Scummers

[spyinthesky]

I have often been amused at the amount of different explanations as to how the 'affectionate' term, Scummer, was adopted by East Hampshire residents to describe those of us fortunate to live in the more favoured part of the county.

 

As someone who has lived in the area for many (many!!) years, and on the 'frontline too, my recollection is that this terminology is fairly recent. I don't ever remember it being used when I was young and I went to school in what is now the PO post code area.

 

One of the explanations, which is often used to support the supposed 'dislike' of Soton people, was that S.C.U.M referred to the Soton Company of Union Men who, supposedly, broke a strike in Portsmouth Docks at some time in the dim and distant past.

 

Interestingly no one has ever found an organisation of that name or any historical dates to support the claim.

 

However, having researched the strike breaking story a little more deeply, I have come across an anecdotal piece of information which suggests that on Tuesday 23 November 1976 (6 months after we won the cup), workers at Portsmouth Commercial Port decided to accept a ship which had been 'blacked' in Soton, effectively strike breaking. A deputation from Soton went down to Portsmouth to politely persuade the workers there to desist. There was a subsequent confrontation at the gates of the commercial port and several Soton Dockers were arrested, including the brother of an ex Saints goalie, a rather large gentleman (well both of them were actually!!!).

 

If anyone has access to the archives of the Soton Echo or Portsmouth News, it would be interesting to establish the exact facts of the matter.

 

If the circumstances are as reported to me, then the strike breaking 'slur' may well have a completely different angle.

[Matthew Le God]

It's explained in this. Quite an interesting watch

 

Part 1

 

 

Part 2

 

 

Part 3

 

[sidthesquid]

But why are skates called skates - & if it's the answer I've always told, is it printable on a family forum?

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Skates was a term used by the inhabitants of turd town for the navy ratings. Obviously a derogatory one which we have adopted to mean anything from turd town including the indigenous population. It would not be right to repeat the story on a family forum.

[Toomer]

But why are skates called skates - & if it's the answer I've always told, is it printable on a family forum?

 

One school of thought is the Skate swims at the lowest point of the sea and the people from that end of Hampshire are said to be the lowest of the low, hence the term Skate.

[Arizona]

One school of thought is the Skate swims at the lowest point of the sea and the people from that end of Hampshire are said to be the lowest of the low, hence the term Skate.

 

The alternative version being that female skates apparently have very similar genitals to humans (and probably smell similar too). Lonely sailors, back in the day, would apparently catch skates and engage in 'relations' with them.

 

Whether this is true or not, and whether it is still common practice I can't say.

[saint_mears]

skates are what pompey people call the matelots.

[Huffton]

Whether this is true or not, and whether it is still common practice I can't say.

 

It probably is, they need something to do while their sisters are on the rag...

[4737_carlin]

Well the whole strike thing is total tosh and the term scum is merely something that was going around football at the time. Alot of clubs where calling their so called rivals this name. Maybe slightly unique with the blue few is the scum..'mers' extension. I can remember many a game at the dell where expfc players where scummed on.

[saint lard]

The alternative version being that female skates apparently have very similar genitals to humans (and probably smell similar too). Lonely sailors, back in the day, would apparently catch skates and engage in 'relations' with them.

 

Whether this is true or not, and whether it is still common practice I can't say.

 

This is the most common explanation used in these parts,and my skate loving chums happily accept this to be true.

[SimonRichards]

It's explained in this. Quite an interesting watch

 

Part 1

 

 

Part 2

 

 

Part 3

 

 

That is the first time I have watched that program.

 

Shocking.

[um pahars]

Well the whole strike thing is total tosh and the term scum is merely something that was going around football at the time. Alot of clubs where calling their so called rivals this name. Maybe slightly unique with the blue few is the scum..'mers' extension. I can remember many a game at the dell where expfc players where scummed on.

 

I have always found the lengths that people have gone to justify the "Scummer" tag to be rather cringeworthy. The imaginary dock strike is up there with King Arthur and Avalon.

 

Nothing wrong with a bit of rivalry, but reinventing history in order to justify a rather run of the mill insult is a tad embarassing, although as you say they probably get some originality over adding "er" to the end and for using it so widely, (but then again that widespread use was borne out of their jealousy throughout the 60's 70's, 80's & 90's when we were in the ascendancy).

