How PC can you get?
 

Listening to the radio this morning, Keith Vas was talking about the long delays at check in-queue's at Heathrow. He said part of the problem was the number of 'un-personed ' desks at the Border Control. I had to think about what he meant, I assume there are some 'personed' desks but not enough!
A committee being run by a 'chair' is bad enough(although being run by a 'table' may be worse) but isn't this taking made up PC words too far?
It's getting difficult to understand what some of the PC brigade are talking about.
Anyone heard a better one?

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Bit of a row going on about a firm making scrubbing brushes shaped like a golly wog, thought they'd gone out with Robertsons jam

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I assume they are referring to the amount of check in desks versus the amount of check in staff. I also assume he chose not to say "unmanned".

Pretty easy really. I can think of many better ones.

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And perhaps you can share them with us ... maybe you could appear on Late Night with David Letterperson and share them with the world:rolleyes:

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another tory cock up:p

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TA-DAH !!! Knew it wouldn't take long for the sniping to begin. :rolleyes:

The thread is about how PC attitudes are insidiously creeping into every aspect of everyday life for the average man on the street. This mainly brought about by simpering idiotic liberalists apologists from across the political spectrum who think there should be no winners or losers & that for fear of offending someone/anyone, better to destroy a whole culture & way of life than God forbid, let the people themselves get on with their lives with out continual prissy, anal, pedantic interference.

Lifes a bitch & she-ite happens, grow some, move on & live with it ! :mad:

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Thanks for the help there, Lee, I was obviously struggling but I understand now. As you say 'Pretty easy really'.
Have you thought of 'many better ones' yet? If you have don't forget to explain them, you shouldn't assume we're all as quick as you.

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but its still a cock up;) will it be sorted out for the olympics:confused: lets hope so.you cant run a country on the cheap or it will turn into a banana republic ooh hold on:rolleyes:

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You might have a long wait: only 57 posts since 2004.

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Yes but it will obviously be worth waiting for!

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Sorry If I appeared condescending. I just don't really see the problem with somebody choosing to make a word gender neutral word when they are speaking. I really wouldn't of minded if he said "unmanned", either works.

I have no problem with people deciding to use gender neutral words. I have more of a problem when people tell people they cannot use perfectly acceptable words, taking it too far. (ie. Baa Baa Rainbow sheep/Dry wipe board).

Using "PC gone mad" has become a bit of a bitter shield against change of language that occurs in society to promote cohesion.

Stewart Lee puts it better than I ever could.
Stewart Lee on Political Correctness - YouTube

Sorry my computer crashed, its PC gone mad!

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Is this some kind of PC censorship, why substitute the word have with of?:rolleyes:

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And that my friend, is half the problem. Because people such as yourself are prepared to accept this disassembling of the English language, it panders to those who would take apart & subjugate our heritage & culture. Should we be combing through the classics of Shakespeare/Dickens & the likes, rewriting them to mollycoddle the possibly offendable ?

The English language has a vast variety of terms & expressions that are readily applicable to any given situation, manned-unmanned was the adjective that should have been used, who exactly can take offence at such ?? Some mad raging feminist dyke ?? Oh deary me, looks like I'm being an unthinking, boorish, male chauvinistic pig !

Whoops again, I've no doubt caused untold offence (to pigs & effeminate males who're in touch with their feminine side & feel unfairly accused because of their gender, or those feminists that aren't dykes, perchance the league of lesbians who may be averse to the connotation of the expression dyke) with my last statement. The Pig & the affected males or any of those mentioned may not say as much & in all honesty aren't in the least bothered, but somewhere, some whining simpering liberal will on their behalf & that is the crux of the problem.

Where exactly does it stop ?? Are we forever to just not say anything to anyone for fear of offending ? So you see why I take issue with your reasoning & docile compliance.

