"Alan? When are you coming round to fix my bloody electrics!! You said straight away and it's been weeks...etc. etc. ....." , the irate voice gave me a right earfull dahn the dog-and-bone[telephone].
I sussed the gravel-toned East-End accent of 'Scrapyard John', and in a slight lull in the torrent of adjectives I interrupted-
"Oi, John, which Alan do you fink this is?"
"er..'Alan the Sparks'?"
"No, it's Alan the Wood'."
"Oh, sorry Alan! Must have got the number wrong." ...pause... "'Ere, when are you coming round to fix my bloody stairs!" -a quick witted response which got us both laughing. I should explain that it's a cockney thing here to give descriptive nicknames to us ex-pats. I like '11 o'clock John' best - describing the fact he does not get up too early in the morning.
Alan the Wood
