Iconic

I’ve found this site where people can vote for what they think should be icons of England. (Obviously icons of Britain would be better, but never mind)
One of the nominations is I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, which gets my vote for iconic status. What could be more British than a radio panel game of silly games (and Mornington Crescent)

Brain the Size of a Planet

Well, as I’ve now had my graduation ceremony I suppose I have now officially graduated. It seems strange not to be going back to university any more, although my job’s keeping me busy at the moment. I suppose it’s the not having to read books and write essays that I’m missing. Hang on … no, not really. I’ll never miss having to write essays, but I think it’s more a case of not having anything to focus my brain on after three years of intense study.

The graduation was a mixture of fun, boredom and extremely annoying clothing. It was good to see people again and catch up, if only briefly with what everyone is up to.  I’ve decided I wasn’t designed to wear a robe, despite my best efforts at Margaret Rutherford impressions. The blessed thing kept falling off my shoulders, as did the hood, and the hat very nearly fell off my head when I was being presented for my award. Oh well, it’s all over now. I can chalk it up to experience and forget about it (until my mother brings out the photographs – oh no!)

Goody Goody Yum Yum

Last week I had the great pleasure in going to Edinburgh to see The Goodies Still Rule OK at the Assembly Rooms. It’s taken me all week to get what happened down in some kind of comprehesible form, so here’s what happened …

Having arrived in Edinburgh in the early afternoon, I soon found the venue on George Street. I had some time to kill before I needed to start queueing, so I sat in a nearby cafe, soaking up the atmosphere and watching the world go by. At 4pm I arrived back at the venue to start queuing, and noticed a couple of people also walking towards the door, one with a union jack t-shirt, the other with a t-shirt proclaiming ‘rhubarb tart’. I thought that this was a sure sign that I was in the right place. Thinking that they were probably from GROK (who else would be there that early, dressed in such a way), I asked, “are you from the forum?” “Yes. Are you?”, came the reply. (I’d chosen to wear my GROK t-shirt and a large flat cap, so I thought it was obvious what I was there for) And so I met Clair and Kate. We chatted for a while about various Goodies related things and were beginning to wonder where the others had got to when Jess and Peej turned up, wearing dungaree dresses with a big ‘G’ on the front (as for Funky Gibbon). Not long after the queue started forming in earnest and soon it stretched as far as I could see down the street, which probably wasn’t far as I’m not that tall. It was about now that someone said, “Look, there’s Graeme”, and sure enough walking down the street towards us was the familiar face of Graeme Garden (and the rest of him too). Jess and Peej started turning away and trying to hide. Not me! I grinned as I watched him walk past, and he smiled and said hello to us all as he went past. Jess and Peej were worried that he would have seen them, but I said if he did I doubted that he would have seen what they were wearing. Soon after Kirstyn arrived in her matching outfit, and I missed Tim arriving as I think he came the other way down the street.

After what seemed like hours we were finally led into the hall and, having been at the front of the queue, the six of us took our seats at the front of the auditorium, within touching distance of the stage. While we waited for the rest of the audience to come in and find seats we sang along to the Goodies songs that were playing in the background. I had chance to have a good look around the stage, which was decorated with Union Jack bunting, a big screen for showing the clips, a lectern and three chairs, each suitably decorated to represent each of the Goodies characters. And then the show began …

If you haven’t seen the show (and why not?), I’ll try not to give too much away. It opened with the familiar titles on the screen, after which Tim and Graeme appeared on a new type of trandem! The show consisted of some great banter between Tim, Graeme and Bill (who had recorded some video interjections especially for Edinburgh), lots of clips from the television shows, sketches, (a) song and talking. If you saw the recent Return of the Goodies on television you’ll have some idea of what was covered, but it was different watching the ‘live’ version. It was really great to see the clips, but also to watch Tim and Graeme’s reactions to them; Tim seemed to love watching them again, and he must have seen them so often. The best parts, for me, were when Graeme and Bill recreated their audition pieces for the Cambridge Footlights (where Tim was president, so no audition from him) and the I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again sketch, where I got to see Tim doing his Lady Constance voice live (hurray!). Just after this, there was a swanee kazoo moment (familiar from I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue), but poor Tim got his swanee whistle caught in the lead from his microphone and struggled. They were so close to the front of the stage at this point that I really wanted to go and help him, but thought I’d better not! All too soon the show was over, but I’d had such a great time watching and laughing. Could the day get any better?

