For the
benefit of those who don’t know him, David Wyatt was the
guest, rare film finder or Quiz Master at all 16 of our Annual Laurel
and HarDays, and a Researcher for the book “Laurel or Hardy – the solo
films”. Thankfully he has survived the fire but we don’t know what
has been lost. We will talk to him about how we can help when he is
feeling much better.
This is the latest from Roger Robinson
“Following the terrible fire
at Dave's house before Easter, he is in the burns unit of the Chelsea
and Westminster Hospital - just in case any of you were not yet aware
of this awful news. I had permission to visit him today which I did and
thought I would let you know how he is doing.
He is an isolated ward by himself with 2 carers. He is on ventilation
and sedation - the latter to give his skin time to heal. Although he
had wires and bits coming from him I was able to talk to Dave and it
was brilliant to get the response I did. His eyes lit up and smiled at
seeing me (now that doesn't happen too often when people see me!) and
he squeezed my hand. I passed on the best wishes of all Sons
everywhere, in the UK, Europe and USA because I know from the
responses that everyone is thinking of him. He was visibly moved when
I said this and smiled when I said some things to amuse him (such as I
should have brought him hard boiled eggs and nuts).
It was all going in all right and although he cannot speak as such, he
was attempting to reply and I understood some of the words by the
shape of his mouth. I also asked him to a do a thumbs up if he
understood what I was saying and he did so. I told him about the
Statue Unveiling, the new Museum and the upcoming Convention in
Ulverston next weekend. I told him that I know Sons will rally round
to help him in any way possible but for the time being his
concentration should be in getting himself better. He acknowledged
this.
Our 'conversation' was probably only about 10 minutes and I could see
getting very tired so it was time to depart. I am certain that as he
closed his eyes he will be content in knowing that the Sons of the
Desert will be there when he needs them.
He is obviously not up to having regular visitors and think the
hospital will let us know when this is more appropriate. At the moment
he is in the right place to receive the care and attention that he
needs. He is on the mend.......but it will take time”
Please sent any get well cards to
David Wyatt
Burns Unit
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road
London SW10 9NH.
Thanks to Ross Owen, there is nine minutes and fifty two seconds of
footage, (and the audio content is important) added to Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OkWcAA1sDI
At the Statue
unveiling on Sunday, several Sons were talking about the
funny incidents over the weekend, and many were snapping away with all
types of cameras, so I plan to put together an email Chronicle of a
great weekend, with as many photos of the events that you can send me.
In addition, I welcome you taking some time to email me some short
tales about trivial memories and amusing incidents over the weekend,
e.g. the Chickens Come Home Tent struggling with the piano, the drains
being cleaned outside the Stan Laurel Inn., the flying dalmation, etc.
What I will do is email out a page of the booklet each week, no
larger than 10MB in size, which will fit most email letter boxes. If
you paste it into a folder on receipt, it will build up week by week
into a megamemory of a fantastic weekend.
So,
• I want your tales
• I want your photos, with captions, of the Saturday, including the
events in the Coronation Hall.
• I want your photos of the Sunday, including outside the Coronation
Hall.
• Marion opened the Museum for us, and it was bloody hard work for
all
the volunteers who helped, or so they tell us. So photos taken in and
out of the Museum will be welcome.
Of course there is a catch. I have taken over the “Laurel and Hardy
Charity Fund” from Nancy Wardell, so that I hope that in due course
you and/or your Tent will make a donation. Part of the income will
also go the Museum, to help them install some disabled access, or
jetpack attachment for my wheelchair (After all, the latest Dalek
models can get up stairs) or an induction loop for the hard of
hearing, or other facilities for the disadvantaged.
My thanks to those of you who took so many photos you have already
volunteered to put them all on a CD for me. That’s another
possibility, putting the whole thing on a CD when it is finished and
flog it at Conventions etc.
Just over a week now to a return to Ulverston for the UK Convention.
Ulverston Brewing
Company directors Anita Garner and partner Paul
Swann have created a 3.9 per cent real ale to mark the unveiling of
the Statue on April 19. The beer, called Celebration Ale, features a
picture of the bronze statue on its label. And Miss Garner hopes the
bottled ale will act as a portable tourism advert for the South Lakes
town when it is drunk.
She said: "All our beers have names associated with Laurel and Hardy –
names like Another Fine Mess, Laughing Gravy and Flying Elephants.
We're born and bred in Ulverston so we wanted our beers to be linked
to the town.