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A woman in charge of a committee is a chairwoman. Should the name offend her?
A man in charge of a committee is a chairman. Should the name offend him?
If I was asked to be the chair on a committee I'd want to know how heavy they all were.I might not be up to it.
'Un-personed' isn't a gender neutral word, it's a made up bit of PC rubbish.That word doesn't exist-try looking it up. 'Unmanned' is gender neutral, men and women have always 'manned' desks, what sort of idiot has decided 'manned' is offensive and shouldn't be used? Can you imagine a woman saying 'I refuse to man that desk but I will person it'?
Of course our language will change and develop and some words designed to be offensive are rightly frowned on but I object to a minority telling me that if I use normal words used in everyday talk I am racist,sexist, bigoted, homophobic etc.
Am I allowed to ask what colour a 'chalk board' is? Apparently not.If I say it's black who am I offending? The word 'blackboard' hasn't died because of a natural development of the English language, it's been killed by someone looking for offence where none could be intended and none would be taken. Someone looking to impose unnatural and unnecessary change just to prove they can, that their brand of thinking rules.
And it's working.

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Shakespeare himself invented words, he helped the English language grow. We don't need to rewrite anything. The English language has evolved and will continue to evolve with new words added all the time. I do not fear this.

As for your contrived facetious example of what could be considered offensive, of course people will get offended at any clumsy language. Offence is subjective, some people are easily offended, let them be. If you believe what you are saying is not impolite or offensive then you need not change your language.

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Way to go my Man Gordo ! Ooer ..... or should that be "Way to go my person of the male persuasion Gordo ?" :rolleyes:

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Again you have me at a disadvantage, Lee.
Which was the example you consider to be 'contrived, facetious' or 'clumsy'?
All of them or one in particular?
By the way, we still await one or all of your 'many better ones'.

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How dare you assume I'm of 'the male persuasion', DiG?

I could easily take offence!

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I don't get offended at 'clumsy language', not even yours.
I do get offended at offensive language-one is unintended, one is intended.

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Jaysay invents words ... unfortunately, they don't seem to be helping the language grow ... maybe they will work on the vegetable garden;):D

Offence isn't really all that subjective, by the way. And I have rarely met anyone, except true pedants (particularly short ones:eek::D) who get offended at clumsy language. And the last sentence is a crock.

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Contrived & facetious ? Is it really ? As to my language I have no intention of changing, but unfortunately there are others who are most adamant that my words should change according to their sensibilities.

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A thousand pardons my good ...... erm ....... erm ...... would human be okay ? Or should I say sapient being. :D

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Such innocence! Have you tried that one out in one of the livelier town centre pubs late on a Saturday night? Obviously not but when you do, let us know, we might visit you.

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There are those( I live with one) who might think you're still assuming a lot!
Although I do quite like 'sapient'.

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Oh, give it a break; we all know that it is because of 13 years of you know what;):D

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Right sapient it is then, your sapientness ! :D

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Of course I have, its easy. (glad you took your turn at being condescending)

I gave better examples, Chalkboards, and Baa Baa Rainbow sheep.

All this "how far will it go?", "You can't talk nowadays cause someone will get offended" is hysteria. No one is telling you that you cant say manned, one person chose not to of his own accord, it was not hard to see what he was getting at.

Yes you can ask what colour a chalkboard is, no one would ever be offended by that, yes you can call it a blackboard. I don't see these as good examples of the good that political correctness can do. I also don't think exaggerating the enforcement of such things helps the argument as it is still very socially acceptable to call it a blackboard, a black sheep, manned, unmanned etc.

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Lee, let me give you a personal example of this "hysteria", the other year I was home, we'd been out shopping & at the checkout I was piling stuff into bags, being a bloke it's a matter of just cram it in it'll be fine, the step-mum said jokingly to me, "Not like that you mong !"

The peep of the checkout swipe stopped, the young girl (18-20) on the till then told step-mum "you can't say that !" to which we replied "in our house it's practically a term of endearment", she said no more but her attitude had changed entirely.

