I recently had a drink with that nice Macy when she stopped at Clogtown on her whistle-stop tour of the stopped whistles of Olde England. During the course of the conversation she asked if I missed the other blog and I gave her a somewhat evasive answer. Which wasn't fair really, but I didn't want to get maudlin about it.
The truth of the matter is that yes, I do miss it, but I can't go back. I do miss the sense of community it engendered (and thanks to all of you for that) but reading back through it is painful: it's already a far-distant piece of history, just as much as Reckitt's Blue and Mazawattee Tea. It's an awful thing, God help us all, that those tales of mismanagement, fuckwittery and the infuriating waste of time and energy, staff and resources depict A Golden Age. Which is not to fall into the currently-fashionable trap of "It was all better when T.Aldous was in charge, he wouldn't have let all this happen." The generation of T.Aldouses and Marys, Julias and Reggies have a lot to answer for: even the best army would struggle in battle after it's spent two decades chasing sheep on pogo sticks and eating pebbles for no apparent reason. And now, and now... Oh God, you couldn't believe it. It's pure comedy gold every single day and I can't even bear to laugh at it.
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12 comments:
I miss things, too. But at least you pop up here from time to time and make me smile.(Albeit through gritted teeth!)
I too rather miss your old blog. Talking of comedy gold, having now largely despaired of both Romanian TV and our ex-pats' BBC 'Entertainment' channel, I am currently buying up old DVDs of Steptoe & Son, Father Ted and Dinnerladies; I know you're a connoisseur of such things, so any other suggestions you have would be happily entertained.
Everything changes....you are rolling with the punches so far so keep smiling.....glad to hear you enjoyed a tipple with Macy.
You are still around - that's the main thing.
Gadjo: a firm favourite here is 'Dad's Army.' and 'The Last of the Summer wine.' With himself mainly.
I was always a big fan of Common Places... for the fillums and the flowers - I MISS YOU HERE.
Sx
Bless: it was a whistle stop tour. Sorry about that.
I think what your council needs is some dirty great lightbulbs by the way...flees
dinahmow: We could do with having the tooth gritters round here lately.
Gadjo: Hello old thing. I'd recommend the first six series of "Last of the Summer Wine" and Peter Tinniswood's sublime "I Didn't Know You Cared"
libby and Pat: Ta!
Scarly: I'll trade you: I'm still waiting for you to post about the courtship habits of the Tena lady, including her lying on the pavement with her legs in the air shouting: "Look! I've got a dry gusset!"
Macy: Going cheap...
Pat, I'm not allowed to enjoy Dad's Army, on strict instruction from my late ex-Home Guard grandfather. (I also know all the episodes of Porridge word-for-word, before anyone suggests it.) Kev, I also remember the first few series of LOTSW with pleasure; we got the recent one here - but doesn't the BBC know that some actors/actresses, however great or small, simply can't play 'Northern'?? (Oh, heavens, that's a whole blog post...) IDKYC I remember only via catch-phrases - maybe it's worth a look. I just bought Vic & Bob's Catterick, which I rememebr being interesting. (And as I'm also currently reading Alan Bennett's auto-bio it seems like I'll be spending all my virtual life in the North Ridings these days.... :-) )
Gadjo: I've been watching some old Frasiers and find the so called northern actress's accent excruciating. I think her charater is called Daphne. She may come from Manchester but she lays it on with a trowel.
You're one of the few bloggers that my lazy self can be bothered to read beyond one paragraph. I suspect I'll read where-ever you post...
Gadjo: My other guilty pleasures are "Open All Hours" and "Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggit!" The boxed set of "The Dustbinmen" has a couple of mad gems in it, too.
Pat: Quite so. And her accented floated from Bolton to Harpurhey and Oldham and back within the space of a sentence.
Wendy: ah... bless, thank you.
Kev, being a stammerer myself, "Open All Hours" was a bitter-sweet experience at best. "Oh No, It's Selwyn Froggit!" would certainly maintain the Northern theme! I fancy trying to get the short-lived (and never seen by me) "Oh Happy Band!", with Harry Worth, as Mrs Dilo and her family are all brass band enthusiasts - does anybody remember that being worth a watch?
Pat, it's a shame that that Jane Leeves didn't get voice coaching from the dad, John Mahoney, who is apparantly born and bred in Blackpool.
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