"We got the permission of the town council to use the town crest on
the bottle as a logo and if our beers travel then people will
associate them with Ulverston. We've worked with Graham Ibbeson, the
statue sculptor, and he's okayed it for us to use the statue on the
label. It also mentions a little bit about Ulverston and says `raise
your glass to the comedy duo in our home town'. We wanted to advertise
Ulverston for people to come and visit."
Miss Garner describes the drink as a very pale, hoppy, easy,
refreshing beer. And she says that despite doom and gloom of the
recession, trading figures are slightly up on last year. "I think more
and more people are wanting local produce. It can only be good because
at least the money is coming back into our local economy."
A bottle of the ale will be handed to each of the dignitaries present
on the day of the unveiling in County Square – including Ken Dodd, who
will remove a specially made cover to reveal the £60,000 likeness.
Celebration Ale will be available to buy on the unveiling day.
The Dirty Work Tent had it's own unveiling at last night's
meeting.... We
finally unveiled our tent banner.
Also, it was good to now that word's getting round about us and we had
a great turnout last night with many new faces, who we hope will
return and join our tent.
In October 31, 2008 the Italian Block-Heads become a non-profit
organization to continue to show films at the convicts in Casa
Circondariale La Dogaia and other activities like that.
November 30, 2008 we had our annual banquet, at Hotel Datini in Prato,
with a reserved room and projection room, where we showed Duck Soup
(an Italian premiere), the complete version of Brats, never shown in
public in Italy either (my three years and half nephew particularly
appreciated this short!), and Them Thar Hills, a restored version at
which our Son Simone Rindi had added the Italian dubbing. Twenty-two
Sons and some guests enjoyed the meeting, wearing our official fez,
of course!
The highlights of our Tent history has been the ‘Stanlio e Ollio
incontrano Totò’ event, organized and hosted by our Tent in March
14th, 2009 at cinema Borsi in Prato with the fabulous participation of
Liliana de Curtis, daughter of the best Italian comic, Totò. There was
a very amused audience of 130. We ran Busy Bodies, two excerpts from
Atoll K (including the finale, at the present day lost in the Italian
version) and Totò’s La patente, a short film from a work by
Pirandello.
I also had two public talk with Miss de Curtis about the unsuspected
similarity between Stan & Babe and Totò, particularly their ideas
about comedy and the dedication to their work, then we present Miss de
Curtis last book, Malafemmena, about the private life of the actor and
his wife Diana. Miss de Curtis told Totò loved Stan & Babe,
particularly the former, and we know he was one of the player the
Atoll K producers would liked to have in that picture. Then our guest
of honour and I had played by heart La livella, the most famous Totò’s
poetry, followed by another unexpected event: the première of the
short Totò e figlia (Totò and daughter), compiled for the occasion by
the Grand Sheik and Simone Rindi, our Video Visir, using clips of
Sons of the Desert and especially of Totò’s films in which Liliana de
Curtis appears, along with photos showing the famous father and
daughter together. The audience had participated with enthusiasm,
questions and compliments, and Miss de Curtis, despite ‘thousands’ of
autographs she has meticulously made (she is able to sign the perfect
replica of her father’s autograph!), has enjoyed the event as much as
we have done, thanking us sincerely. What a charming person!
Thanks for listening and Happy Easter!
Alessandro, Grand Sheik of Block-Heads #258, Italy
John De Santo
reports “I am scheduled to do a presentation and book
signing on May 5, from 5-7 PM at the Manchester Central Library in a
special second floor room with refreshments. Please invite all who
might be interested to come after our UK Convention, as this library
and BBC London archives have been most helpful to me in my research
for writing these books.”
The Avalon Boys were a British band who played at several
Sons of the
Desert conventions and events between 2002/3 culminating in a
performance in Hanley in 2007. When the band broke up there was no
footage of any of their performances. However, a plea to the Sons of
the Desert resulted in Sons clips from all their shows surfacing and
the tough job of editing all these various clips together was taken up
by Gary Winstanley from Wigans Dirty Work Tent and the resulting DVD
titled Shows of the Desert was made available towards the end of last
year.
Gary has put clips from this film onto Youtube, "Fresh Fish", an
original song inspired by the film "Towed in the Hole" is proving to
be the most watched and can be found below
Watch the amazing
Jean Darling in two clips on YouTube. She sings at a
recital during "Le Giornate Del Cinema Muto" in Pordenone in October
2008 accompanied by Donald Sosin
Great News - Eric Woods has sent me this message about the Statue
in Ulverston..
"We reached our target of £58,593.72p on 6th March. Graham Ibbeson has
been paid in full, I have a receipt for the full amount.
