Tommy Cooper

My dad used to be helpless with laughter the moment Tommy Cooper appeared on his the TV screen. He wasn't alone. His comic presence was towering in every way.

Tommy was a big, lumbering man. He was a genuine magician who got huge laughs from having all his tricks go wrong. His jokes were old and awful, but the way he told them guaranteed you laughed. His catchphrase was "Just like that".

I remember him cracking jokes like, "A man walked into a bar. He passed out. It was an iron bar." From him it was funny every time.


Tommy had a reputation for being very mean, and not always very pleasant to others. He handled his nerves by drinking, and though it was not generally known at the time, he was reputed to hit his wife when in his cups.

Tommy died live on TV in 1984, aged just 63.

What did they do with Bobby's friends?

Remember the early episodes of Criminal Intent? Bobby was always going off to consult with "my friend so-and-so".

Right from the start of One, we met his friends. First, there was the biker guy with contacts in Canada:



Then there were the tree-huggers in Poison:



Most memorable there was the wonderful Lewis in The Pardoner's Tale and Cherry Red:





In A Murderer Among Us he has to phone his friend Stephen, who's a Rabbi:



But as the going gets tough the friends are written out.

In Amends, he is sitting alone on his kitchen floor with no one to comfort him:



Then by the time we come to Purgatory, he is in a bar on his own drinking. No friends here, only an old enemy who, surprisingly (given his supposed eye problems) seems perfectly capable of seeing him face on:



What did they do to all his friends? Why is he so alone?

Most importantly of all

WHY WOULDN'T THEY LET ME GO AND COMFORT HIM?

Dave Allen

When Irish comedian Dave Allen died in 2005, Aged 68, it was the end of an era.

Although he'd been largely absent from our screens in recent years, he was an old friend to everyone who'd ever seen his show.

He'd sit on a chair with a drink by his side (or in his hand). It was water, but it looked like whiskey. He was a great storyteller, reeling you in at length towards the punchline. He also did plenty of very funny sketches.

Raised as a Catholic, he was forever poking fun at the church. At the end of his show, he would always say, "May your god go with you."

My favourite story, which was built around a joke, was particularly funny, because he narrated how one person he'd told it to didn't get it:

She was a rather prim and proper woman. He asked, "Why are all the urinals in the Vatican six inches higher than normal? Because the Pope likes to keep the Cardinals on their toes." She didn't laugh. "Don't you get it?" he inquired. "How could I?" she replied. "I'm not a Catholic."

The sit-down routines tended to be lengthy, some of the sketches are shorter. If you want to watch some of his best bits, there are plenty on YouTube. Here's one of the shorter ones:

Hugs

OK, I admit, there are not many hugs in this episode, but it was an excuse to include some great shots.

He hugs his case.


He nearly hugs himself (let me!)


He hugs that lucky young girl.


He manhandles the perp. Not a hug, but I'd settle for it!.

World's Greatest Cop

Yes, Mr FBI creep, and it's official.

World's



Greatest (even when you give him the creeps, Agent Back-stabber)


Cop ("Sonofabitch")

I challenge you not to say "Aaahhh!"

I don't think it's possible for a creature to be cuter than this - officially the smallest newborn horse in the world ever.

Silkie Sue

You have probably seen on JoJo's blog that a talented artist called Sam, supervised by her cat, Silkie Sue, is having a giveaway of this little teddy. She will enter people into the draw for a mention on their blogs.

I know, I have a house overrun by little furry creatures, both live and manufactured, but he is cute...

You can visit Sam's blogs here:

http://silkiesue.blogspot.com/

http://gingerwineslosttoys.blogspot.com/

Mean, Moody and Magnificent

With thanks to Heather who sent the photos that inspired me.

Mean

Moody

and

Magnificent

Top, Middle and Bottom

Top


Middle


(and Midriff)

Bottom!!!

Dark and Light

Bobby in the dark is a bit of a fantasy for many of us.

Bobby in the light leaning over me with those thighs is even more of a fantasy.


Just Bobby in the light looking delicious.

B

Remember the song, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered?

Well, I'm Bewitched by Bobby.

And in these pictures he's

Bemused


Bothered and


Bewildered.

I am lucky putty in that powerful paw.