Who'd a Tho't It? Pub Memorabilia Courage Brewery Nostalgia

Dating back to the 1990s, this diddy little pub sign took my fancy so, like many things, I bought it and it sat on a shelf for years and years, biding its time until it could be used. I guess I liked the Starship Enterprise in the background and "Ye Olde English" traditional pub on the moon flying the Union Jack.

To date it hasn't been used, though at some point down the line I removed the cellophane wrapper to perhaps spur me in to putting it up somewhere.

But where would to go? No, I'm not asking for suggestions. I already know where I wanted it to go. It was supposed to go on the wall of my home bar. I don't have a home bar, and to be honest I don't envision there ever being one.

So, here it is, removed from the shelf for a quick photo and now it's in a box of other retro stuff.

Do you have aspirations of having your own bar, or perhaps you do already? May be someone you know enjoys a drink and you would like to buy them a gift. Well, this pub paraphernalia below might be what you're looking for!

The Crow Trading Cards

Not much to say on this one other than it's an unopened pack of The Crow Official Movie Trading Cards from 1994. The movie, described as a supernatural superhero film, starred Brandon Lee, who was fatally wounded on set.

I've never seen the movie.

Gridiron figure

Erm, Steve Young. Never heard of him. The only Gridiron plater I've ever heard of is The Fridge, though I could not tell you his real name or who he played for. Okay, OJ Simpson and Dan Marino too, but I've only heard of them as they were in movies (and in OJ's case, the 9 O'clock news too.)

I did try watching Gridiron when it was pushed in the UK in the late 1980s, but I couldn't get in to it. The razzmatazz of the half-time shows didn't really get my attention and there didn't seem to be much content in the game beyond that. If I wanted to watch grown men wallop each other I'd watch Rugby (League or Union) as they do it without the Dynasty shoulder pads and with a lot more skill. I'm sure a few people here might enjoy it, but not me.

Anyway, back to the NFL Headliners figure, and we have this bloke called Steve Young playing for the red team wearing the number eight. This was given to me by a friend who I think must've got it from The States. Pretty sure it wasn't issued here in Blighty as catalogue has been spelt incorrectly. 😉

It's unopened though the blister packaging is a bit battered.

So, there you have it. Steve Young. Probably the 4th most famous Gridiron player in the world. Perhaps he needs a white goods nickname like The Tumble-Dryer as I'll never remember his real name!

Bendy Dinosaur

Here's another shelf-dweller for you, a bendy dinosaur. Let's call this one, ahem, a "cereal killer" because he came free with Kelloggs cereals in the late 1970s . Well, not free. You had to send away to collect them. Thanks again Internet for filling in the memory gap!

I think it's supposed to be a Bronotsaurus, but there's a fair degree of licence with the body shape and look of this particular beasty! By the title of this article you've probably gathered it can bend; Head, neck, legs, body, tail - all movable, so it is a little a little bit like a stop motion wire armature.

Quite cool, and this bendy dinosaur is still in decent condition too.

Star Trek 25th Anniversary Trading Cards

For the record, my preference is Star Wars all day long, but I like Star Trek too. So, that's possibly why I had some of these Star Trek 25th Anniversary trading cards.

There were two types of packet to collect, one was the Original Series and the other was The Next Generation. I happened to have a handful of packets of each - Naturally I opened them to see what was inside, but kept the wrappers too.

Thunderbirds

Dating back to 1992, these "Thunderbirds Are Go" cards by ProSet find themselves amongst my collection of random cards and stickers. They weren't something I was collecting, just like a lot of the things you may seen on this blog.

Dungeons and Dragons Hologram

Ah, the things you get free in a box of cereal! Most of these things end up in the bin, joining plastic packaging and nappies clogging up landfill and ultimately destroying the oceans and mankind (oooh, topical and political!).

Personally, I couldn't bring myself to chuck stuff, even if it was generally regarded as tat. Yes, eventually stuff would be binned but for some reason this one card evaded the waste basket and has found it self nestled in a shoe box full of cards and stickers.

Not much to say really other than it's a Dungeons and Dragons hologram foraged in a pack of Shreddies in 1986 (Thanks Internet for filling in gaps in my knowledge!)

Alfred J Kwak

I have random stuff, I really do.

Amongst my card and sticker collections I have a few unopened packs.

The one below is a from a Panini sticker set for Alfred J. Kwak, which was a Dutch Japanese anime television series. The series lasted for 52 episodes, broadcast between 1989 and 1991.

I say that with some authority, but ..... that was internet searched info. I don't recall ever having heard of Alfred J Kwak. I just happen to have a pack of stickers!

Royal Wedding Commemorative... Football!

Charles and Diana Royal Wedding Commemorative Memorabilia

Oh yes indeedy! No ceramic plates or mugs or anything of the sort for me.

This bad boy (the ball, not Charlie), sat on the desk in my bedroom for many years. I didn't want to play with it (though I suspect it probably got booted around my room once or twice) to keep it nice. Now, I'm not a big royal family fan, but even back then I probably had a eye for a collectors item! 😎

I haven't pumped it up since the day I got it, hence it's a bit misshapen. The photo is a bit blurrier than I thought it was so I might post a revised picture in the future.

Flash Gordon trading card

Heads up. This photo is a bit blurry. I'll redo it when I get a spare moment, I promise.

My memory is iffy at the best of times, so I'm not 100% sure how I came to own this Flash Gordon card. I collected various cards in the early 1990s so I suspect I may have got it whilst purchasing other cards.

I used to watch old Flash Gordon reruns on telly in the 1980s and, of course, the film of that era was enjoyable. After all these years I'm still mildly amused by the presence of Peter Duncan from Blue Peter!

We must sign off with a bit of Brian Blessed............"GORDON'S ALIVE!"

Drinks Coasters and Beer Mats (part 1)

I'm not 100% sure when and where I got this pair of drinks coasters. It might've been at the Norfolk Show at some time in the early 1980s. It also might have been. My dad would often pick these things up somewhere and give them to me.

In fact I've got a tub of drinks coasters, so here's a few more to delight/bore you.

The first one is a slate coaster from Wales, with a nice red dragon and the word Cymru (Wales). I got this whilst on a family holiday in Wales in the late 1980s.

To give the next one the correct terminology, it's a beer mat. Most of my "coasters" are actually beer mats. This is definitely I didn't personally obtain as it was way before I was legally allowed in the pub!  Given the loud tie and chunky sideburns I think it dates back to the 1970s.

The final one is from the Chatterley Whitfield Experience. Chatterley Whitfield Colliery is a disused coal mine on the outskirts of Chell, Staffordshire in Stoke on Trent and I think this coaster/mat was picked up on a school trip, though it might've been on a family visit. I'm not sure.

The mine closed in 1977 and reopened in 1979 as a museum. In 1986 the Chatterley Whitfield Experience opened, a purpose built mining experience (apparently it had become unsage for visitors to visit the old underground workings of Chatterley Whitfield.). Sadly Chatterley Whitfield Museum closed in 1993, however, the site has been scheduled as an Ancient Monument by English Heritage and can now be visited on Heritage Open Days. If you want to find out more check out Chatterley Whitfield Friends

I may post a few more of the beer mat/coaster collection another time.