1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,640 And a father of boys as well. Two boys and two girls. 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,440 Pigeon pair. So I mean you you you got the 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,960 message of that song, you can. You can see that song. 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:13,920 Yes you can. I can. 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:15,080 Yes. Two boys and two girls. 6 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,120 Andrew is the eldest boy, Jennifer's eldest girl. 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,640 And then there's David and Katie. 8 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,080 Did they all follow you into showbiz? 9 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:24,360 Well, Jennifer's here. The beam, you know, in the 10 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:25,880 publicity department. Bless her. 11 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,560 Yes, indeed, she does very well. You know Jennifer. 12 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,640 Dave is an actor. No, Andrew is an actor, rather 13 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,160 plays non speaking parts husbands. 14 00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:42,040 It's struck home here and there. He's a good actor. 15 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,040 He just finished in The Invisible Man in Stratford. 16 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,240 E did very well. Katie's an actress. 17 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,920 She's at the Bristol Victoria, Old Old Victoria, Bristol Old 18 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,200 Victoria School. Did you encourage him to go in? 19 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,120 But not really, because you know, having been the business 20 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:58,840 yourself, you wonder what's going to happen to them. 21 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,760 And they've only seen the end product of years of work. 22 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,000 So you wonder, you know, is that where you are there? 23 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,680 It's a good idea. Have the end product of yours 24 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:45,080 hang in about. Hello and welcome to Goompod, 25 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:51,000 your weekly fix of comedy chat and recently, Heavy Breathing. 26 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,880 I must explain because a regular listener who shall remain 27 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,400 nameless, Mr. XI, shall call him. 28 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,440 He contacted me to say that occasionally on recent shows he 29 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:08,280 could hear me breathing like some dirty old man, which is 30 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,320 never nice. But yeah, I actually listened 31 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,760 back to the last couple of episodes and there are occasions 32 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,680 when you can hear me breathing, which I apologize, but I had a 33 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,120 mild. Respiratory episode, which 34 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,400 thankfully has passed now. So I I apologize if if this has 35 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,040 picked up on that. And I promise from now on not to 36 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,680 breathe or at least not not breathe any more than is 37 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,200 strictly necessary in order to stay alive because this podcast 38 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,640 would be next to useless with a with a dead host. 39 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:41,680 Apologize you had to hear some of that Katie. 40 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,240 That's. Fine. 41 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,640 So the the the lady you could hear. 42 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,080 Laughing there is my guest, my very special guest today and 43 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,360 recently we heard the the wonderful news that one of the 44 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,280 famously lost episodes of Hancock's half hour featuring 45 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:04,200 Harry Seekin has come to light and I'm thrilled to be joined by 46 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:09,320 by Harry's daughter Katie. Hello, may I just first 47 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,120 apologize for the sounds of heavy breathing from my dogs and 48 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,800 chirrups from my birds? So I'm just going to shut the 49 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:16,760 door. Hang on, just. 50 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:20,840 It's all madness here. There we go. 51 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,360 That's it. I'm back. 52 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,120 I'm back. We have had dogs on the show 53 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,840 before and a cat oh. Good. 54 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,840 So I'm in good company. MM Haskins regular guest. 55 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:38,160 He his his dog Huxley has been on Jonathan Co, the novelist he 56 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,240 was on and his cat Archie, I think his name is He was on 57 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,560 Stick. Yeah, but you've got like, a 58 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,480 menagerie there, have you? I have got a bit of a menagerie, 59 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,280 yes, yes, I have dogs, cats and parrots. 60 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,680 Yes, it's mad, but there you go. Well, you very kindly accepted 61 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,920 my invitation to to come on the show and talk about your dad and 62 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,080 and I also thought it would be a good idea. 63 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,480 Perhaps, maybe not. I don't know how you feel, but 64 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,560 for us to to discuss what I consider to be one of Harry's. 65 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:15,400 Best showcase performances in a goon show, which does and so an 66 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,160 episode which doesn't really get talked about very much, but 67 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:19,920 we'll come back to that. We'll come to that later. 68 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:27,120 So yeah, So Katie, as I say, brilliant to have you on and you 69 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,840 are an actress. I am, I am, yes. 70 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:32,080 I'm currently in Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre. 71 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:37,160 There's a plug and and yeah, and. 72 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,560 And it's funny you should mention it because it's full of 73 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,520 very young people. The show, I mean, I'm 55 now, so 74 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,280 everybody's younger than me, it feels like and and one of our 75 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,960 it's an immersive show and one of our hosts, they're all in 76 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,000 sort of their late 20s to early 30s. 77 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,120 Her dad's a Goon Show fan and we have lots of chats about the 78 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,160 Goon Show when we're sort of waiting to go on. 79 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,640 So the legacy continues. Thank thank goodness for that. 80 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:04,400 Lovely. And yes, so that's what I'm 81 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,000 doing at the moment. You trained at the Bristol, Old 82 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:08,040 Victoria didn't? You. 83 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,400 I did, I did, yes. I had what's called a classical 84 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:16,360 training and I went to university before I went to to 85 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,120 drama school. So I had the full WAC and I've 86 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,440 been doing it for over 30 years now. 87 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:26,200 Lots of musicals, others in Les Mis and Mamma Mia and I've also 88 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,400 done lots of plays as well. So I've had a nice sort of 89 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,920 career that goes from one to the other, which is, which is quite 90 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,560 refreshing really and. What about comedy? 91 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,000 Do you do much comedy on stage? I'd like to do more. 92 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,640 I'm normally a comic character, so in Les Mis I'm Madame 93 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,200 Senardier, who's probably one of the most fun characters to play, 94 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:48,960 especially in a musical like me, Les Mis, where everybody pretty 95 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,640 much is dead at the end apart from me. 96 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,840 So that's that's quite good fun to play and she's she's a a 97 00:05:55,840 --> 00:06:00,480 lovable monster, so she's great. And I've worked with the 98 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,880 wonderful Alan Aitbourne. I did bedroom fast with him 99 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,280 quite a few years ago now up in Scarborough. 100 00:06:08,280 --> 00:06:11,800 But he directed it. So that was a great, you know, 101 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,440 master class in. And how to do good comedy, you 102 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,560 know and and also you know, he taught me how to make a bed 103 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,280 properly because I had to make a bed in the beginning of the 104 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:23,400 scene, the first scene of the play. 105 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,920 He was so strict about how I made it, but it it sort of made 106 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,000 me think, well yeah, comedy is really hard, you've got to be 107 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,880 really precise and really technical. 108 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:37,600 So yeah, I learnt a lot do. People make beds properly these 109 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:39,400 days because. No, you. 110 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,080 Don't use sheets much. Everything's duvets these days, 111 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:43,600 isn't it? Yes, everything's duvets. 112 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,240 And also this one, obviously the bedroom frost is set in sort of 113 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,320 the late 70s, I think early 80s, so they would have had. 114 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,280 Hospital corners but it was candle. 115 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,120 Wick Beds. Candle. 116 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,200 I had a candle Wick bedspread on the bed, you know and they are 117 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:00,720 not fun absolutely that to lie under. 118 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:05,520 But yeah, he was great to work with and of course I had had the 119 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:10,560 maestro really my dad. So when I when I got over my 120 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:12,840 teens and I started actually listening to my father. 121 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,640 I picked up lots of tips from Dad and and I actually got to 122 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,120 work with him as well in Pickwick musical that he did. 123 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:20,840 Oh, I saw that, yeah. Yeah. 124 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:27,880 That must have been amazing. It was fabulous because I had a 125 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:33,880 backseat view of his talent every night and the way that he 126 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,240 took everything in his stride really he was very. 127 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:42,640 Calm and about how he performed, even though he he had a lot of 128 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,640 energy, he had a lot of manic energy. 129 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:49,640 He was able to switch it on and off, you know, and he was very 130 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,680 technical. But I think that that's, that's 131 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,800 what you have to be if if you're a comic or a comic actor to know 132 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,600 what you're doing, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. 133 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,160 Somebody told me on this show who did. 134 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,880 They'd never met your dad, but they'd met somebody who'd worked 135 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:07,280 with your dad, I think, on Pickwick. 136 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:12,600 We're talking many, many years ago and it was possibly like one 137 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,160 of the dance. Did they have dancers in 138 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:16,040 Pickwick? They don't, do they? 139 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:17,000 They did, yes. Oh. 140 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:21,320 They did, Right, OK. One of the dancers, It was his 141 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:26,080 birthday and after a performance he wanted to take the whole cast 142 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,680 everybody out to the to the local pub and he wanted to buy a 143 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:31,160 round of drinks because it was his birthday. 144 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,600 Yeah. And Harry was there and and 145 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,320 Harry said, oh, no, you know, no, you don't need to do this, 146 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:38,720 you know. No, no, save you money. 147 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:40,039 Do you know, Don't be. Don't be daft. 148 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,440 But this dancer was insistent that he wants to and it must 149 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,160 have cost, oh, God knows how much back then, you know, But it 150 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,880 was a significant sum of money. And everyone had, you know, had 151 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:55,320 the drink and you know, chatted away and a fine time was had by 152 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,400 all. And then Harry had to go. 153 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,920 And he and he came up to this particular dancer whose birthday 154 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,440 it was, and he and he grabbed his hand and he pumped his hand 155 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,200 quite violently and said clapped him on the shoulder and said 156 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,920 happy birthday, you know, thanks again and all the rest of it. 157 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,480 Then he and off he went, and the dancer. 158 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,240 This chap looked down at his hand and Harry had stuffed, I 159 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,360 don't know, £80 in his hand. Yeah, that was Dad. 160 00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:24,440 Yeah, that makes me sad. It's wonderful. 161 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,640 But yeah, Dad was like that. I I didn't know that story and. 162 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:31,160 But it was fairly standard with Dad. 163 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:33,800 He he had a thing when he was working at the Palladium, I 164 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,040 think he called it Harry's Happies. 