So you tell me, are we really that far from the "contrived facetious" examples Gordon & I have given. You're the Lad with the Canadian girlfriend I notice, when you visited Canada did you see the same level of intolerant control there ? I'd think not, from what I recall of the Canadians they seem mentally well balanced, more than can be said of some of our progeny.

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That's a fine example, when similar happens to me I have no problem politely explaining that I was joking and no offence was meant. I do however try not to use words like that because they have caused significant damage in the past to some people. Its not that you cannot say the words but people are increasingly more sensitive about them. It is also up to the person taking such offence to realise the context and if it was meant to harm or not.

Canada has its own political correctness (yep I said Eskimo). We are currently in Virginia and you can easily get yourself in hot water when talking about guns or religion around here. I try to be very culturally sensitive but I don't believe there are words I cant say, just perhaps shouldn't as to be sensitive to how people feel about these words.

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"Mentally well balanced":eek: Are you dealing from a full deck?The Great White North : How to Get a Mouse in a Beer Bottle - YouTube

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Which brings us back full circle !

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When I say well balanced I wasn't talking Newfies, they must be on a par with our politicoes. ;)

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Not restricting your free speech, you still have every right to say these things, you just may upset some people. Its up to you If you still want to say them or not.

For example, I will continue to say blackboard, I have no problem with that. If that really upsets someone then I think the problem is theirs, not mine.

I will no longer describe people as Eskimo as I do feel that can be legitimately offensive to some people and do not think it is the correct term I would like to use.

You can say mong all you want, use it in whatever context you like, it just might upset some people who disagree with its use, they also have the right to give you their opinion.

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After spending 4 months in Newfoundland (all winter), I realised you would have to be at least a little crazy to live there.

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Is it really OK to call someone a mong? How about spastic? I remember during my school days that calling someone a spastic, or spas, was frequently used as an insult or put down, but nowadays, quite rightly, it is seen as insulting and upsetting to those with Down's Syndrome and their families. I think there is a big difference between using unpersoned and mong.

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I agree but find this "PC gone mad", "Cant say anything anymore incase someone gets offended" talk bogus. I wouldn't say "unpersonned", I don't think anyone is truly upset by unmanned but if somebody chooses to say that for whatever reason, I have no problem with that.

There is someone on my facebook feed from Canada who says "Womyn" instead of "Women" because he's a crazy feminist. I laugh every time I see it but it does not bother me that he does that.

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Four months of winter! You gotta be kiddin' me ... it's at least twice that:D And my two cent's worth is: Newfoundland is one beautiful piece of real estate.

Top Destinations ? Newfoundland and Labrador ? So Many Great Finds in One Place

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Eric, dont get me wrong, I love that place. Its the sheer amount of snow that would put me off living there permanently, as Im told that was a mild winter!

Ive attached my favourite pic from Newfieland, taken in March at Gros Morne national park.

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I didn't think he was being condescending, though you give strong hints towards it.
I thought your examples very poor, straight from the pages of that fantasy rag the Daily Mail.

Talking of rags, when I was very young, I inherited a rag doll from my older brother.
It was better known as a 'Golliwog', it had first been used by my Father and he had named it Sambo.
:golly::golly:
I loved my Golliwog and I imagined that he loved me, he learnt all my childish secrets his origin didn't matter he could have been bright yellow with green spots so far as I or in fact anyone else that had owned him was concerned.
Around that time it just didn't matter, thousands of children had similar companions they were all loved.

My cousin also had a black doll that went everywhere with her it's colour didn't matter it was loved and just as well looked after as any of her other dolls.
Somehow thank's to the willingness of not wanting to upset minorties children these days aren't allowed to have such things, is it better now or was there a greater amount of tolerance when as a child you could be given a golliwog or a black dolly with no-one taking offence on behalf of people that aren't offended in the first place?

