On 25/11/04 18:39, in article , "Mike Lyle"
wrote:

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
"Mike Lyle" writes:
[...]
Nick wrote:
A challenge: name another, and position, at the time she
finally
got the most ancient Order of the Boot.

Major, J: Foreign Secretary? Tebbit, N: Barehanded Ratcatcher in
Ordinary; Howard, M?: Night-Flyer Quite
Extraordinary...umm...yep,
otherwise, you're dead right.

I think that you will find that Tebbit had resigned three years
previously.

Had he really? I'd have bet on him staying the course; but I suppose
his wimpy liberalism must have got on her nerves after a while. Oh
no, I take that back: he had to look after his wife, who had been
badly injured in the bombing. I confess I warmed to him a little at
that point.

Mike.


They lived down here for a while and his life was *devoted* to his wife.
His health is now poor but apparently, she is still his No 1 priority.
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

On 25/11/04 18:43, in article , "David
Rance" wrote:

On Thu, 25 Nov 2004, jane wrote:

~On hearing Malcolm Sargent (whose nickname was 'Flash') was touring Japan
~"Ah, Flash in Japan".
~When receiving effusive cards and telegrams on his birthday "What? Nothing
~from Mozart?"

Oh, very good.
Methinks I'll have to go and look for other Beecham quotes...

"Sir Thomas, what do you think of Stockhausen?"

Beecham's reply: "I trod in some once."

Beecham's definitions of musical instruments:

The organ: "a mechanical box of whistles"

The harpsichord: "sounds like two skeletons copulating on a corrugated
tin roof", or "a birdcage played with a toasting fork"

The trombone: "a sluice pump"

The upright piano: "a musical growth found adhering to the walls of most
semi-detached houses in the provinces"

And finally my favourite:

"The British don't understand music. They just like the noise it makes."

Wonderful!!
--

Sacha
(remove the weeds for email)

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:

I think that you will find that Tebbit had resigned three years
previously.

Had he really? I'd have bet on him staying the course; but I
suppose
his wimpy liberalism must have got on her nerves after a while. Oh
no, I take that back: he had to look after his wife, who had been
badly injured in the bombing. I confess I warmed to him a little
at
that point.

Yes, even the most dedicated Tebbit-hater felt that it showed that
he had at least one good point. Now, Howard, on the other hand
.....

Funny you should mention Howard, as I've been told that in private he
and his wife are the nicest people you could hope to meet: the
politics is apparently a great big Old Bailey hack performance. I
_do_ hate having my cherished illusions shattered!

Mike.

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from Martin contains these words:

What's ZTV?

Typo? Speaking in a cod French accent - Ze TV?
Rusty

More probably a vague double dutchism - 'de TV'.............. :~))
Jenny

In article ,
"Mike Lyle" writes:
|
| Yes, even the most dedicated Tebbit-hater felt that it showed that
| he had at least one good point. Now, Howard, on the other hand
| ....
|
| Funny you should mention Howard, as I've been told that in private he
| and his wife are the nicest people you could hope to meet: the
| politics is apparently a great big Old Bailey hack performance. I
| _do_ hate having my cherished illusions shattered!

That has been true of some of the nastiest pieces of work in
history. His behaviour as Home Secretary was unforgiveable.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
"Mike Lyle" writes:

Yes, even the most dedicated Tebbit-hater felt that it showed
that
he had at least one good point. Now, Howard, on the other hand
....

Funny you should mention Howard, as I've been told that in
private
he and his wife are the nicest people you could hope to meet: the
politics is apparently a great big Old Bailey hack performance. I
_do_ hate having my cherished illusions shattered!

That has been true of some of the nastiest pieces of work in
history. His behaviour as Home Secretary was unforgiveable.

Both true; the latter the more so as it set the tone for what was to
follow.

Mike.

In article , Kay
wrote:

(snip)

I can't understand why people don't like him,

Irritating mock arguments with co presenters (why do programme makers
today seem to think our attention will flag unless presenters argue with
each other) and general 'I am a harmless idiot' style. And over-
exposure.

Whereas in fact he is one of the most knowledgeable and reliable of TV
presenters (unlike, say, Monty Don); one of the most lucid and
comprehensible of talkers (unlike, say, Diarmuid Gavin); one of the
most attractive gardeners (unlike, say, Charlie Dimmock) and one of the
most genial and accessible of TV performers (unlike almost all other
gardening presenters).

He has done more than anyone to popularise/expand the gardening hobby.
Ground Force (don't knock it) attracted a staggering 12m viewers when
he was presenting it with Charlie - soap opera ratings which will never
be seen again but which sent people to garden centres in their droves.

How To Be A Gardener was a very well-produced series which should have
been compulsory viewing for all new gardeners - as well as some
'experts'.

If he is seen often, that is partly because his programmes are repeated
often; and partly because he's the best at the job. Why not complain
about Trevor Macdonald's over-exposure?

