Passed this guy in the window of Sixty-Six the other day. I should explain that Sixty-Six is a restaurant in South Great Georges Street on Dublin's (barely) Southside.
In the first two decades of the last century it was Redmond's jewellers and pawnbrokers and my grand-uncle Andy worked there before he opened his own pawnbrokers at 96 Gardiner Street (now Gandon Hall) on the perimeter of Monto.
He accepted many odd items in pawn: a loaded revolver which he promptly dumped on a relative for fear the Tans would find it in a raid on his shop; Daniel O'Connell's teapot, which my uncle subsequently shattered in my granny's house.
Anyway, that's why I always look in the window of Sixty-Six when I pass by. So I saw this man staring at me. He looked so much like a customer that I didn't like to stare back so I passed on and snuck back for a sideways glance. Turned out to be a very realistic figure of Winston Churchill. And then, when I got the courage to stare the waxwork face on, I saw the inscription on the window, below.
Dublin is always full of surprises.
Excellent Pol!
ReplyDeleteThe other Churchill story I like was about him and GBS, not members of each other's fan clubs.
Shaw sent Churchill 2 tickets for the opening night of one of his plays with a note "for you and your friend, if you have a friend!"
Churchill sent them back saying he was otherwise engaged that evening but would be be "glad yto come to the second night,if there is a second night!"
I followed the link to your relative and the audio stories. Very good. Just listened to the Bloody Sunday one. The description says - there are not many funny stories about Bloody Sunday - this is one of them. Yes, up to a point Lord Copper.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it anyway - I'll listen to some more another time.
@Blackwatertown
ReplyDeleteTake your point. I am inclined to take the tragedy for granted and was highlighting the humorous angle. I have amended the description.
I feel a bit of a churlish arse now. (Possibly because I am.)
ReplyDelete@blackwatertown
ReplyDeleteNo problem. That sort of comment is always welcome. I am constantly criticised for overcompressing and not making myself clear. And how would I know if it wasn't pointed out to me?
I hope the amendment made it a bit clearer. I would not trivialise Blood Sunday, but Larry went from the sublime to the ridiculous in the space of minutes.
Hope you like the rest of the stories. I only digitised what I thought would be of more general interest from an audio tape of over an hour long. Most of it is family stuff.
Keep 'em comin'