Cannon & Ball

I had the privilege to be friends with Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball, England’s most famous comedy duo in the late 70’s. I have been looking them up on YouTube and finding the most hilarious evidence of their  comedic genius. I invite you all to take a look at some of their finest moments captured from YouTube with artists such as Adam Ant, Cliff Richard, Shirley Williams and many others. This is magic that you can’t buy. They epitomize variety theatre and sketch comedy. And no matter what the plot, they always finish up together. Their most poignant moment is when Tommy carries Tommy offstage over his shoulder singing “He Aint Heavy, He’s my Brother.” It will bring a tear to your eyes.

The Wooden Bowl

This touching message was sent to me  by my nephew John Butchard from Australia.

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the  Wooden Bowl 

tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. 

The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. 

  

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and 

failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. 

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. 

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 
 ’We must do something about father,’ said the son. 

’I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. 

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. 

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. 

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. 

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped  a fork or spilled food. 

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. 


One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. 

He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 

’Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. 
 ’ The four-year-old smiled and  went back to work. 

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. 

Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. 

Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. 

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and  gently  led him back to the family table. 

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, 

neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, 

how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. 

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: 

a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. 

I’ve learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, 

you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. 

I’ve learned that making a ‘living’ is not the same thing as making a ‘life.’ 

I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. 

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. 

You need to be able to throw something back 

  

I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you 

But,  if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others,  

your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you 

I’ve learned that whenever I decide  something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. 

I’ve learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. 

People love that human touch — holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. 

I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. 

I’ve learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about. I just did.

This is to all of you who 

mean something to me, 

I pray for your happiness. 

The Candle Of Love, Hope & Friendship  



This candle was lit on the 
15th of September, 1998 
       

Someone who loves you has helped 

keep it alive by sending it to you. 

  

Don’t let The Candle of Love, Hope and Friendship die

Religious knowledge

As a kid at St. Teresa’s School in Norris Green in Liverpool, we would regularly be addressed by Father Murphy for religious knowledge.

I vividly recall a day when he addressed the class, and asked “does anyone have any questions?”

I gingerly raised my hand and asked: “Father, if Adam and Eve only had two sons, where did the rest of the babies in the world come from?”  He narrowed his eyes and hissed at me: “Sit down child, and don’t try to run before you can walk.”

I felt that I had done something shameful, and bore the scar of that incident for a long, long time. And do you know, I STILL don’t know the answer for sure!

My Dad’s Moustache

My Mum was as feisty as they come. Before I was born, there was an incident when it was their wedding anniversary. Dad was a Sergeant Major in the British Army, an instructor in the use of mustard gases in World War I. Stationed in Otley, Yorkshire, Mum lived off base in a rented house belonging to a Mrs. Burnell. My oldest sister, Mae, was a baby, and as their Wedding Anniversary was coming up,  Dad asked Mum to organize a baby sitter, and he would take her out to dinner. That was a big deal in those days.

So, Mrs. Burnell came in to sit with Mae, Mum got all gussied up, ready for her big night out. Nine o’clock came, then ten o’clock, and as Mum’s hopes dropped, and her embarrassment grew, she and Mrs. Burnell sat in the two armchairs each side of the fireplace. Eventually, they heard the sound of the key trying to find the lock. Eventually, Dad staggered in, very happy, completely oblivious of the fact that he had broken his promise, said good night and proceeded to bed.

Mum got his cold water razor, and shaved off just one half of his Sargeant Major waxed moustache as he slept.

Next morning she awoke to the sound of shaving in the bathroom. He removed the other half, took a cup of tea to Mum in bed, kissed her goodbye, never mentioned the incident, and went off to war for another day. She remembers him having a very pale upper lip, compared to the rest of his ruddy complexion.

From that day until the day that he died, he never mentioned it. Neither did Mum.

My Brazilian Pen Pal

When I was about 12 I found a Brazilian pen pal from a magazine. Her name was Marie Alice Mencarini and she lived in Sao Paolo.

It seemed very exotic to me to be corresponding with someone so far away. Heaven only knows what drivel I must have written to her, probably about my adventures in the air raid shelters, etc., or some other aspect of my fairly non-eventful life.

However, I remember telling her that I suffered from asthma, and she sent me a bottle of something called Vapo Cresoline, which my Mum used to burn on a shovel of hot coals from the fireplace. It would emit fumes that miraculously cleared my clogged bronchial tubes, at the same time filling the room with black smoke. I wonder what a danger to the environment that was? But I was eternally grateful for the relief.

