County fans, other football supporters, people of Stockport, and anyone else finding their way here today, a very warm welcome to the latest edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
For a Monday, I’m feeling rather upbeat today. County moved into the top half of League Two on Saturday, we’ve got some great content on the website this week, and we’ve also launched our Christmas gift guide today! We’re adding new items every day, and make sure you’re here on 1 December when we launch our festive giveaway, with over £1,000 worth of goodies up for grabs amongst our readers.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Bask, which is the place to be for all of the big games at this year’s World Cup, which kicks off on Sunday. Thanks to Benji and all the team at Bask for their continued support.
Hope everyone has a good week, as we look ahead to Saturday, and the eagerly-awaited visit of the leaders Leyton Orient to SK3.
Des Junior
Technically, I was planning to write a review of the new quiz night at Bask in Stockport, but I think I’m going to start with the apology I need to issue to Tom Ogden from Blossoms.
Dear Tom: I never meant to call you Tom Donge. But I didn’t have a sodding clue who DEMO TONG was in the anagrams round at the Baskmaster quiz night last Wednesday, asking us to decipher famous Stockport people. I mean, Tom Donge’s a much cooler name if you ever fancy changing it - though you might have trouble getting your wife to adopt that surname - but I do appreciate a dong can occasionally be used for the word penis, and my intention is not to call you one of those. I’m the only dong here, believe me. I was 99% sure I’d never heard of a Stockport lad called Tom Donge throwing shapes on the Bamboo dance floor, but I still wrote it down anyway, as it was all I could make out from those letters.
While I’m here, I might as well apologise to Tess Daly as well. I’ve lived in Stockport most of my life, but all I got from ADS STYLE was Les Stayd. I haven’t got a clue who I thought he was supposed to be.
The anagrams round had actually started quite well. Jason Manford, Michelle Keegan and David Dickinson jumped off the sheet immediately. With fairly good Stopfordian knowledge (or so I thought) I was expecting to piss the rest. But there was no Craig Cash, no Will Mellor, no Phil Foden, no the bloke who shot his partner in the actual vagina with an actual gun at the Britannia Hotel in 2017.
I did manage to score 4/10 after spotting Rick Witter. But my head was in pieces after the debacle of Tom Donge and Les Stayd, and to my shame, I failed to uncover Ricky Hatton, Sarah Harding, Yvette Fielding and Angela Rayner. I’ve appeared as a contestant on Countdown as well. Although as you’ve probably guessed, I lost.
People seem to enjoy reading about one’s self-deprecation. So let’s get this next bit over and done with as well. 1/15. That was my score on the picture round, a sheet of various band logos. And which one did I get correct? Take That. I’m about as cool as Mr Tumble, aren’t I?
Before Stockport Grammar School take me to court for ruining their reputation as an education provider, as a result of one of their former pupils being so stupid, time for a bit of redemption. I scored 8/10 on the general knowledge round. A couple of those were partly down to being a County fan who follows his team all over the country, as you tend to know things like Sheffield being called ‘The Steel City’, and the M6 being the country’s longest motorway. In fact, I wasn’t a million miles away from achieving a perfect 10. If I’d swapped a cub for a calf (baby giraffe) and an apple for a pineapple (the fruit on top of the men’s trophy at Wimbledon) I’d have been running round Bask waving my black and yellow blazer over my head in glory.
What else was there? A telly round. That was fun. Possibly featuring one of the easiest questions I’ve ever seen in a quiz, for anyone even vaguely interested in popular culture? What does TOWIE stand for? “This is what I came for,” shouted out an excited prosecco-guzzling girl on the table next to mine.
It won’t surprise you to hear that I didn’t win the quiz. But as I was on my own, I was relatively chuffed not to finish last. That honour went to ‘Here for the Beer’ - a couple of Stockport girls swigging pints in the middle of the room. A hollow victory, I know.
Hosted by XS Manchester’s Sophie Sveinsson, alongside her handsome assistant, Bask’s Benji Taylor (Sophie’s words, not mine, although he’s not bad on the eye I suppose), Baskmaster is a really fun way to spend a Wednesday evening. (It’s on every second Wednesday, so 14 December is your next opportunity to play along). And great value for money as well, just £3 per person, with some decent prizes on offer such as gig tickets, Didsbury Gin and a £50 bar tab.
Book a table at Bask for England’s World Cup games
Whether it’s tucking into a tasty treat from Ate Days A Week alongside a Stockport Gin before the game, or dancing to the tunes of DJ Gareth Brooks after it, many County fans have already enjoyed the splendid matchday experience created by the team at Bask. And now you can do the same for England’s World Cup games as well (plus all the other belters like Tunisia v Australia if you fancy it). Table reservations are now being made, which is certainly well worth doing, to follow all the action from Qatar on Bask’s brand new 75” screens. Email hello@thisisbask.co.uk to book.
Stockport photo of the day
A6, Stockport
I’m sure we’re all a little bit nostalgic looking at these steps leading into the bus station. I took these steps back in 2001 to meet my first ever date (Jenny from Cheadle) as she got off the bus, before we took another one to the Trafford Centre for Pearl Harbor and a ride on the dodgems (no, not a euphemism). Can’t use this as a meeting place anymore though, as the multi-million pound redevelopment of the town continues.
The only Christmas gift guide you need this year
41 sleeps to go! The Scarf My Father Wore have curated a beautiful Christmas gift guide this year, from independent businesses across the UK. Check the guide each day, with new items constantly added, before our festive giveaway starts on 1 December!
Today in SK
🥙 Monday is usually the day a new diet starts. But sod it, that can wait until January with Christmas just around the corner. So on that note, why not treat yourself to a delicious doner kebab from Fishers of Cheshire (461 Buxton Road, SK2 7HE). Just £3 all day on a Monday.