Born in Bow, East London. When I get back to 'the Smoke' I find after a couple of hours I still drop into the old vernacular and have the accent, rhyming slang and all, even though there really are'nt too many cockney's about these days in Newham!
Home was East Ham which was E6, but we were the 'posh' side of the station which was actually 'rural' Manor Park E12. Famous sons?........lot of local lads made the grade playing pro-soccer for the Hammers and Orient. Too many to mention. Upton Park was about a 10 minute walk for me, so Wes Ham was always going to be my team.
Of course, Manor Park is the home of the Ruskin Arms where Iron Maiden had more often than not a residency in their early days. They were also regulars at the Cart & Horses and various other East End pubs. I've humped their gear many a time through '76 and '77. Funny thing, years later I found myself playing soccer for the same team as Steve Harris. He hadn't changed even though by then we was a millionaire svereal times over I would say. Quiet, unassuming, good player too.
Following marriage I committed a cardinal sin and moved south of Thames into Kent - 'The Garden of England', and then later after divorce a bit further into Kent, to Maidstone which had a castle, Gaol and everything!
10 years ago during a mid life crisis I jacked my (good) job and followed a woman to Germany. For the last 8 years I have built and run my own climbing park in Bad Bevensen, which is on the edge of the Lueneburger Heide region in NW Germany. It is about an hour by car from Hamburg.
http://www.bad-bevensen-tourismus.de/badbevensen.html
Bevensen is a quiet country town. It developed during the 80's tih a lot of Clinics and special rehab facilities. Hence the populace here is biased towards pensioners, although that is beginning to change a little now.
I guess it's 'Jewel in the crown' is the thermal baths. I must say it is refreshing on a winter's night to be outside in the pools in a 33 degree warm water.
I'm planning my next move now though. I don't want to be an English pensioner here!
No Hits, No Hype.......................Classic Rock Jan 2012