Stan

In article , Stan The Man
writes
If he is seen often, that is partly because his programmes are repeated
often; and partly because he's the best at the job.

The best person to front 'Last Night of the Proms'??

Well, it takes all sorts.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Kay wrote:
In article , Stan The Man
writes
If he is seen often, that is partly because his programmes are
repeated often; and partly because he's the best at the job.

The best person to front 'Last Night of the Proms'??

Well, it takes all sorts.

I thought about this at the time; and decided that for such a merry
low-brow occasion he was by no means a bad choice. These days people
get so few chances to dip their toes into "classical" music that
anything which dispels the "élitist" image must be a good idea.
(Hell, it could have been Bill Oddie or Sandi Toksvig!)

He _is_ intelligent and likable and non-stuffy about everything; I
just wish they'd train more people that way instead of relying on an
over-exposed handful.

Mike.

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004, Mike Lyle wrote:

The best person to front 'Last Night of the Proms'??

I thought about this at the time; and decided that for such a merry
low-brow occasion he was by no means a bad choice. These days people
get so few chances to dip their toes into "classical" music that
anything which dispels the "élitist" image must be a good idea.
(Hell, it could have been Bill Oddie or Sandi Toksvig!)

Don't jeer at Bill Oddie. He *is* musically educated.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet: | writing from |
| Fidonet: David Rance 2:252/110 | Caversham, |
| BBS: telnet://mesnil.demon.co.uk | Reading, UK |
+-------------------------------------------------------+

In message , Martin
writes
On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 11:12:07 +0000, Kay
wrote:

In article , Stan The Man
writes
If he is seen often, that is partly because his programmes are repeated
often; and partly because he's the best at the job.

The best person to front 'Last Night of the Proms'??

This thread has now disappeared from my computer. However, if we are
still talking about Alan Titchmarsh, I was unaware that he fronted 'Last
Night of the Proms' - I tend to steer clear of that. I like him as a
gardener in the same way as I like Delia Smith as a cook and believe him
to be the best gardening presenter around at present. Each to his own.
It wouldn't do for us all to be the same.
--
June Hughes

On 28/11/04 12:21, in article , "Mike Lyle"
wrote:

Kay wrote:
In article , Stan The Man
writes
If he is seen often, that is partly because his programmes are
repeated often; and partly because he's the best at the job.

The best person to front 'Last Night of the Proms'??

Well, it takes all sorts.

I thought about this at the time; and decided that for such a merry
low-brow occasion he was by no means a bad choice. These days people
get so few chances to dip their toes into "classical" music that
anything which dispels the "élitist" image must be a good idea.
(Hell, it could have been Bill Oddie or Sandi Toksvig!)

He _is_ intelligent and likable and non-stuffy about everything; I
just wish they'd train more people that way instead of relying on an
over-exposed handful.

Mike.


I get a bit tired of the jolly chappie stuff but I do agree that he's an
excellent presenter. He has the gift of talking to the camera exactly as if
he was talking to a friend over a cup of tea. I think the only other
presenter I can stand for long at a time is Monty Don.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

The message
from Stan The Man contains these words:

If he is seen often, that is partly because his programmes are repeated
often; and partly because he's the best at the job. Why not complain
about Trevor Macdonald's over-exposure?

He wouldn't look the same if he wasn't so well-toasted innit.

--
Rusty
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who read binary and
those who don't.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

David Rance wrote:
On Sun, 28 Nov 2004, Mike Lyle wrote:

The best person to front 'Last Night of the Proms'??

I thought about this at the time; and decided that for such a
merry
low-brow occasion he was by no means a bad choice. These days
people
get so few chances to dip their toes into "classical" music that
anything which dispels the "élitist" image must be a good idea.
(Hell, it could have been Bill Oddie or Sandi Toksvig!)

Don't jeer at Bill Oddie. He *is* musically educated.

I wasn't jeering (too strong a word, but let it pass) at his
education, or even less the man himself, of whom I quite approve, but
his telly personality. He doesn't _relax_ me. Sandi T feels tense to
me, too.

Mike.

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004, Mike Lyle wrote:

The best person to front 'Last Night of the Proms'??

I thought about this at the time; and decided that for such a
merry low-brow occasion he was by no means a bad choice.
These days people get so few chances to dip their toes into
"classical" music that anything which dispels the "élitist" image
must be a good idea. (Hell, it could have been Bill Oddie or
Sandi Toksvig!)

Don't jeer at Bill Oddie. He *is* musically educated.

I wasn't jeering (too strong a word, but let it pass) at his
education, or even less the man himself, of whom I quite approve, but
his telly personality. He doesn't _relax_ me. Sandi T feels tense to
me, too.

Hmm yes, I see what you mean. ;-)

David
--
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet: | writing from |
| Fidonet: David Rance 2:252/110 | Caversham, |
| BBS: telnet://mesnil.demon.co.uk | Reading, UK |
+-------------------------------------------------------+