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Great pic there, Lee. Captures the rugged beauty of the Rock:alright: Newfoundland and Labrador is becoming a hot tourist destination, especially for those who are tired of the over-developed, plastic places like Hawaii and the Costa del Whatever:rolleyes: And I have little doubt that you noticed what great folks the Newfies are.

Newfoundland Tourism Video 2 - YouTube

And just in case anyone thinks I'm wandering off-topic, most Newfoundlanders don't know what pc'ism is. They are too busy out on the ice, clubbing seals, in the face of pc criticism from the likes of Paul MacBeatle and others who will never have to go out onto the Grand Banks to catch fish in order to scrape out a living.

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Another fine example, Im sure you loved your Golliwog. I know to you as a child It wouldn't have had any racial significance at all. Im sure the person who gave it to you didnt think it all that political neither.

The problem came when people decided to adopt its name as a racial insult The name of a toy which is basicially a loose racial caricature started to be used often to hurt and oppress the people it resembled.

As you say the toy could have been any colour, could have had spots. So there was no harm when people decided a toy with green spots was probably a more appropriate toy, given the new political symbolism of the golliwog.

Its like the Swastika (not on scale of harm of course). The Buddhist symbol did not carry any negative meaning until the Nazis come along and committed their atrocities. Nowadays the Swastika is seen in a wholly negative light with new meaning, despite what it originally was.

Despite what you see your Golliwog as, a loving companion. That does not take away that its name and image where also used to cause great harm, harm greater than you no longer being able to see children running around with your beloved childhood toy.

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Have a look here Calling animals 'pets' is insulting, academics claim - Telegraph

And here even closer to home http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/889309-post17.html

Please read carefully what's written & not what you assume to be written Lee. And yes my free speech is impeded, because if I must be constantly looking over my shoulder while holding a conversation just in case someone takes offence at a word I've used in a discussion which is not directed at them or about them but they may take umbrage on behalf of whoever/whatever it was I'd mentioned.

Was that what was said Mike ? As I advised Lee, please read what's actually been written & not assume. By your response you have just proved my point quite succinctly, the taking offence & getting affronted at something "that was said" ? without knowing or understanding the reasoning behind the comment/term used.

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Well reading the last few posts, its easy to see fer me,how the P.C. brigade was formed.:rolleyes:

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I was responding to the final paragraph of Lee's post 33.

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I appear to be coming at this from the other side, my misunderstanding, so my apologies Mike.

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My God you can bore for England!

The problem came when busybodies decided not to mind their own business but to mind everyone elses.

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Think that's the best description of the PC brigade I've ever heard Less

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Just re-reading through the thread & thought I'd have a look at this point Jay made, although it's a "Mail" story, shock & horror ! A UK company being racist & offensive by making fun of the Afro ???

How could they, so I decided to look further at this Paladome companies portfolio, well what a surprise, they make all kinds of novelty objects the bottle stopper quite tickled me but I don't see any outrage !

But onto the offending articles the Afro scrubbers, right alongside them there appear to be a punk & a young lady in a 60's styley & if I'm not very much mistaken, they seem to be white or am I going colour blind ?

Goodness me, where's the yowls & yammers of indignation that white's have also been so horribly maligned along side their black brethren ? Why isn't someone up on their hind legs about this injustice, or is it because offence only seems to go one way ?

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In our household the term 'mong' meant mongrel...and it was used if any of us were displaying feral habits, or bad manners......or sometimes if we were sitting around doing nothing...because that is what mongels do...they sit by the fire and toast their belly.
I have no recollection of using the term 'spastic' or 'spas' in a derogatory manner at school(or anywhere else for that matter).

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Mong is also short for mongoloid. Ricky Gervais was in a spot of bother a while back for using the term. He was using it in the context of a spastic or retarded person. The word spas, pronounced spaz, was frequently used at my school, which was all boys. Spas is a shortening of spastic. It was used as an insult.