165 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:41,600 So on a Saturday night he would fill his dressing room full of 166 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,760 booze and people could come in and have a drink after the show 167 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,560 on a Saturday. And I'd always believed in, you 168 00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:51,640 know, being accessible to everybody in the cast. 169 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:57,200 He led a cast brilliantly. He was so kind and generous and. 170 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:03,680 Yeah, he, he, he really set a good example of how to lead a 171 00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:07,280 cast with joy, you know, But also you could come and talk to 172 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:11,080 him if you had a problem or you know, he was always very open to 173 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,080 to helping people. Yeah, yeah. 174 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,400 I mean this, this podcast, we talk about actual Goon Show 175 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,760 episodes, but we also talk about anything that's got a Goon 176 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,000 connection. So it can be a Peter Sellers 177 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,280 film or Spike television series or a book. 178 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,320 With, With, or Michael Benteen. You know, we've done episodes on 179 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:32,560 Michael Benteen. Mike, yeah. 180 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,800 With, with, with, with Harry, we've done, you know some 181 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,840 episodes about, you know specifically about him we 182 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:40,680 covered Sunstruck a few months ago for. 183 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:44,240 Example. Gosh, yes, I was Babe in arms on 184 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:45,720 that. Oh, I'm going to ask you about 185 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:47,240 that if you can remember anything but. 186 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,800 But I'll be honest with you and say that, you know, the majority 187 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,920 of episodes of this podcast, just because of the breadth of 188 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,200 work, have tended to focus more on Spike and Peter. 189 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,560 Yeah. And and I've spoken to people 190 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,440 who've, I mean, I've spoken to Jane Milligan, for example. 191 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:04,920 Lovely Jane. Yes. 192 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:09,800 Yeah and and I've spoken to people that have known know a 193 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:14,160 lot about Spike and Peter and and it's and and it's fair to 194 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:18,600 say and I don't think anyone would beat me with fists for 195 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:24,200 saying this but both men had their issues and could be could 196 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:30,520 be challenging to deal with and. The the thing that we find time 197 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,760 and time and time again whenever we talk about the goons is the 198 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:37,360 the same sort of phrase or variations of the phrase. 199 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:42,640 Harry was the glue. He was, yeah, Yeah, he's, he 200 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:43,560 definitely was. He was. 201 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:50,240 He was by nature a a very calm, kind person. 202 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,640 You know, he had his human beings, so we had his moments 203 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:59,920 like we all do, but he was very generous and open person and I 204 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:04,440 think all of the goons, Mike, Spike and Peter loved him 205 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:11,800 immeasurably and and he never sort of had any issues with any 206 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:13,720 of them. So he came. 207 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,440 I think there was just so much love for him, and I think it 208 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:21,320 was. Hard and must must have been 209 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,960 hard for dad to be the glue, because it can be hard to be the 210 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,760 glue, you know because you have to keep everybody happy or feel 211 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:28,320 like you have to keep everybody happy. 212 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,520 But he was, he was very good at that because he was he was 213 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:37,160 really was full of joy. Dad you know he was a massively 214 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:40,560 positive person always looking forward in life. 215 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:42,280 He said don't look back, look forward. 216 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,880 And when he left, when he when he when he passed away. 217 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:48,720 You know, we really missed that in the family. 218 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,600 I think we were so spoiled because we had somebody who had 219 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,920 such a positive life force all the time. 220 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,520 When that goes, it's really hard. 221 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:01,800 It's kind of really remind yourself that that everything's 222 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:06,320 not as bad as it seems. So he he had a great kind energy 223 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:13,360 about him. Good evening. 224 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:14,840 They've given me the honour of this year. 225 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,400 I've introducing the Royal Variety Show. 226 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,240 Not because I'm the oldest performer, just because I carry 227 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,160 the most weight. This was brought home to me in 228 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:23,920 the day of the show. As I walked in the stage door, 229 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,120 all the fans started screaming. One young teenager turned to a 230 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,880 mate and said, oh look Elsie, it's the four Beatles trying to 231 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,280 sneak in under one coat. That was The Beatles music you 232 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,040 heard just now. I know they were a big hit. 233 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:36,840 They were as scared as the rest of us folks. 234 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,320 One of them told me after the show that they hadn't been that 235 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,520 scared since the day they came face to face with the Barber. 236 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,520 But the Royal Variety Show was a big night for show business. 237 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,800 It's a get together of the cream of entertainers and I was there 238 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:50,640 too. Well, it's I was a class amongst 239 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,960 the cream, isn't there? And it's it's very telling as 240 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,800 well that he had the same he was married to the same woman for 241 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:57,680 his whole life. My lovely mum, Myra. 242 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,640 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they were, they were 243 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,880 together for, oh goodness me, I don't know, 50 odd years, I 244 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:07,600 think. And they were a great team 245 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,320 because they used to laugh together all the time, you know. 246 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,800 So there was a lot of laughter in the house. 247 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:16,080 And I know that sounds a bit cliche, but they did. 248 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,280 They laughed. They he found her hilarious and 249 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,280 she, you know, put up with all his jokes, you know? 250 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,320 Didn't he? When he first met her on the 251 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,960 first date, didn't he pretend to be Canadian or something? 252 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:29,200 He did. He apparently said can I have 253 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,720 this dance or whatever? That's a terrible connection, 254 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,000 accent. And she said, Oh no, I don't 255 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,040 like him, no, no, no, I'm going to go home now because Mum, Mum 256 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:44,320 being all four foot ten of her. Worked in a dress shop or had 257 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,520 worked in a dress shop and then she was a head engineer I think 258 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,080 in a munitions factory during the war she was always very well 259 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,480 put together and she was with her friend Vera Chard and they 260 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,840 went to this dance on the Mumbles Pier and mum said, well, 261 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,240 I liked the boys from the RAF. That was her thing. 262 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,680 And this this spectacled Spotty young. 263 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,280 Lads, I think even his glasses were fixed together with a bit 264 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,600 of tape came up to her and said can I have this dance, you know, 265 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:15,400 and and she was like, no, I'm going home. 266 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,240 And Vera said, come on give the boy a chance. 267 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,640 He's just been de mobbed, you know Dad in his de mob suit 268 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:26,960 which probably didn't fit very well and and so she did and they 269 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:31,320 they made a date to meet a week later and Mum said she couldn't 270 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:35,080 remember what he looked like and it didn't start off very well. 271 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,600 But it it ended well, it went on very well for a long time. 272 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,000 Absolutely. What was her? 273 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,120 What was the name of her friend? You say Vera Chard? 274 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:45,680 Vera Chard. I think it was. 275 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,560 I think it was Vera Chard. That is the that is the name of 276 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,720 one of the girls that Bluebottle would have set his cap at in the 277 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,160 Goon Show. And it's probably all in the mix 278 00:15:55,160 --> 00:16:00,360 somewhere. And you've got, so yeah, I mean, 279 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,240 you've got. Well, I say you've got you, 280 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:08,400 You've got David and Andy. David and yes and and sadly your 281 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,360 sister Jennifer died few years back. 282 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:14,120 Yes, she did, Yeah. In 2019, yeah. 283 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:15,680 Yeah, but there were four of you. 284 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,440 Yes. Well, he was working a lot 285 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,160 there, wasn't he? He was always working, I guess, 286 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:26,720 so he'd be away a lot. He was always working and he at 287 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,000 the beginning of the career, especially with the goons, I 288 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:30,800 think he must have been working constantly because. 289 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,400 I I always got they. They were called to them on a 290 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:38,320 Sunday, didn't they? So we lived in Cheam for years 291 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,280 and years and years until I was about 16. 292 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:46,000 But they, mum and dad moved there in like early 50s when dad 293 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,960 sort of hit the big time and Dad was working seven days a week. 294 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,640 I honestly don't know how they did it, how my mum did it. 295 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:55,480 I think my mum had help. I think her. 296 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,040 Parents, my grandparents came, and I think there's always 297 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:00,160 people in the house to bring up everybody, you know, because 298 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,840 there's so much going on. And Dad kept working. 299 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,880 Even when when David and I were growing up, dad's career changed 300 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,520 and morphed and he then found highway. 301 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,920 So it was, you know, he he began a different strand of his 302 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,240 career, but he was always working. 303 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,040 So yeah, and it's hard, you know, I'm 55, you know? 304 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:26,920 A jobbing actress I do very well. 305 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:29,280 But you know, it's it's hard to keep a career going. 306 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,120 You know, when you've got kids to bring up, it's difficult. 307 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:36,160 So yeah, I don't know how they did it, really. 308 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,280 So did you attend the Last Goon Show of All in 72? 309 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:43,160 I don't. I might. 310 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:49,120 I don't think I did. I have vague, hazy memories of 311 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:54,040 fantastic get togethers on a Sunday where everybody would go 312 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:57,200 into my. Parents bar, you know, and sit 313 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,840 and swap fantastic stories and I'd sort of sit on the floor and 314 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,040 sort of soak it all in really. I was going to ask you about 315 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,400 that. Did you certainly you will have 316 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:11,000 met Spike? Yes, and probably Mike, but did 317 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,400 you meet Peter? Did Peter visit much or I? 318 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,520 Don't know if I did. I know that he was. 319 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:17,680 He couldn't make it to my sister's wedding. 320 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,560 That was 1977. I might well have met him, but I 321 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,400 can't remember meeting him. I can remember meeting Spike and 322 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,520 and Mike. Yeah, What was what was she? 323 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,800 What's your memories of Spike with your dad? 324 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:34,080 I well, again, hazy, I I remember I got bad Jelly the 325 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,440 witch. We went to you know, like a book 326 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,160 launch I think for that. And then I met him when he was 327 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:46,040 much older and before dad died. But he was a lot more frail. 328 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,400 And he looked at me and my sister's sister and he went, oh, 329 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,480 you look like pre rafaelite paintings. 330 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:54,880 Got that from. Because we certainly what my 331 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:59,280 sister did, I certainly don't. But yeah, he was very he could 332 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,320 be very charming and he would phone up a lot and talk to dad 333 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,840 and and they would chat for hours. 334 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,360 And this is usually on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday 335 00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:10,680 or something like that. So I've got memories of picking 336 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,840 up the phone to him. Yeah, Mike, we had. 337 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,320 Lovely lunches with Mike, Sunday lunches. 338 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:21,600 And Mike helped me on my dissertation when I was at uni 339 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,320 because I did my dissertation on the windmill. 340 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:26,320 Really. Yeah. 341 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,040 Which was fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. 342 00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:33,240 And. I looked into, you know, was it 343 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,400 how Van Damme got away with making? 