- Jan 31, 2011
- 5,769
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Essex is a great county, I would not live anywhere else, its not like any other place on earth, the worst depiction I have ever seen is probably the tv show 'the only way is essex', which I have to confess shows the sort of people I have never ever met, but having said that, it is set in the more affluent part of Essex rather than the rather gritty area where I live and work,
my shop is in a deprived area, my customers range from local business owners, students, struggling families to the more rough side of life, drug dealers, loan sharks, car dealers, debt collectors, all Essex types, hearts of gold, love their families, and they only hurt their own, there is a lot of honour round here, and not the false type of honour that we know about back home, but a quite refreshing honour, I was dragged out of the shop by a pal of mine the other day, a roofer I have an enormous amount of time for, he knows more about philosophy than a lot of very educated people I know, but he did not study it, it has been burnt into him like it has been burnt into me,
Everyone round here knows I work myself to death, maybe 16 to 18 hours a day, they know it because you can hear the bass from the shop on the street from quite a distance, and it plays from 5ish am to around 11ish pm, luckily there are no flats above me, and my neighbours have excellent soundproofing, he came in the other day
Arry its time you started getting a bit of style
uhmm I like the way I dress,
call that dress you muppet? look at yer, food all dan yer shirt
uhmm well then I know Ive eaten
you need a cap san, a cap, something to make yer feel like a man
I nodded, I did not want a cap, although I did have a haircut and shave a few days ago, which was the first time in 6 months, and then only because whilst on site with a new customer last week, I caught side of myself in the mirror and realised I looked like a tramp ( I don't wear a turban, and although one day I probably will, it will happen when I least expect it, and is not something I think about or plan)
so, he came back a few hours later with some caps
ere arry try this on
I tried it on, I looked like someone from the great Gatsby
he smiled and nodded
there ya go san, get some style
he then took me to a hat shop, and I was instructed in hat etiquette, I bought a barrow boy cap, later that day, I dug out a designer overcoat Sian had bought me years ago that I had always hated, and it seemed to go well with the cap, I go through a car every 2 weeks, as I sell them for a local dealer, currently an old Audi A6, but quite nice in metallic green, last car but one was an ancient 325 with a really tatty body, I remember getting out in front of a shop window and catching sight of myself, scruffy hair, check, foodstains on sweater, check, tatty car, check, I laughed, glad not to be part of the crowd, glad to be me, to the people who deal with me, it makes little difference, they all think I am as mad as a march hare, and I try and conduct myself within the truth, looks mean nothing, however, yesterday, at the same shop window, I caught sight of myself again, tidy goatee, trimmed hair, flat barrow boy cap, designer overcoat, chinos, (I am an 80's boy at heart), DM boots,
A car dealer clocked me
arry? arry is that you, god san you looking sharp boy
I smiled shook his hand
nice motah boy where did ya get it
uhmm Dannyboy
Dannyboy?? that {censored}ah, listen san, come and see me I'll sort you aaaat
I shook hands and made my excuses, nice chap though
my roofer friend has a simple philosophy, arry you got to let that bone go san, don't be like other people always looking for that bone, let it go san, he also gave me some excellent advice on saying sorry
never say sorry san, children say sorry, real men make changes, make them changes so you don have to say sorry, ever
its 6.51 the Audi goes today, sold, who knows what is my next one for the week, I might ask for the VW, solid, reliable,
my shop is in a deprived area, my customers range from local business owners, students, struggling families to the more rough side of life, drug dealers, loan sharks, car dealers, debt collectors, all Essex types, hearts of gold, love their families, and they only hurt their own, there is a lot of honour round here, and not the false type of honour that we know about back home, but a quite refreshing honour, I was dragged out of the shop by a pal of mine the other day, a roofer I have an enormous amount of time for, he knows more about philosophy than a lot of very educated people I know, but he did not study it, it has been burnt into him like it has been burnt into me,
Everyone round here knows I work myself to death, maybe 16 to 18 hours a day, they know it because you can hear the bass from the shop on the street from quite a distance, and it plays from 5ish am to around 11ish pm, luckily there are no flats above me, and my neighbours have excellent soundproofing, he came in the other day
Arry its time you started getting a bit of style
uhmm I like the way I dress,
call that dress you muppet? look at yer, food all dan yer shirt
uhmm well then I know Ive eaten
you need a cap san, a cap, something to make yer feel like a man
I nodded, I did not want a cap, although I did have a haircut and shave a few days ago, which was the first time in 6 months, and then only because whilst on site with a new customer last week, I caught side of myself in the mirror and realised I looked like a tramp ( I don't wear a turban, and although one day I probably will, it will happen when I least expect it, and is not something I think about or plan)
so, he came back a few hours later with some caps
ere arry try this on
I tried it on, I looked like someone from the great Gatsby
he smiled and nodded
there ya go san, get some style
he then took me to a hat shop, and I was instructed in hat etiquette, I bought a barrow boy cap, later that day, I dug out a designer overcoat Sian had bought me years ago that I had always hated, and it seemed to go well with the cap, I go through a car every 2 weeks, as I sell them for a local dealer, currently an old Audi A6, but quite nice in metallic green, last car but one was an ancient 325 with a really tatty body, I remember getting out in front of a shop window and catching sight of myself, scruffy hair, check, foodstains on sweater, check, tatty car, check, I laughed, glad not to be part of the crowd, glad to be me, to the people who deal with me, it makes little difference, they all think I am as mad as a march hare, and I try and conduct myself within the truth, looks mean nothing, however, yesterday, at the same shop window, I caught sight of myself again, tidy goatee, trimmed hair, flat barrow boy cap, designer overcoat, chinos, (I am an 80's boy at heart), DM boots,
A car dealer clocked me
arry? arry is that you, god san you looking sharp boy
I smiled shook his hand
nice motah boy where did ya get it
uhmm Dannyboy
Dannyboy?? that {censored}ah, listen san, come and see me I'll sort you aaaat
I shook hands and made my excuses, nice chap though
my roofer friend has a simple philosophy, arry you got to let that bone go san, don't be like other people always looking for that bone, let it go san, he also gave me some excellent advice on saying sorry
never say sorry san, children say sorry, real men make changes, make them changes so you don have to say sorry, ever
its 6.51 the Audi goes today, sold, who knows what is my next one for the week, I might ask for the VW, solid, reliable,
