And Now For Something Completely Different

Before I start I wonder if I need to give “And now for something completely different” some context. This is for anyone who is about my age and yet has been living on a different planet for the last 35-ish years. It could also be useful for anyone born a decade or two later than I was. For those of you who get the social reference I apologise for teaching you to such eggs.

Andrew and I are “Pythonistas”.

In other words, we adore all things Monty Python. Many of our favourite quotes have been incorporated into our everyday speech.

Hardly a week goes by without one of us reassuring the other that “it’s only a flesh wound” or telling our escapologist of a dog, Duval, that “he’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.”

An unexpectedly in-depth line of questioning about what needs to be added to the shopping list is followed by an apology “Sorry for that: nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition”. Actually, make that “Hardly a day goes by”. In fact, we only have to see a Norwegian Fjord and we dive into the wonders of the pant-wettingly funny

“Dead Parrot” sketch.

 

And now for something completely different …

Our love of comedy doesn’t stop with Python. I adore Rowan Atkinson too. Perhaps a little too much! Whilst in my early 20s, half way through some “afternoon delight” with my soon to be first husband, Rowan Atkinson came on the television. I totally lost all interest in what Ian was doing.

Even though he was a “cunning linguist”.

I think Atkinson is a great ambassador for “something different” because he has reinvented himself so many times. Blackadder, a reinvention over several centuries. Johnny English, the world’s most surprising “double O”. The excruciatingly fastidious shop assistant in Love Actually. Bumbling vicar and other male participants at a wedding.

I adore them all. It’s hard to pick a favourite. However, I can’t embed clips of everything so I must narrow it down slightly.

Whilst doing my YouTube “research” I came across a song from Atkinson’s Belfast Tour. Andrew hadn’t heard it before. So I clicked play and the memories came flooding back.

That’s why I hate the French …

My French experience at school was a tale of two halves. I loved it in Junior School. My teacher, Madame Hogg, gave a few pupils lessons once a week during lunchtime. So I started French, aged seven, when I was still like a sponge.

When I started “big school” five years later I was one of the top in my year. I had a good vocabulary and my Parisian accent was spot on. Madame Hogg was born just outside Paris and was a stickler for perfect pronunciation.

However, with a couple of years I’d gone from being the top of the class to really struggling to keep up. This was mainly due to spelling (I’m dyslexic enough in English!). My teacher was frustrated because my spoken language was excellent.

French homework was no longer fun: it was an instrument of torture.

Imagine my delight when I discovered my mother had a copy of “Rowan Atkinson: Live in Belfast”. I would stick it on the record player (remember those), lift up the “arm” so it would play “That’s why i hate the French” on repeat.

I would snarl “Look what the b******* did to Joan of Arc whilst failing to conjugate the past particle of Etre. Not the best mindset to have: however, I was an anxied ridden teenager so what do you expect.

Another favourite of mine is “The Devil, Toby, welcomes you to hell.” I had the immense pleasure of seeing Atkinson perform this live and, even though I knew the sketch almost word for word, it was still side-splittingly funny.

 

And now for something completely different …

When I was in my early teens one of the television programmes that I didn’t mind watching with my fuddy-duddy parents was “The Two Ronnies”. I was old enough to recognise the comic genius of Ronnie Barker and lovely Corbet’s huge chair and monologues. I also had registered that there was more than a passing resemblance between Ronnie B and my dad, Pat. Not only did they look similar they were also both wordsmiths.

Later in life I met the father of one of my closest friends only to find out that her dad, also called Pat, looked like Ronnie Corbet. It was such a shame that my dad had passed away by the time I met her. I’m sure that more that a few laughs would have been had whenever “The Two Pats” were in the house.

It’s hard to come up with a favourite sketch from the Two Ronnies because there are so many of them. However, I did recently introduce another girlfriend to “Bold Sir John”. How they managed to keep straight faces during the dancing and as for the song (which starts at about 3mins20), this is Ronnie B at his best.

Important “Two Ronnies” research …

Whilst searching for the YouTube clips for this blog I got distracted. Watching a number of Ronnies funnies I created a “Top 10” list. These include the sublime “Swedish Made Simple” and I define you not to love “handles for forks” which another Barker-ism that has entered common usage in the Fletcher household.

 

 

And now for something completely different …

“Wild? I was livid!”

It took me a while to actually see this brilliant sketch when Mel Smith teamed up with my hero Atkinson to give us the gem that is “Gerald the gorilla”. When it was first aired on “Not the Nine O’clock News” I missed it. We didn’t have a video recorded and there was no such thing as “catch up TV” or YouTube. It was probably a decade before I got to watch super-intelligent Gerald examining his nails and putting his exasperated, straight-faced owner in his place.

I would love to have seen the Blooper Roll from this because there is no way they could have recorded this without something “going wrong”.

 

My list of comedy greats could go on for ever: however, this is only supposed to be an introduction so I’m going to quit whilst I’m ahead. It also means that, in a future “And now for something completely different” I can spend lots of time giggling over more recent comedy gems.

The importance of balance

It’s been great fun searching YouTube for clips and spending far too much time on my “research”. Yet that’s part of the point of this weekly slot. I get far too focused on work. Too much time writing about CANBACE or CNBC related items isn’t good for me. Breaks are important and should be more than a walk to the end of the drive. My only trip outside these four walls shouldn’t be a visit to Mr Lidl* to stock the fridge (* other supermarkets are available).

I need to remind myself on a regular basis that there is more to life. Whilst the magazine and blogs are hugely important they shouldn’t take over my life completely. I was defined by my infertility and childLESS status for too long and I must ensure I embrace ALL aspects of being CANBACE.

That means that there are times when I must stop myself and say, “And now for something completely different.” And who knows, I expect there will be some tough days ahead when, coming fully circle back to a little more Python, a little bit of comedy will remind me “look on the bright side of life”.

 

 

Be kind to yourself …

In CNBC friendship

If anything I have written resonates, or if you would simply like to share you personal comedy favourites,  I’d love to hear from you in the comments. If you don’t want me to publish your comment on the website please let me know. I will keep your words private.