344 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,520 Well, this is if if it moves, it's rude. 345 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,840 But you know, we're recreating Venus coming from the waves, so 346 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,760 how can it be rude, you know? And all that double standard, 347 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,320 really. Yeah, the men. 348 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,400 Yeah, the men with the the magnified. 349 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,840 Spectacles. And everything else that was 350 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,000 going on, you know well. Because obviously your dad 351 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,040 performed there and and Mike was part of Sherwood and Forest. 352 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:00,880 That's. Right. 353 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,360 And and and Peter, of course, got a job. 354 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,160 Now I know Spike auditioned and I think he went out onto the 355 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,080 stage for his audition and his first words were something along 356 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,200 the lines of I'm sorry, I'm wearing clothes. 357 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:17,600 Something like he didn't. Eddie got show in the door. 358 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:23,200 That's brilliant. That's brilliant When you think 359 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,120 about how long ago that was. And then somebody saying that, I 360 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:32,480 mean, yeah, Incredible. Oh, my dog that very good. 361 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:33,560 Yeah. He just snorted. 362 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:35,080 Yeah. You mentioned you mentioned bad 363 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,360 Jelly, which was my first introduction to Spike when I was 364 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:39,520 when I was a kid, because it was huge. 365 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,040 I you may have detected from my accent that I was born in. 366 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,360 Well, I was born in New Zealand actually. 367 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,360 OK, and it's huge. Bad Jelly. 368 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:51,880 The the audio recording that Spike made of bad Jelly in The 369 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:56,320 Witch is really popular and it always has been. 370 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,480 Really. It used to be played on the 371 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:03,120 national radio station. There was a Kids Sunday Morning 372 00:21:03,120 --> 00:21:04,000 kids show. Really. 373 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,320 Where they? 'D play things like Captain B 374 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:09,920 Key. Oh yeah. 375 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:11,800 Oh, I love Captain B Key. Yeah. 376 00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:13,840 And. Bad Jelly, Yeah. 377 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:16,600 But. It's interesting because I 378 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:21,000 think, and I should know this, but I've got it in my head, was 379 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,920 Bad Jelly? Did Spike write Bad Jelly with 380 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,400 Jane in mind? I think he did, yes. 381 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,360 And of course I know quite little because she'd lost her 382 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:32,520 mum not long after that. I before that, I think. 383 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:33,560 Or. Something after, I think. 384 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,480 Yeah, she was certainly ailing by that point. 385 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,920 Paddy. Yeah, but of course your dad 386 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:44,640 wrote Katie in the OR came out with Katie Yes. 387 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:49,960 Tell me about that. Oh, OK Well, so we had a 388 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:57,120 wonderful house in Majorca, which was sold now, but by the 389 00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:59,040 side of it was, it was right on the sea. 390 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,520 And it had on one side of the house that there was a Cove, 391 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,880 sort of very small little sort of rocky Cove. 392 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:10,520 And one night I couldn't sleep. I was, I must have been about 393 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,040 seven or something. And I mean, you know, I'm an 394 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,320 older parent, so they must have been exhausted. 395 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,040 And I'm going, I don't let's go to sleep and said, I said, I'll 396 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:20,840 tell you a story, I'll tell you a story. 397 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:26,600 So he made-up the story on the spot about this sea monster 398 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:30,840 called Fred the Nuggler who lives in the Cove. 399 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,080 And this little girl called Katie goes on holiday with her 400 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:37,120 parents. It's very autobiographical and 401 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:40,880 she makes friends with this sea monster. 402 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:46,960 But Fred's secret is that he is an alien from outer space and he 403 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,240 was left on Earth millions of years ago and because he was 404 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,880 naughty. So in order to go back home. 405 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:58,120 It's very similar to ET, but well written well before ET, may 406 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:01,160 I just add, he has to love somebody. 407 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:05,840 Somebody has to tell him a story and he has to find true love or 408 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,520 something. There's sort of things he has to 409 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:09,640 achieve. And he achieves all of that with 410 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:14,680 with Katie, and then he goes back to the spaceship, but she 411 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,720 cries a tear. And then the tear becomes the 412 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:19,000 nurger and spirit. It's very beautiful story. 413 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,320 And I'm actually looking at the illustration. 414 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,520 I've got the illustration on the wall, which was done by a lovely 415 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,480 illustrator called Priscilla Lamont. 416 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:32,160 And she never met me, but she, she had photographs of me and 417 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,440 she's got me to a tee. It's a fantastic, fantastic book 418 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:40,280 now out of print. Very sad, but a wonderful story 419 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,160 nonetheless, and something I'm incredibly proud of. 420 00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:46,280 Absolutely. You're immortalized in for the 421 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:47,880 ages. Yeah, Yeah. 422 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:49,960 Surely your dad could have had a case. 423 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,880 He could have failed. He could have well, he could 424 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:54,360 have done. Spielberg's people and said, 425 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,920 come on, come on, he did go. It's very similar, sweetie, you 426 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,760 know, But I don't think that was my that wasn't how he rolled. 427 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,160 But yeah, I mean, you know, it was very, very similar. 428 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:06,960 Yeah. I was practicing yesterday and I 429 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:11,560 split my trousers. So I thought if it happened 430 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:12,680 today. So I had all the trousers 431 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,720 reinforced. Unfortunately it was a nice high 432 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,440 stool and no bother. You didn't. 433 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:17,920 You didn't need to block and tackle that. 434 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:20,920 No, thank heavens, no. I have to get up in time. 435 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,400 Can you give us AI? Should stay at the old night, 436 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:24,000 Patrick. Yes. 437 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,080 There we are, Sir. I tried to do a little bit of 438 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:30,200 research for these podcasts and I was just earlier I was looking 439 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,320 at some photographs and I saw a photograph of you you must have 440 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,320 been about. I don't know. 13-14 at the 441 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:40,360 investiture. Your dad's knighthood with my 442 00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:42,440 lovely grey hat on. Yes. 443 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:47,720 Oh Lord, yes. That was a look. 444 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,920 Yes, I remember that very well. I remember going to the toilet 445 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,840 in Buckingham Palace and being slightly horrified that it was a 446 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,080 wooden toilet, the wooden seat. Oh, you didn't you didn't smoke 447 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,360 weed like The Beatles did in. No, I didn't do that. 448 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:03,800 No, no. But it was amazing. 449 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,200 I mean, you know, you sat there in a the military band, played 450 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,160 songs from the shows. It was rather light. 451 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:11,600 It was beauty. It's not what you think it's 452 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:13,320 going to be. It's quite light hearted. 453 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,480 Yeah, but the night before, Dad had had worried because he split 454 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,920 his pants when he was rehearsing in the kitchen. 455 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,920 I think Mum was pretending to be the Queen God lover and sort of 456 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:26,560 stopping him with a wooden spoon. 457 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,080 And then he knelt down and he'd ripped his pants and he was 458 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:30,840 like, oh, what am I going to do? And then we had to get dad's 459 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:34,520 tailor, John Panifer, a wonderful John Panifer, to come 460 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,640 and reinforce the seat of his trousers. 461 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,120 Honestly, it was hilarious. Yeah, was. 462 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,560 That because that would have that was around the time of he 463 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,360 went. He went to the Charles and Di's 464 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:45,440 wedding as well. Yes, he did. 465 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:46,600 Yeah, they both did. Yeah. 466 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,920 And I never forget waving them off because they had to go 467 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:52,600 something like 8:00 in the morning or something to be 468 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,800 there, you know, at the Abbey or pause and pause rather. 469 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,840 And yeah, they my mother had, but my mother resplendent in 470 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,200 purple. Yeah. 471 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,400 And they, I think they bought them Charles and Diana. 472 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,120 They bought them for their wedding gifts. 473 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:10,320 I think they bought them two Walk. 474 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:14,080 Ones Oh really, Father? Yes, which I thought was. 475 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:15,880 Come on, you think that you might? 476 00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:19,240 Look back and think that's a weird thing to but but they were 477 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,400 the height of fashion in Asian. Absolutely. 478 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,160 I mean I thought that was very far reaching of my parents even 479 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,120 then and I know that she used to like listening to Duran Duran 480 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,000 Spandau Ballet wandering around Balmoral. 481 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,720 So I often I I think there was a picture of her once with a 482 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:36,200 Walkman, I think. I wonder if that was what the 483 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,040 attack got. Someone like I'm going to say 484 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:43,360 Paul Weller. Came back from Japan in the 485 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:47,640 early 80s with a Walkman, really early 80s with a Walkman and all 486 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:53,080 His group of friends and fellow musicians would take turns 487 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,480 listening to tapes through, you know, because they they weren't 488 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,680 used to hearing music like that. It was used to the clarity and 489 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:05,000 the just the sound of it. I I never forget the first time 490 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,680 I heard music in a Walkman, and it was the most. 491 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:10,400 It was like being in a film. All of a sudden you've got a 492 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,080 soundtrack, you know, and and it's the shock. 493 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:15,880 It's literally the shock of the new, isn't it? 494 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:20,080 I suppose so, yeah, I thought that was quite, quite good of 495 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:20,640 mine. It was. 496 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:22,200 Very, very. Yeah, absolutely. 497 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:25,760 Because it was again around this time as well. 498 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:29,280 And I don't want to go too. It's not dark, I suppose, but 499 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,480 your dad was. Your dad was given, the doctor 500 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,640 basically said, you know, shape up. 501 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:36,800 In terms of your health and your fitness, otherwise you're not 502 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,040 going to be around much longer, yes. 503 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,160 That was because he liked. He liked to eat. 504 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:44,880 He liked to drink and he was a Bondi girl that's you know he he 505 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:51,240 he liked life and you know he'd got into he loved Italy and and 506 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,640 he loved Italian food and and I think he would have lived in 507 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:59,440 Italy but but Majorca was closer and and and that's where we 508 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:00,920 ended up and we loved it there anyway. 509 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:07,800 But you know we love to eat and drink we still do in my family 510 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:15,480 but yeah I I he'd got he'd flown to us what Dad would do and I I 511 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:20,120 really admire him for this because dad would do these long 512 00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:22,800 concert tours of Australia and New Zealand I'm sure you're 513 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:28,960 aware of that and he would be away for quite a long time and 514 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,720 then he would fly back and meet us in Barbados. 515 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:33,880 That's terribly glamorous, doesn't it? 516 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:40,520 So that we could have Christmas together and this one Christmas 517 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:42,600 we would meet him at the airport and whatever. 518 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,880 And this one Christmas he really wasn't very well at all and he 519 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,200 sort of felt very ill on the plane. 