Edited 7 June, 2009 by um pahars

[Tac-tics]

I ****ing love it!

[Trumush]

Coming from many generations of Southampton dockers this scum tag always manages to rattle my cage so in that respect I suppose its had the desired effect.The dock strike story is, as Um said earlier pure fantasy.Where the programme featured on Youtube came up with this 1930's dispute I do not know.Maybe one of our blue posters can enlighten me .I have even heard one so called explanation of the scum tag saying that it was over a dispute between fishing company's .Ffs,this is the Solent not Grimsby.

I used to go to Fratton often during the 70's when Saints were away as a mate of mine married a local girl and lived just outside the ground.We used to stand with the opposition fans in the un-segregated Fratton end.Never did I hear one mention of Scummers in any chants or songs.In fact the only anti Southampton song they had was a repetitive dirge of "we hate Southampton,we hate Southampton, we hate southampton,oh we hate the saints" .In those days we widely referred to them as scum,so when they decided to call us scum back I'm not sure,but they did and that was when one of the saints fanzines had a competition to come up with a new derogatory term for them and the term "skate" was born for the reasons already mentioned.

On the other hand what the original poster said was absolutely true about Pompey docks getting a visit in the 70's.

[dronskisaint]

Skates, my fishing mad pal tells me, are defined as 'bottom feeders' - apt on a number of levels I would have thought.

 

I was born mid '50s & can remember scummer being used by us against 'them' at Hamble Primary School...it was a little later that I can remember the term ;skate' coming in to the vocabulary.

[miserableoldgit]

I have been supporting Saints since the mid 50`s but the first time that I really heard anything about Poopey calling us "scummers" was in (I think) late 70`s/early 80`s. A Skate supporting singer called Shep Wooley who released a song which referred to Saints fans as "scummers" and ran into trouble in the press. I actually saw Wooley at the old supporters club at The Dell one Sunday lunchtime when they used to have a comedian and a stripper. He bombed with the audience, started crying, went backstage, pretending to change a broken guitar string and never came back!

[saintdaz]

so do you think it would be good to come up with a song with the term "scummer" in it for our loved fishy friends when the season starts?

[70's Mike]

I have been supporting Saints since the mid 50`s but the first time that I really heard anything about Poopey calling us "scummers" was in (I think) late 70`s/early 80`s. A Skate supporting singer called Shep Wooley who released a song which referred to Saints fans as "scummers" and ran into trouble in the press. I actually saw Wooley at the old supporters club at The Dell one Sunday lunchtime when they used to have a comedian and a stripper. He bombed with the audience, started crying, went backstage, pretending to change a broken guitar string and never came back!

 

not quite as long, started in 61 and i agree with your view

i used to go to the supporters club on a Sunday lunchtime but it was not to watch wan*er Wooley.

 

It is strange how that Supporters Club actually brought supporters together which does not appear to be the case with the Dell bar at SMS

[miserableoldgit]

not quite as long, started in 61 and i agree with your view

i used to go to the supporters club on a Sunday lunchtime but it was not to watch wan*er Wooley.

 

It is strange how that Supporters Club actually brought supporters together which does not appear to be the case with the Dell bar at SMS

They were good times at the old Club. I used to play darts there, they some pretty good cabaret performers there and I used to go for a pretty decent (and cheap) meal there before games. Of course Sunday lunchtimes with the stripper and the blue comedian (after playing Sunday morning football) were also quite memorable!

[alehouseboys]

There's also a theory that the first time it was used down here (as mentioned before 'scum' was used by many when referring to rivals c1970) it was Saints fans changing the 'Pom' to 'Scum' and so the term 'Scumpey' was created. But as most in Southampton never gave them a second thought, they kind of adopted/adapted it and 'Scummer' became the most popular word in the portsmyth vocabulary.

 

And with regards to the mythical dock strike, they've tried to convince people it happened on various points in history. The 'Ugly' blew the one about it being a 1930s thing as while Southampton was a commercial port back then p*mpeys was purely naval so no unions existed back then in their port so there could have been a strike break.

 

More portsmyth bullsh*te.

[70's Mike]

They were good times at the old Club. I used to play darts there, they some pretty good cabaret performers there and I used to go for a pretty decent (and cheap) meal there before games. Of course Sunday lunchtimes with the stripper and the blue comedian (after playing Sunday morning football) were also quite memorable!

