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The Two's-up rule was a revelation to me when I first arrived at Os. I'd never come across it before and in truth although it did exist in regular service it wasn't as common.

It was a funny phenomena. Why, on the face of it, should the first person to shout 'Two's-up' be allowed a portion of whatever you were eating, drinking, smoking or reading, just because they had said the magic words? I think it must have started as "after you with that" and that was still the case in some respects. I remember it being used like that. For example you might ask for Two's-up on the iron, meaning you'd be next in line to use it.

It was also common to get Two's-up on a Mars bar or whatever. This I think worked on the basis that you might one day be in need of a Two's-up yourself so it was likely to be reciprocated. Some sort of collective or mutual support? There were always those who were so good with their meagre pay that would never allow themselves be so destitute as to ever need a Two's-up and some of these were known to never give or ask. (Something biblical there, neither a lender or borrower be!!!) Of course there were the opposite too!

One person I recall was even nicknamed "Two's-up" because he seemed to exist purely on others charity. He was an example of the credit system. Each payday he'd be seen pursued by his creditors and within minutes he'd be penniless, back to Two's-upping! He had the knack of being just at the right place when you opened something edible. So advanced was his ability to pop-up at just the right moment and no matter what lengths you'd gone to, to find somewhere quiet, that the rumour existed that he'd sold his soul to the Devil for the ability to be in the right place! I think he even went as far as offering to pay for a Two's-up and that was the start of his handing over his pay each week!

Sitting in a dark, crowded TV room and trying to open a choccie bar without attracting a Two's-up is an abiding memory for me, I don't recall much success. Well at least until 'Two's-up Canavann' passed-out.

Mike Prince