The Streets of Stockport - Day 3
Plus: Geordie Hatter’s circle-themed playlist
Saturday 11 November 2023
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Saturday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
Whether you’re still in bed this morning, or currently making your way down to Swindon, we’ve got a couple of articles for your reading pleasure. I’ve got the third instalment of ‘The Streets of Stockport’ to share with you, after having a mooch round Edgeley this time last week. And with County playing in Swindon this afternoon – home of the bizarre Magic Roundabout – we decided to challenge Jonathan Baker to come up with a playlist with a circle theme. As ever, he didn’t disappoint.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Kingsway Carpets. As always, a big thank you to Neil.
I’ve managed to raise £925 so far for Stockport-based mental health charity Mentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target, please click here.
Total distance so far: 46.68 miles
Total steps so far: 83,302
Total raised so far: £925
Total completed streets so far: 24 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)
Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.
Des Junior
Having completed the A6 – and no, that doesn’t mean Carlisle to London, stop being so pedantic or I’ll tell you to sod off just like I did with my mates – where do you fancy walking today, dear readers? Shall we go for an amble through Adswood, hoof it to Heaton Chapel or wander round Woodsmoor? Well, to be honest it’s my decision not yours, and as Stockport County are playing at home to Worksop Town in the FA Cup later this afternoon, I’m making the executive decision to keep things simple by ticking off a few streets in Edgeley before heading to the pub.
With six hours to go until kick-off, it’s a little early to head to Edgeley Park, but as I walk the full length of Chatham Street, I enjoy catching a glimpse of the towering floodlights at various intersections. It’s a pleasant start to the day. I even say a prayer for County to avoid slipping on an FA Cup banana skin later this afternoon, as I pop a flyer through the door of the Stockport Spiritualist Church.
What isn’t a pleasant start to the day is the drizzle that’s starting to fall. I’m getting wet before I’ve even made it down one side of Chatham Street. The Alexandra pub isn’t open yet so it looks as if the Big Saver shop at the end of the road might have to be my sanctuary. Fortunately, the drizzle doesn’t materialise into anything more substantial, and I’m able to continue with my Edgeley stroll.
As I walk up York Street towards Castle Street, I can see the Edgeley Discount Store in the distance. That’s the full name of the shop. But as many of you will know, there’s a cheeky photo opportunity to be had where you can take a snap of the “Edgeley Disco” at the right angle. That brings a whole new meaning to the “we specialise in £1 lines” slogan on its frontage. No wonder Castle Street’s a bit bonkers.
Speaking of shoving stuff up your nose, I do the same as I walk down Castle Street. Not anything untoward (and just to avoid any legal action, can I say I’m 99.9% sure that the “£1 lines” at the Edgeley Disco probably refer to coat hangers and custard creams rather than cocaine) but my nostrils are filled with all manner of aromas as I pop in and out of each building with my flyers. There’s the sharp hit of nail polish and boot polish; the pungent whiff of shops catering for fishermen and animal owners; and, more pleasantly I won’t lie, the tantalising smells wafting out of The Friary and Leve Bakery Shawarma.
Castle Street brings back so many memories, dating all the way back to the early 90s when I’d be here with my dad after every County home game on a Saturday night, picking up a bag of sweets, a copy of the Football Pink and a video to watch. You can still pick up a bag of sweets obviously, but Football Pinks and video rentals are a thing of the past, and in my opinion the world’s a worse place for it. Gen Z or Gen Alpha or Gen Twat or whatever they’re calling themselves these days will argue it’s fantastic to have instant access to things like football results and Hollywood blockbusters at your fingertips but that’s probably why we’re a nation of obese and socially awkward smartphone addicts. Not everything was better in “the good old days” I’ll admit, but for myself and many others, there was something bloody exciting about the moment the Manchester Evening News van turned up outside the paper shop barely an hour after the final whistle.