 

i played darts there in a team made up of original travel club members, i only lasted a season before jess fielder removed my travel club membership for drinking alchol on the train

[miserableoldgit]

i played darts there in a team made up of original travel club members' date=' i only lasted a season before jess fielder removed my travel club membership for drinking alchol on the train[/quote']

Ah Yes! Jess Fielder, Mike Twiss and Malcolm Price. You and I may have been playing darts at the same time. I used to help run the Travel Club and helped form the darts team.

[Lets B Avenue]

i played darts there in a team made up of original travel club members' date=' i only lasted a season before jess fielder removed my travel club membership for drinking alchol on the train[/quote']

 

Was that during promotion season 77-78? I remember going by train to Burnley and Sunderland and the "officials" getting all narky about us standing in the buffet car on the pith. They tried to stop us on the way back from Sunderland, but the team were sat with us all the way back to London and we had the likes of Graham Baker, Steve Williams and Ted Mac getting the rounds in.

 

Anyone else go on the Social Club coach to Bolton that season? We left at 6am and were banging on the door of the Bolton Supporters Club at Burnden Park shortly before 10. 5 hours later yor correspondant was so steamed I went thru the wrong turnstile wearing a red and white scarf and had to be rescued by the Old Bill and put in the right section.

[70's Mike]

Ah Yes! Jess Fielder, Mike Twiss and Malcolm Price. You and I may have been playing darts at the same time. I used to help run the Travel Club and helped form the darts team.

 

I was mates with Chris Biddiscombe(sadly no longer with us), Cevin ( a postie) and Martin( worked for BR I think).

Have not seen the later to for years, funny thing was i joint the travel club to break away from some of my suspect background and ended up getting barred for drinking.

Joined London Saints after that and travelled to London early Saturdays to join their train trips North.

My 2 sons do not believe the trouble we all used to go through to get to away games

[miserableoldgit]

I was mates with Chris Biddiscombe(sadly no longer with us), Cevin ( a postie) and Martin( worked for BR I think).

Have not seen the later to for years, funny thing was i joint the travel club to break away from some of my suspect background and ended up getting barred for drinking.

Joined London Saints after that and travelled to London early Saturdays to join their train trips North.

My 2 sons do not believe the trouble we all used to go through to get to away games

I knew Chris in those days. I hadn`t seen him for many years and didn`t realise that he had passed on.

[pfc123]

There's also a theory that the first time it was used down here (as mentioned before 'scum' was used by many when referring to rivals c1970) it was Saints fans changing the 'Pom' to 'Scum' and so the term 'Scumpey' was created. But as most in Southampton never gave them a second thought, they kind of adopted/adapted it and 'Scummer' became the most popular word in the portsmyth vocabulary.

 

And with regards to the mythical dock strike, they've tried to convince people it happened on various points in history. The 'Ugly' blew the one about it being a 1930s thing as while Southampton was a commercial port back then p*mpeys was purely naval so no unions existed back then in their port so there could have been a strike break.

 

More portsmyth bullsh*te.

 

Origins of the term "Scummer"

 

An interesting story came the posse's way a few weeks back about the true origin of the term scummer or scum. Apparently, just before the first world war, a dispute broke out between a local fishing company and it's employees. We don't know the name of the company, but we do know that it had two branches, one in Portsmouth and the other in S***hampton. The dispute, over wages, escalated and eventually the union called a strike, which was solid among both the Portsmouth company union men and the S***hampton company union men. Nothing was resolved, and after some weeks the S***hampton company men broke the strike and went back to work, thus ensuring the collapse of the dispute without any gain for the employee's of either company. Not suprisingly, the Portsmouth company were incensed at the actions of thier fellow workers, and apparently one wag noticed that the first letters of the S***hampton Company Union Men spelt SCUM. Hence the name Scum or Scummer as a term of abuse for anyone from S***hampton was first coined.

 

Taken form the hard copy of the April/May 1996 issue of Frattonise.......