520 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,760 And I think a stewardess, he's flown from somewhere like Lai 521 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,800 think he'd gone that way. So Barbados and the the air 522 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:58,120 Hostess had said oh you're not looking very well so and he 523 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,080 went, no, I'm just want to get home to get to Barbados to see 524 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,920 my family of course got there and then was rushed to hospital 525 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,320 and they, the doctor said it was colic and it wasn't colic. 526 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:12,240 It was the burst sort of it was colon. 527 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,240 I think it's something you know it was really bad. 528 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,320 It was, it was very, very touch and go and he was in hospital 529 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:25,280 for a very long time over there, saved by a wonderful surgeon and 530 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:30,200 then came back and then that was when the weight came off and he 531 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:34,520 started playing golf in earnest and and he stopped drinking. 532 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:37,760 What was that? Yeah, because the doctor said 533 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,320 you can't drink anymore and it wasn't because he was an 534 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:42,520 alcoholic or anything like that. I think it was just that the 535 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:46,400 lifestyle was was too much. I was at Twin Towns. 536 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:47,320 I've been working there for the week. 537 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,680 It's up there on the border, you know, and I had a bad stomach. 538 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:53,560 I wasn't quite sure was what was wrong with me. 539 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:56,360 And I got the plate of Barbados because I was there doing that 540 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:57,760 for Christmas and all the family had gone. 541 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:00,320 So I thought, I wouldn't see the doctor in case there's something 542 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,600 seriously wrong with me. I'll get a Barbados first and 543 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,440 then be sick with all the family, you know, all sit around 544 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:15,680 and watch it throb. And it turned out to be I had 545 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:20,080 what they call diverticulitis, Welsh disease. 546 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,800 You know, actually the colon have punctured. 547 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:28,400 And we came to a full stop. I was suffering from 548 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:36,560 punctuation. A dangerous, dangerous thing. 549 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:38,800 And you, you were operated on in a? 550 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:43,480 Second opinion for Witch doctor. Did you think it might affect 551 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,200 the old vocal cords? Well, it was, yes. 552 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,080 The other low down the scar was it. 553 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:48,440 Yeah. Everything's all right now. 554 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,240 Well, the light entertainment, British British light 555 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,880 entertainment, the establishment in the 60s and 70s, it was. 556 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,560 It was cocktail parties and BBC parties and just parties in 557 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:03,960 general where the wine flowed and the Brandy and the, yeah, 558 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,640 everything, even in my, you know, living memories, actors, 559 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:12,120 you know, was a lot more readily available than than it is now. 560 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:15,120 So it's a lifestyle thing? Yeah, definitely. 561 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:19,920 Just on that, you know. The the cliche is to say Toby 562 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,640 and Brucey and Bonnie Corbett and people like that. 563 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:25,880 Were they popping round to the house sometimes? 564 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:27,560 Those sort of people? Were you meeting people like 565 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:28,320 that? Yes. 566 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,440 I mean, we'd always see them at at events. 567 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,080 I I wouldn't say. I mean, you know, Mum and Dad 568 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,880 were. They were, I think, Dad when he 569 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:39,440 was, when he was off, you know, when he'd switched his off 570 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,080 button, Yeah. He liked to spend time with us 571 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:46,200 and he liked to read and he liked to play golf and he but he 572 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,800 was a voracious reader. My father loved history, got me 573 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,560 massively into history, and we both loved Roman history lots 574 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,400 and lots. And so he did have his sort of 575 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,560 private moments where he would like to be just dad in the 576 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,120 family. But yeah, we we Ronnie Corbett 577 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:09,520 was a big friend. Tarbi you know Jimmy was was 578 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:11,800 always a very, very big friend of my family's. 579 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:16,920 You know Bruce Forsyth, we'd see it at at gatherings and things 580 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:21,120 like that and he we'd also have a that would have a a golf 581 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,800 classic at Effingham every year and lots of celebrities would 582 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,160 come to that and then everybody would come back to ours. 583 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:32,320 Or there was also the famous cricket match across Cheam Rd. 584 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:35,680 at Sutton Cricket Ground where everybody came back to ours on a 585 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:38,840 Sunday night and and that was fun. 586 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,520 He had lots of interesting times there. 587 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:47,160 So yes, there were lots of people that were incredibly well 588 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:51,080 known, but but they were seen as sort of family and friends, you 589 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,160 know? Yeah, and when when your dad had 590 00:32:54,160 --> 00:33:00,080 to quit, you know the booze and had to slim down, did his nature 591 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,680 change in any way? Did he change in any? 592 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,840 No, I I don't think he did at all. 593 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:09,640 I think he had to slow. I mean I don't think he worked 594 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,760 as frenetically as he had before. 595 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:17,440 And I think my brother David and I had the benefit of that 596 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:22,160 because he was more accessible and available and around because 597 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:24,440 obviously you know when you're doing. 598 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:28,320 I mean, I do eight shows a week and I have a, you know, I have a 599 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,280 son. And it's hard, you know, when 600 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,560 you've got kid and you've got to do that much work all the time, 601 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:35,960 you only see them one day a week. 602 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,960 And so when Dad was doing things like songs, Praise Highway, he 603 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,480 was around a lot more. He was around for holidays and 604 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,680 birthdays and so we got to see him a lot. 605 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:47,760 Yes. And I think, you know with a 606 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:52,920 better lifestyle and a slow down pace of life, we got the benefit 607 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:54,640 of that. Not to say that my old brother 608 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:56,040 and sister didn't have a wonderful time. 609 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,840 So I think, I'm sure they did, but I think that that we had 610 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:06,480 more of of dad as a as a, as a constant presence, you know, not 611 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:11,239 as much as the huge star that he'd been in the 50s and 60s 612 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,480 because they were, I think the goons were kind of like rock 613 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,960 stars. They were so massively famous. 614 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,800 And then by the time that David and I were, you know, sort of 615 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:25,679 early teens, Dad's career had had changed. 616 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:28,400 Yeah, he. But he was still, you know, he 617 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,440 was still Mr. Light Entertainment, wasn't he? 618 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:34,760 He was still, he was really terrific, yeah. 619 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:39,480 And writing and Piece of Punch and writing novels and 620 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:42,440 presenting and concert tours. And we're still working 621 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:47,760 extremely hard and but I think we just saw more of Dad, you 622 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:51,920 know because the theatre life is is quite brutal, can be very 623 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,199 difficult when you're always performing. 624 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,960 You said about, he said always look forward, don't look back 625 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:05,320 now Peter Sellers, he was constantly looking back, OK. 626 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:09,040 He was very nostalgic towards the end of his life and it sort 627 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,680 of ramped up as well. And he and he would keep he had 628 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:17,240 recordings of, you know, audio recordings and video recordings 629 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:22,800 and city film recordings of so much of his earlier life, and 630 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:24,120 that included, you know, the goons. 631 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:29,480 Spike, you may have seen there was a documentary recently about 632 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:33,600 his archive and he kept recordings and so much stuff. 633 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:36,800 Amazing. A messing huge amount of stuff 634 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:40,560 from his whole career. I get the impression, and you 635 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:43,480 tell me I'm wrong here, but that Harry probably wouldn't have 636 00:35:43,720 --> 00:35:46,480 kept much in the way of an archive. 637 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:48,320 Is that? Well, you'd be wrong there. 638 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:52,560 Oh, right. OK, so we have a quite a big the 639 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,640 sense of archive, which we've gifted to the National Library 640 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:59,280 of Wales, of Dad's scrapbooks, which were kept by my 641 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,880 grandmother, who I sadly never met. 642 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:06,160 But they started in like 48, and they go all the way up to about 643 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:09,240 60. My brother's the expert on this, 644 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:12,040 not me, but it goes up to about 64. 645 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:18,920 OK so my brother being the sort of custodian of the archive, 646 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:24,400 he's digitalized it all the original copies are in the 647 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,880 universe at the Library of Wales and and we have access to, you 648 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:34,960 know, we we have access to it. So although Dad and and also dad 649 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:39,440 was a prolific photographer and cameraman, he liked taking. 650 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:44,000 So we've got some amazing films that we're getting digitalized. 651 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:50,640 We were in talks about doing a documentary because we were 652 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,840 approached by a company to do a documentary, but we haven't 653 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:58,280 heard anything and it's great shame because we've got some 654 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:00,960 fantastic things that I think should be shared really. 655 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:07,840 You know spike in and and Peter's work is obviously 656 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:09,640 incredibly well known and for good reason. 657 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:14,960 But you know dad was also, you know, a fruitful part of the of 658 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,880 the puzzle And and he's, I mean some of these things we found 659 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:22,160 were hilarious. I mean dad was you know, 660 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:27,040 sponsored teas, maids and you know, all sorts of pictures 661 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:28,200 we've got. I mean it's absolutely 662 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:31,400 hilarious. That was in a regular column in 663 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,440 a comic called Film Fun. Yes, I know I've seen those, you 664 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,040 know, and we've got all those bits and we've got some 665 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:43,040 incredible finds and we've got dad's war Diaries. 666 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:48,080 We've got all sorts of things. But yet we haven't, yeah, 667 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:50,480 managed to do anything with it. OK. 668 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,560 Well, I know Channel 5, I mean there was a recent sellers 669 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:57,040 documentaries. Channel 5 is doing wonderful 670 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:00,160 things for, for, for people like the people that listen to this 671 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,960 podcast. Channel 5 caters for that 672 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:04,440 audience very well because there's a lot of. 673 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:08,840 There's been a lot of sort of 90 minute long documentaries. 674 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:10,640 There was a Peter Sellers one. There's one about. 675 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:13,800 One of my favorite sitcoms recently man about the house for 676 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:18,200 example Kenneth Connor Dick Emery you know the Channel 5 is 677 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:22,760 doing some kind of under the radar stuff and and it would not 678 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:28,080 surprise me and and a 90 minute documentary on on your dad would 679 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:30,120 be perfect for Saturday night on Channel Five. 680 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,440 Yeah, yeah, I think it would be great because what we we've been 681 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:37,560 approached before by companies that want to do documentary on 682 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:41,800 that being on highway and the lighter entertainment side, 683 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:46,200 which is absolutely fine and totally obviously viable. 