THE TAKEAWAY OPENING and MTUME

We got the Keys to the Takeaway Shop in October 1987, soon after me and Susan started to Clean the Place from Top to Bottom, it was more of a Mess outback than I thought it was!

Every day after the Kids went off to School , we went down the Shop for more Cleaning, I'm not too sure but I think we took about 2/3 Weeks to thoroughly Clean it, we couldn't spend to much Money on the Shop, because I Needed that for all the Ingredients, Meat and Food etc etc.

After the Shop was Ready and all food stuffs brought, I then Started   doing some Homemade Pies etc, I had Planned to Make most things Myself, but in all the Rush, I ended buying some things, with the Idea to do more Home made Cooking after the Opening! 

We had a load of Flyer's Made up by a Printer in the Area, and by this time I had thought of a Name for the Takeaway, as my Father (now Diseased) had Helped with the Shop, I decided to Call the Shop "G.C's Takeaway" that was my Father Initials "George Charles"

So around Mid November of 1987, I Finally Opened the Takeaway, the First Session was a Night Time I believe, I was out Front of Takeaway doing the Food and Serving, Susan was out the Back, Keeping Everything Else Under Control!

As it turned out, My Mother, Never Helped at all, she Never did anything, in Hindsight, it would have been Easier if She had Helped, in some sort of Way!   

Anyway the First Night went O.K, I Remember I didn't make a Mint, but all I wanted at that Stage, was to Make enough to Keep the Takeaway Ticking Over!

I Remember I soon got into a Routine, I used to Work between 12 pm and 2 pm and 6 pm and 10 pm, on Week Days and A bit Longer on a Saturday and Half Day on Thursday and Day Off on Sunday, and when Lunch-Times were Slow, I would be Making all the Food Stuffs for later, Susan and the Kids used to come to the Shop a Few Times During the Week, but Always came down on a Saturday Night when it got Busier.  

I Remember Susan Used to Peel Fresh Potatoes for Chips, but this was too Time Consuming, so I ended up Buying a Fresh Bag of Ready Cut Chips, from a Seller Named "Westrup" in Great Yarmouth and he Used to Delivery most days, I Remember they were £6 per bag!

So after a Couple of Weeks of being Opened things were Going Alright, Money and Coping Wise, and with the Christmas Trade coming up in a Few Weeks time, things were Looking Great!
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As for some Music, a Band I see in Concert back in 1984 was Mtume, see this Post for that, I Remember the Concert was Great, and One of their Better Tracks, that had been released a Couple of Years earlier was "Juicy Fruit"

The Track was taken from their 4th Album of the Same Name and it was on the Epic Record Label, they eventually Released a Total of  6 Albums.

The Single Turned out to be their Biggest Ever Hit, Reaching Number 1 on the US R&B Chart and Number 45 on the US Hot 100 Chart!

The Album Reached Number 3 on US R&B Chart and Number 26 on US Pop Chart!

The 2 Vocalist in Mtume were Band Founder James Mtume and Tawatha Agee.

James Mtume went on to Write Numerous Tracks for other Artists and Bands.




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DEATH IN THE FAMILY and JACKIE WILSON

So in a few Days (around the 2nd week in June of 1987) were Back Home in Great Yarmouth, in the same House we left about 3 Month's earlier, and with the "Old Boy" still ill in Hospital.

We didn't really know How Bad he was, as I said previously my Mother did not tell us that much, about his illness, we Learned more from the Hospital staff as time went by!

As time Passed, I began to Wonder whether He would ever get any Better, He was saying Strange things to the Hospital Staff, I Remember one time He was saying things about one of the Nurses, being Black, and Saying they were doing things to him, He also Refused to see his Youngest Sister, when She Visited!

I found out Later when my Wife "Susan" Worked in the very same Hospital, that a lot of times, people who are Too ill are just brought back to Life, virtually for the Family too Say Goodbye to them!

This as it turned out was the case for my Family and Father.

I did a couple of things for my "Old Boy" I had never done before in that Last Week of his Life, I Talked to Him, he had never been a Big Talker to me (before) I used take to the Hospital Window , so he could look out, over the Car Park and I actually Shaved him a Couple of Times!

This Week was a Very Busy time for us, as you could imagine, we had just Moved House, so when we was not Sorting the Kids out, we were either Sorting the House out (unpacking all our stuff) or We were up the Hospital.

As it happened my "Old Boy" Lasted Exactly a Week before He Died on Saturday 22nd June 1987 at 15.50pm, and I Remember the Sun was Shining Brightly!

