Minor Strangeness (IHTM)

[catseye]

Saw the Arse man again ahead of the game with Chelsea. Actually sounded like he was saying Ar rather than Arse. He was standing by himself in the green space outside Highbury & Islington station clad in head to toe red & white, under a tree, shouting. I could hear him as I approached. I think he must be new to the area as I haven’t seen him til recently.

I suspect mental health issues.. One for the strange folk thread probably.

It is possible that, like the 'Morny Stannat!' man (newspaper seller, selling the Morning Standard), he's just 'swallowing' the rest? So he's shouting 'Ar' but the 'senal' is just being muttered? So it's going ARsenal'...

 

[Tunn11]

It is possible that, like the 'Morny Stannat!' man (newspaper seller, selling the Morning Standard), he's just 'swallowing' the rest? So he's shouting 'Ar' but the 'senal' is just being muttered? So it's going ARsenal'...

There was a market stall which some of us passed on the way to work. One greengrocer used to call out (IIRC, I may be thinking of something different*) "Ryo..fry". Nobody ever worked out what he was calling. No one dared ask in case they asked for ryo..fry and he asked "What?"

* I think there was a comedy sketch with Marty Feldman where a trader was calling out something that no one could understand that may have been ryo..fry and our trader calling something else.

 

[catseye]

There was a market stall which some of us passed on the way to work. One greengrocer used to call out (IIRC, I may be thinking of something different*) "Ryo..fry". Nobody ever worked out what he was calling. No one dared ask in case they asked for ryo..fry and he asked "What?"

* I think there was a comedy sketch with Marty Feldman where a trader was calling out something that no one could understand that may have been ryo..fry and our trader calling something else.

There was certainly a Morcambe and Wise sketch (I think) with the 'Morny Stannat' thing. A man is shouting 'Morny Stannat!' and a passer by corrects him very slowly and carefully, coaching him through saying 'Morning Standard', the reveal is that the newspaper is actually called the 'Morny Stannart'.

 

[hunck]

It is possible that, like the 'Morny Stannat!' man (newspaper seller, selling the Morning Standard), he's just 'swallowing' the rest? So he's shouting 'Ar' but the 'senal' is just being muttered? So it's going ARsenal'...

It’s the question on everyone’s lips. Next time I’ll get closer & will report back.

 

[Mythopoeika]

There was a market stall which some of us passed on the way to work. One greengrocer used to call out (IIRC, I may be thinking of something different*) "Ryo..fry". Nobody ever worked out what he was calling. No one dared ask in case they asked for ryo..fry and he asked "What?"

* I think there was a comedy sketch with Marty Feldman where a trader was calling out something that no one could understand that may have been ryo..fry and our trader calling something else.

I seem to remember hearing that it was a deliberate ploy by market traders to attract attention. People would notice loud words being spoken that were just a bit 'off', so they'd look at the trader and it would mentally prime them to buy or have a look at whatever was on sale.

 

[Victory]

I seem to remember hearing that it was a deliberate ploy by market traders to attract attention. People would notice loud words being spoken that were just a bit 'off', so they'd look at the trader and it would mentally prime them to buy or have a look at whatever was on sale.

If @Dick Turpin @hunck @Tempest63 can help me on this one, we seem to be about the same age and from London.

In the mid to late 80's there used to be a bloke selling the Evening Standard at Baker Street Station.

He was in the concourse just above Platforms One to Four, the Metropolitan Line platforms.

Behind him was the BTP station, to his left was a shop and a shoe repair kiosk, to his right would have been the pub Moriarty's.

And he used to shout what sounded like "Armalite" about three times per minute.

It used to confuse, me, especially as to my knowledge he never sold any weapons.

Do any of you or anyone else remember him?

 

[Tempest63]

If @Dick Turpin @hunck @Tempest63 can help me on this one, we seem to be about the same age and from London.

In the mid to late 80's there used to be a bloke selling the Evening Standard at Baker Street Station.

He was in the concourse just above Platforms One to Four, the Metropolitan Line platforms.

Behind him was the BTP station, to his left was a shop and a shoe repair kiosk, to his right would have been the pub Moriarty's.

And he used to shout what sounded like "Armalite" about three times per minute.

It used to confuse, me, especially as to my knowledge he never sold any weapons.

Do any of you or anyone else remember him?

Can’t help you with this one @Victory
Baker Street was way off my stomping ground at that time. I came back from a short job in Oman in 86 then spent the next 10 years at Broadgate next to Liverpool Street. The only break I had away from there was, coincidentally, Rotherhithe when they built the printing plant for the Evening Standard and Daily Mail etc.

