Weapons From Your Youth,

[chief_wiggum]

[Robbie Winters]

Winter - Deep Frozen Sna'ba's

Summer - Dunlop golf ba smacked with a Wilson 3 iron

[BillyStarkDivinHeeder]

I save up the six quid it cost for a Gat from Browns Fishing Tackle on Belmont Street. Bought it, hid it under my bed because I was afraid my Mum would find it. Used it about twice, lost one of the darts. Sold it for the same as I bought it for. Actually lost money on it when you consider the 10p bus fares it must have cost me to get to town and back.

 

Brown's Fishing Tackle later became the place we would go and get the mannie behind the counter to put bets on for us. He'd go to the Ladbrokes downstairs for us. Me and a pal had to launder our winnings one time when we got a 66-1 winner called Jinxy Jack. We had a quid on between us. Having about 30 quid each (after tax in those days) was a bit of a problem for a pair of 12 year olds. Must have just about bought up most the sweeties in Maxwells on George Street.

 

I vaguely mind that place. Where was it in today's terms? ie Wodka Bar, Wild Boar, etc?

[Sheep#1]

I was discussing earlier some of the weapons from my youth, looking back it's surprising no one was killed or injured badly as we used to carry a fair quota of artillery.

 

Black widow catapults were always a favourite.

 

 

Gat guns as well were a regular in the pocket of any youth!

 

 

And most kids had easy access to various lock knifes, this was pre the days they were used to stab each other, any more weapons of choice from your early years?

 

I had all those things (and more), air rifles and shit too. Old man had a shot gun, which me and bro were allowed to blast away with.

 

When I was over in America when I was 15, my cousin showed us something pretty cool too, put some drain cleaner and scrunched up tin foil balls in a plastic bottle and seal the lid, shove it in someones mail box and 5-10 mins later, boom! What a blast that fucker can make, blew the box to smithereens. Tried it hear, but think the drain stuff you get in the states must be stronger than here, cos didn't have quite the same power.

[Guest milne_afc]

I vaguely mind that place. Where was it in today's terms? ie Wodka Bar, Wild Boar, etc?

Kebab and pizza place next to Drummonds was it nae?

[ChutneyLove]

Browns was the upstairs bit of Wodka Bar I think. The downstairs was Radars.

[BillyStarkDivinHeeder]

11 Belmont Street apparently so that would be about right. Moved up there from Union Street back in 1913.

 

Just gave it a google but there's no clear shots of it. Drummonds used to be Wm Antiques though.

 

I'll sleep the night noo.

[BillyStarkDivinHeeder]

That's the shit thing about the internet actually.

 

10 - 15 plus years ago these arguments would have taken place in a bar would have raged on over the course of an afternoon and / or night. Probably ending rolling about on the pavement battering the fuck out of one of your best mates. Now someone pulls out in iPhone and settles it in seconds.

 

Could be seen as a good thing on reflection.

 

Wouldn't have found this quote from Mr. Broon himself without it;

 

William Brown

‘Man, do ya think a fish wad be sic a fule as come to a man that hadna a flask in his pouch?'

[ChutneyLove]

You went up a couple of stairs to get into Browns. Old mannies serving with brown shelves all around and glass cabinet counters. Proper old-school shoppie. And they'd put your dinner money on a horse for you - I think the boy used it as an excuse to go for a fag break and stick a nag or two on himself. That Ladbrokes (think it was a 2nd hand record shop until a while ago - or might still be) was the smokiest place in the world.

[ChutneyLove]

Also got a pocket warmer from Browns. A thing where you lit a bit of charcoal and put it in a wee box. Fine and warm on the winter mornings - or even at Pittodrie. Was also an excuse to have a lighter and smell of smoke.