The Sons of the Desert now own the statue. In the coming days, we will
legally hand if over to the good folk of Ulverston as a debt-free gift
to the town.
In a few weeks, the statue will move from the foundry to the newly
prepared County Square site in Ulverston, in good time for a big
weekend on 18th & 19th April "
PRESTO! That is the name of Bowler Dessert’s 8th DVD and its 35
minutes playtime is devoted to just one subject, the playtime we had
at the International Convention that was held last year in Amsterdam.
It is a PAL Region 2 DVD. Whether you were there, like what I was,
there are moments you remember and moments you know you weren’t there
for. Very highly recommembered. Visit
www.bowlerdessert.co.uk to order
from Willie.
Marion Grave tells the L&H Forum about the proposed museum move. “The
move has been a nightmare. The original plan was to move to a
warehouse on the outskirts of town which offered lots of room and free
parking. I have been ready to sign the lease for months and planned to
move in September but the landlord and local supermarket who own the
land have messed me about such a lot I have had to give up the
project.
“I tried to make it work, I had meeting after meeting but just
couldn't get an agreement. Lots of promises have been made but not
kept. Just as I decided we could not go there a room became vacant in
the local cinema which is suitable and I am on my way to the
solicitors to finalize the contract and hope to move and be open at
the end of March.
“After everything moving so slowly for so long this has happened very
quickly and it seems almost like fate. I have not been able to say
anything because I have not known what to say. I have been so upset
about everything going wrong but now I am hoping we can look forward
to a long and happy future. I think everyone will love the new site,
how fitting is that, the stage area of the old cinema right in the
centre of town.
“I hope everyone will now understand the difficult position I have
been in. By the way if anyone would like to help with the move all
offers will be gratefully received.”
Contact Marion on
marion.grave@tiscali.co.uk
Tickets for Ken Dodd’s Show, after he unveils the statue, sold out on
first day.
It is twice the fun when TWO Tents get together for a very special
Sons of the Desert event, and it is happening twice this year! Berth
Marks and Chickens Come Home are organising the 2009 UK Convention in
May, and the Saps At Sea and Laughing Gravy are organising a TWICE TWO
DAY event in Southend, on Saturday 12th September AND Sunday 13th
September.
Sons can arrive in Southend during the day and enjoy the town
that drew with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. At 6pm until midnight at
the Clarence Hall in Central Southend enjoy non-stop live
entertainment. Tickets for the Saturday are £12.
A full programme of events has been arranged for the Sunday and
they are absolutely free to attend.
Contact Roger Robinson on
roger.robinson5@btinternet.com or
01702 526187 or visit
www.saps-at-sea.co.uk or write to the address in
Bowler Dessert. They will help with maps and arranging overnight
accommodation
My name is Michael Ritter from Buch/Germany, a little village (1000
inhabitants.) near Koblenz and Mainz. I'm a member of the Two Tars
Tent (Wolfgang Guenther) in Solingen since 1999.
On Sat. 10th 2009 a couple of friends of the films of Laurel and
Hardy met to found a new tent in our village Buch/Hunsrueck. The
corporate charter was signed by 13 members.
The name of the new tent is FRA DIAVOLO TENT. It was chosen because
the region of Hunsrueck is well known for Johannes Bueckler, the
"Schinderhannes", a bandit chief with a biography very similar to the
biography of Michele Pezza, who was the archetype for Fra Diavolo.
Both bandits fought against French occupation under Napoleon. Johannes
Bueckler was executed in 1803, Michele Pezza in 1806.
The Grand Sheik is
Michael Ritter
Hauptstrasse 9,
D-56290 Buch/Germany
Email:
micky61@gmx.net
Ross Owen
advises me that this footage has just surfaced on the Laurel
and Hardy Forum. It's a rare clip (in colour) of the boys performing
the drivers license sketch.
This clip was shot at the Riverside
theatre in Milwaukee in 1940.
Check out the
LATEST NEWS section
here on the website for more info and to see the footage
Part of Stan Laurel's old school is being put up for sale in the
new
year. The actor attended the King James I Grammar School, in Bishop
Auckland, in 1903, but the block known as the Laurel Building was
already derelict when it was almost destroyed in an arson attack in
March last year.
The 144-year-old Grade II listed classrooms had been empty for seven
years before the fire, but will now be sold for conversion into flats
or commercial use. Stan was a boarder when his father, Arthur, managed
the nearby Eden Theatre.
