THE DANCING

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Shopped in here lads ?

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Yes, in Inglis Street.  I bought my first football boots there.

[Charles Bannerman]

Shopped in here lads ?

Now there's a blast from the past! I think MacPhersons closed in about 1976 and the premises were then used by a new sports shop in the town, Leisuropa. (I actually still use several times a week an Inverness Harriers sports bag I bought in Leisuropa 35 years ago!)

As the photo suggests, from the outside MacPherson's looks like all it catered for was those lunatic third sons of the aristocracy in sh!te catchers who had nothing better to do with their lives than blast away like morons at the local wildlife. And although they were indeed well into huntin' shootin' and fishin' you could also get various sports shoes and attire in there as well. In fact I think I got my first ever pair of new footwear called trainers there in about 1966 - Adidas Roms

If I remember the two old MacPherson brothers wore those "Mr Arkwright" shopkeepers' brown coats and I believe there was a sister involved as well.

However when Leisuropa replaced MacPherson's you did realise that the place had been lacking just a bit. And the only other places you could get sports gear in Inverness at the time were more or less Coutts's in Church St and, believe it or not, Duncan Chisholm the Kiltmaker in Castle St.

[Scarlet Pimple]

There was chemist next door as I remember.

 

I went there  to work as the home delivery boy and I was only there a week or so when  I was groped in the basement  in one of the  corridors of shelves when I was stocking them. She was a young'un too and buzzed about energetically. Very pretty  and cute too but I was just too confused and surprised to know how to handle it. What would you lads have done..in such an unexpected circumstance at the age of about..... 16......?

 

Must have been my overexudating  pheromones, eh? 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Should that story not be in the Craig Dunain thread - well at least the perceptually inflicted young girl should be.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

La Scala

[+DoofersDad]

Is that you, IHE?

[Scarlet Pimple]

The comment from IHE about my experience in the basement of the Chemist shop is as troubling as my story--perceptually inflicted?

I do believe the modern medical category she would fall under would not be insane, deluded or deranged but delightfully determined to diddle in the semi darkness of dem dar drug depository.

 

I take it you do not want to hear about my downfall in the hedgerows of the Bumbers Lane when I was 12 then? I assure you it was deliberate dalliance that alas, alack came to nought...merely a show and tell tale. Except that the female form became of greater interest after that. And now I expect to hear from Bughtmaster or some other aged fella whose memory matches his hormones--fading.

[+bughtmaster]

Aye SP I'll jump in here with my sad tale, In school we had a football match arranged for around 4.15 and I needed to go to the loo so I excused myself from class so that I could save myself some time when class came out. Returning from the Loos in an otherwise deserted corridor a pretty lass approached me, smiled and told me what she would let me do with her for sixpence.  Yes,  I'm afraid to say I told her I had to get back to class in case I got kept in for late return. .........I often wonder !!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

On the subject of MacPhersons some where deep in my garage lies a hickory shafted putter made by Macphersons of Inverness, I bought lots of fishing hooks and sports goods from that shop.

 

Opposite MacPhersons was the back door to Boots the Chemist.

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Aye SP I'll jump in here with my sad tale, In school we had a football match arranged for around 4.15 and I needed to go to the loo so I excused myself from class so that I could save myself some time when class came out. Returning from the Loos in an otherwise deserted corridor a pretty lass approached me, smiled and told me what she would let me do with her for sixpence.  Yes,  I'm afraid to say I told her I had to get back to class in case I got kept in for late return. .........I often wonder !!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Sixpence??  She must have been a professional!  You could get into a football match for sixpence in those days.  Ninety minutes of pleasure (if it was a Caley match) instead of ninety seconds.  A no brainer!  I'd have gone back to class too.

[Charles Bannerman]

  Ninety minutes of pleasure (if it was a Caley match) instead of ninety seconds.  

 

Ninety seconds? You speak for yourself son

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

PProbably about the same time Usain Bolt could run 50 yards for CB - And you could have taken her here

[+DoofersDad]

One has to be grateful to the town planners of the 60's for tearing down that hideous monstrosity and replacing it with the elegant and stunningly beautiful building that graces the water front now.

[Scarlet Pimple]

DD==er, do I detect a slight wift of sarcasm there? I have no idea because I can't remember the scene.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Look who is on !

[+bughtmaster]

memories flood back seeing the Empire theatre again..................another immortal IHE ?.....Could there really be two !

[Charles Bannerman]

I can sing like Calum Kennedy,

I can sing like Calum Kennedy,

I can sing like Calum Kennedy

And there is no f-ing remedy!

 

Great to see a photo of the old Empire although Jackie Pallo and Steve Logan in the wrestling would have been a hell of a lot more entertaining than Calum Kennedy and his caterwauling clan.

 

The MacTrapp Family Singers.... or rather The MacCrap Family Singers!

[JIMFURD]

Charles - I can remember the wrestling at the Empire and of course the great rivalry between Jackie Pallo and Mick McManus

but I remember the Calum Kennedy song a wee bit different

I can sing like Calum Kennedy

I can sing like Calum Kennedy

I can sing like Calum Kennedy

Who the Hell is Calum Kennedy

And there is no f.....g remedy

Anybody else remember it that way?

[IBM]

The folk's must have been easy pleased in them days

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Here is yet another big band and some old cars for the old boys

 

 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Preferred the big boys maself

 

 

 

[Sneckboy]

Samson Negro!! Ring name for the 'token black wrestler'? Changed days, eh!

[Charles Bannerman]

Samson Negro!! Ring name for the 'token black wrestler'? Changed days, eh!

Nowadays they would get closed down for that by the Politically Correct Thought Police!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

At least there are still a few Mad MacDonalds about !!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Let's go inside the Empire