People often ask me [they don’t, but let us pretend that they do so that I can write a post about something nobody has ever asked me about], Scarlet, why is it that you chose a picture of Clara Bow to be your avatar? And I tell them this: It is because of my 1985 British Rail travel pass. The picture of me on my travel pass reminds me of a specific picture of Clara Bow, though not the one I use as an avatar. The Clara Bow image I’m referring to is this one:-
Clara Bow
For some reason it reminds me of this…. I dug this out especially to see how they compare…
Me with British Rail tattoo…
Now that I have seen them together I really don’t know what I was thinking… possibly the only thing we have in common is a passion for backcombing our hair…and I doubt Clara ever needed the services of British Rail… she is wearing fur… whilst I am wearing something grubby from C&A… she had her photograph taken by an world class photographer; I had mine taken in a photo booth at Liverpool Street Station; she knew how to apply lipstick whilst I had a wicked way with a chapstick… Clara was a redhead, whilst my hair has ALWAYS been brown with a hint of auburn…
Anyhow, although I have concluded that I have little in common with Clara Bow other than a moment of fuzzy hair, I am going to keep her as my avatar… for the simple reason that I like what she had to say about dogs.
Wonky Words 
You look very cute in your British Rail travel pass. 😉
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Thank you, Leni…. I was very young… I look about 12! they sent us out to work early back then 🙂
Sx
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Why did the chicken cross the Scarlet?
It is a lovely photo.
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Those BR staff were mean… before the introduction of the photo passes we simply had green cards with travel details and if you were a woman you had a ‘W’ stamped on it, so if a bloke wanted to borrow it to escape paying the fare, he’d have to dress up as a woman.
Sx
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I wrote a witty comment and sodding WordPress wouldn’t accept it! Now I forget what it was…
Oh! I remember…what did Ms Bow say about dogs? Please tell us, we need to know these things.
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She said: The more I see of men, the more I like dogs 🙂
Sx
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… oh god, I’m reduced to a teary mess … 28 years ago, why do you have to this to me *gargl* .. I was on interrail … on that pic you look like one of those 19th century miner boys working in the steel mill … or like caught in the act on a mug shot … and you went to punk gigs, confess ! And had an unhealthy lifestyle. SO – Ha ! now I feel better ,,, Art’n sax had to follow, of course.
Now let’s starve in style, m’dear. Do I hear a clash in the distance … ?
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Ha! You are spot on with your reading of this photograph!
Sx
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You were just too cute back then, Scarls, and I can see why you were reminded of Clara’s photo. Both of you have a bit of a waifish look, despite her in furs.
I like what she said about dogs too. 🙂
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I certainly did the teenage angst thing to the nth degree… bless…. and I think the picture captures the despair of a future commuting!
Thank you, Ponita, for indulging me and seeing a likeness!
Sx
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But your photo is authentic while hers is manufactured, unrealistic Hollywood bullshit. I’ll take the real thing nine times out of ten.
You didn’t always have this avatar. Why did you dump the original one? Just tired of it?
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Well, it’s a long story as to why I don’t use the Marilyn / Scarlett Johansson avatar any more. It attracted some very peculiar men…. so I decided I was better off looking a bit mean and moody.
Sx
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Yeah, why? You looked very cool as Marilyn. I have a T-shirt with your old face. 🙂
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Yep, it was a nice avatar…. happy days!
Sx
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Made it at last.
The likeness to Clara is apparent in that you both have the same soulful look.
Sweet.
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Recently I had to update the photo on my driving licence…. I didn’t look soulful… more rabbit caught in the headlights… this is what happens when you look directly at the lens, as required.
Sx
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Oh my goodness you look so so like her its uncanny. Such a sweet face even with the arrows through it!
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Too kind, Jody!
Sx
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One can’t see the ginger in B&W.
Seriously, beauty of a photie. :¬)
xxx
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Thank you kindly, Mr Cheen! I toned it down a bit.
Sx
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Both have the same soulful look.
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You are through, Pat, you survived all the WordPress security checks and palaver… but then again if Mr Files can get through then it’s not that secure 🙂
Where is Mr Files… Mr Cheen has gone for the ‘ginger’ hook… that leaves the ‘Chapstick’ for him to mess around with.
Sx
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My dearest Scarlet, Clara Bow was indeed an extremely attractive young lady, very much admired by the masses, her looks have remained timeless, frozen in perfection. There is an uncanny likeness between the two of you, that much is clear for all to see. You are both very pleasing to the eye. You may even have the edge. Sadly, the only attribute you do not share with the above lady is the fact that she enhanced her popularity by being perfectly silent.
