Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

A little tongue in cheek, but can someone explain how it is possible to make many different and acceptable alcoholic drinks and yet be incapable of making a bottle top which can be opened without the use of a tool kit?

You must be talking about the local Gin and Vodka, but if not some of the milk cartons are bloody useless as well. I've sort of perfected the G and V by turning the bottles on their sides, and by using the knife bit on a wine opener , I can open in about 5 mins, anything less and I'd probably cut a finger off. I once wrote to the Gin bottlers but needless to say didn't receive a reply. Someone should go and show the bottlers how to produce serrated metal tear offs.

Thanks Sophie, my wife reckons they are all the same alcohol drinks with various food colourings added, I quite like the 'Napoleon brandy' if I can get the sodding top off. Agree about the milk as well!

I use two adjustable pliers, one below of bottom seal and other for cap top, works but not satisfactory!

Local vodka and gin........are you sure.......keep well away........shipped in bulk in six metre container tanks, and bottled here.....not my idea of a decent drink....... but hey ho.......each to there own............always felt so rank the morning after, if I had to drink local for whatever reason......also, don’t get me going with that local tonic as well.............other than that, it’s a good night from me.....

16 years ago I was warned by someone who had been here for about 190 years, not to touch Lord Jim with a barge pole, it would rot my kidneys and liver and any other bit of me it touched on the way down. Well I'm still here, but of course it may be the reason why I walk with a limp, have a stutter, blind in one eye and teeth rotting. I will drink local tonic if there is nothing else and I must admit I prefer it to Britvic!!

Lord Jim is 'Beefeaters Gin', shipped out in bulk and bottled locally. Not the purist distillation but okay.

Thank you Brisley, If only the Beefeater people could teach the Gaza (?) bottlers how to construct a twist off top and all would be well.

Brinsley wrote: ↑

Wed 20 May 2020 10:17 pm

Lord Jim is 'Beefeaters Gin', shipped out in bulk and bottled locally. Not the purist distillation but okay.

I was informed many years ago that Lord Jim was alcohol mixed with flavouring in a similar manner to the local brandy, so if it is really Beefeater that’s a recent change.

the only way is buy more expensive then you wont have this problem . Me i will take a extra minute and save dosh . Its that easy really

I may as well join in, it's too hot.
Try twisting it clockwise then give it a "surprise" anti-clockwise twist.

Soner wrote: ↑

Thu 21 May 2020 10:01 am

I may as well join in, it's too hot.
Try twisting it clockwise then give it a "surprise" anti-clockwise twist.

Reminds me of the cistern in the outside toilet when I was little

Keithcaley wrote: ↑

Thu 21 May 2020 10:06 am

Reminds me of the cistern in the outside toilet when I was little

An outside toilet? AND a cistern?

LUXURY!

When I were a lad ..........

Yeah, luxury! When I were a kid we had to queue outside with 10 other families, and use a bucket to flush.
Sorry everyone, Keith took this

It was the element of surprise which was the most fun...

...you never knew whether you were going to get a flush or a shower!

Was there squares of newspaper hanging by a nail? I've heard of this but not seen it. Or the dreaded Izal toilet paper? Demon stuff, they used to have it in schools, as well as carbolic soap for hand washing.

Lord Jim did change their top bottle dispenser to a glug-glug one often seen in bars to slow the rate of pouring when not using optics however, they have disappeared so can only assume that the bottling plant is on old capping stock.

Out in the Norfolk country side I used to have a 25 yard walk in the pitch dark to the bottom of an Aunts garden and I was terrified. All I had was a candle which you stuck in a holder just above (yes) the nail and torn up newspaper. Worse than anything were the huge black spiders which only moved when he candle fluttered. We visited this Aunt when I was 6 - 10 years old and I can still remember with horror every trip I made down that bloody garden path. What this has to do with Lord Jim gin I really don't know. It's always the fault of that man Caley.

alphamike wrote: ↑

Thu 21 May 2020 12:10 pm

Was there squares of newspaper hanging by a nail? I've heard of this but not seen it. Or the dreaded Izal toilet paper?Demon stuff, they used to have it in schools, as well as carbolic soap for hand washing.

Bronco!

Her indoors had the same viz-a-viz the toilet/newspaper torn up. And had to get water from an outside tap to bring into the house. Her sister slept in a drawer as a baby. No electrickery.

Early 1950s, East Anglia. And even our own children didn’t believe her, let alone the grandweans!

Oh well, I'm in deep enough now...

Yes, squares of newspaper - they did have that IZAL medicated stuff at school, I reckon that it needed to be medicated, 'cos the edges were so sharp, you could accidentally cut your bum on it!

I also slept in a drawer, so I'm told, in a Utility chest of drawers - if anyone on here is unfamiliar with Utility Furniture (which I think is unlikely, given that the average age of members is about 100), there's a picture below.

We had the Dressing Chest with Mirror and the Wardrobe, and they were still in daily use until the 1980's...

And we had a tin bath hung on a nail in the backyard, and only an outside tap.

There was only one 5amp socket in the entire house until I was about 10 or so, at which point I got a book from the library and did a little rewiring - my parents were very trusting

In my youth the toilet was outside in the garden, As I and the faimly progresed will used the toilet in the house to sh** ect and eat in the garden, now we sh** in the bedroom and still eat in the garden and they call this progress.

