German behaviour

Yep, hanging out your washing on a Sunday, even in married quarters, was a capital offence.

As was not sweeping the pavements of snow in the extremely harsh winters in Germany compared to the UK.

As was washing your car (if you had one). I remember when we lived in Dortmund (Barop), the Germans on a Sunday, would get dolled up in their Sunday best and have a wander round the Estate, marvelling at our Black and White checked kitchen curtains, kids with snotty noses and cars in various state of (dis) repair. How they laughed - not any more since the Mauer came down!!

Shelldrake wrote:

As was washing your car (if you had one). I remember when we lived in Dortmund (Barop), the Germans on a Sunday, would get dolled up in their Sunday best and have a wander round the Estate, marvelling at our Black and White checked kitchen curtains, kids with snotty noses and cars in various state of (dis) repair. How they laughed - not any more since the Mauer came down!!

We witnessed the same phenomenon when we lived in the brand - new Coerde estate in Munster.
Every sunday the Germans would patrol our estate, all dressed in their Sunday Best. It used to really get up our noses.
An Irish signals bombardier of ours sorted it. Living on the third floor, he took to strutting out on to his balcony and gazing arrogantly at the Teutonics. When he had their full attention he would hook his thumb into his belt and throw up a Nazi salute.
That shifted 'em. Good old Joe !

Seem to remember that when the Fraulein was paying me a visit in UK, she had a telecon with her sister back home who reminded that the autumn leaves needed clearing from the pavement outside the mansion, neighbours were making notes. She said. "You will get the car, take me to Manchester Airport. Schnell ! ........Why are you still sitting there ? Move !" I did, she was gone.

To be honest, I don't despise this sort of civic pride, we could do with a bit over here. And another thing......... watching the German footballers last night, I applauded their minimal celebrations when a goal was scored......... No shirt waving, no running to their supporters half naked to milk the moment, no piling on top of the scorer. Just a quick pat on the back, a thumbs up, maybe. The British way as it used to be before we embraced standards brought over by excitable foreigners.

Where the England football team go loopy when celebrating a goal is because scoring a goal is such a rare thing.

bigmal wrote:

Where the England football team go loopy when celebrating a goal is because scoring a goal is such a rare thing.

Indeed it is !

I had some smartarse checkout lad at Asda this week asking if I knew the current score at the England match. I said I don't like footie anymore and follow Rugby League.

I mentioned a couple of players I used to pay to watch before I gave up on the game - Colin Bell and George Best.

Not a flicker of recognition from the footie fan.

We are not producing the players anymore, as our young lads are playing with their 'Playstations' instead of what we used to do, and kicking the ball about with your mates in the street.

When i was a young lad ,i didn`t play with Playstations,and i was not kicking balls around...I was??????????????????????

Underage drinking, obviously!!

Ta much Shelldrake.A little memory prompt goes a long way.

Gordon. wrote:

When i was a young lad ,i didn`t play with Playstations,and i was not kicking balls around...I was??????????????????????

Five knuckle shuffle ?

Boxing gloves

German behaviour ? Some odd things apart from sunbed bagging, but that's just an irritation which comes from their desire to be best....... When with the Fraulein in Corfu, there was a freebie hotel bus to town, it left at 0930 hrs. She got on half an hour before, sweated in the heat before aircon was active, I had a quick last minute drag on the pipe in the sun. Why ? "It's important to get the best seat" she explained, dead serious. Stupid to a Brit, perhaps, in the conditions, but with that attitude they've come out on top. And a splash of tomato soup on the jumper wasn't tolerated. "Get it changed ! The neighbours watch, you cannot work in the garden like that !" she said. And, of course, the conversation wasn't as brusque as that, or there would have been a growled retort in Anglo Saxon.

We had a WO II, an ex-boy and Reg, we tried to get him to relax a bit, conform with our ways which were questionable sometimes. When we'd been ribbing him in the mess, he always concluded a conversation with a haughty "........ it depends on your standards !" As I see it there are some things the Germans do which are OTT, but there's an argument for saying they do have higher standard in many aspects of daily behaviour. They obey the rules, don't drop half eaten take-aways in the street, don't cross the road when the red man blinks at them. Instead of scoffing , we could do better if we copied some of them.

pete26 wrote:

bigmal wrote:

Where the England football team go loopy when celebrating a goal is because scoring a goal is such a rare thing.

Indeed it is !

I had some smartarse checkout lad at Asda this week asking if I knew the current score at the England match. I said I don't like footie anymore and follow Rugby League.

I mentioned a couple of players I used to pay to watch before I gave up on the game - Colin Bell and George Best.

Not a flicker of recognition from the footie fan.

We are not producing the players anymore, as our young lads are playing with their 'Playstations' instead of what we used to do, and kicking the ball about with your mates in the street.

Had the pleasure of watching both but more so Best. Liverpool fan but used to go alternate weeks to Old Toilet to see them as my mate was a fan and he came to Anfield the next week with me. You could do that then!

[quote="Teabag"]
We are not producing the players anymore..........


Couldn't agree more, Teabag........ Mate & I used to do the same, his ground one week, mine the next, all for less than five bob a time. When the teams had half a dozen local lads in the side padded out with a couple of Scots or Irish internationals I could believe they were a local side. Then TV took over, paid millions into the kitty, players got greedy (who can blame them?) wages took off, transfer fees were astronomical, clubs scoured Europe for top names.

I remember seeing Georgie Best when he was just out of his teens. Hardly known then, just a long haired, skinny streak of p.... The taunts from the crowd when the sides lined up would be classed as racial stuff now, but Best had the last laugh.
Brilliant that lad!

Georgie Best, Georgie Best, you're a bigger queer than Gordon West!

That's how it went and by coincidence poor old Gordon's funeral is today. No real offence meant to either as they were both good players. Just the usual football nonsense of the time. I did see some fabulous players and as already stated, money has ruined the game.

Look no further than Glasgow Rangers...Money,money,money...Now they have none..

Was never into what you lot call 'football' and us Colonials call 'soccer' -- although I recognized it took a bit more skill than American-style football -- but even at that I knew who George Best was!! Posters of him all over friends' room, alongside posters of fave rock stars like David Bowie, Marc Bolan/T-Rex, Slade, etc. The guy was a STAR.

I had a Poster in my room of Lulu and the Lovers and The Broons.

Wot! No "oor wullie"

Pictures of naked women on my wall plus a long banner advertising Mitsubishi cars that was liberated from a dealership, somewhere.

Gordon. wrote:

Wot! No "oor wullie"

Alternate years, Gordon.

I have a lot of them in my loft...Not worth any thing yet..Maybe when i`m long gone???

oor wullie ?


Jings! Crivens Help Ma Boab

[quote="bigmal"]Pictures of naked women on my wall

Anybody remember how it was when you started a NI tour ? You'd wander 'round everybody's accom, looking at the porn on display then it just became wallpaper, you didn't notice it much at all.
I think it was our fourth tour when I sent a photographer around the locations, to get as many happisnaps as he could, to send to the families back in BAOR.
Scouse did a great job, loads of grinning squaddies posing in their billets, ideal. We were picking out the best pictures when someone let out a strangled squawk. Behind the soldiery the walls looked like a busy day in a gynae clinic.
Off went Scouse again, clutching his Hasselblad with the directive, outdoor shots only !

Dirty boys