So far in my life I’ve lived in 4 different seaside towns so you might think I could be well qualified to share my love of the ‘Seaside Pier’ with you. The first town we lived in when married saw half the pier dissappear in a winter gale! After various other house moves we ended up in a very famous seaside resort and I even had a picture of the pier in my office – within 6 months it was all blown away in a storm. Moving even further Southwards we had the pleasure of seeing the legs of the old pier proudly sticking out of the water a short time after our arrival – rotten apparently – it was replaced by the Water Authority with a strange looking pier/outfall works which the locals have nick-named ‘Pooh Palace’! We now live in a town without a pier so I cant get accused of anything…….
Piers fascinate me and I would have loved to have seen them in their hey-day when factory workers came on the new Steam Excursions for their annual holidays. Those wonderful arcade machines and of course ‘What the Butler Saw…’ – not much, if I remember correctly. After Fish and Chips there was the obligatory post card to the people next door to send and what saucy cards they could be!
So heres a few postcards with Barbara Windsor as she looks at some of the Comedy that could be heard at the end of the pier – we regret that the first episode is missing (maybe someone can post a copy?) but the other five cover some old favourites like, Max Miller, Bernard Breslaw, The Goons, The Two Ronnies, Bettie Marsden and Frankie Howard. Ye should titter a lot!
Click on the link -
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IT STICKS OUT HALF A MILE
After the Second World War our Piers had to be demined, debarbed and reinstated. Many had gone to rack and ruin. This was highlighted in a very gentle comedy series which was to have been yet another vehicle for Arthur Lowe, Bill Pertwee and Ian Lavender.
Although the Pilot was made with Arthur Lowe his sudden death brought in John Le Mesurier who was promoted to Branch Manager at long last and he was soon embroiled in the restoration of Franbourne Pier!
This is great BBC Radio Comedy at its best – buy a stick of rock and enjoy!
Click on the link here for all the episodes -
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END OF THE PIER
Neatly following on – Bill Pertwee reviews the length and breadth of the coast line in this great series of stories about the great British Pier.
Click on the link here for the episodes -
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PIERROTS
When I was very young many people dressed up as Pierrots who I thought were mainly musical clowns with weeping eyes that performed on the seafronts. I have to tell you that my ignorance of their purpose and skills is in fact almost total! I discovered however a place where you can still train to be a Pierrot – have a look at the pictures and have a listen to the brief sound file on their site - (look under ‘Links’) it’s well worth a listen.
http://www.admissionallclasses.com/shows.php?page=7
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I couldnt resist putting this in to end with. Performed by Cyril Fletcher – who else?
PETUNIA PIER
by
Cyril Fletcher
This is the tale of Petunia Pier,
Who put health salts in her boy friend’s beer.
Then one day just to pay her out
Her boy friend, name of Percy Prout,
Muttered “This will stop her farce”,
And shoved some fireworks in her glass.
Poor Petunia soppy clot, said
“Bottoms Up” And scoffed the lot.
Then lighting a fag, she murmured “Cripes
That was a rotten lot of swipes,
The stuff they brew’s a proper scandal
My tummies like a Roman Candle!”
Then snorting crossly thru her snout,
Some balls of coloured fire blew out.
Which fell around her burning bright
And set her woolly combs alight.
At which she gave a yell of pain
And belched out showers of golden rain.
Then as she cried “Oh what disgrace”
A sound just like a squib took place
And several crackers bobbed about
And blew Petunia inside out.
So Percy took her in a sack
Round to the local village quack
Who looked and with a puckish grin
Said “We’ll have to blow her back agin”
And now admits he’s puzzled quite
Just where to put the dynamite.
(You’ll be relieved to hear thats the nearest to ‘fireworks day’ I can manage!)
They wont let us live here again……………
Dr Finlay’s Casebook
My mind is wandering, thats the joy of being politically incorrect however it does indirectly lead us into this months Gem of Radio from the 1950s – A Life of Bliss. Made originally as a perfect foil for David Tomlinson within a few episodes the star role was passed over to George Cole. A life of Bliss centred round the love life (or lack of it?) of one David Alexander Bliss (George Cole) a man who is naive to the point of stupidity. Another cast member with an interesting line in ‘bark’ was Percy “Edwards who played ‘Psyche’ the dog.
Cyril Fletcher (June 25, 1913 – January 2, 2005) was an English comedian. He was most famous for his Odd Odes, which was a section of the popular TV show That’s Life. Fletcher had first begun performing the Odd Odes in 1937, long before they first appeared on television. He came up with the idea when he was short of material for a radio show. The first Odd Ode was a comic, yet sentimental, reading of Edgar Wallace’s war poem Dreaming of Thee. Following this broadcast he was given a regular programme on Radio Luxembourg; it was this show that brought him to national attention.
