Bulletin November 2007

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2008 International Convention in Amsterdam 250 delegates have registered for the 2008 convention in Amsterdam, which is the maximum number who can be accommodated. New applicants will be put on a waiting list and will be notified whenever there are cancellations. Glasgow meetings The Call of the Cuckoos Tent made the October meeting its last one till the spring because the Panopticon venue becomes incredibly cold in the winter. The tent will be back there, though, on the first Wednesday in March 2008. Hog Wild Tent changes Stan Patterson has resigned from the position of Grand Sheik of the Hog Wild Tent, so until the AGM next year Tony Hillman is acting as Grand Sheik. His address is 160 Park Lane, Darlington, Co Durham, DL1 5AG. E-mail: tonyman@talktalk.net. Marcel Marceau RIP The death of Frenchman Marcel Marceau (born Marcel Mangel, 22 March, 1923, died 22 September, 2007) in Paris received only slight coverage in the UK. He was an extraordinary mime artist and oozed grace and beauty in the most specialised of acts. Although I never saw him on stage (oh, how I wish now that I had done so when he performed in London a few years ago), I have a video showing an hour-long performance for an American audience, filmed about twenty years ago. During one segment, he did a tribute to the silent comedians, Chaplin, Keaton and Laurel. His admiration of Laurel and Hardy is well recorded and I wrote the following short piece about him in an article The French Connection in The Perry Winkle in July 2006: Great Clowns are few and far between. Marceau was one of the finest. In his words, he too was "one of our bothers, our friends". Roger Robinson Joey Bishop RIP Comedian Joey Bishop died on 17th October. In his lengthy obituary in The Washington Post on 19th October, there is one sentence that reads, "His low-key style resembled that of Jack Benny, and he won early praise from no less an authority than Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy." Many of us "older" Sons remember Joey Bishop very well from the 1950s and 1960s, with his hundreds of TV appearances, and being one of the five entertainers in the Rat Pack. Gino Dercola  Way Out West spot I learned from very reliable sources that above is the trail where Way Out West was filmed. It is in the Placerita Canyon and Melody Ranch areas of Santa Clarita, Hollywood, about five miles from where I live. I have often walked there, and I never even knew Way Out West was filmed there until recently. The trail is about three miles long and goes through some very tricky areas, but the east end of it is widest and near the main road, so I'm quite certain I got the spot where the stagecoach comes around the corner and where Stan shows his leg etc. Obviously there are differences after over seventy years, not to mention recent fires. The pic speaks for itself, except that I shot it from the wrong direction. The leaning tree should have been on the other (right) side. I didn't notice until I got home and it was too hot to hike back down there! Allen on the Laurel and Hardy Forum Help I need Sons to e-mail me logos and the artwork of as many of the 28 past UK Conventions as possible, for a display at the 29th UK Convention. Please scan them in from T-shirts, photos, or official files or whatever. Chris Coffey chrispcoffey@googlemail.com Movie Struck The full version of Pick a Star is available on DVD, under its alternate title, Movie Struck. Antony Waite First place I came first place in the Pendle Open Art Exhibition in October, with another "nice" portrait of "Our Boys". The Impossible Orchestra came first out of dozens of fine pieces of artwork. It's the third time I've entered this exhibition and there has been some real competition every time. I'm just proud that there is still real love and respect for Stan and Ollie's work. Like I've said on many occasions, I feel honoured to be able to help keep these two screen legends immortal through my artwork. Lucy Southward Rats If you go to http://www.gowr.net you will find a rare Water Rats clip of the Boys from a 1955 BBC programme. It was brought to our attention by Past King Rat Paul Daniels. Inspired Mark Russell saw this in his local library. He says, "I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the multiple choice answers!" As others see us This is how Ross Owen sees three of the regulars at the Panopticon meetings in Glasgow. Psychic at the Well Curiosity drove me to obtaining the story of Psyche, which confirmed that she was not "at the well". If she had been, then, following the trend and theme of the story, it is likely that she would have jumped into the well, and found that it contained nectar. For Psyche, nothing so mundane as "drawing water" like the other women. I also ascertained that there are more than enough "at the well" pictures; painting them seems to have been quite a fashion for bygone artists. Frank Sugden Well, Well, Well, Well, Well The tale of Psyche does not tell Of Psyche being at a well. But "Physic", an erroneous word, Was humorous, although absurd.   In pictures linked to ancient lore, There's one called Psyche at the Door, And other pictures, by the score, Of "at the well"; enough and more.   There is Rebecca at the Well; There is The Woman at the Well. There may be other personnel In pictures shown, beside a well.   My curiosity compels A search, but failure with me dwells, Investigation never tells Of Buckshot's choice from all those wells. M Finn Quiz on the title In which film did Ollie say, "well," five times in succession, to Stan? Answer next month. Statue raffle This is your chance to win a one-off painting (below). This original oil-on-canvas painting of the Boys, by Birmingham artist Caroline Scotcher, is to be raffled in aid of the Statue Appeal. Tickets are just £1 each and can be obtained from the Laughing Gravy Tent of Birmingham. The draw will be made on Thursday 6th December at our tent meeting. Please let me know if you would like any tickets. Also, if you have a tent meeting before then, could you please ask your members if they would like to take part? I will enter their names on your behalf. Please note, to keep costs down, no tickets will be sent out. You can send your cheques, made payable to "Laughing Gravy", to John Ullah, 42 York Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6TG. It really is a superb painting and I would like to thank Caroline for her kind donation. Good luck! John Ullah BS: If anyone is interested, Caroline takes commissions. Contact her at info@ballroomdesigns.co.uk. Duck luck I was browsing a charity shop in Byres Road, Glasgow, and I spotted a DVD of an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show entitled Never Name a Duck described thus: "Rob brings home a pair of baby ducks that Ritchie names Oliver and Stanley." John Bogie How did it start? Bonnie Scotland Tent: That was an obvious choice of name for the tent (thirty-one years ago!). Call of the Cuckoos: I like the film and its sentiments. I wanted a name that hadn't been taken in the UK. Also it gave the tent the excuse for laying eggs in other people's nests! Willie McIntyre