My favourite Castle Street memory from more recent times goes back to 15 May 2022, the day County clinched a return to the Football League after 11 years in the wilderness. The Edgeley strip mirrored that of Ibiza or Magaluf on that balmy and barmy Sunday night. As I walk past Gary’s, I chuckle at the sign which reads: “Polite Notice – No Street Drinking Please.” Gary (or whoever the owner’s called) certainly wasn’t complaining on that night of epic celebration 18 months ago, with County fans virtually emptying his shelves as Castle Street was transformed into a pop-up beer garden. I’m sure Gary could have afforded a month in Ibiza or Magaluf off the back of his takings that evening.
That title success in 2021-22 was County’s second in four seasons, with Dave Challinor’s men currently on course for a third in six. This afternoon, the Hatters are priced at just 1/10 with the bookies. Granted, we are playing a team three divisions below us, but I can’t recall ever seeing County priced so short. For any readers unfamiliar with betting odds, you’d have to bet a tenner just to win a quid (plus your tenner back).
“Knowing County we’ll get bastard beat today,” says the bloke stood next to me at the betting terminals in William Hill. After winning 11 consecutive games – a new club record – losing this afternoon to a bunch of part-timers from the Northern Premier League would be a very County thing to do. But I’m feeling confident, and part with a fiver on County to win 5-0 at 16/1.
At the other end of Castle Street I part with a couple of quid for an orange juice in The Royal Oak. It’s fair to say I feel a bit of a lightweight when I see County fan Liam Root sat at the bar with a pint, a spirit, and four pink shots, which he quickly knocks back with a couple of the barmaids.
In the toilets, there’s an A4 piece of paper pinned on the cubicle with the following warning, typed with capital letters throughout: “OUR TOILETS ARE DESIGNED FOR 1 PERSON PER CUBICLE – ANYONE SHARING A CUBICLE WILL BE ESCORTED OFF THE PREMESIS [sic] AND BARRED.” Maybe those £1 lines at the Edgeley Disco are something other than coat hangers and custard creams after all.
I’m soon back amongst the red-bricked terraced houses of Edgeley, which featured prominently in the 2013 comedy drama Great Night Out on ITV. Many of the show’s scenes were filmed in these parts, as well as regular lighthearted transitions set to music, which included a shop called Sellfridges, a bunch of gossiping women stood on the street in hair rollers, and an old bloke pushing a scrap metal cart with his wife sat on the other end of it.
I don’t come across anything quite as comical on my travels, nothing suitable for an ITV sitcom anyway. Although the mean streets of Edgeley do throw up a couple of discarded washing machines and fridges, one house trying to replicate the bloodthirsty plant from Little Shop of Horrors, and an overturned armchair on the aptly named Pitt Street.
With another eight miles ticked off, I head to The Armoury for a quick drink before making my way to Edgeley Park with 6,442 others – a fantastic attendance for an FA Cup first round tie against a non-league team. My pre-match prediction of County scoring five goals is spot on, but I’m denied my £80 winnings by Worksop’s first-half equaliser. You’d get a lot of cocaine at the Edgeley Disco for that…
It’s time to get a new carpet
One of our sponsors is Kingsway Carpets. Established in 1985, the family-run business have a huge selection of carpets to suit all budgets and there’s no hidden extras – the price quoted is the price you pay. They also have a team of experienced fitters who will expertly lay your brand new carpet perfectly. If you’re in need of a new carpet, give them a call and they’ll have you sorted out in no time.
Visit kingsway-carpets.co.uk for further details.
Photo of the day
A telly last night
Come on North West Tonight, sort your research/editing department out.
Geordie Hatter’s circle-themed playlist (in honour of that bizarre roundabout in Swindon)
1) “You Spin Me Round” by Dead or Alive
An iconic slice of 80s Mersey discotheque beat to kick us off. Larger-than-life frontman Pete Burns was lost to us far too young, but the band he led left us with this gloriously uncomplicated number, which, in true instant classic style, has stood the test of time. Now we're up and boogying round our handbags (no more than A4-sized of course) we may as well stay on the dancefloor for…
2) “Spin” by The Darling Buds
For a few short months during their halcyon late 80s, the star of these Newport-based jangle merchants shone so brightly that they were spoken of (at least by those of us sporting the carpet-like fringes, Doc Marten shoes and comfy cardigans that defined the era's 'indie kid' look) in the same reverential tones as contemporaries The Smiths. Just one album later they had returned to South Walian obscurity, but had left behind them a string of irresistibly carefree pop melodies. This one remains possibly my favourite.
