Mudu watch tale from Walkley

[cuttsie 1,089]

Does any old Walkleyites remember the Mudu watch era,

 

In 1966 any one that was anyone in Walkley used to frequent the Rose House Pub on South Road . The landlord was a man called Bernard Frith.

One of the characters who used the pub was a very big man called Gilbert Hartley ,Big G as he was known to everybody.

 

Apart from being one of the best building formen Sheffield has ever had [Parkhill, Sheaf Baths, just two of his jobs] Gilbert used to love to wheel and deal.

 

One Saturday dinner time Big G came in the pub with a large cardboard box which when opened contained 50 Mudu Watches

 

He soon had a crowd round the table and started to demonstrate the reason why no one should ever be without a Mudu.

 

He shook the watch and told us that the watch would never need winding,he said it had a new Swiss movement called incabloc and then to every one,s amazemant he dropped the watch into a pint of beer left it for 5 Min's then supped the beer and retrieved the watch. These watches are £9 down town Big G told us but these are £4 and to top it all they are gold plated.

 

In about a week Gil sold all the Mudu,s and for years after locals would not ask the time but ask what the Mudu was.

 

I was surprised recently when looking on Ebay that Mudu watches are much sought after and this brought back my memory of Big G.

 

Any one out there still got one.

Edited January 31, 2011 by cuttsie
spelling

[ninah 10]

Cuttsie

 

The MUDU watches are still available, how many do you want?

I'm another of Gilberts sons, an even funnier story is that I know a lad who cleared out the Jewellers off London road when they went bust, he brought a box full of MUDU watches with my dads name on the box, he had sent them for repair years ago and obviously were unrepairable, I think the £4 price tag says it all

[cuttsie 1,089]

Cuttsie

 

The MUDU watches are still available, how many do you want?

I'm another of Gilberts sons, an even funnier story is that I know a lad who cleared out the Jewellers off London road when they went bust, he brought a box full of MUDU watches with my dads name on the box, he had sent them for repair years ago and obviously were unrepairable, I think the £4 price tag says it all

I am still trying to get a Mudu from on Ebay but so for have been outbid,

It must be a square shaped one with incoblock movemant and auto.

Another story about your dad Big G.

Me and Tosh Wild who lived on Grouse St were struggling to lift a engine into a mini , Your old feler drew up in his Morris 1800 shoved us out of the way picked up the engine and plonked it straight in no messing laughed his head of as he got back in his car and drove of.

[gazsheff6 10]

hi cuttsie still got a working mudu watch.my father albert wilson and hisbrother ron both bought them off gilbert ron also worked with gilbert for years on the pwd

[cuttsie 1,089]

hi cuttsie still got a working mudu watch.my father albert wilson and hisbrother ron both bought them off gilbert ron also worked with gilbert for years on the pwd

Hi Gaz, I remember you from the Freedom and Rose House days.

I was a pal of both your dad and Ron [tiger]

I worked on the same sites as big G and Ron.

[gazsheff6 10]

hi cuttsie. are you one half off cutts and wild that well known and loved pair off walkley rogues.i know tosh has now left the building. strange my sister is now married to jim roses grandson paul.and you mentioned him in another thread

[cuttsie 1,089]

hi cuttsie. are you one half off cutts and wild that well known and loved pair off walkley rogues.i know tosh has now left the building. strange my sister is now married to jim roses grandson paul.and you mentioned him in another thread

Got it Gaz, Tosh is up in Crookes cemetery now lighting farts with Big G.

 

Paul Rose another Walkley star,His dad Kieth , also,his daughter was at school with mine,

 

Walkley when i lived there was the Hollywood of Sheffield who can forget the Rose House when Bernard Frith was landlord the tricks and laughs we all had.

 

The lasses who worked there and those that were at the other side of the bar were simply the most gorgeous crowd in Sheffield.

I think one or two was related to you.

 

Then across the road at the Freedom first run by Alan Pashley the nicest bloke that ever pulled a pint.

After him came Wardy. Allan and Mary they must have had the Freedom for thirty years , I walked in after twenty and Allan pulled me a pint and carried on as though it was only yesterday giving me the same drink as always without even asking.

 

The one thing i realy remember about Walkley Gaz is the Village feeling as though it was somehow out of Sheffield and a place where you were excepted whether you was skint or well healed hope its not changed to much but have heard that it has [is] being taken over by Dick Heads who think that they are living in never never land.

 

P.S Gaz how are the Wildy mob [Gary, Lee, and Craig] going on I changed there nappy,s at one time hope they have not forgot.

Will get back on to Walkley topic soon as i would like to tell the story of Earn the Fearn who lived on Industry Street what a man he was.

[cuttsie 1,089]

Got a Mudu from Barnsley rag and tag market on Tuesday ,I gave it a shek and it ticked away for ten mins then stopped so every ten mins it needs a shek , 

I asked the watch man in Barnsley how much to get it sorted , he said it needs a full service £60 .

I thought about the Mudu's that big G used to sell for £4 fully guaranteed till you left the tap room and decided that I will just keep shekkin this one as it looks good on mi wrist .

[Padders 2,849]

16 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

Got a Mudu from Barnsley rag and tag market on Tuesday ,I gave it a shek and it ticked away for ten mins then stopped so every ten mins it needs a shek , 

I asked the watch man in Barnsley how much to get it sorted , he said it needs a full service £60 .

I thought about the Mudu's that big G used to sell for £4 fully guaranteed till you left the tap room and decided that I will just keep shekkin this one as it looks good on mi wrist .

Hi Cuttsie,

Your story reminds of my Seiko watch I had for years,

Until,

One day in Mablethorpe, while munching my Fish n Chips, a wasp decided to join me (who hates wasps) I jumped up, arms flaying, trying to swat the pesky blighter,

The watch flew of my wrist straight into the sea wall..

I retrieved it, still ticking away BUT! the second finger was going backwards (anti-clockwise)

Was my party piece for years, till it finally packed up..

Nobody believed me when I used to tell them "I've got a watch that goes backwards"

Trouble is it was only right twice a day 7-50 am/pm.

[cuttsie 1,089]

Good un Padds , I like fake watches , you know the ones at car boots , Rolex , Gucci , Tagg and so on , I argue black and blue with my lads that they are the real Mc,Coy , Drop em in a pint to prove they are waterproof , And then  although it says on the case that they are good for 500 fathoms they all some how fail when dropped in a pint of Stooooooneses . 

Edited November 25, 2021 by cuttsie

[St Petre 85]

If anyone can access the USA version of Ebay, there are dozens of 1960s MuDu watches (most from UK)   and a lot are about fifty quid or under.

Edited November 26, 2021 by St Petre
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