684 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:50,840 But we also wanted to put in the the goon stuff, a lot of the 685 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:55,080 goon stuff because the, you know, I'm saying the dreaded 686 00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:57,600 journey would, but the journey that they were on together was 687 00:38:57,600 --> 00:38:59,200 extraordinary. It was incredible, not, you 688 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:07,160 know, very interesting, unique experience and we've got a lot 689 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:11,200 of this information there from Dad's point of view, so it would 690 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,200 be nice to say. Did he, did he talk a lot? 691 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,680 You know, when I'm talking in later years, when you were in 692 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,240 the 80s into the 90s, did he talk a lot about the goons? 693 00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:22,600 Did he listen to goon shows? Did he do a lot about The Goon 694 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:24,880 Show? We would listen to The Goon 695 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:26,560 Show. I mean I was brought up on it 696 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:30,760 obviously, but I mean and and I'm what I'm very thankful for 697 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:33,960 is that that I have access to Radio 4 Extra. 698 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:38,160 You know it has it on all the time BBC sounds you know it's 699 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:42,040 but dad would talk about the The Goon show a lot. 700 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:45,840 I mean those they were his sort of formative years. 701 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:50,320 You know although he he would look forward you know I think 702 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,800 that sort of friendship you can't really bottle it's it's 703 00:39:55,160 --> 00:40:00,880 it's very it it's what can I say about it it's it creates you as 704 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:03,480 a person it's it's that sort. Of character forming. 705 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:07,080 Character forming, friendship. It's so important. 706 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:12,560 That those four people got together, had that connection at 707 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:18,200 that time that was so, you know, that just after the war, and 708 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:22,040 that they took the stuffiness just after the war and they 709 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:25,960 broke through and they just provided the world with pure 710 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:28,120 joy, really, which is what I think it is. 711 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:32,320 It's heaven escapism, yeah. I think that's what it is and I 712 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:35,240 think he he was. I think that's the time. 713 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,720 When Dad as a performer was at his happiest, definitely, 714 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:41,560 because. And you can hear it on every 715 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:45,840 recording, I mean, you know in in the Man who Won the War, Dad, 716 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:48,560 you know, is is genuinely laughing. 717 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:51,320 Well, Sally's always said it was his happiest time. 718 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,520 Spike Spike's a bit less, Or Spike's a bit more ambivalent 719 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:56,720 about it, but he. Had Spike had a lot of pressure 720 00:40:56,720 --> 00:40:58,640 on his shoulders. I mean, you know, he was under 721 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:00,840 enormous pressure. I mean, you know, having to 722 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:03,320 write everything toward her, you know, it's huge. 723 00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:09,680 But but the the sense of play between them all is phenomenal. 724 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:13,880 It's great. And he's always held up as being 725 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:18,000 always up, never down, always laughing, blowing raspberries, 726 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,640 that sort of thing. And I and I guess there's a 727 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:25,000 couple of performances where he sort of gives, gives the light 728 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,600 to that and I'm thinking obviously Mr. Bumble, yes, but 729 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:31,880 also have you seen the bed sitting room recently? 730 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:36,280 I love the bed sitting room. You remind me of my first wife. 731 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:38,000 That's funny. You see. 732 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:41,720 I never met her, you see. What you do for me, what my 733 00:41:41,720 --> 00:41:45,560 first wife did, Doris tries, but she she can't coordinate, you 734 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:47,840 see. Will you do it for me? 735 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:53,680 Well, as long as we get it over quickly before Daddy misses me. 736 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:02,280 Now. Now. 737 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:02,960 Now. Now. 738 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:03,280 Now. Now. 739 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:03,920 See. Reason. 740 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:05,120 Move it. Move it. 741 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:06,800 You're worse with your mother. I didn't move it. 742 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,080 I hadn't. She's a common grand secretary. 743 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:09,720 She's. Move it. 744 00:42:09,720 --> 00:42:10,440 Please. I love you. 745 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:12,200 Please. She's accepted me at all. 746 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:14,360 Move it. Move it. 747 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:16,160 I love you. Move it. 748 00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:16,640 Please. No. 749 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:26,640 The people next door. Get out. 750 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:28,520 Your slut. Go. 751 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:33,440 And leave me alone. That was my best dinner service. 752 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:44,480 The I think Dad had had the ability and he didn't roll with 753 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,680 it. I wish he had to have played 754 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,040 some really interesting characters. 755 00:42:49,240 --> 00:42:51,040 He I think he was offered the Fool in Leah. 756 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:52,840 Oh really? It's. 757 00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:54,440 I think so. I don't know whether that's an 758 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:55,920 urban myth, but I think that's true. 759 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:01,720 And he said no. But I think, you know, if you've 760 00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:07,240 got concert tours, you've got a family of four, you know, life 761 00:43:07,240 --> 00:43:11,040 passes, you buy, maybe your management isn't what it should 762 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:15,000 be. You know, there are things that 763 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:17,720 I think he could have done and I think he would have liked to 764 00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:22,520 have done more interesting, stranger, difficult characters 765 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:26,240 because he definitely had the, the, the propensity to do it. 766 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:30,040 So yeah, that would have, I would have loved to have seen 767 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:33,400 him do a a a Shakespearean clown of some sort. 768 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:34,720 I think that would have been amazing. 769 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:37,600 Yes, indeed. I mean the the bed, sitting 770 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:39,960 room, the character he plays in there, basically he's killed his 771 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:42,040 wife and his mother-in-law, I think. 772 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:44,360 Yeah. And he's OK. 773 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:45,200 It's played for last. Great. 774 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:48,920 Great because that's you know it's it's it's this sort of, I 775 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:50,680 don't know it would have, he would have been great. 776 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:54,840 He would have been great in in something more edgy bit darker 777 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:56,920 maybe. And of course Andrew. 778 00:43:56,920 --> 00:44:02,320 Your brother Andrew has been keeping the sort of the the the 779 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,840 goon Harry Seekin alive in, in the sense that he's played 780 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:09,280 Harry's parts in recreations of not just The Goon Show but also 781 00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:11,680 Hancock's Half hour. Yes, that's right. 782 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:14,160 Yes. And and how exciting that they 783 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:18,960 found this, this lost even more credible really. 784 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:23,400 So that's that's good news. So yeah, I mean the legacy goes 785 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:28,920 on. I I don't know how you feel 786 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,600 about this, but I think I think they should have. 787 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:37,720 Harry should have had a sitcom, you know, in the in late 60s 788 00:44:37,720 --> 00:44:40,120 into the 70s. He should have had a sitcom 789 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:46,000 built around him, I think. Yeah, I think there was, I think 790 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:51,280 there was talk of. National Lampoon, the animal 791 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:53,320 sort of thing. National Lampoon. 792 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:55,760 Before they did The Animal House, somebody there was a 793 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:59,240 there was a television show or a television producer, somebody 794 00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:05,240 from the state who had an idea for dad and dad was was about to 795 00:45:05,240 --> 00:45:11,280 go and sort of possibly break America with this show and it 796 00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:13,640 didn't come off and it really upset Dad. 797 00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:16,480 And I think he would have loved to have done something like 798 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:19,320 that. But I think, I think fortunately 799 00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:23,280 or unfortunately whatever way you look at it, he did the 800 00:45:23,520 --> 00:45:26,920 highway and songs of praise came along and then you know the 801 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:30,400 personality of Dad was was seen differently. 802 00:45:30,960 --> 00:45:34,800 Did you've just reminded me that was there either a pilot filmed 803 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:40,600 or there was a pilot screened in America with Harry like a I've 804 00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:43,160 got there's a photograph of Harry dressed as a large blue 805 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:46,120 rabbit. Well, that's. 806 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:49,200 I've never I've that's amazing. I don't know. 807 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:52,520 But yeah, I think possibly this was what we're talking about 808 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:56,560 then, that there was something. And again, David, you know, it 809 00:45:57,040 --> 00:46:00,400 was definitely, it was definitely filmed in America or 810 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:01,920 shot in America, whatever it was. 811 00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:04,640 Maybe he did a pilot then. Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. 812 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:07,240 And it did, yeah, it must have done a pilot and it didn't take 813 00:46:07,240 --> 00:46:09,960 off, or the network didn't take it, or all fell through. 814 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:15,840 But I think he, I remember once Dad said to me, oh, not long 815 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,720 before he died, I was the nearly man and I often wonder whether 816 00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:23,320 he felt he could have done more. And I sort of poo pooed it at 817 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:25,080 the time I said, oh Dad, look, you're really famous. 818 00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:29,720 I was, you know, 20 odd. But I now know how he you know, 819 00:46:30,240 --> 00:46:32,400 there's missed chances along the way, even though you have a 820 00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:35,400 fantastic career. Maybe, he thought he could have 821 00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:45,960 done something more, but he was. Blessed with a more balanced 822 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:50,240 life and absolutely. Yeah, you know, he was 823 00:46:50,240 --> 00:46:54,280 successful in his personal life. So maybe, you know, we have to 824 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:55,000 be thankful. Trade. 825 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:56,440 Trade one for the other, I think. 826 00:46:56,600 --> 00:46:58,760 Yes, I think it is all about balance. 827 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:02,080 Sellers had a very successful, well, yeah, very successful. 828 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:05,360 Professional career, but God the personal life. 829 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:07,640 Yeah, terrible. Just awful. 830 00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:09,320 Awful, you know. Terrible. 831 00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:12,520 I'm cut the spit out Katie, because I'm just going to try 832 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:16,600 and send you a photo of Harry. And it wasn't Harry dressed as a 833 00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:19,480 blue rabbit, but he's standing next to 1. 834 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:30,760 Oh my God, look at that. I think that must have been it. 835 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:34,240 Must have been it. That's clearly something filmed 836 00:47:34,240 --> 00:47:37,720 in America. Yeah, you can just tell, can't 837 00:47:37,720 --> 00:47:38,840 you? Well, yeah. 838 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:42,560 That's it. I'm going to send David that 839 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,280 picture. That's incredible. 840 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:46,880 Yeah. I think that must have been it. 841 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:49,680 That must have been it. Yeah. 842 00:47:49,720 --> 00:47:54,920 I mean, you know, it's it's, it's sad because it was, it was 843 00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:58,040 a polymath, really. He could do everything he had, 844 00:47:58,040 --> 00:48:00,280 you know. So we have never mentioned the 845 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:03,160 singing, does he? Did he sing around the house all 846 00:48:03,160 --> 00:48:04,280 the time? Was it annoying or? 847 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:10,040 He would only sing to warm up, which was he, Ma, And that was 848 00:48:10,040 --> 00:48:11,680 it. If as long as he could hit a 849 00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:14,880 Topsy, he was fine, He was. He was annoying like that 850 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:16,360 because he never really had to warm up. 851 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:21,080 He had a God-given voice. He would sing a lot and very 852 00:48:21,080 --> 00:48:24,320 loudly and often in your ear, and when you're 14, that's 853 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:27,720 deeply embarrassing, but I'll forgive him for that. 854 00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:32,640 But yeah, he was. He was an amazing. 855 00:48:32,640 --> 00:48:36,240 I mean, his voice was absolutely astounding. 856 00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:40,560 So strong and clear even, you know, all the way up to when he 857 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:43,640 had his stroke. It was, it just got better with 858 00:48:43,640 --> 00:48:46,800 age. It was incredible, yeah. 859 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:52,360 And my aunt, back in the Old country, when I was a kid, she 860 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:55,400 had loads of Harry Seekem LP's, Yes. 861 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:58,240 And she was very, and I think she had a bit of a soft spot for 862 00:48:58,240 --> 00:48:58,800 him, if you know. What? 863 00:48:58,840 --> 00:49:01,960 I mean, now I know that I know that your mum and dad were very 864 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:03,760 happily married. I'm not implying anything. 865 00:49:03,760 --> 00:49:07,200 But did did he did, did he get a bit of female attention? 866 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:09,760 I didn't go see, he didn't go seeking it. 867 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:13,600 But did do you think that his voice, his singing voice and 868 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:15,680 just his general character, you know, was he? 869 00:49:15,680 --> 00:49:17,440 Oh, for sure. We had fans. 870 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:20,640 We we had one fan. God love her. 871 00:49:20,640 --> 00:49:23,160 She was called Daphne. I think she named her children. 