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When I was in the Air Force, I helped close RAF Greenham Common. Anybody here from around there? Whatever happened to the Common? Are the peace protestors still there looking for something to protest?

I'm from a small village in Oxfordshire about half an hour from newbury, but I don't know much about it to be honest... I'll keep my ear to the ground for you though, someone I know is bound to know something!

One of my bus drivers was from Oxforshire, though his name escapes me. I could never understand a word he uttered. :wah: He knew it and we were both embarrassed about it, so he pretty much avoided speaking to me altogether.



One time he really needed an answer from me. So he comes up to me and , I swear, "Oi Ginge (my nickname there), Ra wa wa wa ra ra wa, SO ra ra ra wa arra ra wa?" I felt like shite, you can imagine. I had to get another driver to "translate" for me. I brought the gent over. the guy repeats verbatim, I assume. The second guy turns to me and says, "Sorry, mate. Can't understand a word." :-2

Here you go AC, a link to a few memories for you x



http://greenham.moonfruit.com/

Accountable wrote: One of my bus drivers was from Oxforshire, though his name escapes me. I could never understand a word he uttered. :wah: He knew it and we were both embarrassed about it, so he pretty much avoided speaking to me altogether.



One time he really needed an answer from me. So he comes up to me and , I swear, "Oi Ginge (my nickname there), Ra wa wa wa ra ra wa, SO ra ra ra wa arra ra wa?" I felt like shite, you can imagine. I had to get another driver to "translate" for me. I brought the gent over. the guy repeats verbatim, I assume. The second guy turns to me and says, "Sorry, mate. Can't understand a word." :-2


:wah:

I hope I'm not that hard to understand! We speak the Queen's English around here, don't you know?

abbey wrote: Here you go AC, a link to a few memories for you x



http://greenham.moonfruit.com/
Thank you so much, Abbey. I looked at every picture. Most were well before my time, since I was only there in the final 2 1/2 years. But it's really surprising the emotions & memories that spring on you unannounced when looking at something as mundane as an old photo of an empty building. I heard the voice of Pat, a wonderful lady I worked with, echoing to me out of history with her trademark "HI PEEPS!" It brought a big smile & a small tear.

Thanks.

Majenta wrote: :wah:



I hope I'm not that hard to understand! We speak the Queen's English around here, don't you know?
I don't know which queen he was following, but it wasn't Elizabeth. :wah: His main stumbling block was that he mumbled very quickly. It made it nearly impossible to follow.

Accountable wrote: When I was in the Air Force, I helped close RAF Greenham Common. Anybody here from around there? Whatever happened to the Common? Are the peace protestors still there looking for something to protest?
Small world i was bought up in Thatcham which isn't that far from Greenham Common!!! The protesters have been gone for years as the Air Base has closed as far as i know it's now used for private aircraft and bootsales etc!!

I haven't been there for years but i speak to a friend of mine from there about once a month next time i talk to her i'll ask..

:-6 :-6

I think Lou Lou's right ....they've all gone off to protest about something else....they must be all a bit long in the tooth by now though ....ah...here they are...told you they'd found another campaign

lou-lou wrote: Small world i was bought up in Thatcham which isn't that far from Greenham Common!!! The protesters have been gone for years as the Air Base has closed as far as i know it's now used for private aircraft and bootsales etc!!

I haven't been there for years but i speak to a friend of mine from there about once a month next time i talk to her i'll ask..

:-6 :-6
Thanks for the bump, Lou-lou. I wasn't there long but had such great times there. I hope they either used the buildings or tore them down. It would be a shame to just let everything go to pot. It reminds me of the beginning and ending scenes from 12-o'clock High.

Oi Arnold l resent that slurr against northerners!!!

I myself am very proud of being a maccum... note maccum not geordie!

ok l admit some are very hard to understand, but thats the same all over the world depending on how strong your accent is.

so divint gan makin noises aboot us notherners an sayin tha we tark funny man

areet!;)

I find speaking to americans is like speaking to southerners, you have to speak very slowly to allow for their thought processes and enunciate clearly as they are not used to hearing english spoken properly and suffer a common delision that they talk properly and everybody else is strange:yh_laugh

I'm just glad you type better than you talk. :wah:

gmc wrote: I find speaking to americans is like speaking to southerners, you have to speak very slowly to allow for their thought processes and enunciate clearly as they are not used to hearing english spoken properly and suffer a common delision that they talk properly and everybody else is strange:yh_laugh
That's rich coming from a Scott....try having a conversation with a Glaswegian if your not a Scott.:p

I'm guessing if I meet anyone who can pronounce "Glaswegian" properly, I won't understand anything else they say.