But I will forever remember the kindness of someone whom I had never met, and if she ever reads this, she can be assured that she helped me immeasurably.

Being British

Being British is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a 
Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a 
Turkish Kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch 
American shows on a Japanese TV.

And the most British thing of all?
 Suspicion of anything foreign.

Oh and…… Only in Britain … Can a pizza get to your house faster 
than an ambulance.

Only in Britain … Do supermarkets make sick people walk all the way
 to the back of the shop to get their prescriptions While healthy 
people can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in Britain .. Do People order double cheeseburgers, large fries 
and a DIET coke.

Only in Britain … Do banks leave both doors open and chain the pens 
to the counters.

Only in Britain .. Do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the
 driveway and lock our junk and cheap lawn mower in the garage.

Only in Britain … Do we use answering machines to screen calls and
 then have  Call Waiting so we won’t miss a call from someone we didn’t 
want to talk to in the first place.

Only in Britain … Are there disabled parking places in front of a
 skating rink.

NOT TO MENTION…

3 Brits die each year testing if a 9v battery works
 on their tongue.

142 Brits were injured in 1999 by not removing all pins from new
 shirts.

58 Brits are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of 
screwdrivers.
watering their Christmas tree while 
the fairy lights were plugged in.

19 Brits have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas 
decorations were chocolate.

British Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after cracker
 pulling accidents.

101 people since 1999 have had broken parts of plastic toys pulled
 out of the soles of their feet.

18 Brits had serious burns in 2000 trying on a new jumper with a lit 
cigarette in their mouth.

A massive 543 Brits were admitted to Emergency in the last two years after 
opening bottles of beer with their teeth.

5 Brits were injured last year in cccidents involving out of Control 
Scalextric cars.

And finally………

In 2000 eight Brits cracked their skull whilst 
throwing up into the toilet.

You’ve got to luv ‘em!

Animal facts

It is a testament to my fertile brain that I am constantly fascinated by trivia, and in particular, a few gems I have amassed about animals are listed below for your enlightenment and edification.

A duck’s quack doesn’t echo

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds

All porcupines float in water

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain

A study finds that if a cat falls off  the 7th floor, it has about 30% less  chance of survival than a cat that falls form the 20th floor. It supposedly takes about 8 floors for the cat to realize what’s happening , relax and correct itself

A snail can sleep for 3 years

Frank Sinatra had a dog called Ringo who had 3 gold fillings

It is possible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairsA 1,200-pound horse eats about seven times it’s own weight each year.

A bird requires more food in proportion to its size than a baby or a cat.

A capon is a castrated rooster.

A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time.

A chameleon’s tongue is twice the length of its body.

A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can’t.

A Cornish game hen is really a young chicken, usually 5 to 6 weeks of age, that weighs no more than 2 pounds.

A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

A father Emperor penguin withstands the Antarctic cold for 60 days or more to protect his eggs, which he keeps on his feet, covered with a feathered flap. During this entire time he doesn’t eat a thing. Most father penguins lose about 25 pounds while they wait for their babies to hatch. Afterward, they feed the chicks a special liquid from their throats. When the mother penguins return to care for the young, the fathers go to sea to eat and rest. So how can they call them Happy Feet?

A father sea catfish keeps the eggs of his young in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He will not eat until his young are born, which may take several weeks.

A female mackerel lays about 500,000 eggs at one time.

A Hindu temple dedicated to the rat goddess Karni Mata in Deshnoke, India, houses more than 20,000 rats.

A Holstein’s spots are like a fingerprint or snowflake.

No two cows have exactly the same pattern of spots.

A leech is a worm that feeds on blood. It will pierce its victim’s skin, fill itself with three to four times its own body weight in blood, and will not feed again for months. Leeches were once used by doctors to drain “bad blood” from sick patients.

A newborn kangaroo is about 1 inch in length.

A normal cow’s stomach has four compartments: the rumen, the recticulum (storage area), the omasum (where water is absorbed), and the abomasum ( the only compartment with digestive juices).

A polecat is not a cat. It is a nocturnal European weasel.

A quarter of the horses in the US died of a vast virus epidemic in 1872.

Now who the heck researches all this stuff?

Tea with Richard Branson

Call me crazy, (and I know you do), but I have a new ambition. I want to have tea with Richard Branson. I have long been an admirer of his style, his branding genius, and even his mobile phones, one of which is my proud possession, but since reading his book, “Losing my Virginity” some years ago, I have watched his escalating empire and his penchant for poking fun at the Virgin brand with great interest. On of my step-sons, Mike McCartney (aka Mike McGear) even played at his wedding many moons ago at the Manor. According to my diaries, it was in 1972,  Mike was part of a then, very successful group called The Scaffold. They had hits with Lily the Pink and Thank U Very Much.

