Pub sighting
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I gave a talk at the Mansfield Palace theatre and, as I had around an hour to spare, I popped across the road to the Bowl in Hand for a quick cocktail. It contains a substantial display of Laurel and Hardy ephemera, ranging from photos, through drawings and paintings to figurines of various shapes and sizes. Walking through the entrance I was met by a theatre poster to my right, advertising the bill for their appearance at the Empire Theatre at Leeds. Inside the pub there is a cosy nook which is surrounded with photos, sketches and paintings of the Boys. There were photos from Jitterbugs, Zenobia, Fraternally Yours, Brats and The Fixer-Uppers, plus the classic shots of Ollie looking startled at Stan's thumb, which was well alight, Stan poking Ollie in the eye, both of them posing against a lamppost and Ollie looking shamefaced as Stan wags a disapproving finger at him. Plus two black and white drawings, one of the Boys in Great Guns, and the other of Stan scaling a wall, using a dustbin for assistance, whilst Ollie looks on. The latter was drawn, so far as I could ascertain, by B Tunnigan in 1991. The first one probably was, as well. I thought that that was that but, as I crossed the pub to talk to the barmaid - like you do - I realised that the display continued all round the walls of the quite large area and comprised a mixture of statuettes of varying shapes and sizes, some very good likenesses, some not so, some of which I have never before come across. Loads more photos, sketches and paintings and, at the back of the bar, a clock with a pale blue surround with the Boys featured on the dial. Fantastic. I would love to get my hands on one like it but it was no use asking the barmaid as she had only worked there a couple of weeks and knew nothing of the history of the pub. I doubt she even knew who Laurel and Hardy were! I seem to recall that the landlord was a big Laurel and Hardy fan and had collected all this material over the years in order to mount a tribute to them in his pub. Unfortunately, the young lady was not able to make me any the wiser on this, either. I have a return booking at the Mansfield Palace next year and shall force myself to re-enter the portals to see if anyone can give me more information &endash; especially where I can buy that clock! Roy Tomlinson |
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