[um pahars]

Origins of the term "Scummer"

 

An interesting story came the posse's way a few weeks back about the true origin of the term scummer or scum. Apparently, just before the first world war, a dispute broke out between a local fishing company and it's employees. We don't know the name of the company, but we do know that it had two branches, one in Portsmouth and the other in S***hampton. The dispute, over wages, escalated and eventually the union called a strike, which was solid among both the Portsmouth company union men and the S***hampton company union men. Nothing was resolved, and after some weeks the S***hampton company men broke the strike and went back to work, thus ensuring the collapse of the dispute without any gain for the employee's of either company. Not suprisingly, the Portsmouth company were incensed at the actions of thier fellow workers, and apparently one wag noticed that the first letters of the S***hampton Company Union Men spelt SCUM. Hence the name Scum or Scummer as a term of abuse for anyone from S***hampton was first coined.

 

Taken form the hard copy of the April/May 1996 issue of Frattonise.......

 

LMFAO

 

From the same shelf as the works of Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens.:smt046

 

Cringeably desperate trying to justify a rather generic form of abuse.

[eurosaint]

Origins of the term "Scummer"

 

An interesting story came the posse's way a few weeks back about the true origin of the term scummer or scum. Apparently, just before the first world war, a dispute broke out between a local fishing company and it's employees. We don't know the name of the company, but we do know that it had two branches, one in Portsmouth and the other in S***hampton. The dispute, over wages, escalated and eventually the union called a strike, which was solid among both the Portsmouth company union men and the S***hampton company union men. Nothing was resolved, and after some weeks the S***hampton company men broke the strike and went back to work, thus ensuring the collapse of the dispute without any gain for the employee's of either company. Not suprisingly, the Portsmouth company were incensed at the actions of thier fellow workers, and apparently one wag noticed that the first letters of the S***hampton Company Union Men spelt SCUM. Hence the name Scum or Scummer as a term of abuse for anyone from S***hampton was first coined.

 

Taken form the hard copy of the April/May 1996 issue of Frattonise.......[/QUOTE]

 

Must be true then, eh ?

[pittdogg]

The alternative version being that female skates apparently have very similar genitals to humans (and probably smell similar too). Lonely sailors, back in the day, would apparently catch skates and engage in 'relations' with them.

 

Whether this is true or not, and whether it is still common practice I can't say.

 

through a bit of reseach i done it turns out funnily enough this seems to be the corect answer. including a skate i knows grandad who was in the navy getting very defencive saying "what would you do when you where out at sea for large periods of time not gettin any" he said he had never done so but new of it happening on the ships and spoke about it as if it wasnt wrong

[hamster]

[quote=pfc123;323433

....a dispute broke out between a local fishing company and it's employees. We don't know the name of the company, but we do know that it had two branches, one in Portsmouth and the other in S***hampton. ...........one wag noticed that the first letters of the S***hampton Company Union Men spelt SCUM..

 

Yeah, Southampton is famous for it's fishing industry pfc. Only just behind Winchester in the league table I believe. And I am not familiar with 'The Southampton Company' let alone their Union, must have been lost in the annuls along with that mysterious companies name eh.

 

 

As for that rag to which you refer, we have moved on and now have triple ply super-soft, quilted bog roll, that stuff that you are still using scratches far too much.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Us Eastleigh lads were calling the blue few 'skates' from about 74 or 75. We had a DJ in The Crown who lived in Havant (Market Parade) and he called them Skates. He explained to us why and it seemed only polite to call all from that region by the name. Certainly more polite that 'fish farquahar' I think.

[aintforever]

and apparently one wag noticed that the first letters of the S***hampton Company Union Men spelt SCUM. Hence the name Scum or Scummer as a term of abuse for anyone from S***hampton was first coined.

 

LOL - Do you really believe a serious organisation will give itself the initials SCUM?

 

You dumb skate ****.

[Eyes k8]

LOL - Do you really believe a serious organisation will give itself the initials SCUM?

 

You dumb skate ****.

 

How about DUM Democratic Union of Mineworkers?

 

I always thought the story derived from a couple of your local history books in which strikebreakers were bused to London. I'm sure the references and a picture were posted on this site or it's predecessor. Probably made up skate propaganda unless any local history buff can turn up the references. Glad you guys are now feeling more optomistic and more able to take a pop at us skate ********

[Arizona]

It probably is, they need something to do while their sisters are on the rag...

 

 

Just a suggestion.