For true utility authenticity you need to look for the mark

Oh that lovely marking. Utility furniture is in such demand nowadays, particularly those who have a knack for adapting it when necessary. I loved my utility dressing table and mirror. Much more superior that a most of the cheaper end these days all stuck and stapled together. Yuck. Also most, but not all, the chair backs were far better for those with back problems. I'm on a role here...…..if I was to move and could change my kitchen, I would have everything free standing heavy utility designed. Bliss

Keithcaley wrote: ↑

Thu 21 May 2020 4:15 pm

I also slept in a drawer, so I'm told, in a Utility chest of drawers

Indoor drawer? You were lucky, I used to dream of an indoor drawer.

EnjoyingTheSun wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 8:50 am

Keithcaley wrote: ↑

Thu 21 May 2020 4:15 pm

I also slept in a drawer, so I'm told, in a Utility chest of drawers

Indoor drawer? You were lucky, I used to dream of an indoor drawer.

INDOORS???!!! You’re a southern shandy-drinking Jessie I’ll bet!

Mowgli597 wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 9:08 am

You’re a southern shandy-drinking Jessie I’ll bet!

When I say shandy I meant the tiny bit of beer was diluted by some stagnant septic water from the canal.

Keithcaley wrote: ↑

Thu 21 May 2020 4:15 pm

And we had a tin bath hung on a nail in the backyard, and only an outside tap.

F@#%ing hell Keith were you born in 1910 or if later, Bolton?

'46 in 'ULL

Our terrace only had 5 houses left in it - the other three quarters of the terrace and the 3 terraces next to it had been demolished by the Luftwaffe in the preceeding unpleasantness.

They did leave me a fair sized bomb site to play on though!

Keithcaley wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 10:51 am

the other three quarters of the terrace and the 3 terraces next to it had been demolished by the Luftwaffe in the preceeding unpleasantness.

Causing twenty quid's worth of damage?

Actually, I think that it raised the value of the area considerably

Keithcaley wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 10:51 am

'46 in 'ULL

Our terrace only had 5 houses left in it - the other three quarters of the terrace and the 3 terraces next to it had been demolished by the Luftwaffe in the preceeding unpleasantness.

They did leave me a fair sized bomb site to play on though!

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/edu ... lin-raids/

Did you live on Porter Street?

The Zeppelin raids of 1915 brought death to ordinary civilians, in their own homes.
damage caused by the raid to Edwin Place, Porter Street, Hull. Three people were killed and several injured

No, North Hull, off Newland Avenue.

Porter Street is much nearer the City Centre and the docks.

The Zeppelin raids took place during the First World War of course, although I think that most of what was left of Porter Street got flattened during WW2.

Southern softies, obviously none of you grew up in Glasgow in the 40s and 50s!!

Kanonier wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 8:01 pm

.... grew up in Glasgow .....

Re Glasgow, are there any who read "The Blood Bus" blog by "The Driver" some years ago? A very funny record of a bus driver's experiences, which sadly he had to close down due to fears of being identified by his bosses and subsequently being sacked - it was then published as a book, but supposedly he then had to have it taken off the market for the same reason....

Never read that Jofra, but really would like to. I did hear of one family member of mine tied to rail lines in Lanarkshire/Glasgow. It's all a bit vague, but I think it was to do with ice cream vans, which seem a very unlikely thing nowadays. I just cannot get to the bottom of it all, and my Dad, just either doesn't know, or is holding out. In truth, it was probably way before my Dad's time, as his brother was over 20 years older than him, and died quite a while back.

jofra wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 9:24 pm

Kanonier wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 8:01 pm

.... grew up in Glasgow .....

Re Glasgow, are there any who read "The Blood Bus" blog by "The Driver" some years ago? A very funny record of a bus driver's experiences, which sadly he had to close down due to fears of being identified by his bosses and subsequently being sacked - it was then published as a book, but supposedly he then had to have it taken off the market for the same reason....

It's still available on Amazon, as is Van Wars, the story of the Ice Cream Wars in Glasgow, neither of them makes good reading for the faint hearted.

Thanks for that Kanonier, Van Wars now downloaded to my Kindle!

Sadly, The Blood Bus is only available in paperback, so that will have to wait for a while.

alphamike wrote: ↑

Fri 22 May 2020 11:54 pm

Never read that Jofra, but really would like to. I did hear of one family member of mine tied to rail lines in Lanarkshire/Glasgow. It's all a bit vague, but I think it was to do with ice cream vans, which seem a very unlikely thing nowadays. I just cannot get to the bottom of it all, and my Dad, just either doesn't know, or is holding out. In truth, it was probably way before my Dad's time, as his brother was over 20 years older than him, and died quite a while back.

A Brief History of: The Glasgow Ice cream Wars - …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux9_nqXFMOA

Thank you Kanonier and Kerry

OK, another "interesting" blog, that started in 2003 and ran for six years -
My Neighbours Are Hoors
- like most blogs, older mails start at the bottom of the page, newer rising... then back to the bottom for "Newer Posts"

Heh heh heh, I've read the first dozen or so entries, it looks like it's going to be a proper page turner!

Thank you so much!

Hold the Front Page: Lord Jim are trying out a sophisticated new bottle shape. Tall, straight and thin with no shape (a bit like Twiggy that was) the bottle top is different as well. Good luck.

Sophie, you do realise that you have dragged this thread back 'on topic', don't you?

After all our efforts carefully guiding it off into La La land!

Keithcaley wrote: ↑

Sun 24 May 2020 9:57 am

Sophie, you do realise that you have dragged this thread back 'on topic', don't you?

After all our efforts carefully guiding it off into La La land!

Spoilsport

This was nearly the best ever, shirley!

Not sure about 'La La Land' but certainly reached Planet Zog!