I live in hope…
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HA, HA!! I knew there was going to be a catch!
Sx
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Oh the chef is often chided for messing about with his ‘chapstick’:-P
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Slanderous rumours Mr Cheen, sadly all true.
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Sadly, he turns to putty when he sees me 😦
Sx
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He’s at that age…. the meds for his ‘condition’ are more readily available in Spain, so I believe.;-)
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I don’t know if it’s the “tattoo” but you look to me as if you were mighty pissed off at something… or someone. And yes, you both have this soulful look in your eyes… and the same chin.
xoxo
Jon
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I spent all of my adolescence looking mighty pissed off… it was all affectation, I may add.
Sx
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btw if you click on a commenter’s name, f.e. the one of a certain South Sandwichian at my blog, you will probably come to the blog, if there is one; not necessarily to the avatar/gravatar thing; just saying, in case you might look for someone’s blog.
I do not know what browser you use, but in mine in the lower left corner of the screen the url of a link is displayed, before I click on it.
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Did I hear South Sandwichian? Oh my, I’m late!
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I have found Leni… but now I have lost Ms Hipster… I am updating all 300 of my new feed readers…
Sx
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It’s easier if your feed-reader allows you to export the adresses in an “oml-or-something”-formatted list. This is a standard format and can be accepted by other readers. Feedly should have this export possibility, all others (should) have at least the import function. GoodNoows allows this import, but I have not found an export thing.
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No worries, Mr Mags, I did the import to Feedly when Google Reader went kaput… it was just a case of adding the new blog addresses, such as Leni and Ms Hipster, to all the places I check… Mr Reader, Feedly, my side bar etc, etc…. I haven’t made life easy for myself…
Sx
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There you are, sweetie: http://hipsteryaya.wordpress.com/
It will be a pleasure to be in your “Blogs I follow” list. 😉
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You are much cleverer than me. I only learned about this imp/ex-thing when it was too late – after I had put the blogs into my reader by hand … On the other hand this forced me to clear my bookmarks, but I stupidly lost some sites. Ah, it’s not easy being me …
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I am not clever at all, Mr Mags…. but it is nice of you to say so…. as I mostly get insulted wherever I go these days. Tiring.
Sx
I think I might follow MJs example and take an extended blogging break, I am obviously not wanted around these parts. I think being compared to dog excrement is slightly beyond the call of duty…. even for an old blog tart such as myself.
Enough is enough.
Bye.
Sxxxx
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WHAT !?
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YIKES! NO!
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COME BACK, YOUNG LADY!
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What’s going on here???
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Utter nonsense, you are to huff around the kitchen for a few more days before taking it in the spirit it was originally intended and return forthwith to your post with a riposte worthy of your witty intelligence. Otherwise, Ms Bow, you will be sorely missed. Especially by ME.
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I have huffed and am now feeling slightly better. The arrival of a bouquet of flowers from a Scottish gentleman have eased my moodiness, so much so that I have picked up my notebook and scribbled a post…. it is a nice post, it features a funny line about the Royal family, some floury baps and a small sausage. But this new post needs batting into shape, as it is a long post, not my usual singular sentence cobbled together with unrelated words; and I won’t publish it here… because I am going home to my old blog. I am not feeling the vibe on WordPress; I will keep this blog for my squiggly lines.
Thank you, for your comments and posts of encouragement.
Sx
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I shall now take down the yellow ribbon from my oak tree and replace it with suitable bunting for your return. I was thinking along the lines of a string of Vileda mop heads and the odd dishcloth thrown in for good measure. Each of them soiled, of course.
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Kirstie Allsop isn’t a patch on you, Mr Files, when it comes to original homecrafts. Plus, it has come to my attention that you share the same taste in lipsticks and peculiar coats with oversized buttons.
Meanwhile, I am just off on my weekly cleaning round (true) and extra mop heads and scouring pads are always needed – used or otherwise – I am a firm believer in recycling.
Sx
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It might surprise you to know that Ms Allsop attends my monthly operatic recitals along with Dame Maggie Smith, Johnny Dankworth and of course Rutger Hauer. Afterwards we exchange cucumber and dill pleasantries in the gin parlour before moving on to a few hands of Kalooki, of which Rutger nearly almost wins. Okay, admittedly, I may have swollen the actual celebrity list by at least one person, but it is only since Marvellous Marvin Hagler suddenly withdrew from our throng. Now, he was the ultimate kitchen detritus recycler amongst us. Make no mistake.
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I never had a British Rail card, and if I had I would have looked awful, but you looked great. You do remind me of someone but I can’t think who. If I remember I’ll let you know.
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