[CB Fry]

Origins of the term "Scummer"

 

An interesting story came the posse's way a few weeks back about the true origin of the term scummer or scum. Apparently, just before the first world war, a dispute broke out between a local fishing company and it's employees. We don't know the name of the company, but we do know that it had two branches, one in Portsmouth and the other in S***hampton. The dispute, over wages, escalated and eventually the union called a strike, which was solid among both the Portsmouth company union men and the S***hampton company union men. Nothing was resolved, and after some weeks the S***hampton company men broke the strike and went back to work, thus ensuring the collapse of the dispute without any gain for the employee's of either company. Not suprisingly, the Portsmouth company were incensed at the actions of thier fellow workers, and apparently one wag noticed that the first letters of the S***hampton Company Union Men spelt SCUM. Hence the name Scum or Scummer as a term of abuse for anyone from S***hampton was first coined.

 

Taken form the hard copy of the April/May 1996 issue of Frattonise.......

 

 

Did Watford people break a strike in Luton, or was it the other way round?

 

After all they call each other scum as well

[alehouseboys]

How about DUM Democratic Union of Mineworkers?

 

I always thought the story derived from a couple of your local history books in which strikebreakers were bused to London. I'm sure the references and a picture were posted on this site or it's predecessor. Probably made up skate propaganda unless any local history buff can turn up the references. Glad you guys are now feeling more optomistic and more able to take a pop at us skate ********

 

Well, this makes an interesing read...

 

http://nastybrutalistandshort.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-search-of-south-coast-supercity.html

 

...so you dirty portsmuff-scab-strike-breaking-scumbags are really to blame

[sidthesquid]

The alternative version being that female skates apparently have very similar genitals to humans (and probably smell similar too). Lonely sailors, back in the day, would apparently catch skates and engage in 'relations' with them.

 

Whether this is true or not, and whether it is still common practice I can't say.

 

The first time I ever encountered any reference to such behaviour was in a police procedure booklet one of my mates acquired circa 1980. It went into many different criminal acts, including quite a long list of possible victims of bestiality. I remember being amazed at seeing the skate there because we used to catch them while fishing off the Dorset coast when I was a kid and they had skin like sandpaper. But it is apparently all true, particularly on the remote Scottish islands and in a small area of the Hampshire coast......

[um pahars]

How about DUM Democratic Union of Mineworkers?

 

Feel free to let us know when you find a Union called the Democratic Union Of Mineworkers (you'll find the Nottinghamshire offshoot was the UDM, Union of Democratic Mineworkers or UDM as they knew the acornym DUM would be a bit too obvious!!!!!).:smt046

 

I always thought the story derived from a couple of your local history books in which strikebreakers were bused to London. I'm sure the references and a picture were posted on this site or it's predecessor. Probably made up skate propaganda unless any local history buff can turn up the references. Glad you guys are now feeling more optomistic and more able to take a pop at us skate ********

 

Afraid not, the story arose as an urban myth in the 90's in some ridiculous crusade to try and justify a fairly common insult. In a way we should be rather flattered that some weirdo's have gone to all this effort.

 

From the London Dock strike of 1889, the Southampton Dock strike of 1890, the formation of the radical BSU in 1911, the 1912 Strike beatings,the 1926 General Strike, the 1945 Dock strike, the formation of the NDLB etc etc etc through to it's abolition in the 1980's, Southampton has always been at the forefront of strikes and union activism, but not ne record of S.C.U.M. anywhere:rolleyes::rolleyes: except for some saddos inventing it in the 1990's :smt046

[CB Fry]

Feel free to let us know when you find a Union called the Democratic Union Of Mineworkers (you'll find the Nottinghamshire offshoot was the UDM, Union of Democratic Mineworkers or UDM as they knew the acornym DUM would be a bit too obvious!!!!!).:smt046

 

 

 

Afraid not, the story arose as an urban myth in the 90's in some ridiculous crusade to try and justify a fairly common insult. In a way we should be rather flattered that some weirdo's have gone to all this effort.

 

From the London Dock strike of 1889, the Southampton Dock strike of 1890, the formation of the radical BSU in 1911, the 1912 Strike beatings,the 1926 General Strike, the 1945 Dock strike, the formation of the NDLB etc etc etc through to it's abolition in the 1980's, Southampton has always been at the forefront of strikes and union activism, but not ne record of S.C.U.M. anywhere:rolleyes::rolleyes: except for some saddos inventing it in the 1990's :smt046

 

 

Be fair, I do believe Dr David Starkey guest edited that particular edition of Frattonise.