Well, yes it could, because after the show we hung around in the bar waiting for Tim and Graeme to appear. Jess, Peej and Kirstyn had the scrapbooks, which lots of us from GROK had contributed to, to give them to celebrate the end of such a great show. I was waiting, with camera poised, ready to capture the moment. When they finally appeared I think they knew something was going to happen. Whilst waiting Tim looked round to me and said “That’s an Australian t-shirt”, to which I nodded and grinned. I was far too nervous and excited to do or say anything else. After much nudging and shoving Jess very nervously explained what they had and handed over Tim’s book. Kirstyn struggled to get Graeme’s out of her bag, but eventually managed. They both looked so thrilled with their books and immediately began looking at them with great interest. Peej also went to hand over Bill’s book, explaining that we’d hoped it could be passed on to him. Tim said he couldn’t take it, saying something about not exceeding his luggage allowance, and Graeme seemed reluctant too. I think we were all a little worried that no one wanted to take Bill’s book, but fortunately John Pinder (the show’s producer, a man with the grooviest glasses in the world) said he would take it and tried to do an impression of Bill as he accepted it. So it all worked out ok.

Then it was time for autographs. Kate and I decided to ask Graeme for his autograph first, although she shoved me forwards. So I nervously asked him if he could sign my programme, which he seemed very happy to do. (Reading it back since I’ve realised that he wrote a little message to me all in capital letters, which I think is fantastic because I always handwrite in capitals too!) We then went to Tim, but I made sure Kate asked first this time. I handed over my programme and asked if he could sign it, but with the pen I had. He already had a pen in his hand, but I pointed out that that one was blue, the same colour as the page. So Tim then struggled to hold his pen and my programme and try to remove the lid from the pen I had just handed to him. I wasn’t until afterwards that I thought I should have offered to help, but I was just too awestruck at the time. I was standing next to Tim Brooke-Taylor! Having got our autographs Kate then asked Tim for a hug. Of course, how could I have forgotten to ask Tim for one of his world famous hugs? So I asked if I could have a hug too. Wow! It was as good as I’d been told. For an all too brief moment it was just me and Tim in a big cuddle, all lovely and enveloped from the rest of the world. Tim did say something like this [the hug] was the best bit. I can’t be sure exactly as it’s very difficult to hear what someone’s saying when they’re talking over your left shoulder (sorry Tim)!

Then it was time for photographs. Jess, Peej and Kirstyn had a group one with the boys, then some individual ones too. I asked Kate if she would take a photo of me and Tim, and then asked Tim if I could have a photograph please. Tim put his arm around my shoulders and I can’t remember where I put mine, but with our arms around each other we posed for the photo (which is great – Thanks Kate), and then I asked Graeme if I could have a photo with him too. He said yes and I started to get very flustered with all the stuff I was carrying. I dropped my jacket, went to pick it up and then thought ‘bother it, I’ll leave it on the floor’. He put his hand on my shoulder and I placed mine in the middle of his back and we both smiled for the camera. It’s so good to have pictures to help with the memories of the day.

All too soon it was time for Tim and Graeme to have to go. Tim didn’t seem to want to say goodbye, and Graeme seemed reluctant to go, and hesitated with us even after he’d picked up his bags. I think Tim left quite quickly (I didn’t see), but Graeme said goodbye to everyone and as he left he patted my …. elbow, and said ‘thank you for coming’ just to me! That sort of makes up for the fact that I was far too in awe of him to ask for a hug (which I regretted afterwards), but it’s my special moment to remember.

So, what can I say. It was a fantastic day with lots of great memories for me. I know at times I felt like I was six, asking “can I have your autograph”, “can I have a photograph” and such like. Well, I suppose I was six when The Goodies were on the telly and I’ve been waiting all this time to finally meet them. It was really great to have my hug and photo with Tim, as he was the one I had a crush on when I was little, and it’s even better to know that he really is as lovely in real life as I’d imagined he would be. Graeme was the one I looked up to, and I suppose I’m still in awe of him and his intelligence and wit, so I was quite shy around him. But if I get the chance to meet him again, I hope I won’t be.

And there’s more …

That wasn’t the end of my Edinburgh experience though. Kate and Clair had a spare ticket to see Tim Minchin and had asked if I wanted to go. I wasn’t sure as I had had a long day traveling up and I wasn’t sure anything could top my experience of seeing The Goodies, but they persuaded me, so we walked across the city and started queueing again. I’d heard of Tim Minchin, but didn’t really know much about him, other than Clair and Kate telling me he was really funny. And he was. He did some really clever stuff with instruments and music, but mostly it was great comedy songs. The final song, about taking your canvas bags to the supermarket has stayed in my head, so that when I do go to the supermarket with my canvas bags I keep finding myself singing it. So thanks for that!

Note to self

I’ve just realised how long it is since I’ve posted anything on here. I really must try and write something more often.

My excuse is that I have been busy moving house and starting a new job, both of which went well, but I’ll write more about those another time. Right now I have something very worthy of blogging (well I think so. And it is my blog, so I can put what I want!)