 

[PeteS]

A couple of very minor strange incidents yesterday.
Stuck in a queue of traffic on quite a warm day I noticed a pair of female twins, probably in their twenties, wearing the same long coats and holding hands. They were pacing up and down the pavement stopping at obviously a chosen spot turning round and stopping at another spot and repeating. They were attracting a lot of attention in part I guess because they were very attractive. A shorty vid for soshul meedya but no phones or cameras in sight?
Second incident was my sudden discovery of a Christmas card in the middle of the small bedroom floor. Opened it to see written inside "To Peter love from Nana". Strange that the room has always had other people's stuff in it and that I had no memory of ever seeing it before. Nana died over 60 years ago and the card was clearly of that era. How it got there I've no idea but pretty treasured since I only have a couple of pieces form her life.

 

[Floyd1]

A couple of very minor strange incidents yesterday.
Stuck in a queue of traffic on quite a warm day I noticed a pair of female twins, probably in their twenties, wearing the same long coats and holding hands. They were pacing up and down the pavement stopping at obviously a chosen spot turning round and stopping at another spot and repeating. They were attracting a lot of attention in part I guess because they were very attractive. A shorty vid for soshul meedya but no phones or cameras in sight?

They're not back are they?

 

[Floyd1]

Second incident was my sudden discovery of a Christmas card in the middle of the small bedroom floor. Opened it to see written inside "To Peter love from Nana". Strange that the room has always had other people's stuff in it and that I had no memory of ever seeing it before. Nana died over 60 years ago and the card was clearly of that era. How it got there I've no idea but pretty treasured since I only have a couple of pieces form her life.

I wonder if the date on which you found the card has any relevance concerning your Nan, Pete?

 

[Kate In The Desert]

Beavers? Or just large house cats...?

Cats that like water?

 

[catseye]

Cats that like water?

I was commenting on the fact that every time someone sees a large housecat it seems to be misidentified. Usually as an ABC, but probably a beaver, because, why not?

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Just a curious thing earlier. Was out idly enjoying the sun when a peculiar ?visual effect? happened. if you can imagine the old-fashined cellophane which reflected colours . It was an effect like that slowly drifting across the grass clear but slightly prismatic, and the grass behind distorted. One with a bit more imagination than me might be thinking 'gossamer wings of a fairy'.

It appeared, was in vision for maybe 5 seconds, then disappeared. Nothing there to account for it - I looked. I'm not insisting anything anomalous occurred, but it made my afternoon more interesting.

Sounds like drifting spider silk.
I noticed something very similar drifting across the cricket pitch where I was playing once.

 

[Kate In The Desert]

I was commenting on the fact that every time someone sees a large housecat it seems to be misidentified. Usually as an ABC, but probably a beaver, because, why not?

Oh yes, of course. I can well imagine all sorts of misidentification. I was just thinking that if I'm right that beavers hang around and swim in water (not that I really know anything much about them, being a city girl and all), and cats hate swimming and bodies of water, then the environment of the critter usually would determine which is which. Or do beavers hang around inland, too?

 

[Dick Turpin]

If @Dick Turpin @hunck @Tempest63 can help me on this one, we seem to be about the same age and from London.

In the mid to late 80's there used to be a bloke selling the Evening Standard at Baker Street Station.

He was in the concourse just above Platforms One to Four, the Metropolitan Line platforms.

Behind him was the BTP station, to his left was a shop and a shoe repair kiosk, to his right would have been the pub Moriarty's.

And he used to shout what sounded like "Armalite" about three times per minute.

It used to confuse, me, especially as to my knowledge he never sold any weapons.

Do any of you or anyone else remember him?

Hi Vic. Like Tempest, I’ve never really been that familiar with that part of town. I’ve always assumed though, that a lot of old school Evening Standard sellers would, shout out nonsense just to amuse or confuse passers-by.

I think it was Morecombe & Wise who did that sketch where Eric as the paper seller, would be shouting out nonsense, and Ernie would be trying to correct him with perfect English. lol

 

[hunck]

If @Dick Turpin @hunck @Tempest63 can help me on this one, we seem to be about the same age and from London.

In the mid to late 80's there used to be a bloke selling the Evening Standard at Baker Street Station.

He was in the concourse just above Platforms One to Four, the Metropolitan Line platforms.

Behind him was the BTP station, to his left was a shop and a shoe repair kiosk, to his right would have been the pub Moriarty's.

And he used to shout what sounded like "Armalite" about three times per minute.