872 00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:25,120 After us. Oh my God. 873 00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:28,080 That was a bit weird. Yeah. 874 00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:32,120 He had, he had a lesion of of of female fans, I think probably 875 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:35,480 male fans as well. Yeah. 876 00:49:35,560 --> 00:49:41,000 I mean, you know, because his voice and his, his personality 877 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:44,080 and you know, the the package, you know, it's lovely. 878 00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:46,520 So yes, I think, I think he did appeal to it. 879 00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:50,360 But it's weird. I'm his daughter. 880 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:52,840 I don't know, but I but he did certainly have. 881 00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:57,720 Very. A few very, you know, full on 882 00:49:57,720 --> 00:49:59,680 female fans. Yeah, OK. 883 00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:02,520 It wasn't getting knickers in the post or anything. 884 00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:05,040 Like that, No. Not like Tom Jones, No. 885 00:50:07,720 --> 00:50:11,560 OK. I have a brilliant plan that 886 00:50:11,560 --> 00:50:16,320 sounds like a brilliant plan. If it works, I shall accept the 887 00:50:16,320 --> 00:50:19,320 responsibility. If it fails, it was all his idea 888 00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:24,400 in the 1st place aside good. If it went wrong, I would be 889 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:26,680 blamed. And then I'd get my ticket. 890 00:50:28,240 --> 00:50:32,120 Normal aloud. This is the idea. 891 00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:36,640 Build cargo tanks, put them on Salisbury plane and the Germans 892 00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:38,200 will waste thousands of bombs on them. 893 00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:40,920 Grab me scalabus and fad me gringers. 894 00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:43,920 You. You. 895 00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:47,560 You must be mad. Yes, there's a bit a man. 896 00:50:47,840 --> 00:50:49,120 You tell my CEO. Want you a man. 897 00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:54,160 Get out of here, you naughty doggy. 898 00:50:54,160 --> 00:51:00,880 Get out of here. Hello, my secret. 899 00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:08,800 Hello, War Office. I've had a brilliant idea. 900 00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:11,760 Look, why don't we build cardboard tanks? 901 00:51:15,240 --> 00:51:18,280 So my plan was put into operation 3 weeks later. 902 00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:21,960 The air of a Salisbury plane was vibrant with the sound of German 903 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:24,440 aircraft. What a sight it was. 904 00:51:24,840 --> 00:51:29,800 I saw it all on the newsreel. The silly Germans swallowed the 905 00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:32,120 bait and bombed the cardboard tanks. 906 00:51:32,720 --> 00:51:36,600 This is the BBC Home Service. Last night fleets of German 907 00:51:36,600 --> 00:51:39,320 bombers dropped cardboard bombs on Salisbury Place. 908 00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:45,880 I thought it would be a good idea if we talked about or 909 00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:50,360 listened to a show where I the the The Goon Show episode that I 910 00:51:50,360 --> 00:51:54,520 think is a really strong Seeker episode, OK? 911 00:51:54,720 --> 00:51:56,520 And it's not one that gets talked about very much. 912 00:51:56,560 --> 00:52:01,840 It's Had you heard it before? Do you know what I I had and 913 00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:05,200 it's one of my favourites actually and I I thought it was 914 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:09,120 much later. I didn't realise it was 1955 and 915 00:52:09,720 --> 00:52:12,360 yeah, well, I think it's, it's interesting because it was 916 00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:16,840 literally two days broadcast two days before ITV was launched. 917 00:52:18,200 --> 00:52:19,360 No, really. Good. 918 00:52:19,720 --> 00:52:22,000 God. Well, I just, I think the thing 919 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:24,560 it's it's incredibly well written. 920 00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:28,840 I think when Spike writes with Eric Sykes, the scripts are 921 00:52:28,840 --> 00:52:31,600 great, yeah. Dad said that. 922 00:52:31,600 --> 00:52:34,160 The dad said that they were always good. 923 00:52:34,600 --> 00:52:37,040 Larry Stephen ones were good as well and obviously Spike as 924 00:52:37,080 --> 00:52:38,760 well. But the, you know, they're 925 00:52:38,880 --> 00:52:42,080 really sharp. The thing I love about this is 926 00:52:42,080 --> 00:52:44,720 it's kind of sort of autobiographical on on Dad, 927 00:52:44,720 --> 00:52:49,400 because Dad did, I think, go into the Army when he was 16 928 00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:55,920 saying he was 17 and what I love. 929 00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:58,920 It's it's Dad at his authentic best. 930 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:02,440 You can really tell that he's enjoying, you know, taking the 931 00:53:02,440 --> 00:53:04,480 Mickey out of the Army and all this. 932 00:53:04,840 --> 00:53:08,280 Come on chaps, you know, let's go to war. 933 00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:10,680 You know, patting people on the head and the shoulder and 934 00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:14,600 saying, I mean off you go, I think because Dad, when he was 935 00:53:14,600 --> 00:53:19,200 in the 8th Army. In North Africa, I think he met 936 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:22,040 Montgomery and he was standing right in front of Montgomery 937 00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:24,120 with like spots all over his face. 938 00:53:24,120 --> 00:53:27,960 And Montgomery looked at him and went, yes, you know, yes, 939 00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:28,520 that's. Right. 940 00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:32,720 Dad didn't like authority. He had a bit of a scathing, you 941 00:53:32,720 --> 00:53:35,080 know, take on authority, especially that kind of 942 00:53:35,080 --> 00:53:36,840 authority. And I love the way that it talks 943 00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:38,640 about. You know, it's very sort of 944 00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:40,960 timely because everybody was bringing out their war memoirs 945 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:44,120 at the time, weren't they? So, Or there were films or 946 00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:47,200 whatever. I didn't do it, you know, and it 947 00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:52,200 wasn't me. And then, you know, I love it. 948 00:53:52,240 --> 00:53:53,960 I love it. And you know, the Operation 949 00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:57,360 Mincemeat type sort of thing about the cardboard tanks, and 950 00:53:58,080 --> 00:54:00,720 that's great. Well, that's, yeah. 951 00:54:01,120 --> 00:54:05,000 So we're talking about the man who won the war, which was also 952 00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:09,200 known as Seagoon MCC. Yeah, first episode of series 6. 953 00:54:09,720 --> 00:54:12,360 But yeah, I mentioned two days later, two days after this was 954 00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:16,560 broadcast, ITV was launched. Well, at least I say ITVI mean I 955 00:54:16,560 --> 00:54:19,320 think it was associated Reader fusion down in the the London 956 00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:25,520 region and your dad was there on the opening opening night. 957 00:54:25,800 --> 00:54:26,840 No. Was he? 958 00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:29,320 Yes. There was a variety show at 8:00 959 00:54:29,320 --> 00:54:34,160 PM called Channel 9. Not quite sure why. 960 00:54:35,480 --> 00:54:37,160 And it had. It was a variety show. 961 00:54:37,160 --> 00:54:39,920 It had some people that no one remembers. 962 00:54:40,280 --> 00:54:44,840 Shirley Abacare, Leslie Randall, Elizabeth Allen. 963 00:54:45,920 --> 00:54:51,720 And then your dad, Derek Roy, who Spike used to write for, who 964 00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:57,320 was a sort of third rate comedian, Billy Cotton, Reg 965 00:54:57,320 --> 00:55:03,600 Dixon and others. And it was during this show that 966 00:55:03,600 --> 00:55:07,600 Harry was on that the first commercial break in Britain 967 00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:10,720 occurred. Oh my, and what was that for? 968 00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:12,760 Was it something like sunlight? Soap or something? 969 00:55:12,840 --> 00:55:15,640 Toothpaste. I'm not sure which coming. 970 00:55:15,640 --> 00:55:17,160 What? I didn't write down what the 971 00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:20,040 brand was Toothpaste. There was also an advert after 972 00:55:20,040 --> 00:55:24,600 that for drinking chocolate and then margarine a few days later, 973 00:55:24,840 --> 00:55:30,000 again still on ITV, there was a short series began of the Harry 974 00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:33,600 Seekum show. Never, Yeah, written by Eric 975 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:37,760 Sykes and the first episode or the first show of the Harry 976 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:41,440 Sikkim show, I think it was out on the the Saturday of that, the 977 00:55:41,680 --> 00:55:43,720 Saturday of that week. OK, OK. 978 00:55:44,160 --> 00:55:47,360 Was it a one off? I think it was one of three or 979 00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:50,960 something like that. OK, but the first episode 980 00:55:51,200 --> 00:55:56,120 featured guests Norman Vaughan, Johnny Vivian, who used to work 981 00:55:56,120 --> 00:56:02,360 on the show called Fred Series with Spike and Peter, and also 982 00:56:02,360 --> 00:56:08,760 Wilson, Keppel and Betty. No, Norman Vaughn. 983 00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:10,760 Apparently he's credited on IMDb. 984 00:56:10,760 --> 00:56:13,960 So, you know, take that with a pinch of salt, but he's credited 985 00:56:14,040 --> 00:56:19,680 as being called a character called Fred Nurk and Fred Nurk. 986 00:56:19,680 --> 00:56:22,120 And you said Fred Nurk, didn't you earlier? 987 00:56:22,600 --> 00:56:26,000 Yeah, well, I mean, it's definitely from the back of my 988 00:56:26,000 --> 00:56:31,560 dad's mind somewhere. Yeah, Fred Nurk was a semi. 989 00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:34,120 Not even a regular character. Was an occasional character in 990 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:38,680 the Goon Show that your dad would play a Yorkshire voice. 991 00:56:38,720 --> 00:56:40,920 Oh. Yes, OK. 992 00:56:41,000 --> 00:56:43,840 Oh, well, there you go. Yeah, that's where that's where 993 00:56:43,920 --> 00:56:47,160 it's obviously come from. That something, you know, I mean 994 00:56:47,160 --> 00:56:50,480 we all, you know, my, my, I mean my, my dog's mini banister. 995 00:56:50,600 --> 00:56:53,000 So that we oh, really brilliant. The. 996 00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:55,000 One that's sort of snoring quite loudly. 997 00:56:55,000 --> 00:56:56,600 That's Mini Banister. She's 14. 998 00:56:57,520 --> 00:57:00,960 Yes, I've got mini Banister. Yeah, yeah, so there. 999 00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:06,200 So and also with every goon show, Spike would write around 1000 00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:08,720 this period, I should say Spike would take the time and effort 1001 00:57:08,720 --> 00:57:11,720 to actually write a little synopsis for the front of the 1002 00:57:11,720 --> 00:57:14,880 script. And these were often these 1003 00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:19,640 synopses were often printed in the Radio Times to accompany the 1004 00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:22,840 shows. But it says here the man who won 1005 00:57:22,840 --> 00:57:25,840 the war. Seagoon MCC says, drafted into 1006 00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:29,160 the armed forces at the outbreak of the last Great War to end all 1007 00:57:29,160 --> 00:57:31,840 wars. Young Neddy Seagoon, a civilian 1008 00:57:31,840 --> 00:57:36,120 part time Dustman C Bear Stains Around My Trouser Tops, Bidley 1009 00:57:36,120 --> 00:57:39,640 Bonds, 4 Shillings and Sixpence found himself unable to face the 1010 00:57:39,640 --> 00:57:41,800 task of sharing a barrack room with other men. 1011 00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:47,400 CI was Fred Merck's Batwoman Price, 13 shillings and sixpence 1012 00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:49,800 at all good chemists. His endeavours to secure his 1013 00:57:49,800 --> 00:57:52,320 discharge on the grounds of insanity led to a series of 1014 00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:55,400 fantastic inventions which drastically altered the course 1015 00:57:55,400 --> 00:57:59,320 of the war. C bagpipes over Alamein Price 7 1016 00:57:59,320 --> 00:58:00,960 shillings and sixpence at all good. 1017 00:58:02,360 --> 00:58:05,840 This is a war story to end all war stories Price 1 shilling and 1018 00:58:05,840 --> 00:58:09,720 sixpence or sent post free in a plain wrapper from Knight Soil 1019 00:58:09,720 --> 00:58:15,080 Publications, London, right. This is 1955. 1020 00:58:15,440 --> 00:58:19,400 This is what I mean. This is the genius of the Goon 1021 00:58:19,400 --> 00:58:21,640 Show. What they were doing was must 1022 00:58:22,680 --> 00:58:25,360 have been like. And watching aliens come back to 1023 00:58:25,360 --> 00:58:31,200 them, you know, I mean, no wonder they were such a 1024 00:58:31,200 --> 00:58:35,640 breakthrough group of people. Because it must have been. 1025 00:58:36,520 --> 00:58:38,480 It was literally the shock of the new, isn't it? 1026 00:58:39,520 --> 00:58:43,200 Yes. It's absolutely, it's frenetic. 1027 00:58:43,200 --> 00:58:48,000 It doesn't stop, you know, but I think. 1028 00:58:49,000 --> 00:58:51,960 What I love about The Goon Show, apart from the fact that my 1029 00:58:51,960 --> 00:58:56,240 dad's in it obviously, but is that that it actually it tells a 1030 00:58:56,240 --> 00:58:59,240 story. It it tells a story and fits and 1031 00:58:59,240 --> 00:59:04,160 starts, but it tells a story and you know tell story at the war 1032 00:59:04,440 --> 00:59:07,840 or you're going about, you know the lurky or you know there's 1033 00:59:07,840 --> 00:59:11,240 there's there's an adventure. Will Ned C can make C Goon make 1034 00:59:11,240 --> 00:59:11,800 it. You know what I mean? 1035 00:59:11,800 --> 00:59:17,080 It's that sort of thing. And to me, I brought my son up 1036 00:59:17,080 --> 00:59:19,880 on. Listens to the Goon Show, but I 1037 00:59:19,880 --> 00:59:23,120 think he's sort of getting there with it, I think because it's on 1038 00:59:23,120 --> 00:59:26,480 the radio and it's hard to make pictures in your mind sometimes. 1039 00:59:27,320 --> 00:59:30,000 But he loves The Mighty Boosh, which I think is very similar in 1040 00:59:30,000 --> 00:59:33,200 the sense they're going on a journey on an adventure. 1041 00:59:33,840 --> 00:59:37,360 And I think it really is very it's very similar. 1042 00:59:37,360 --> 00:59:40,240 And I think that's what what's so great about it is that yes, 1043 00:59:40,240 --> 00:59:43,840 it bounces around all over the over the place, but it does have 1044 00:59:43,840 --> 00:59:47,400 a narrative structure. Well, it's always, yeah, Ned. 1045 00:59:47,440 --> 00:59:52,720 Ned is always the central character and and he's usually, 1046 00:59:52,720 --> 00:59:55,720 almost always cowardly or he's on the make. 1047 00:59:56,320 --> 00:59:59,000 He's he's never heroic, let's put it that no, he's he's 1048 00:59:59,040 --> 01:00:00,480 pompous and he's pompous, positive. 1049 01:00:00,480 --> 01:00:02,320 Gets pricked, you know? It's that sort of thing as well, 1050 01:00:02,440 --> 01:00:05,360 isn't it though? I think I I I love them. 1051 01:00:05,360 --> 01:00:12,880 I think they're great stories. And I think perhaps we live in a 1052 01:00:13,360 --> 01:00:15,800 in an age where we have to be told what things are like and 1053 01:00:15,800 --> 01:00:19,120 what, you know, maybe you have to kind of use your brain a bit 1054 01:00:19,120 --> 01:00:22,080 more if you're thinking about the goons, because obviously the 1055 01:00:22,400 --> 01:00:26,960 the soundscape it creates is much more diverse and difficult. 1056 01:00:27,640 --> 01:00:29,400 And also, as the show went on, I mean this. 1057 01:00:29,400 --> 01:00:32,040 Is this is right smack Bang. And then what we would call the 1058 01:00:32,040 --> 01:00:33,440 golden period. It's the Goon Show. 1059 01:00:34,120 --> 01:00:36,120 Yeah it's a. It's a real golden one, yeah. 1060 01:00:36,320 --> 01:00:38,040 But as as the show went on, there were more. 1061 01:00:38,040 --> 01:00:41,720 And more sort of surreal elements. 1062 01:00:42,280 --> 01:00:43,320 Yeah. And there are. 1063 01:00:43,800 --> 01:00:45,440 Yeah. And there are episodes where it 1064 01:00:45,440 --> 01:00:48,480 just sort of stops. Well, this right, I was going to 1065 01:00:48,480 --> 01:00:50,720 say. Yes, it's a Eric and Spike 1066 01:00:50,720 --> 01:00:53,360 script, but I think this has got a lousy ending, yes. 1067 01:00:53,440 --> 01:00:57,440 I mean, it's not perfect. I think a lot of it is possibly 1068 01:00:57,440 --> 01:01:00,960 alcohol fueled. Oh, I'm sure the. 1069 01:01:00,960 --> 01:01:03,160 Brandy. Did he talk about going back? 1070 01:01:03,400 --> 01:01:06,120 Back into the wings to drink Brandy during Max and Ray's 1071 01:01:06,120 --> 01:01:09,320 numbers. Yeah, I mean, there was a lot of 1072 01:01:09,880 --> 01:01:13,280 Brandy drinking and whiskey drinking going on, you know? 1073 01:01:14,520 --> 01:01:15,720 Yeah. I mean, they were just having a 1074 01:01:15,720 --> 01:01:19,120 lovely time. I think it was their Sunday 1075 01:01:19,120 --> 01:01:23,760 night off. You know, there are, there are 1076 01:01:23,760 --> 01:01:26,160 episodes where I think, oh, God, really. 