"Another local band with Size mackay and Noddy mackenzie...can,t remember their name" ....The Size Four. "Also seem to remember a gig in the argyle bar in grant street with reunion of above band" ....Nope, that was The Flock. "Chris somebody and the Rebel rousers?" Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnfl3gNRoK8

If you type Dochfour Drive Inverness into Google then click on Google Maps then zoom in to the corner of Fairfield Road and Dochfour Drive until the wee yellow man gives you the "Street View" you can see for yourself. The sandstone house is there on the corner of Fairfield Road and the more modern house with a huge external chimney is there in the grounds where the yard was. https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=dochfour+drive+inverness&ie=UTF-8&ei=1zAvUvO8PJGp7AbDvYDoCA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAg

I remember the yard. No longer there, a house has been built on the grounds.

A large percentage of new builds use Marley type tiles, but if the surrounding houses have slates then Planning will often insist that slates be used to blend in with the area. Slates are more expensive .

After a Google I found, "Gobhlachan - Gaelic for an earwig, a Parr and a Shad". Must be the way I pronounced it which confused the Gaels among my acquaintances. Do these fish have a fork-like tail by any chance? Many Scots pioneered Canada. Perhaps Eulachan is another corruption of a Gaelic word.

When I was a kid we always referred to earwigs as Goolachans. ( I don't know how to spell it.) People from other parts of the country don't seem familiar with this name. I had always assumed it was a mispronunciation of a Gaelic word for earwig but my Gaelic-speaking friends have never heard of it. The kids don't seem to use that name any more, though I have heard them use Goolie and forkytail. Maybe it was only in our "gang" that earwigs were called Goolachans?

Yes, it's a "mash up". FTTH is fibre to the home. FTTC is only fibre to the cabinet which services your line, with the remaining cabinet to home via the original copper cable. Dalneigh? There is a cabinet on Smith Avenue whirring away so it's obviously enabled. The one near my house is silent. I stop and put my ear to it every time I pass by to listen for the fan noise. Folk must think I'm a header. The online checker ( I'd post a link but I don't think I'm allowed) reckons I may get 62.1 mbps. I get 2.80 mbps at the moment. I wonder if the reason why so few cabinets are actually switched on when so many cabinets have been in place for months is due to the fact that the service requires a visit from a BT bod to install ( self install isn't possible) and there wouldn't be enough bods to cope with the demand if they enabled them all at once? I also wonder if they did Glenurquhart Road first to give the Council Offices priority? BT need council permission to site the new fibre cabinets on the pavements etc.

Now that (parts of) Inversneckonia has finally got Fibre To The Cabinet has anyone in here got it and what's your verdict? My area is provisionally earmarked for Sep 2013 and indeed the new FTTC cabinet is already in place next to the old cabinet, but I'll believe it when it happens.

No mention of the Caledonian Ballroom then? Hot Chocolate, Amen Corner with Andy Fairweather Low, The Tremeloes minus Brian Poole, Cozy Powell, Runrig, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds.....and heaps more. Re. the Tremeloes. It was mid winter and the A9 was almost closed with snow. They arrived very late and went straight on stage in their travelling clothes, big jackets and overcoats, unshaved and unkempt. They used the resident band's gear (New Safari Drinkhouse Band I believe) which they were of course not familiar with and certainly not of the quality they were accustomed to and proceeded to play a blinder. Great tight vocal harmonies too. They were never a favourite of mine, but I really admired them for rising to the occasion playing totally unprepared so as not to disappoint the punters.

Found a resource for amongst other things, copies of Inverness Burgh Directories. Unfortunately the latest edition is 1941-42, just a bit before my time. However, many of the shops and businesses mentioned in that edition are still very much current. If you're bored and have nothing more interesting to do take a shufti here: http://archive.org/search.php?query=Inverness%20burgh%20directory%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts

Quite old thread now but I chanced upon a mention of ironmongers in Inverness on the 'net. The one in Castle St (20-22) was Alexander MacTavish, formerly MacIntosh and MacTavish. There was an ironmonger in Bridge St (22) M. MacDonald. I don't remember that one.

I remember when C/N J.M. was moved to a small ward with women. His previous experience was only with male patients. First day he was giving out the breakfast when a female N/A approached him and said Mrs.B needed Tampax. J.M. exclaimed "Tampax! She'll have cornflakes like the rest of them."

There was a Rizza's in Bridge Street in the late 50's early 60's.

There was an Ironmonger in Castle Street in the '50's. McIntosh I believe. They were situated where the council rent office is (or was?) We used to buy a pound of nails for about threepence which we used to build our club huts, with wood we flogged from McAuley's Joiner's yard in Crown Street every School summer hols. (I know, wee toerags but we didn't know any better) Size, Iain McKay's father was Walter (Watty) McKay who had the Highland School of Motoring. They lived in St. Valery Ave. No relation to Bobby McKay. Bobby once chased the Hollies, who were playing in Elgin but were staying in Inverness for the W/E, with a bunch of guys in his car. They eventually stopped their car and got the craic with the guys. Bobby invited them to his house for a drink. Mega kudos ! They went to the Castle Snack Bar next day and the Inverness kids played it very cool and didn't mob them. I don't know whether they were pleased about that or miffed. Talking about bands, it's a wonder there hasn't been a thread about the Caley Ballroom. I'm sure a lot of people did their courting and probably met their wives or husbands there. Let's hear it!

Ah! well remembered Vic. ;)

Fizzy juice was such a rare commodity that its arrival in the house was greeted with near delirium. After your parents' parties you would get up early the next morning to beat a path through the empty cans and overflowing ashtrays to sneak a slog of any leftover fizz. Alas, all that was left would be the dreaded Schweppes tonic water, and yet you would still throw it back. Creamola Foam may have been the poor man's fizz, but it was not the lowest form of carbonated drink. Oh no, that was the Refreshers sweets cast into a glass of water, or a sachet of Beecham's powders, both of which provided the fizzy drink fizz. ...and in the absence of anything else, Andrew's Liver Salts, or was that just me and my cousin?

"Morrison's where Ailsa MacInnes' opticians business now is opposite the Heathmount was also popular among pupils...." That was Bow's back in 1960. I worked there after school and all day Saturday delivering cakes etc. on a message bike which the morning-roll delivery boy contrived to puncture on a regular basis. I was paid 10 bob for this plus tips. Tips equalled 1 shilling made up of 6p from a nice lady who lived in a prefab in Sunnybank Avenue and the other Tanner from an equally nice lady who lived in a large house in Lovat Road. She was the exception to the general rule that people in posh houses don't tip well, if at all. (present company excepted I hasten to add for fear of a thick lip ;) )

I'd forgotten about the one on Stephen's Brae. Another that came to mind was on High Street near to where W. H. Smith's is now. It was long and very narrow. Again the name escapes me.

Yes, we remembered that one but we were thinking more of actual Bakers shops. Just remembered another one on the corner of King Street and Greig Street, ( there's a Lloyds Pharmacy there now) but I can't remember the name. I do remember they sold Ginger Perkins for a penny each though. Also there was one in Young St. and another in Tomnahurich St. near the Wheel Cycle Depot. Again the names elude me.

I was reminiscing with an old mate recently and the subject got around to Inverness Bakers. We tried to remember the names of all of them but I'm sure we missed out a few. Morrison's, Mirtle's, Bow's, Anderson's, Melven's, Burnett's, Edgar's,