I must Admit his Death Hit me Quite Hard, this was Very Surprising as I Never Really got on with him that Well, as I said previously, He never really Spoke to me that Much, and it Always seemed I had to try to Hard to make him Happy!

As I was the only Son with 3 Sister's, you may have thought I would Get on Better with Him than my Sister's did, this Was Not the case, he seemed to favour all of Them Better than me, and his Particular favorite was my Youngest Sister!

I have always Wondered what my other 2 Sister's thought of this Favoritism, it was never Hidden!

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As for some Music, has I have been posting about my Father this Week, One particular thing I remember about my Father and Music Happened over 40 years Ago, I have posted about this Subject  previously, but its worth another Mention, Under the Circumstances!

Its Nothing to do with Tom Jones, I Remember my Father liking Him as a Singer, the "Old Boy" used to say "that Tom Jones Sounds just a  Black Singer"

Anyway I Remember the Day, back in 1972, the "Old Boy" gave me a 50p Coin and said to me "get the Bus up to Town and go in "Wooly's and get me that Record by "Jackie Wilson" its Called "I Get The Sweetest Feeling"

I got a Copy of that Record and Played Hundreds of Times on the Family's Twin Speaker Record Player, I suppose there was 2 things that got me into Soul Music back then, this was one of them and the other was a Boy who I sometimes went around with, had an Older Brother, who always had Motown playing in his House, whenever I went round his! 

So perhaps my "Old Boy" did do something for me, after all!

Incidentally I still have the Single in my Loft, just like the Record to the Left!

A little bit about the Track, It was Written by Van McCoy and originally Released 4 Years earlier in 1968 across in the USA.
It was Produced by Carl Davis.

The Record was on the "MCA Label (in the UK)" and Reached number 9 on the Uk Pop Charts.

BACK HOME and JEFFREY OSBORNE

Our Move to Norwich  back in Early 1987 came to an Abrupt Ending, shortly after a the 15th June 1987!

This was the Date my Sister Telephoned me at Home in Norwich to say that "My Father had been taken ill and was Rushed to Hospital"

We came back to Yarmouth asap, we took Nathan and Natalie straight to Susan's Sister's House (so she could look after them) & we went straight to the Hospital.

My Old Boy (as I always called my Father) had been Suffering from an Heart Complaint for a Few Years Previously and had took a turn for the Worse!

This is when I found out that "The Old Boy" had been Bad for Ages, but my Mother and Sister's decided not to tell me anything about this!

What a Family (they are), Me and Susan are just the Opposite to this, if we are ill, our Kids are the First to Know! (not the last).

At this time I was 28 Years Old, Married with 2 Kids and the Eldest of 4 Sibling's, so perhaps I should have been the First to Know!

But Knowing My Mother as I Do (Back then, But Not Now), this I suppose, should have been Expected! 

Anyway after that Visit to the Hospital, we went to get Our Kids and went back to Our Home in Norwich, I am Not Sure of How it Happened or the Timing's, But We Decided to Move Back to Great Yarmouth (asap). 

As I said this is another Time in the Past I can't Remember 100%, I Don't know if we had Planned our Move Back before "The Old Boy" was ill or after, but whatever it was, we Moved back to Our Old House about 3/4 Days after "The Old Boy" was Admitted to the Hospital!

It turned out, Her who we Swapped Houses with (in the first place), Wanted to go Back to Norwich, So we just Swapped back Houses again!

So after about 12 Weeks we were back Home in Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, in the Same House we had left earlier, We were all Glad to be Left that Dump in Norwich, but now We had to Deal with "The Old Boy" who was Still in Hospital in a Bad Way!

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Now for some Music, During 1984 Jeffrey Osborne (Former Lead Singer with LTD) released His 5th Single on A&M Records, "Stay With Me Tonight" it was Taken from his Second Album (same Title for the Album), that was Released the Previous Year.

What a Great Track this was, I Purchased the 12" Single and the Album, Jeffrey Osborne has an Un-mistakable Voice.

The Track was Produced by George Duke and Reached Number 30 on the US Pop Chart and Number 4 on the US R&B Chart, it also Reached Number 18 on the UK Pop Chart.

The Album Attained Platinum Status and Number 3 on the US R&B Chart.

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NORWICH and THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP

Thinking back to our time in Norwich, around the early Part of 1987, I don't Really have Too many Good Memories, in fact I suppose it would have been Better not to have moved there in the First Place!