It used to confuse, me, especially as to my knowledge he never sold any weapons.

Do any of you or anyone else remember him?

No, I’ve never had occasion to go much to that part of town. In the 80s I was working mainly near Grays Inn.

 

[Tempest63]

Hi Vic. Like Tempest, I’ve never really been that familiar with that part of town. I’ve always assumed though, that a lot of old school Evening Standard sellers would, shout out nonsense just to amuse or confuse passers-by.

I think it was Morecombe & Wise who did that sketch where Eric as the paper seller, would be shouting out nonsense, and Ernie would be trying to correct him with perfect English. lol

A lot of years ago me and my little brother were in the subway outside of Tower Hill station when we heard a guy shouting out “BIGGER SHOES, BIGGER SHOES”. I had to go and have a butcher’s and that was the first time I saw someone selling the “Big Issue”

 

[PeteS]

I wonder if the date on which you found the card has any relevance concerning your Nan, Pete?

Mm that's a point - I'll have to check.

 

[catseye]

Oh yes, of course. I can well imagine all sorts of misidentification. I was just thinking that if I'm right that beavers hang around and swim in water (not that I really know anything much about them, being a city girl and all), and cats hate swimming and bodies of water, then the environment of the critter usually would determine which is which. Or do beavers hang around inland, too?

You underestimate how stupid or deluded much of the human population can be.

 

[Tunn11]

You underestimate how stupid or deluded much of the human population can be.

Me, I can even be stupid and deluded at the same time.

My mother knew someone who had a cat that loved water. If she took a bath and left the door open the cat would rush in and dive into the bath and if left there on it's own would swim round.

 

[Coal]

You underestimate how stupid or deluded much of the human population can be.

Quite. Half of them are of below average intelligence for a start.

 

[catseye]

Me, I can even be stupid and deluded at the same time.

My mother knew someone who had a cat that loved water. If she took a bath and left the door open the cat would rush in and dive into the bath and if left there on it's own would swim round.

There's a Turkish breed of cat that swims and likes water. I remember meeting one once, it was mostly white and looked as though it would have your face off if you looked at it in a funny way.

 

[Coal]

I remember meeting one once, it was mostly white and looked as though it would have your face off if you looked at it in a funny way.

So, it's a cat then.

 

[brownmane]

There's a Turkish breed of cat that swims and likes water. I remember meeting one once, it was mostly white and looked as though it would have your face off if you looked at it in a funny way.

This: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_cat
Beautiful.

 

[hunck]

I’ve just learned from flood reports yesterday there’s a village called Queen Camel in Somerset. Not so far from….

It’s a sign of something or other….Wake up sheeple!

 

[Erinaceus]

Camels may be better than lizards.

 

[Mungoman]

I was washing up the breakfast things yesterday and heard a rather familiar but odd sound - it was the top of the kitchen tidy swinging to and fro. This went on for about fifteen seconds, then the swings lessened, and stopped after about 5 seconds. The tidy is about six feet away from the sink.

I hadn't used the tidy for at least twenty minutes beforehand, and when I had, I had placed some old lemons that I'd found in the cupboard. I suppose that they might have resettled, but the tidy was only one third full, and I'm the type that pushes things down to leave space for the next time...

Then I went fencing..six strand wire, medium tensile, strainer posts and star droppers...that sort of fencing.

Apart from that it was a normal day.

 

[bugmum]

there’s a village called Queen Camel in Somerset.

Close to Cadbury Castle, the widely-held site of Camelot!

 

[ramonmercado]

I’ve just learned from flood reports yesterday there’s a village called Queen Camel in Somerset. Not so far from….

View attachment 66069

It’s a sign of something or other….Wake up sheeple!

Maybe it's where Charles first humped her.

 

[escargot]

I was washing up the breakfast things yesterday and heard a rather familiar but odd sound - it was the top of the kitchen tidy swinging to and fro. This went on for about fifteen seconds, then the swings lessened, and stopped after about 5 seconds. The tidy is about six feet away from the sink.

I hadn't used the tidy for at least twenty minutes beforehand, and when I had, I had placed some old lemons that I'd found in the cupboard. I suppose that they might have resettled, but the tidy was only one third full, and I'm the type that pushes things down to leave space for the next time...

Then I went fencing..six strand wire, medium tensile, strainer posts and star droppers...that sort of fencing.

Apart from that it was a normal day.

Techy recently spotted a heavy towel in the bathroom wafting about as if in a breeze.
Do you think it's the Lottery Fairies warning us of a forthcoming windfall?