I am currently reading Sir Richard’s latest tome: “Business Stripped Bare” which is a real page turner. With my strong conviction that humour plays such an important role in all aspects of our lives, I really love to read his take on presenting the Virgin divisions as not only sound business entities, but as a place where the staff have reason to smile. I know if I worked for Richard Branson I certainly would smile. But I digress. My latest harebrained idea is to get my organic teas on to Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Blue. Now if that isn’t far out, I don’t know what is. He has been responsible for stunts such as appearing at the launch of his mobile phone company clad only in a large (I am assured it was large) replica of a cellphone over his naughty parts, and many other diverse activities to draw attention to the Virgin brand companies.

An even earlier recollection of my awareness and admiration for him was when I visited his Virgin Records shop in Bold Street, Liverpool in early 1972. The place was a sea of hippies in various reclining positions, and a strong odor of patchouli oil, body odor and a certain other substance. I abandoned the idea of trying to seriously browse and buy something, as it wasn’t even possible to get near the cash register to pay for anything.

I particularly love his motto: “Find Good People and Set Them Free.” Can you imagine anything more exhilarating than working for a boss and a company that actually encourages the staff to pitch in ideas, to come to work with a smile, and to have fun! The world sure needs more of that attitude today.

Another amazing idea is that his Virgin Blue airline in Australia actually has their senior management work as baggage handlers from time to time so that they can experience the workload from the bottom upwards. This must create such a buzz among the regular baggage handlers. Small and big business alike can learn so much from this amazing man. And once he gets a bellyfull of Mrs. McCartneys Tea, there will be no stopping him.

Gotta go now, the nice man with the padded van is here… Maybe he would like a nice cup of tea?

The Ingleside Inn, Palm Springs

One of my most favourite places in the entire world is The Ingleside Inn. It has the old world charm and laid back atmosphere of bygone days, when service was service, and I can’t think of a better place to be planning to celebrate my 80th birthday in November of 2009 (if God spares me).

Mel Haber, the owner, is the most fascinating man, and if you don’t believe me, you should read his books. The latest one, Palm Springs a la Carte, chronicles his life from early childhood in Brooklyn, to his foray into the world of hospitality, including night clubs and the legendary location, The Ingleside Inn.

His previous book: “Bedtime Stories” is on the night stand in every room and is an absolute must. One of Mel’s most charming features is that he doesn’t try to whitewash his image, when he makes a boo boo he can laugh at himself, sometimes at great cost! He has met his share of con artists over the years.

His restaurant, Melvyn’s has played host to countless celebrities, movie stars, wannabe movie stars, politicians, businessmen and women, what Mel calls the Caviar Crowd! Any evening or Sunday afternoon in the bar, it is a great place to people watch. Sunday afternoons are a delight, with music and a wee dance floor for the able bodied to get up and boogie.

Every time I take a sojourn at The Ingleside I feel like I have stepped back in time to the days when gracious living was the norm. Last time I stayed there, I had just re-drafted my Last Will & Testament and had three perfect strangers witness my signature  at the bar. Yes, it’s that kind of place!

I recently sent Mel some of my newly launched organic teas, and he kindly responded with a signed picture which I will treasure.

To name drop a little further, Frank Sinatra held his pre wedding dinner to Barbara Marx at Melvyn’s. The guest list of the hotel and restaurant reads like a Who’s Who of the entire planet. Debbie Reynolds was married there, and in fact you can see a picture of her which she signed: “Everyone should get married here at least once” Mel remembers how delighted he was when Liza Minelli asked him if she could get up and sing. His memories range from the hilarious to the tragic, but he has managed to overcome the tough times, and believes in paying it forward with his contributions to the Angel View Crippled Children’s Foundation for over twenty five years.  He is truly a Prince among men! (If you read this Mel, it should at least earn me a glass of your excellent Chardonnay next time we meet).

The wonder of Woolworth’s

I was saddened to learn that one of Britain’s favourite stores, Woolworth, is about to close the doors of its approximately 200 stores, starting today in Liverpool on 28th Decembert 2008. They opened their first store tere in 1909 and it was then known as the threepence and sixpence stores, with all items priced at those rates. A pair of silk stockings cost one shilling! (sixpence per leg).