1077 01:01:26,240 --> 01:01:28,280 OK. And even that you can tell the 1078 01:01:28,280 --> 01:01:31,720 audience are a bit like, is that the end, you know? 1079 01:01:32,000 --> 01:01:36,120 And you can even hear Dad going, yes, I'm going to finish it and 1080 01:01:36,120 --> 01:01:40,520 that's it. And you know, aha, but it was 1081 01:01:40,520 --> 01:01:41,840 never your dad. It was always Spike. 1082 01:01:41,840 --> 01:01:43,600 Spike was. Because Spike wrote these, you 1083 01:01:43,600 --> 01:01:46,000 know, either with or without collaborators. 1084 01:01:46,680 --> 01:01:51,120 So your dad, your dad was always, very rarely does do I 1085 01:01:51,120 --> 01:01:53,960 listen to a game show where your dad is not giving it 100%. 1086 01:01:54,280 --> 01:01:56,520 There's the odd one, maybe when he's maybe a bit under the 1087 01:01:56,520 --> 01:01:58,440 weather or whatever. But this episode, I mean, it's 1088 01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:01,480 interesting as well because you've got this cowardly soldier 1089 01:02:01,920 --> 01:02:04,160 who's who's trying to buy his way out of the army. 1090 01:02:04,400 --> 01:02:06,960 In fact, it's interesting about it's right at the beginning he 1091 01:02:06,960 --> 01:02:09,400 pretends that he's a he's American, which is. 1092 01:02:09,920 --> 01:02:11,160 How? It's back to him pretending to 1093 01:02:11,160 --> 01:02:12,880 be Canadian with your mum? Exactly. 1094 01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:15,880 Well, that's why I'm saying it's so, you know, biographical 1095 01:02:15,880 --> 01:02:18,320 because it's that. And then and I there's that 1096 01:02:18,320 --> 01:02:26,680 lovely bit where he goes into the Hello buddy, yeah. 1097 01:02:26,720 --> 01:02:29,480 And then he pretends to be Mad Seagull. 1098 01:02:30,680 --> 01:02:32,760 Why are you hanging around? I'll tell you why. 1099 01:02:32,960 --> 01:02:36,400 I took out a roll of pound notes and tossed the rubber band into 1100 01:02:36,400 --> 01:02:37,440 his lap. Wait. 1101 01:02:38,040 --> 01:02:48,160 This Rubber Band is Empty, Chapter 5 in Which Seagoon. 1102 01:02:48,160 --> 01:02:52,160 Tries to work his ticket, Yes. As I sat in my padded cell, 1103 01:02:52,160 --> 01:02:56,200 chained to the wall in a double straight jacket, I thought, I 1104 01:02:56,200 --> 01:03:03,720 know what I'll do. I like mad what? 1105 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:06,480 I want to join the lovely British Army. 1106 01:03:07,080 --> 01:03:11,720 Sign here and then of course you've got the the great 1107 01:03:12,720 --> 01:03:16,040 cardboard tanks, cardboard bombs, cardboard Great Britain 1108 01:03:16,520 --> 01:03:18,600 and then pull the plug out, which I think is genius 1109 01:03:18,600 --> 01:03:20,400 actually. That's absolutely that in that 1110 01:03:20,440 --> 01:03:21,920 gets a well deserved. Round of applause. 1111 01:03:22,240 --> 01:03:26,600 My dad used to love The Goon Show. 1112 01:03:26,880 --> 01:03:31,000 And that the towing. What was it? 1113 01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:33,240 Towing England out and then pulling the plug out? 1114 01:03:33,360 --> 01:03:37,080 Yeah, he would often. And it surprises me that, right, 1115 01:03:37,080 --> 01:03:39,920 because he would often quote that or or mention that as a 1116 01:03:39,920 --> 01:03:43,560 great gag from the Goon Show. But this show was never released 1117 01:03:43,600 --> 01:03:46,800 as an LP. It was never commercially 1118 01:03:46,800 --> 01:03:48,480 available back in the. Day. 1119 01:03:49,800 --> 01:03:52,600 So my dad must have heard it upon the original broadcast 1120 01:03:52,600 --> 01:03:57,080 because it was never repeated either, but he remembered it. 1121 01:03:57,200 --> 01:04:00,200 But yeah, but he would be in the 80s, in the 19. 80s he would be, 1122 01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:03,360 he'd be talking about that scene or that that line, you know? 1123 01:04:03,880 --> 01:04:06,680 Which it just shows the impact of this show. 1124 01:04:06,680 --> 01:04:09,040 You know, when the writing and the performances were so strong, 1125 01:04:09,040 --> 01:04:11,960 it would stick in the mind, the gags, you know, Yeah, it was 1126 01:04:11,960 --> 01:04:15,400 timely as well because of course people had lived through the 1127 01:04:15,400 --> 01:04:18,520 ward put up with, well, there's no street signs, there's no 1128 01:04:18,520 --> 01:04:20,520 train signs. There's we've got to do this, 1129 01:04:20,520 --> 01:04:22,840 we've got to do that, and it's basically taking the Mick out of 1130 01:04:22,840 --> 01:04:27,040 that, isn't it? You know, And it's both had 1131 01:04:27,040 --> 01:04:30,320 taken the Mick out of barrage balloons as well, you know, 1132 01:04:30,680 --> 01:04:32,520 blowing sort of skins full of air. 1133 01:04:32,520 --> 01:04:36,200 And you know, but I'm also the whole. 1134 01:04:36,200 --> 01:04:39,240 Idea of cardboard tanks that was used during the war, wasn't it? 1135 01:04:39,560 --> 01:04:42,760 It was as decoys weren't they? They were decoy. 1136 01:04:43,560 --> 01:04:45,840 They they did. They didn't they do a mock up of 1137 01:04:45,840 --> 01:04:49,560 a village or something, complete sort of to throw the scent and 1138 01:04:49,600 --> 01:04:51,560 they did all sorts of things. Yeah. 1139 01:04:51,560 --> 01:04:54,120 Cardboard. It's interesting model villages 1140 01:04:54,600 --> 01:04:56,480 maybe that at the at the time that this was. 1141 01:04:56,480 --> 01:04:58,200 Written that wasn't public knowledge. 1142 01:04:58,880 --> 01:05:00,720 No, maybe not. Mustn't have been because it's, 1143 01:05:00,720 --> 01:05:03,000 it's obviously. Included as a joke. 1144 01:05:03,000 --> 01:05:06,000 I mean the the cardboard bombs. It's brilliant. 1145 01:05:06,080 --> 01:05:08,080 It's brilliant. Where does it come from? 1146 01:05:09,000 --> 01:05:12,960 It's fantastic, you know, I mean, I don't know, I I don't, I 1147 01:05:12,960 --> 01:05:16,720 honestly know, don't know how he came up with, what he came up 1148 01:05:16,800 --> 01:05:20,640 with. But yeah, it's a it's a great. 1149 01:05:21,840 --> 01:05:24,920 I'd say it's a great. All rounder Goon Show because 1150 01:05:24,920 --> 01:05:28,040 you've got Ray Ellington, you've got, you know you've got them 1151 01:05:28,040 --> 01:05:31,280 working as a team. The music's great. 1152 01:05:33,280 --> 01:05:36,920 There is a cohesive story. Even though it gets a little bit 1153 01:05:36,920 --> 01:05:43,800 lost at the end, it is funny and it it it goes somewhere and I 1154 01:05:43,800 --> 01:05:46,560 think it's and I think the performances are great as well 1155 01:05:46,560 --> 01:05:49,000 and you've got pretty much all the characters in as well, 1156 01:05:49,000 --> 01:05:51,960 haven't you? You've got got Minnie and you've 1157 01:05:51,960 --> 01:05:54,160 got Henry and you've got Eccles, you've got blood, you've got the 1158 01:05:54,320 --> 01:05:57,200 the works, so you've got pretty much everybody in there. 1159 01:05:57,920 --> 01:06:01,920 You've got sellers. Had this thing where I don't 1160 01:06:02,160 --> 01:06:04,960 know if you know this, but because often he and Spike would 1161 01:06:04,960 --> 01:06:09,640 argue and fall out and and often your dad would be the one, the 1162 01:06:09,640 --> 01:06:11,600 mediator, you'd have to smooth things over. 1163 01:06:11,880 --> 01:06:15,480 But if if Spike was in in Peter's eyes overacting or 1164 01:06:15,480 --> 01:06:18,840 whatever and it didn't take much to wind up. 1165 01:06:18,840 --> 01:06:24,000 Peter Peter Sellers. But he had a kind of a a code 1166 01:06:24,000 --> 01:06:28,040 word that he would use to let Spike know that he was really 1167 01:06:28,920 --> 01:06:30,920 well, because obviously you've got the character of grip. 1168 01:06:30,920 --> 01:06:33,040 Pipes then. And then you've got Moriarty 1169 01:06:33,040 --> 01:06:36,480 that Spike plays and grip pipes then. 1170 01:06:36,560 --> 01:06:41,240 If Peter was annoyed with Spike, he would pronounce Moriarty as 1171 01:06:41,240 --> 01:06:44,920 Moriety. Yeah, OK. 1172 01:06:45,800 --> 01:06:47,280 And there's a number of occasions in the. 1173 01:06:47,280 --> 01:06:50,240 Goon show where you hear him say moriety right. 1174 01:06:52,720 --> 01:06:55,760 And I just wondered whether he had a similar one for on the 1175 01:06:55,760 --> 01:06:57,920 very rare occasions when he was annoyed with your dad. 1176 01:06:58,080 --> 01:07:01,000 Because in this episode he refers to at one point as C 1177 01:07:01,000 --> 01:07:03,360 June. Oh, well, then he must have 1178 01:07:03,360 --> 01:07:05,080 been. I mean, no. 1179 01:07:06,200 --> 01:07:10,000 Yeah, I'm sure, I'm sure. I mean, I I yeah, I don't. 1180 01:07:11,280 --> 01:07:14,120 I I now want to listen to them. All again, see what I can, what 1181 01:07:14,160 --> 01:07:14,840 I can. You know. 1182 01:07:14,840 --> 01:07:19,560 Obviously your knowledge is far broader than mine but yeah I 1183 01:07:19,560 --> 01:07:25,320 just, I just think it just it it sort of the episode puts them 1184 01:07:25,320 --> 01:07:27,800 all at the height of their powers I think and I honestly 1185 01:07:27,800 --> 01:07:30,760 thought it was it was later on in the in the Canon the boon 1186 01:07:30,760 --> 01:07:35,200 shows I think and talking about. War time comedy. 1187 01:07:36,400 --> 01:07:38,320 Dad's Army, right? What's? 1188 01:07:38,880 --> 01:07:41,520 You mentioned Dad's Army. What's the the line that 1189 01:07:41,520 --> 01:07:46,960 everyone quotes from Dad's Army if you think of Dad's Army? 1190 01:07:49,040 --> 01:07:51,680 Oh, the German officer. The Germans, Absolutely. 1191 01:07:51,680 --> 01:07:53,720 And they say your. Name will go on the list. 1192 01:07:53,800 --> 01:07:56,080 What is it? And then don't tell them. 1193 01:07:56,080 --> 01:07:58,360 Don't tell them, Pike. Right. 1194 01:07:59,480 --> 01:08:03,480 Now, I'm going to argue that that gag was first used in The 1195 01:08:03,480 --> 01:08:05,440 Goon Show, because there's a bit in this episode. 1196 01:08:05,440 --> 01:08:08,040 Now which one of you two is Mr. Cron? 1197 01:08:08,040 --> 01:08:10,320 I'm Miss Banish. Never mind who you are. 1198 01:08:11,400 --> 01:08:13,120 Which one is Henry Cron? Don't tell him. 1199 01:08:13,200 --> 01:08:18,479 Henry No. Yes, yes. 1200 01:08:20,279 --> 01:08:22,080 Well, it all goes in the same pot, I suppose. 1201 01:08:22,080 --> 01:08:25,120 I suppose it does, yeah. And and of course. 1202 01:08:26,359 --> 01:08:30,439 Harry would always tend to just play Neddy. 1203 01:08:30,760 --> 01:08:32,840 As I said, he played Fred Nurk. Sometimes he did. 1204 01:08:33,200 --> 01:08:34,560 He'd play the odd minor character. 1205 01:08:34,920 --> 01:08:40,800 But this show is the debut of an occasional character he played 1206 01:08:40,800 --> 01:08:44,800 called Old Uncle Oscar. Oh yeah, who? 1207 01:08:45,000 --> 01:08:47,000 Who? Sort of. 1208 01:08:47,040 --> 01:08:50,040 We, we believe, on and off, seems to live with Minnie and 1209 01:08:50,040 --> 01:08:54,240 Henry sometimes, and he was looking for his teeth in this 1210 01:08:54,240 --> 01:08:58,520 episode. Have you Seen My teeth? 1211 01:08:58,840 --> 01:09:06,920 Henry. He had them this. 1212 01:09:07,160 --> 01:09:13,240 Morning. I had them first thing. 1213 01:09:14,720 --> 01:09:21,200 This morning please stop my pigeon stop in there so. 1214 01:09:22,880 --> 01:09:24,200 Long. I didn't know that was Dad. 1215 01:09:24,200 --> 01:09:25,319 It's not. Yeah. 1216 01:09:25,800 --> 01:09:28,600 Have you seen my teeth, Henry? That was your dad. 1217 01:09:28,720 --> 01:09:31,640 That's me. I know. 1218 01:09:31,640 --> 01:09:33,000 It's funny. I don't know why. 1219 01:09:33,040 --> 01:09:36,319 I mean, I don't. I think because Dad and I when I 1220 01:09:36,319 --> 01:09:38,600 was growing up, we we do this. He go all right. 1221 01:09:38,600 --> 01:09:40,520 Missus missus. Hardcastle. 1222 01:09:41,399 --> 01:09:45,680 Mr. Hardcastle. We just used to talk about and 1223 01:09:45,680 --> 01:09:48,960 he did a very because dad was a huge admirer and I can't 1224 01:09:48,960 --> 01:09:51,399 remember the name of the comedian but he would terribly 1225 01:09:51,399 --> 01:09:54,720 were eating all them he do and all them you know. 1226 01:09:55,920 --> 01:10:02,880 But I think dad's strength was the sort of, yeah the kind of 1227 01:10:02,880 --> 01:10:10,440 lead anti hero slash I'm having to drive the story forward which 1228 01:10:10,440 --> 01:10:14,120 is why you know it it worked because you've got the sort of 1229 01:10:14,120 --> 01:10:17,440 lunacy of the other two and then Dad kind of going OK, I've got 1230 01:10:17,440 --> 01:10:21,400 to keep going with this energetic performance says boy 1231 01:10:21,400 --> 01:10:23,880 oh boy, boy. You can tell how much energy is 1232 01:10:23,880 --> 01:10:26,800 he's expending to keep it going even though he's loving it. 1233 01:10:26,800 --> 01:10:28,840 He's having to drive the performance forward. 1234 01:10:29,280 --> 01:10:32,520 Oh yeah, and and and also his. Voice is so distinctive. 1235 01:10:33,040 --> 01:10:35,680 Oh God, the other two sellers, obviously. 1236 01:10:36,320 --> 01:10:37,960 Particularly could change the voice. 1237 01:10:38,760 --> 01:10:41,360 Yes, your dad could change his voice or do different voices, 1238 01:10:41,360 --> 01:10:44,000 but you could always tell it was him, couldn't you? 1239 01:10:44,000 --> 01:10:45,880 Yeah, he was. He always just say I'm not very 1240 01:10:45,880 --> 01:10:47,600 good at blending in with other people. 1241 01:10:47,600 --> 01:10:49,680 I went, yeah, no, no kidding, Dad, Really. 1242 01:10:50,160 --> 01:10:51,680 Yeah. If you've got quite a pingy 1243 01:10:51,680 --> 01:10:56,160 voice. I have a similar problem on 1244 01:10:56,160 --> 01:10:58,080 stage when your voice is quite pingy. 1245 01:10:58,080 --> 01:11:02,200 It's quite so, I think. It's a family thing. 1246 01:11:02,600 --> 01:11:04,800 Must be a face structure thing or something. 1247 01:11:04,880 --> 01:11:08,400 But yeah, yeah, I guess that that would that would make 1248 01:11:08,400 --> 01:11:10,080 sense. Yeah, definitely one of the, 1249 01:11:10,120 --> 01:11:11,560 yeah, I mean, one of the most joyful. 1250 01:11:12,240 --> 01:11:17,080 Aspects of Eddie Goon Show was when, well, your dad as Neddie 1251 01:11:17,080 --> 01:11:19,480 is overacting When Neddie is overacting. 1252 01:11:19,960 --> 01:11:22,920 Yeah, yeah. There's quite a bit of it in 1253 01:11:22,920 --> 01:11:27,200 this. In this show, was he always, you 1254 01:11:27,200 --> 01:11:29,600 know, was he always blowing, blowing raspberries around the 1255 01:11:29,640 --> 01:11:30,520 house? He was always playing 1256 01:11:30,560 --> 01:11:32,800 raspberries at home. Yeah, he was always doing that 1257 01:11:33,040 --> 01:11:37,520 and he always used to, you know, do silly things like we used to 1258 01:11:37,520 --> 01:11:41,160 go, oh, whatever dad, you know, if, if, if, if, if I was 1259 01:11:41,160 --> 01:11:46,040 laughing as a child, you know, a teenager, I'd go and they go, 1260 01:11:46,040 --> 01:11:50,800 oh, it's a, you know, he just, he just, it'll be a constant 1261 01:11:50,800 --> 01:11:53,640 stream of consciousness stuff, which is very difficult to 1262 01:11:53,640 --> 01:11:58,280 explain when. We just got on with, you know, 1263 01:11:58,760 --> 01:12:01,040 we interviewed Dick, Emery's son. 1264 01:12:02,840 --> 01:12:05,400 A couple of months ago. Nice guy, Nick Emery. 1265 01:12:05,520 --> 01:12:08,640 OK. And he was telling us we're 1266 01:12:08,960 --> 01:12:12,440 talking about everything and you know, just going through talking 1267 01:12:12,440 --> 01:12:15,680 about so much about British comedy of a certain of that 1268 01:12:15,680 --> 01:12:20,480 period, if you like. And And he was talking about how 1269 01:12:20,480 --> 01:12:26,000 much GAIL Morgan would be embarrassed bringing boyfriends 1270 01:12:26,000 --> 01:12:29,680 home because her dad, Eric, would just be insufferable in 1271 01:12:30,440 --> 01:12:32,680 terms of embarrassing her. Right. 1272 01:12:33,320 --> 01:12:34,880 Did you, did you have like did you? 1273 01:12:34,960 --> 01:12:37,480 Yes, it was. Well, Dad. 1274 01:12:37,520 --> 01:12:40,000 Dad wasn't very keen on any boyfriends. 1275 01:12:40,280 --> 01:12:43,720 That Dad was a bit of a Victorian Father didn't. 1276 01:12:43,720 --> 01:12:46,400 Like that. So we go. 1277 01:12:46,600 --> 01:12:49,160 I'd always know that he didn't like a boy because he'd go how 1278 01:12:49,160 --> 01:12:51,720 do? Oh really? 1279 01:12:52,080 --> 01:12:53,640 Yeah. So you knew you were, you were 1280 01:12:53,640 --> 01:12:57,120 in trouble. And then he he would say, oh, 1281 01:12:57,120 --> 01:13:01,960 how's well, smiling Fred, asshole. 1282 01:13:02,280 --> 01:13:07,560 He would often call people. So yes, record that, but yes, he 1283 01:13:07,560 --> 01:13:10,120 was. He was quite damning sometimes, 1284 01:13:12,080 --> 01:13:15,160 and I think people were. When I brought boys home, it was 1285 01:13:15,200 --> 01:13:18,360 a bit like, your dad's really famous, but there he would be 1286 01:13:18,880 --> 01:13:21,120 watching the telly with the remote in his hand, going all 1287 01:13:21,120 --> 01:13:28,160 right, doing his thing, you know, So he was, he wasn't 1288 01:13:28,480 --> 01:13:30,760 terrifying. But I think if you didn't like 1289 01:13:30,880 --> 01:13:34,600 your boyfriend, I think I was used to know it, right? 1290 01:13:34,840 --> 01:13:35,600 OK. Oh. 1291 01:13:35,640 --> 01:13:36,360 Blammy. I didn't. 1292 01:13:36,920 --> 01:13:40,240 I I would never have thought that, that he'd be like that. 1293 01:13:41,000 --> 01:13:46,800 Oh I think you know he could he could have a he has a a slight 1294 01:13:46,800 --> 01:13:52,600 Victorian side to him you know but but not bad bad but just 1295 01:13:52,600 --> 01:13:55,840 sort of like Stern did your did your girls. 1296 01:13:56,720 --> 01:13:58,280 'Cause your anxieties over the years. 1297 01:13:58,680 --> 01:14:01,320 Yes, the song was true. Yeah, I began to get a bit 1298 01:14:01,600 --> 01:14:04,680 Victorian when they bring. Boys home, you know, what time 1299 01:14:04,680 --> 01:14:06,920 do you call this? 8:30, You know, that sort of 1300 01:14:06,920 --> 01:14:11,200 thing. But what was he like with? 1301 01:14:11,600 --> 01:14:15,680 Religion was he was he religious was he was it just, did he, was 1302 01:14:15,720 --> 01:14:17,960 it light sort of sprinkling of religion or. 1303 01:14:17,960 --> 01:14:20,280 Yes, I think he was religious person. 1304 01:14:20,280 --> 01:14:22,800 I mean, you know, otherwise he wouldn't have done highway or 1305 01:14:22,800 --> 01:14:27,680 songs of praise. Yeah, my uncle was vicar and he 1306 01:14:27,880 --> 01:14:31,880 yeah, Fred and they'd my dad had been in the church choir. 