Accountable wrote: I'm guessing if I meet anyone who can pronounce "Glaswegian" properly, I won't understand anything else they say.


If you've ever seen or heard the comedian/singer/actor Billy Connolly (The big yin), you'll know what I mean. He was born in Glasgow.

I remember something he said about white people not really all being white. I believe it was: the English are white. Irish are a light pink and Scottish are a very pale blue. :wah:

He Is a former reserve soldier in Britain's elite Parachute Regiment, serving with 15 Para (now a disbanded battalion)...interesting fact I didn't know !



He did a very interesting series travelling round Australia on a chopper trike...he visited some fantastic places..

gmc wrote: I find speaking to americans is like speaking to southerners, you have to speak very slowly to allow for their thought processes and enunciate clearly as they are not used to hearing english spoken properly and suffer a common delision that they talk properly and everybody else is strange:yh_laughi grew up speaking the Queen's English quite properly, in kind of a very modified boston manner. my Dad insisted. if i used any "common" vernacular i would be in trouble. you're right about southerners...i want to choke it out of them......looking forward to buying you a pint GMC! ....and you are right, when Bothwell is here i have to translate for these poor rebels.

LC outrageous to agree with the hairy Scot, his version of "Southerners" means us English!!!!

Bothwell wrote: LC outrageous to agree with the hairy Scot, his version of "Southerners" means us English!!!!i always get in trouble with you two...*sigh*....but you have to love me for trying! :-4

lady cop wrote: i grew up speaking the Queen's English quite properly, in kind of a very modified boston manner. my Dad insisted. if i used any "common" vernacular i would be in trouble. you're right about southerners...i want to choke it out of them......looking forward to buying you a pint GMC! ....and you are right, when Bothwell is here i have to translate for these poor rebels.
GMC's talking about southern England, LC. My fine southern belles and brethren don't give two shakes for the Queen's English. Until Katrina, the only queens south of the Mason-Dixon were coralled in New Orleans.

posted by bothwell

LC outrageous to agree with the hairy Scot, his version of "Southerners" means us English!!!!


Actually no. I think Northern England and scotland have more in common with each other than either have with the poncy south of england

gmc wrote: posted by bothwell





Actually no. I think Northern England and scotland have more in common with each other than either have with the poncy south of england


Whats 'poncy ' about the South of England then ?



Definition of PONCE..effeminate man..man living off prostitues earnings !!!!:mad:

Accountable wrote: When I was in the Air Force, I helped close RAF Greenham Common. Anybody here from around there? Whatever happened to the Common? Are the peace protestors still there looking for something to protest?


Hi Accountable. My fella lives in Newbury and I go there every couple of weeks. We went for a walk up on Greenham Common a couple of months ago. It's very different from when the protesters were there...apart from anything else we could walk all over it. It's a Nature Reserve now..lots of dog walkers and families having picnics and fun together. There are no buildings except for some huge grey concrete bunkers with wire all around them. There is talk that they'll be developed into some kind of residential or community facility. Funny thing was, when we were up there, we got talking to a couple of ladies who were reminiscing about you guys being there....they remembered it with pleasure and a twinkle..what did you all get up to?? It's a lovely place to go, still very open but lots of gorse bushes, silver birch trees and loads of birds..they even have nightingales there now. And they have cattle and sheep grazing there too.

Astra wrote: Hi Accountable. My fella lives in Newbury and I go there every couple of weeks. We went for a walk up on Greenham Common a couple of months ago. It's very different from when the protesters were there...apart from anything else we could walk all over it. It's a Nature Reserve now..lots of dog walkers and families having picnics and fun together. There are no buildings except for some huge grey concrete bunkers with wire all around them. There is talk that they'll be developed into some kind of residential or community facility. Funny thing was, when we were up there, we got talking to a couple of ladies who were reminiscing about you guys being there....they remembered it with pleasure and a twinkle..what did you all get up to?? It's a lovely place to go, still very open but lots of gorse bushes, silver birch trees and loads of birds..they even have nightingales there now. And they have cattle and sheep grazing there too.Thanks for that, Astra. It reminds me of the opening & closing of the old movie, 12 o'clock high. I'd be glad to see the place again.