[um pahars]

Be fair, I do believe Dr David Starkey guest edited that particular edition of Frattonise.

 

You should go easy there, I'm currently reading Elizabeth by Starkey (Edward VI is currently on his way out with consumption and is trying to alter the line of succession to skip mary and Liz).

 

This S.C.U.M. acronym is La La land stuff, up there with KFC rearing four legged chickens, RIchard Gere and his gerbils and Snowball the giant mutant cat. I don't who are the biggest dinlos, those who felt the need to start it off, or those that feel the need to believe it:rolleyes:

[Redondo Saint]

what a credit to Portsmouth the young fans have become.

 

I hadn't realised the city is a suburb of London - great accents.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

what a credit to Portsmouth the young fans have become.

 

I hadn't realised the city is a suburb of London - great accents.

 

Mockney is their native tongue.

[miserableoldgit]

Mockney is their native tongue.

I bet they don`t discuss grammar on their forum!!

[pfc123]

Be fair, I do believe Dr David Starkey guest edited that particular edition of Frattonise.

 

Er, no he didn't actually......

[rallyboy]

isn't grammar the one they **** when their sister's not about?

[Verbal]

From the London Dock strike of 1889, the Southampton Dock strike of 1890, the formation of the radical BSU in 1911, the 1912 Strike beatings,the 1926 General Strike, the 1945 Dock strike, the formation of the NDLB etc etc etc through to it's abolition in the 1980's, Southampton has always been at the forefront of strikes and union activism, but not ne record of S.C.U.M. anywhere:rolleyes::rolleyes: except for some saddos inventing it in the 1990's :smt046

 

Add another one to the list, um - the ‘Governor Eyre incident’ of 1865. Edward Eyre was Jamaica’s colonial governor, who directed a massacre against an uprising among the island’s peasants. Hundreds were killed and the survivors flogged. Defenders of his idiocy argued that black peasants were like British workers and required similar treatment.

 

Shortly afterwards, Eyre was attending a banquet in his honour in Southampton - a city known then as the 'gateway to the empire'. But the dinner broke up in chaos because of a vast rally by Southampton’s dockworkers, among others, and led by the 'Jamaica Committee' (formed by the John Stuart Mill). It was at that time the largest public gathering in the city’s history.

 

The Daily Telegraph, revealingly, moaned that ‘there are a good many negroes in Southampton, who have the taste of their tribe for any disturbance that appears safe and who are probably imbued with the conviction that it is the proper thing to hoot and yell at a number of gentlemen going to a dinner party.’ Of course, the ‘negroes’ were the very English and very white Southampton dock and factory workers, who won the day.

 

Eyre never set foot in Southampton again.

 

Here endeth the history lesson.

[hamster]

Add another one to the list, um - the ‘Governor Eyre incident’ of 1865. Edward Eyre was Jamaica’s colonial governor, who directed a massacre against an uprising among the island’s peasants. Hundreds were killed and the survivors flogged. Defenders of his idiocy argued that black peasants were like British workers and required similar treatment.

 

Shortly afterwards, Eyre was attending a banquet in his honour in Southampton - a city known then as the 'gateway to the empire'. But the dinner broke up in chaos because of a vast rally by Southampton’s dockworkers, among others, and led by the 'Jamaica Committee' (formed by the John Stuart Mill). It was at that time the largest public gathering in the city’s history.

 

The Daily Telegraph, revealingly, moaned that ‘there are a good many negroes in Southampton, who have the taste of their tribe for any disturbance that appears safe and who are probably imbued with the conviction that it is the proper thing to hoot and yell at a number of gentlemen going to a dinner party.’ Of course, the ‘negroes’ were the very English and very white Southampton dock and factory workers, who won the day.

 

Eyre never set foot in Southampton again.

 

Here endeth the history lesson.

 

Who was Glen Eyre, I would be interested to know please?

[Eyes k8]

Who was Glen Eyre, I would be interested to know please?

 

Jane's husband.

[um pahars]

Jane's husband.

 

Was he in the D.U.M.???:rolleyes:

[miserableoldgit]

Jane's husband.

Bloody Hell! A literary reference from a skate!