Jennospot 125 - Gangs

Oi dunno about yew, but most of the people wot Oi know belong ter some sort o’ gang.

 

O’ course, they don’t often call it a gang, but give it some sorta name loike, club, or society, association, or party, wot don’t prevent it being a gang, loike in the proverb about birds of a fevver gangin’-up tergevver, if’n yew see wot Oi mean.

 

Lots o’ gangs are made up of the people wot live in the same place, loike the first gang  wot Oi was in – the Pepper Mill Lane Mob – until Oi ‘ad a row wiv JJ the leader, about girls bein’ second class members. Oi said as ‘ow ‘ee were a rotten ol’ misogynist, so ‘ee chucked me out, even though Oi don’t reckon as ‘ow ‘ee even knows wot the word means. Since then Oi’ve been in a couple of ovver gangs, wot shows yew as ‘ow yew c’n be in more’n one gang at a toime, if’n yew want.

 

One o’ them gangs is called “Gang America”, even if’n Oi ain’t American, an’ ain’t never been out o’ moi village o’ Widdlington, ‘cept ter go ter London by train one toime, wot were a real ol’ barney.

 

Any’ow, them wot was in “Gang America”, ‘ad a bit of a difference of opinion wiv the commandant of the US Army Air Force Base wot were built near our village, so we all ‘ad ter gang-up tergevver against ‘im ter ‘elp ‘im see reason, as it were. P’raps we ought ter ‘ave called it a “party”, ‘cos it were mostly about politics, rights, an’ territories, loike in the USA wiv the drummin’ Democrats an’ the trumpetin’ Republicans. Only it weren’t really no ‘appy fun party, wot with the war an’ the bombers an’ everyfink.

 

Some gangs get tergevver ter commit crimes, loike them Chicago gangs when prohibition come in, or wot go about stealin’ money an’ stuff. We kids in Widdlin’ton ‘ad a run in with one o’ them sorts o’ gangs, wot tried ter pinch the money wot ‘ad been collected ter ‘elp buy a Spitfire aeroplane. They weren’t ‘alf a dangerous lot, but cripes, sometoimes yew’ve got ter do wot yew’ve got ter do, ‘specially if’n yew’re in love…

 

That’s probably enough from me fer now, about gangs. But Oi’d jus’ loike ter say as ’ow Oi’m real glad ter be in moi gang, ‘cos wivvout it, Oi’d feel real lonely, loike “Duke” Taylor, wot ain’t got no gang ‘cos ‘ee lives in a sort o’ no-mans-land, where there aren’t no ‘ouses anywhere near. Still an’ all, ‘ee’s a real noice kid…

 

Luv from, Jenno…

 

P.S. If’n yew’d loike ter know more about the Widdlin’ton gangs, yew could do worse’n take a dekko at http://www.peterstjohn.net/. It don’t cost nuffink neither.