Wolver-hamper-ton
Bastard place, Born and bred there. Spent the first eighteen years of my life in a one horse, three pub town (The Posada and The Giffard Arms shut at half ten, but if you were quick, you could run down to the New Inn for a last one before eleven.)

Moved to London in 1991. The minute I left, the fucking place became a vibrant student city. Now, when I go back, there's pubs, bars and student totty everywhere. Prior to 1991, the only sign of a pulse in the place was a mad bloke who used to wander the Mander Centre dressed as a cowboy...
(Billy The Fish wants to gargle with Lucy Pinder's bath water, Mon 2 Nov 2009, 20:36, 8 replies)

Mad Cowboy
I miss him.... LOL where did he go?
(Pumba Look for the red flashing light again... no!!!!!, Mon 2 Nov 2009, 20:42, closed)

He's still there
Now he just talks about Jesus and wears a cap instead of a cowboy hat.
(ConanTroutman thought we would free the vulture, Mon 2 Nov 2009, 23:12, closed)

'vibrant student city'?!
You must be joking.
(ConanTroutman thought we would free the vulture, Mon 2 Nov 2009, 23:14, closed)

You didn't see it before '91.
Back then, the locals would dash out of the pub to watch the traffic lights change...
(Billy The Fish wants to gargle with Lucy Pinder's bath water, Tue 3 Nov 2009, 5:33, closed)

I was born there
Almost exactly 24 years ago and lived there until I was 18, so I did see it before '91.
Admittedly I was at 'Go Kidz Go' rather than in the Royal London pre-'91....anyway, I take your point. The fact you can see someone below the age of 70 within a mile of the city centre on a weekday is progress indeed.
(ConanTroutman thought we would free the vulture, Tue 3 Nov 2009, 9:27, closed)

Blimey...
I also left Wolverhampton in the same year... and went to London... you Sir must be my doppelganger.

As well as the Cowboy, do you remember Ezra? Preaching his mad form of Christianity just by the Prince Albert horse every weekend. We were all sinners.

And you must remember the old Mander Centre before they cleaned it up - it smelled so strongly of wee that it could have blinded you...

Happy days.
(dkintheuk, Tue 3 Nov 2009, 10:55, closed)

Ezra!
Yes indeed. I remember his shouty God-bothering ways outside the 'Mon on the 'Oss' way back when. In his latter years, he gravitated to preaching outside the Ann Summers shop when it opened, the old perv.

Do you remember The Tavern? Great rock pub opposite the aforementioned statue. They shut it down in '88 and turned it into a Halifax, the bastards...
(Billy The Fish wants to gargle with Lucy Pinder's bath water, Tue 3 Nov 2009, 18:15, closed)

Ezra
He used to be a regular at the church near my house; I think he's dead now.

What annoys me is that there used to be a few really good music shops selling instruments and/or musical recordings. Now there's a HMV and two intsrument shops. 'Big Deal' has come along a bit under new management but I cant seem to go into 'One Way Music' without being patronised or just stared at as I peruse the shop.
(ConanTroutman thought we would free the vulture, Wed 4 Nov 2009, 9:38, closed)