Laurel and Hardy and the Sons of the Desert are at the heart of Bowler Dessert magazine and Bowler Dessert Online
Bulletin
11.11.09.
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2011 UK Convention Tony Bagley tells us that he and Phil Ruston have had to cancel their provisional plans to host the 2011 UK Convention. This has come about because of Phil's tent being in abeyance following his change of address and also Tony's work patterns. Tony and Phil give their apologies and regrets. Alternative arrangements will be considered when the Sons meet at the 2010 UK Convention in May and there is no doubt that a suitable alternative will be found for 2011. However, volunteers might care to step forward now and announce any intentions. On display We have a display of Laurel and Hardy/ SOTD information, and a cabinet of memorabilia at our local library in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire. The display runs from Saturday 7th November until Saturday 28th November. On the morning of Tuesday 23rd, we are also putting on a talk and film show for the public in one of the library's meeting rooms Antony Mitchell-Waite
 Laurel & Hardy: From the Forties Forward
Scott MacGillivray has updated his highly esteemed 1998 book Laurel & Hardy: From the Forties Forward. It is now available in the USA and can be bought in the UK through Amazon.co.uk for £14.72 (paperback) and £19.95 (hardback) including p&p. Scott says, "The new edition has more than 50% new material and I think it's a better book. The publisher's online bookstore is at http://www.iuniverse.com." Your webmaster has it on order. Did you see? On The Graham Norton Show (BBC1, 09.11.09.) among his guests were David Tennant and Johnny Vegas. Graham Norton suggested that they could do Laurel and Hardy together. As Norton said that,David Tennant put his hand above his head, pulling up his hair and imitating Stan. Johnny Vegas said, "Why don't you do something to help me?" John Bogie |
The bookzine I haven't read The Lighter Side "bookzine". If it is as inaccurate as the recent article (elsewhere) on the Boys in Sweden its value must be questionable. Mr Marriot has refused to publish a letter from me, pointing out enormous inaccuracies in that article. Eric Willoughby
Donkey work Bob Hickson sent us a leaflet from The Donkey Sanctuary, reporting on the rescue of two donkeys named Laurel and Hardy, which were in a very sorry state when found by the charity. They are being nursed back to health.
Darling on a Carousel Dave Fullbrook reports that his wife Laura has been involved with Carousel in Stevenage in November. The book that the cast was using for the script and music was from the 1950 Broadway show at the Majestic, which featured a cast list with our very own Jean (Our Gang) Darling in the lead role of Carrie. Every night when Laura heard the song When I Marry Mr Snow she always thought of Jean Darling singing this to Sons at the Stoke convention in 2007. |
I shall tell you what you rarely see on TV these days - Laurel and Hardy shorts. BBC2 used to show a whole bunch of them - not the silent ones, sadly, but you cannot have everything - round about Christmas time, slung into the schedule wherever there was a 20-minute gap, and bringing welcome relief from the overblown variety shows and family films showing elsewhere.
If you love that kind of material as I do, you will be familiar with the plot device whereby the little chap - Stan Laurel, Charlie Chaplin - finds himself for some reason or other in a boxing ring with a big, ferocious fellow, and has to run around avoiding him, squealing and making cartoon movements of the legs in the case of Stan, eluding the blows in a comically balletic manner in Charlie's case.
I had thought this kind of comedy was more or less dead until the David Haye-Nikolai Valuev fight on Sky Box Office on Saturday, which was essentially the old story of the little fellow ducking and dodging some hulking great grim-faced opponent.
Spotted by Ross Owen on guardian.co.uk (09.11.09.)