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Good grief, Michael, sounds like an awful school!
Where were you, in a Borstal or something?
Should I use 'Borstal'? Don't want to be un-PC.How about 'House of correction'?

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It seemed like it at times, but it was the same school that you went to, Gordon! ;)

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I know, Wynonie, the 1954 makes me think he was 2 years after me.
Come to think of it, it was a 'house of correction'- if you stepped out of line you were corrected, firmly, fairly and immediately! I remember the stinging fingers and that board duster could hurt(that's a chalk board duster of course).

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Perhaps to you 'mong' means that?
To others it is different, all depends on how nasty we want to inerpret it.

There is a word banned from AccyWeb it means a long sharp stick, a large fresh water fish, it is the Surname of many innocent people.
Why is it banned? For some reason someone went overly P.C. And used their power to say that P-I-K-E must not be used on the site, no doubt rather than think and return this word to the English language he/she/it will issue me with a warning for avoiding the swear checker, over the top? Ridiculous? P.C. Gone mad?
Of course it is, it was banned because the word is sometimes associated with gippo's, (can I say gippo's on site? Only the swear checker knows, if I can, why can't I say p-i-k-e?).

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He was three years after me as he began serving his sentence in 1965. It was indeed a harsh, unforgiving place! ;)

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It certainly was in 1952!
So 1954 must be when Michael joined Accrington, not AGS? Nobut a lad!

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There is nothing wrong with using the word pike because pike is not the word banned, rightly or wrongly, by the moderators. I think you know that. As for the word mong, well Margaret P says her family used it as a shortened form of mongrel, whereas others use it as a shortened form of mongoloid, meaning spastic or a retarded person. The latter usage was certainly the intent of Ricky Gervais.

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Correct! I started my sentence in 1965 and was let out for good behaviour in 1971. Have either of you looked at the AGSOB website lately? It now has listings of starters and leavers for several decades. I have found out that a former next-door neighbour of mine, now deceased, was also an AGSOB.

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I am aware that the word 'mong' has other interpretations, but the interpretation that we used at home caused no offence to anyone.
This is where the PC brigade get it wrong....they assume a word to have an offensive interpretation when that might not be the case.

I think we have all become a bit too rigid/sensitive about things. We need to take the pole out of our backsides and get on with living our lives......stop trying to read into words things that aren't there...sometimes the pussyfooting around causes just as much anguish as coming out and saying what you really mean about something.
Now, I'll just duck and dodge the red stuff.

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Indeed it was harsh and unforgiving ... of course, the occasional peek at Mrs. Skull's fantastic rack, as she leaned over a bench in the physics lab, did provide brief moments of relief;):D ... about as far from pc'ism as a school could get.

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Eric, were you in the same year as Terry Gribbens, who was the next-door neighbour I previously mentioned?

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I remember Jean Scull well and her husband Ken.She taught biology and when she was teaching us about human reproduction I remember one bright spark in our class asking for a demo with Ken which made her go bright red and walk out of the classroom.

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Name seems real familiar. Where did he go to elementary school?

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I don't know. It surprised me to see his name on the AGSOB website.

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I remember Ken and Jean. Also the other husband and wife teachers, Terry and Kathleen Jones. She intimidated me.

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Didn't Kathleen Jones' father run an antique shop on Abbey Street where the Esso garage is now?

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No red stuff from me, Margaret!

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Is it "Gribbens" or "Gibbens"? Maybe he went to All Saints:confused:

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Definitely Gribbens. According to the website, he was at AGS from 1957 to 1961.

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Yup ... I started in '57 too.

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I was in the same form as Kathleen in my years at High school.
Her dad ran a second hand shop (hardly antiques:rolleyes:).
It was in a block of shops near the top of Abbey St.

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I remember the shop but I couldnt remember whether it was antiques or secondhand goods. It's my age

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I remember the block of shops Abbey Friar the chippy was on there and Britannic Assurance had offices on the corner of Plantation Street