Ilkeston - World Cup Fever
w/e 20 June 2010
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
In recent weeks an epidemic of footballius patriotismii
(*see note below) has swept across the nation and many households
in Ilkeston have succumbed to the virus more commonly known as
"Flying The Flag".
The world cup fever has struck at random and this particular
case spotted on Lord Haddon Road has suffered a severe attack
with a minor infection even being passed on to the vehicle outside.
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Neighbours too are not free from contracting the viral infection
and these two, the first residences to be seen on entering the
town via Nottingham Road are a clear warning to all visitors
to be aware if they want to avoid being infected too.
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Whole communities too have been affected and on Dale Street bunting
strung across the road show possible routes of infection. The
last time the town was hit by a similar infection was during
a Royal Wedding and prior to that a more severe case was reported
during the post war years when trestle tables had to be erected
down the middle of the road for communal feeding. Coronation
Day 1953 was a case in point.
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The current strain appears to be of South African origin but
local market traders have also been blamed for the spread of
the disease by bringing more of the red and white infection into
the town at regular intervals.
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Shopkeepers too are not immune and customers of Peter James Hairdressing
on South Street could end up with St George's flags or red and
white football symbols emblazoned on their heads. (I've not
forgotten Red Nose Day yet when a red proboscis was sprayed onto
the back of my head!)
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Also on South Street another mild case of flag flying has been
reported but of more concern to the authorities is the side affect
of chicken breasts in South African, Argentine Fire and French
Garden style together with Italian burgers and Spanish style
pork steaks. The Chinese ribs seem unrelated to the current outbreak
but the Firecracker sausage is still to be investigated.
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An injection of the bulldog spirit to the shirt on the right
in the window at the Treetops charity shop has offered some protection
against the flag flying virus but its effect has been minimal.
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Most of the Co-Op is showing some signs of the infection and
for those who decide to take to their beds until it is over there
is still no escape judging by the bedding on display in one of
the windows. News has filtered down that Downing Street has also
been infected and the Town Hall in Ilkeston has come out in sympathy
and is also showing signs of red and white. It is not expected
that the virus will continue much longer than a month but results
of tests in South Africa could bring it to a conclusion much
sooner. Fears still exist though that a European strain last
seen in 2008 could return in a couple of years and this could
be complicated by the Londinium Olympiarcus 2012 (*see note
below) strain.
* note - Don't bother looking up theses viral infections, they
are purely figments of my warped imagination!
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