1307 01:14:33,280 --> 01:14:37,680 I sing in my church choir as well when I when I'm not working 1308 01:14:37,680 --> 01:14:42,640 eight shows a week. So I think he was always around 1309 01:14:42,640 --> 01:14:46,720 the church and felt comfortable with the church I think and but 1310 01:14:46,720 --> 01:14:50,000 he but he didn't go to church. He didn't go on a Sunday, but 1311 01:14:50,000 --> 01:14:53,960 that might have been something to do with, you know, not 1312 01:14:53,960 --> 01:14:55,440 wanting to be recognized with nature. 1313 01:14:55,480 --> 01:14:57,000 I don't know. I don't know. 1314 01:14:57,000 --> 01:14:59,040 I never really sort of got to the bottom of it. 1315 01:14:59,040 --> 01:15:03,560 But I think I remember when I was growing up, I didn't want to 1316 01:15:03,560 --> 01:15:05,840 be confirmed because I said, well, I don't know whether I 1317 01:15:05,840 --> 01:15:08,240 believe in God or not. And my mother was like outraged 1318 01:15:08,240 --> 01:15:10,840 and my dad said let her decide for herself. 1319 01:15:10,840 --> 01:15:15,840 So I think he was, you know, quite, he was quite sort of open 1320 01:15:15,840 --> 01:15:18,240 and he you. Know he was spiritual? 1321 01:15:18,240 --> 01:15:22,600 Probably rather than religious, maybe because you never got the 1322 01:15:22,600 --> 01:15:24,040 impression. At all that he was. 1323 01:15:24,040 --> 01:15:28,160 I mean, yes, you would often see him on songs of praise and all 1324 01:15:28,160 --> 01:15:30,560 the rest of it, but you never got the impression that he was, 1325 01:15:31,440 --> 01:15:35,120 and you know, and this is no inference on church, church 1326 01:15:35,120 --> 01:15:37,560 going people or anything, but never got the feeling he was God 1327 01:15:37,560 --> 01:15:39,600 fearing or anything like that, you know. 1328 01:15:39,680 --> 01:15:45,080 No, I think, I think he was basically a deeply. 1329 01:15:45,080 --> 01:15:49,640 You know for So what can I say he was deeply sort of Christian 1330 01:15:49,640 --> 01:15:53,720 sense that he believed in the good of other people and in 1331 01:15:53,720 --> 01:15:56,800 making the world a better place and being kind to other people 1332 01:15:56,800 --> 01:15:59,360 which is kind of basically your Christian ethic I would say. 1333 01:16:01,120 --> 01:16:05,200 So all your Muslim ethic or any religion, any religion at its 1334 01:16:05,200 --> 01:16:08,640 heart is being kind to other people and offering love and 1335 01:16:08,640 --> 01:16:11,320 support to other people and and not judging. 1336 01:16:11,320 --> 01:16:13,400 So I think that's probably what Dad was all about. 1337 01:16:15,280 --> 01:16:19,160 And he was, you know, he radiated. 1338 01:16:19,160 --> 01:16:22,280 Good, but not in a saintly way. Just. 1339 01:16:22,440 --> 01:16:24,520 He was just. He wasn't pious or anything like 1340 01:16:24,520 --> 01:16:25,080 that. No, no, he. 1341 01:16:25,080 --> 01:16:27,040 Definitely wasn't pious? No, not at all. 1342 01:16:27,280 --> 01:16:30,520 Not at all. I just think he was deeply 1343 01:16:30,520 --> 01:16:34,200 interested in other people. He was deeply interested in 1344 01:16:34,200 --> 01:16:38,560 other people's religious beliefs because I think Highway did all 1345 01:16:38,560 --> 01:16:40,000 sorts of different religions as well. 1346 01:16:40,240 --> 01:16:41,160 Yes, they did. Yeah. 1347 01:16:41,560 --> 01:16:43,560 And I think that's what. He was interested in. 1348 01:16:43,560 --> 01:16:45,840 He wasn't really interested in one particular religion. 1349 01:16:46,120 --> 01:16:47,960 OK, I think that's where he came from. 1350 01:16:50,400 --> 01:16:54,680 Drifted away from this show and look, I appreciate the time as 1351 01:16:54,680 --> 01:16:56,120 well. We'll have to start wrapping up, 1352 01:16:56,120 --> 01:16:59,240 if you don't mind, but just a couple of quick things. 1353 01:16:59,560 --> 01:17:02,600 Yeah, there's a there's a there's a couple of cracks. 1354 01:17:02,640 --> 01:17:06,040 About Harry's weight in this episode. 1355 01:17:06,840 --> 01:17:08,360 What do they call him? Let me just find it. 1356 01:17:09,360 --> 01:17:12,560 He's referred to as a fat bladder of lard by grip, pipe 1357 01:17:12,560 --> 01:17:15,480 thin. At one point, did your dad, I 1358 01:17:15,480 --> 01:17:18,680 mean, your dad just seemed to to take it on the chin. 1359 01:17:18,680 --> 01:17:20,480 He didn't seem bothered. You get the impression. 1360 01:17:20,480 --> 01:17:23,120 He didn't seem bothered by jokes about his weight. 1361 01:17:23,240 --> 01:17:26,360 Was or was he quite sensitive? Do you know or was? 1362 01:17:26,400 --> 01:17:30,520 Actually, I don't think he was. I think he'd been AI, think he'd 1363 01:17:30,560 --> 01:17:35,280 sort of been quite fit and healthy when he was in the Army. 1364 01:17:35,320 --> 01:17:38,320 But he was then, Yeah, he was slender. 1365 01:17:38,320 --> 01:17:43,000 He was in as a rail. And and I think then found a lot 1366 01:17:43,000 --> 01:17:49,920 of pasta I think that's what did and milk stout as well and and 1367 01:17:49,920 --> 01:17:54,040 and and good living and we're all all of us in the family are 1368 01:17:55,200 --> 01:18:03,320 prone to to going that way So I I I I don't know if it bothered 1369 01:18:03,320 --> 01:18:05,360 him. I think it probably did on some 1370 01:18:05,360 --> 01:18:08,560 level because some of the cracks are very harsh. 1371 01:18:09,400 --> 01:18:12,720 I certainly wouldn't like it and I never asked him. 1372 01:18:14,960 --> 01:18:20,120 I think when he got very heavy he wasn't happy, but that's and 1373 01:18:21,440 --> 01:18:24,280 I think he knew. That he had to stop, you know, 1374 01:18:24,560 --> 01:18:26,520 drinking and and eating too much. 1375 01:18:26,960 --> 01:18:29,560 And he was much happier when he'd lost the weight. 1376 01:18:30,520 --> 01:18:33,920 But I don't think he was obsessed with it because we're 1377 01:18:33,920 --> 01:18:35,720 talking a different time as well. 1378 01:18:35,720 --> 01:18:42,040 So it's difficult to know. And also, men weren't as sort of 1379 01:18:42,040 --> 01:18:44,960 judged as women are on it, I think, as a different thing. 1380 01:18:45,160 --> 01:18:48,160 Possibly. I don't know, or they might be 1381 01:18:48,160 --> 01:18:50,160 now, but, you know, in those days maybe it wasn't. 1382 01:18:50,680 --> 01:18:55,120 It was seen as a term of endearment rather than a 1383 01:18:55,680 --> 01:18:57,960 difficult term, as it would be now, I suppose. 1384 01:18:59,840 --> 01:19:04,840 Yeah. I think if he took it badly, he 1385 01:19:04,840 --> 01:19:07,440 certainly didn't talk about it. Sure, Yeah. 1386 01:19:07,480 --> 01:19:10,720 Yeah. Did you have a particular You've 1387 01:19:10,720 --> 01:19:12,840 got you've got a dog called Mini Bannister, but do you have a 1388 01:19:12,840 --> 01:19:16,480 particular Goon Show character that you like better than 1389 01:19:16,480 --> 01:19:20,440 others? I think I like Eccles. 1390 01:19:20,440 --> 01:19:23,360 Really. Oh yeah, because he's sweet. 1391 01:19:27,560 --> 01:19:30,480 And that's how we all say we always say that to each other. 1392 01:19:30,480 --> 01:19:32,520 Wonderful. So that's nice. 1393 01:19:32,920 --> 01:19:38,520 And that's sort of that's, you know, that's sort of in my DNA, 1394 01:19:38,520 --> 01:19:40,760 really. I think I'll say that to my son 1395 01:19:40,760 --> 01:19:45,360 without even thinking, you know, because he's so guileless. 1396 01:19:45,640 --> 01:19:47,720 So I I do love Eccles. Yeah, definitely. 1397 01:19:47,880 --> 01:19:50,680 I I really, if I get another job, which I really hope I 1398 01:19:50,680 --> 01:19:54,840 don't, so I've got 3 already. But if I do, which you know, I 1399 01:19:54,840 --> 01:19:58,000 would try and call him Eccles. But Eccles is quite a hard word 1400 01:19:58,000 --> 01:20:00,120 to say when you're calling a dog across the field. 1401 01:20:00,240 --> 01:20:02,680 So I don't know what's the name of that. 1402 01:20:02,680 --> 01:20:03,920 Do you remember that? That. 1403 01:20:04,480 --> 01:20:08,000 Video that went viral about 10 years ago of it middle class, 1404 01:20:08,080 --> 01:20:11,320 very middle class man whose dog had run off on oh in Richmond 1405 01:20:11,320 --> 01:20:12,600 Park. Is it Fenton or? 1406 01:20:12,640 --> 01:20:13,640 Something he was, yeah. Fenton. 1407 01:20:13,960 --> 01:20:15,120 Fenton. Yes. 1408 01:20:15,280 --> 01:20:17,880 Screaming across the Wilds of Richmond Park. 1409 01:20:17,920 --> 01:20:22,720 Yes, Fenton. Oh, Jesus Christ, Fenton. 1410 01:20:23,320 --> 01:20:25,120 Yes, it is embarrassing. I've got Simon. 1411 01:20:25,120 --> 01:20:25,920 That's. Bad enough? 1412 01:20:27,320 --> 01:20:28,880 Oh, my sister had a dog called John. 1413 01:20:29,440 --> 01:20:31,960 Oh, there you go. So Simon Simon was a was. 1414 01:20:31,960 --> 01:20:36,080 Was an adopted rescue. He's already called Simon, so 1415 01:20:36,240 --> 01:20:38,000 And we've got Prince and we've got Minnie. 1416 01:20:38,000 --> 01:20:40,800 So yeah, I mean, Eccles mate, Why not? 1417 01:20:40,800 --> 01:20:45,240 Why not right now? And just a couple of quick 1418 01:20:45,240 --> 01:20:47,640 things because. For for for listeners who are 1419 01:20:47,640 --> 01:20:49,440 interested in these sort of things about this particular 1420 01:20:49,440 --> 01:20:56,160 show. Sellers has slightly changed 1421 01:20:56,320 --> 01:21:00,880 Henry Cron's voice from from this episode onwards. 1422 01:21:00,880 --> 01:21:04,320 Henry Cron's voice is slightly deeper, slightly deeper than it 1423 01:21:04,320 --> 01:21:07,840 had been before. So Sellers had because it 1424 01:21:08,000 --> 01:21:11,760 slightly more high high pitched previously. 1425 01:21:11,920 --> 01:21:14,600 So he's he's just dropped an octave or what? 1426 01:21:14,600 --> 01:21:18,400 I wonder why? I think because. 1427 01:21:18,960 --> 01:21:21,600 To distinguish it a little bit from the likes of Bluebottle and 1428 01:21:21,600 --> 01:21:25,520 also to a degree the William Mate character that he would do, 1429 01:21:25,520 --> 01:21:28,320 who at that time also had quite a higher pitched voice that he 1430 01:21:28,320 --> 01:21:30,080 right. So it's a technical thing, isn't 1431 01:21:30,080 --> 01:21:30,600 it? Rather than. 1432 01:21:30,680 --> 01:21:33,600 Yeah, yeah, It was just. I think it was just just just. 1433 01:21:33,600 --> 01:21:40,160 To make it more distinguishable. Also because a lot of people 1434 01:21:40,160 --> 01:21:44,120 that listen to this this podcast are big fans of the music as 1435 01:21:44,120 --> 01:21:47,560 well and. Judge Proctor. 1436 01:21:47,560 --> 01:21:50,880 Joined the Ray Ellington Quartet from this episode onwards. 1437 01:21:51,440 --> 01:21:56,760 He replaced Don Fraser as the guitarist in the Ray Ellington 1438 01:21:56,760 --> 01:22:02,160 Quartet. And so it's a it's a show with 1439 01:22:02,200 --> 01:22:05,120 quite a number of sort of like firsts and I believe it's the 1440 01:22:05,120 --> 01:22:08,320 first use of the phrase And I didn't go and check, but I've 1441 01:22:08,720 --> 01:22:12,280 I've been told from my reading it's the first use of the phrase 1442 01:22:12,280 --> 01:22:14,240 needle nod, Will knew. From this episode? 1443 01:22:14,480 --> 01:22:15,800 Really. Yeah. 1444 01:22:16,680 --> 01:22:19,520 That might be wrong, but. That's that's my understanding. 1445 01:22:19,600 --> 01:22:21,560 I wonder why it's not better known. 1446 01:22:21,560 --> 01:22:25,200 It should be, I mean the the one that the usual. 1447 01:22:25,360 --> 01:22:27,920 Catch phrase that people refer to with the goons as Jing Tong 1448 01:22:28,040 --> 01:22:30,800 Ed Lai pose yes, but need or not or. 1449 01:22:30,800 --> 01:22:32,560 No, I. Suppose it's the second one that 1450 01:22:33,440 --> 01:22:36,360 yeah. Oh, Dad always should say used. 1451 01:22:36,360 --> 01:22:40,440 To use it all the time at home? Yeah, so. 1452 01:22:41,640 --> 01:22:42,960 But we've barely talked about it. 1453 01:22:42,960 --> 01:22:46,240 But yeah, I was I. Wanted to to kind of for us to 1454 01:22:46,240 --> 01:22:50,160 listen to 1 show just to to ease us into talking about your dad 1455 01:22:50,480 --> 01:22:51,520 in the green show. OK. 1456 01:22:51,520 --> 01:22:53,400 But we've not, we've not gone into any detail but is there 1457 01:22:53,400 --> 01:22:57,880 anything about the show that jumped out at you any particular 1458 01:22:57,880 --> 01:23:01,760 scene or line or I think for me the thing that. 1459 01:23:02,680 --> 01:23:05,920 That jumps out. I've listened to it about three 1460 01:23:05,920 --> 01:23:10,480 or four times this week. I think the I just as a 1461 01:23:10,480 --> 01:23:13,720 performer can hear the connection between those three 1462 01:23:13,720 --> 01:23:19,920 men that real love the the sort of they're really loving what 1463 01:23:19,920 --> 01:23:24,080 they're doing and it's it's the it's the joy in their voices. 1464 01:23:24,080 --> 01:23:26,400 That's what I get. That's the thing that that 1465 01:23:26,400 --> 01:23:30,640 really comes across to me and and the fact that they're 1466 01:23:31,960 --> 01:23:33,640 because they will they've been there. 1467 01:23:33,640 --> 01:23:35,360 They've been in the war. They've done it. 1468 01:23:35,440 --> 01:23:37,240 It really speaks to them, I think. 1469 01:23:37,560 --> 01:23:39,720 You can tell them, you know, they're all getting their own 1470 01:23:39,720 --> 01:23:44,800 back on all this. I was, you know, Monty's Batman. 1471 01:23:44,800 --> 01:23:48,320 I was this, you know, all that. They're just really, yeah, 1472 01:23:48,320 --> 01:23:50,040 they're they're enjoying every second. 1473 01:23:50,280 --> 01:23:52,120 There's little, there's little gags. 1474 01:23:52,520 --> 01:23:55,080 Throwaway gags almost, that just fly by. 1475 01:23:55,080 --> 01:23:56,600 And if you, you know. If you don't, if you're not 1476 01:23:56,600 --> 01:24:00,040 sharp, you miss them. Curses, dear listeners, dear 1477 01:24:00,040 --> 01:24:03,840 listeners, All my cunning skirt, urchin, cut, high heel shoes had 1478 01:24:04,520 --> 01:24:07,040 availed me not. Never mind, dear listeners. 1479 01:24:07,640 --> 01:24:09,200 No army can hold a sequence for long. 1480 01:24:10,240 --> 01:24:12,880 I had ideas, after all. Money talks. 1481 01:24:12,880 --> 01:24:13,720 Silence. I'll put. 1482 01:24:21,240 --> 01:24:24,280 The covers on you. It's very clever and. 1483 01:24:24,760 --> 01:24:28,800 Worth a 7th or 8th? Listen, I think before 1484 01:24:28,800 --> 01:24:31,320 everything can, yeah, because you miss, you pick it up on us 1485 01:24:31,360 --> 01:24:32,520 in a second. Or third or fourth. 1486 01:24:32,520 --> 01:24:35,240 Listen, There's There's Blood not refers to one of his one of 1487 01:24:35,240 --> 01:24:38,720 his many warm memoirs. Entitled of Blood Knock Never 1488 01:24:38,720 --> 01:24:40,400 surrenders by Major Dennis. Blood knock POW. 1489 01:24:40,400 --> 01:24:50,000 Oh, and there's the bit where he offers Seagoon a small shot of 1490 01:24:50,000 --> 01:24:51,840 snaps. Ned says. 1491 01:24:52,320 --> 01:24:56,720 I don't like small snapshots, says. 1492 01:24:56,720 --> 01:24:58,320 Say that again. I didn't risk it. 1493 01:25:01,960 --> 01:25:03,280 No, it's great. It's great. 1494 01:25:03,280 --> 01:25:04,600 And I and I. Like the? 1495 01:25:06,080 --> 01:25:08,880 And I just like the the the story of it really, the way that 1496 01:25:08,880 --> 01:25:10,720 it has a narrative that's very different. 1497 01:25:11,200 --> 01:25:15,400 Yeah, So, absolutely. Cracking episode and as I say, 1498 01:25:15,400 --> 01:25:18,760 it doesn't get talked about very much in Goon Show circles 1499 01:25:19,480 --> 01:25:21,360 unfairly I think. I don't quite know why. 1500 01:25:21,360 --> 01:25:24,200 But anyway, if you haven't heard it listeners, please seek it 1501 01:25:24,200 --> 01:25:26,640 out. It is, It is available YouTube, 1502 01:25:27,320 --> 01:25:31,240 Spotify, probably BBC sounds. I haven't checked but I think it 1503 01:25:31,240 --> 01:25:32,720 is. Yeah, I've used some BBC sounds 1504 01:25:32,720 --> 01:25:35,360 here. So listen, Katie. 1505 01:25:36,800 --> 01:25:40,320 We've been talking for so long. I'm so grateful for, you know, 1506 01:25:40,320 --> 01:25:42,640 you taking my pleasure. I'm sure you're busy. 1507 01:25:43,960 --> 01:25:45,600 You love talking about your dad. Oh yeah. 1508 01:25:45,680 --> 01:25:47,240 Yeah. Absolutely love it. 1509 01:25:48,280 --> 01:25:51,120 And alive and. You know, is there. 1510 01:25:52,280 --> 01:25:54,280 AI know I know. It's fair to say. 1511 01:25:54,280 --> 01:25:55,720 And you? Kind of alluded to it before 1512 01:25:55,720 --> 01:26:00,840 that these days sellers and Milligan are more remembered or 1513 01:26:00,840 --> 01:26:05,200 talked about at least, but. What would you, you know, if 1514 01:26:05,200 --> 01:26:08,200 your dad, if you could sort of summarize what you would like 1515 01:26:08,200 --> 01:26:11,880 your dad to be remembered as or for, you know, could can you 1516 01:26:11,880 --> 01:26:14,920 sort of come up with a pity sort of five or six word? 1517 01:26:15,320 --> 01:26:24,400 Goodness me. Somebody who had the bravery to 1518 01:26:24,440 --> 01:26:29,880 step outside and do something different but also remain loved. 1519 01:26:30,440 --> 01:26:34,760 Yeah, I think. I think he was, he, he was, he 1520 01:26:34,760 --> 01:26:38,840 was a real lovely mixture between quite edgy and quite 1521 01:26:38,840 --> 01:26:43,920 lovable, and he always had that sort of slight undercurrent of 1522 01:26:44,200 --> 01:26:46,160 what's he going to do now about him. 1523 01:26:47,480 --> 01:26:54,160 And I I would like him to be more remembered for I think my 1524 01:26:54,160 --> 01:26:56,480 brother David, and I'm sure Andy would. 1525 01:26:58,120 --> 01:27:01,320 To be remembered more for the stuff he did when he was younger 1526 01:27:01,800 --> 01:27:05,200 and and his his real sharp comic wit. 1527 01:27:05,680 --> 01:27:09,600 You know, he's more than just Highway and songs of praise. 1528 01:27:09,600 --> 01:27:10,760 He's more than just Highway Harry. 1529 01:27:11,080 --> 01:27:13,040 Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. 1530 01:27:13,040 --> 01:27:15,600 And I think. Let's hope that we can get some 1531 01:27:16,160 --> 01:27:18,840 a documentary out about the archive sometime soon. 1532 01:27:18,840 --> 01:27:21,360 Absolutely, I'm sure, yes. Indeed. 1533 01:27:21,360 --> 01:27:23,840 And if, if. The plans are not already afoot. 1534 01:27:23,840 --> 01:27:25,560 They should be, and hopefully they will. 1535 01:27:25,600 --> 01:27:27,640 They will be. So if anybody's listening that 1536 01:27:27,640 --> 01:27:38,720 wants to help, yes. Sure. 1537 01:27:38,720 --> 01:27:40,000 The Monster Wheel. Thank you. 1538 01:27:40,080 --> 01:27:41,800 She's actually under the hears the show. 1539 01:27:41,960 --> 01:27:45,480 Sure, the Monster Wheel did sport and play. 1540 01:27:49,280 --> 01:27:53,240 Amongst the Gibson innocent little fish is in the beautiful. 1541 01:27:53,240 --> 01:27:56,720 Tea until he was seen by some men one day, and they resolved 1542 01:27:56,720 --> 01:28:10,800 to catch him without Gimme. Then the water did descend on 1543 01:28:10,800 --> 01:28:12,640 the men in the boats. Going to be a hard night 1544 01:28:12,640 --> 01:28:13,040 tonight.