3) “Dizzy” by Vic Reeves and The Wonder Stuff
Talking of the late 80s, who remembers The Wonder Stuff? Vic Reeves certainly did, and duly linked up at the height of Britpop with the Stourbridge grunge-pop specialists to record this romping pub-happy cover of a track which had originally charted for US songwriter Tommy Roe in 1969. There's something about Reeves' County Durham vowels which seem to fit the number perfectly, and the UK public took it to their hearts: the number staying at number one for three heady weeks of 1995 to notch an unlikely musical success for the avant garde funnyman and his Black Country pals.
4) “Spinning Around in the Air” by The Proclaimers
Known to the pop-picking-public chiefly for their timeless radio-friendly anthems “500 Miles” and “Letter to America”, the Leith-born Reid brothers have produced a masterful oeuvre over these past 40 years, peppered with folksomely belted-out ditties capable of bringing to the eye tears of joy, sorrow, and longing. This one (for me, anyway) scores the hat-trick. Give it the match ball, and they can argue between the two of them who takes it home.
5) “Windmills Of Your Mind” by The Colourfield
Son of Coventry Terry Hall remains best known for fronting serial chart-toppers The Specials and Fun Boy Three, but for me some of his most enduring work was produced while at the helm of brief mid-80s side-project The Colourfield. The original version of this number formed part of a late 60s movie soundtrack, and the cinematic evocativeness of the melody finds its perfect vocal accompaniment here, in the form of Hall's trademark wistful delivery. Just delicious.
Click here for Geordie Hatter’s circle-themed playlist!
Today in SK
🍟 Food and drink
Lite bite meal deal at The Friary (SK3). Cod or haddock, served with chips, and a side of peas, curry or gravy. Plus tea or coffee. £9.95. 11.30am - 6.30pm.
🎤 Karaoke
Lee at The Nelson Tavern (SK1). 8pm - 1am.
🎵 Live music
Blues With a Feeling at The Dog & Partridge (SK2).
Professor Fonque at The Crown Inn (SK6). 9pm.
The Scarf My Father Wore works closely with venues on a daily basis to bring you the most comprehensive guide to all of the best offers and events taking place across the whole SK region. Click on the links below for full details of everything taking place in your area over the next few weeks.
SK1 / SK2 / SK3 / SK4 / SK5 / SK6 / SK7 / SK8 / SK9 / SK10 / SK11 / SK12 / SK13 / SK14 / SK15 / SK16 / SK17 / SK22 / SK23
We’ve got everything from Art & Gifts to Yoga
We might not have found a psychic from Poynton or a dominatrix from Davenport just yet, but we’ve pretty much got you covered for all other products and services you might need across Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Just take a look at this little lot…
Art & Gifts - Builder - Carpets & Flooring - Cleaning - Coach Hire - Coatings - Dog Walking - Financial Services - Fire Protection - Football Prints - Gardening - Glazier - Ironing - IT Services - Kitchen Appliances - Locksmith - Osteopath - Painter & Decorator - Party & Event Services - Personal Trainer - Physiotherapist - Plasterer - Plumber - Recruitment - Removals - Security Equipment - Shoe Repairs - Sports Coaching - Timber Supplies - Tutor - Vintage Clothing - Web Design - Window Cleaner - Women’s Fitness - Workwear - Yoga
On a serious note, our sponsors help us to keep The Scarf My Father Wore completely free of charge for everyone (rather than paying for a subscription, like most Substack websites) so if you do enjoy our daily offerings, please support them whenever you can. Make a mental note to yourself that whenever you need a cleaner, or a plumber, or a solicitor (or if you are looking for a dominatrix, send me a private message as I know a cracking lady in Heaton Moor…), check out our own directory before you head over to Google or Yell.com. Loads of the businesses we work with are County fans, and we’ve often got great offers for our readers as well.
Click here to have a look at all the businesses in our directory.