Had a delicious long lunch at Bibendum yesterday and afterwards enjoyed reading Fay Maschler's Standard review marking the restaurant's 21st - "The tradition of changing the loose covers on the chairs according to season meant we coincided with Dijon mustard yellow, presumably signifying early autumn, but not an alluring hue. The patina of age, which Conran evokes with pleasure, doesn’t flatter cotton drill.," she writes. What a marvellous old queen she is. "Cotton drill" - I love it.
Alas my reviewing hat was knocked away by the sighting of the late Eric Morecambe who waited on my party. Here is the poppet. Perhaps he could diversfy his career as a tribute act. Where's his Ernie?
7 comments:
You may (or may not) recall Eric`s references to Harpenden on his shows, leafy mock-tudor & stockbroker suburbia. Well, that`s where I grew up (debatable)and Sir Eric challenged my age in the `village` tabacconists, the spoil-sport ! He prevented me from buying a pack of ten Lambert & Butler
Marvellous! I once spotted Bertrand Russell at the Royal Festival Hall bar - rather disconcerting,i can tell you.
This photo really made me laugh.
I love fay's reviews far better than gill
Oh, I see what you mean, MA ! the old fashioned tabacconists was Eric`s mecca in suburbia. He was only a customer (tho regular one) Eric was as loony in real life as well on the stage/TV. He was well known in the `village` - presented prize-giving at my school but needless to say I didn`t get one. His funeral service was probably the biggest event in Harpenden since VE Day. The snobbish commuter village`s other claim to faim was home to Frank Ifield (whover he was but I am sure Arcati will remember him) Did you know that during WW1 a Zeppelin dropped a bomblet on one of it`s Methodist chapels? Who cares? , I hear you cry. Our ex-neighbours at Southsea, The Mongs, (the in-breds who stole our Moben kitchen unit) who also came from Harpenden.
Frank Ifield - rings a bell, didn't he sing or something? I am sure he blighted my youth on Saturday TV, like Petula Clark. I still don't whether to believe that story about her and Sean Connery.
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