Rockers

HELLO SANDRA. I USED TO GO IN THE CAPRICE SOMETIMES BUT USUALLY I WENT TO HALS. I LOVED THE CAPRICE BUT IT WAS A BIT SMALL AND COULD GET VERY CROWDED ESPECIALLY AT WEEKENDS WHEN "ROCKERS" WOULD MEET THERE BEFORE HEADING OFF TO BOX HILL VIA THE MICKLEHAM BENDS AND CONGREGATING IN THE LAYBAY AT THE FOOT OF THE HILL. I LIKED THE COFFEE IN THE CAPRICE IT WAS ITALIAN AND CAME OUT OF A COMPLICATED STEAM MACHINE WHICH WAS MADE BY " GAGGIA ". IT WAS REALLY NEW IN THOSE DAYS AS COFFEE USUALLY CAME OUT OF A JAR AND WAS EITHER NESCAFE OR MAXWELL HOUSE WHICH WAS NEW TO THE MARKET AND TRIED TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS "COOL" TO DRINK IT AS IT CAME FROM THE STATES, BUT IN REALITY IT WAS PROBABLY MADE BY LYONS IN THEIR ENORMOUS FACTORY IN GREENFORD. NOWADAYS YOU CAN BUY GAGGIA COFFEE MACHINES FOR THE KITCHEN. I USED TO LOVE SITTING ON THE STOOLS IN THE CAPRICE LISTENING TO THE SMALL JUKEBOX ON THE WALL ( HALS HAD AN ENORMOUS JUKE BOX AND A " GOTTLIEB" PIN TABLE AND I REMEMBER IT ALSO HAD A FRUIT MACHINE WHICH PAID OUT A JACKPOT OF EITHER FIFTY SHILLINGS OR A FIVER, I CANNOT REMEMBER WHICH, BUT EITHER WAY IT GAVE POOR OLD MICK PRICE A "HEART ATTACK" EVERY TIME IT SHELLED OUT AS HE WAS A BIT CAREFUL WITH THE PENNIES BUT HE WAS A GREAT BLOKE AND USUALLY HAD A CHRISTMAS PARTY WHEN THE JUKE BOX WAS FREE, MUST HAVE BROKEN HIS HEART.I LIKED TO LISTEN TO THE JUKEBOX IN THE CAPRICE AND ONE OF MY FAVOURITE RECORDS WAS " HEY BABY" BY BRUCE CHANEL AND IT WAS CONSTANTLY BEING PLAYED. ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END AND SURE ENOUGH HALS AND THE CAPRICE BOTH CLOSED DOWN AND SO HAS "THE CROWN" WHICH I WOULD FREQUENT ON A FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. I KNEW TWO GIRLS CALLED SANDRA WHO USED TO GO IN THE CAPRICE AND THEY WERE BOTH VERY GOOD LOOKING AND OLDER THAN I WAS AND AS MOST OF THE ROCKERS WERE OLDER AND COOLER THAN I WAS THEY TENDED TO HANG ABOUT WITH THEM. WE USED TO PUT ON OUR BEST ITALIAN SUITS, PURCHASED ON THE DRIP FROM BURTONS, ON SUNDAYS AND WE WOULD GO TO THE TEMPERANCE BILLIARDS HALL FOR A GAME OF SNOOKER IN THE AFTERNOON AND GO TO THE ODEON OPPOSITE TO WATCH A FILM IN THE EVENING, USUALLY A JAMES BOND OR A HAMMER HORROR. IF YOU MANAGED TO SHUNT OFF BEFORE THE ANTHEM YOU COULD JUST SQUEEZE IN A SWIFT HALF IN THE CROWN WHICH USED TO CLOSE AT TEN O'CLOCK ( IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TEN THIRTY) IN THOSE DAYS. PEOPLE USED TO DRINK LIGHT AND BITTER OR BROWN AND MILD IN THOSE DAYS. ANYWAY SANDRA I COULD GO ON FOR DAYS WITH MY LOVELY MEMORIES OF MORDEN BUT CHRISTMAS IS SOON APPROACHING AND I HAVE STILL GOT TO BUY PRESENTS, SO TAKE CARE BEST WISHES, RICHARD.