Probably the  Best thing was getting the Van (Mobile Shop) and trying too start a Business, things were not going too bad with the Shop, but I was only Selling enough to Buy more Stock, so something Needed too Improve or I would be in Trouble!

I did a Couple of Times at a Horse fair, Selling my Pies and Pasties, this went Well, but I needed more places to go, I also had certain Council Estates I you to Visit nearly every day.

I started getting a few Regulars most days, One Customer I remember, She had Stuff every time I Visited, in fact, she use to get Items through the Week, and Pay altogether on a set Day, this always built up to a fair amount!

I also Visited a Old Peoples Place on the other side of the City, I did Quite well there as well, not to mention when we went back Home on a Saturday, most of my Family had a Few Things!

Whether I would have made enough Money in the Future to carry on with the Mobile Shop was another Question, But after 11 Weeks in Norwich, Something was to  Happen, that was going to Force us to Move back to Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, I shall Post about this next time!  

Just a mention about my Last life Post, If you read it, I Mentioned the Person who we exchanged Houses with and the problems she caused us and how I see Her about once a Year around Our Town Centre, Well you Guessed it, we had the Miss-Fortune of Seeing Her Yesterday, Walking with Her Snout in the air, She thinks She is Something Special, All I thought to Myself was...........what a Tw*t!

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Wattstax (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As for some Music, This Track was never Released as a Single, for The Rance Allen Group, but in 1972 they Performed this Track Live at The Wattstax Concert, (in the Gospel section), it was Entitled "Lying On The Truth"

What a Great Song and a Great Voice, Rance Allen has, it's a Great Track, the Band also Featured 2 of his Brothers, Tom and Steve Allen.

I have included Video of The Wattstax Concert @ 1.53 mins and the Full Length Version @ 3.31 mins.




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THE POLICE and JIMMY RUFFIN

As I said in Previous posts, when we Lived in Norwich back in 1987, we always came back to Great Yarmouth on a Saturday, to see Family and Sell some stuff from my Mobile Shop Van.


I recall nearly straightaway after coming Home from Yarmouth on the Weekend, things started happening to Our House and Garden, when we were out in Yarmouth!

Things like, Nathan's Cars that were left out  where He used to Play, were Damaged, i.e smashed with a Hammer, I also think something was done to the Kids Bikes, damage to the Shed and Fence etc, this went on for a couple of Weeks, me and Susan never thought to much about, when the Kids Complained!


After 3/4 Weeks of things happening, and not doing anything about it, we came to Yarmouth as usual that Weekend, and when we returned everything looked normal, until Susan went to get the Washing in, thats when we saw what had been done,  there had been someone in Our back Garden, Slashing our all Washing with what must have been a Stanley Knife!

We got straight on to The Police, who came round, they were going on about Enemies in the Area, we said we didn't really know anybody in the area, as usual the Copper's were Useless & Done Nothing!  


When we were still Living in Norwich, we Never found out the Reason, why this stuff was done to us, but we found out Later!


We found out Later why this had all happened, it turned out, the Person (Moron) we Exchanged Council Houses with, still had a Sister who Lived on the Same Road, who Wanted Her back In Norwich and wanted to Scare us off, back to Yarmouth, so Her Sister could move back in!

What a Bunch of Tw*ts, Especially the Idiot who Smashed our Kids Toys Up, not too mention our Clothes etc they Ruined!


What makes me Mad about this situation is, None of Morons who caused all this Trouble were Never brought to Justice, perhaps one Day I will get the Chance to Repay them all one by one!


Incidentally the Prat we exchanged with, still Walks about our Town, and about once a Year we have the Mis-Fortune of seeing Her, and the First Thing I think is WHAT A DICKHEAD!

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Now for some Music, I had to go in to Hospital last week, and wanted something on my MP4 Player which I have not played for a Little While, that same Night I turned on a Local Radio Station and heard some Jimmy Ruffin, so I quickly got my Jimmy Ruffin CD's off the Rack and on to the MP4 player.


My Favorite Jimmy Ruffin Track was actually Released on 3 seperate Occasions, Firstly in 1967, then 1969 and Finally in 1974.

It was called "I've Passed This Way Before" it was from the Album "The Jimmy Ruffin Way" Released in 1966 on the Tamla Motown Label and featured 12 Tracks, including His Biggest Hit "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"

The Track Reached Number 17 on the US Pop Chart, Number 10 on the US R&B Chart and it also Reached Number 29 on the UK Pop Chart.

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