***************************************************************************************************** The latest newsletter of the One Good Turn Tent from Germany…
Well, it's a German newsletter so... it's in German. But look for
yourself:
http://www.saartent.de/images//13ogt.pdf
Gino Dercola
reports... "I got some great news. The Laurel and Hardy Restaurant in
Zandvoort,
the Netherlands, has reopened. You may recall that the restaurant was
mostly destroyed due to a fire in early August. The restaurant was
filled with some wonderful L&H collectibles and memorabilia that were
destroyed. Thanks to the generosity of many Sons who donated
memorabilia, the restaurant again displays some great collectibles for
patrons to enjoy. I was told the restaurant is more beautiful than
ever. I had the pleasure, along with a number of other Sons, of
visiting the restaurant in July, 2008, as part of my going to the SOD
International Convention in Amsterdam. We had such a
great time. Ron, the owner and also an "Ollie" look-a-like, was such
a gracious host--a true Son of the Desert. We all wish Ron well.
I look forward to one day being able to visit the restaurant again."
Gino Dercola, Any Old Port Tent - Oasis 212, Baltimore, Maryland
Eric Woods
reports about a non-political Party. The Sons of the Desert Statue
Celebration Party
Saturday 18th April 2009 - 7pm till late County Square. Ulverston,
Cumbria, UK Tickets priced at £25
"After years of fund raising, we can finally see the statue of the
Boys presented to the people of Ulverston. Admission to the
celebration evening will be by advanced purchased ticket only.
Capacity of the venue is limited, please get you tickets early to
avoid disappointment.
Tickets are available from Eric Woods - cheques payable to The Come
Clean Tent. Include a stamped addressed envelope [8.5 x 4.25 inch]
for the return of your tickets
Evening Programme
Doors open 7pm
Welcome 7.30
Evening meal 8pm
Presentations 10pm
Sons Entertain 10.15 until late
This Celebration Party will be a non-profit making event, all proceeds
will be donated to the Statue Appeal or the Sons of the Desert Charity
Laurel and Hardy Statue Unveiling Ceremony
Sunday 19th April 2009 County Square, Ulverston, Cumbria, UK
Ken Dodd has agreed to conduct the ceremony in the afternoon of Sunday
19th April. This will be followed by a comedy show featuring Ken Dodd
in the evening in the Coronation Hall. Details of the show will be
published in the New Year, tickets will be available from the
Coronation Hall booking office."
The Laurel and Hardy Statue Appeal for Ulverston
Eric Woods reports that "on 1st December 2008 we have total donations
of £55,278.63p this leaves us just £3,223.37p short of the £58,500
needed
It's so vital that we continue the great fund raising work we have all
put in over the years; We're so close to the finishing line now. Next
April, when we gather in Ulverston to see the Boys unveiled it will
all be worth it. Having done so well with fund raising to date, it
would be wonderful to maintain our pace and be able to finish off the
total funds required in time for the unveiling. So, any donations,
however small, please send them to me, just a few more jiffies and
we've got it!"
NEW DUTCH TENT
Piet Lindner reports "Just to let you know our new tent number is
oasis # 278, The Bohemian Girl Tent, located in Driebergen ( near
Utrecht)in The Netherlands. I already produced a beautiful Bohemian
magazine, 24 pages, full color, for new subscribers. All further info
is to find on the BGT website under
www.laurel-hardy-web.info"
Bacon Grabbers Grand Sheik
completed a unique triple in four days.
On Sunday 12th October he
was in Southend to attend the Saps At Sea 10th birthday
celebrations. The following day he drove to Sheffield for the 20th
Anniversary celebrations of the Brats Tent, and two days later he was back
in Greater Manchester to attend his own Tent’s 19th birthday
meeting!
Bacon Grabbers celebrated its nineteenth
birthday on Wednesday 15th October, but not at our normal venue. We had an
evening of Laurel and Hardy films at The Theatre Organ Heritage Centre in
Urmston. Their Wurlitzer is on a lift so it ascends through the floor,
like they did in some old cinemas, while the organist is playing away, and
we had a mixture of silent shorts with live music accompaniment The irony
is that the organ player was called Allan Crosland. It was a film director
called Alan Crosland who directed the 1927 film, The Jazz Singer, and it
was that film that made so many cinema musicians redundant!
The 16th Annual Laurel and
HarDAY was down on attendances but a great time was had by all who
attended. Our special guest was Jean Darling, whom I was recording for a
future Big Noise Audio Release.
This was the final Day run by the Bacon
Grabbers Tent. The running of the Day has been taken over by the new Tent
for Wigan and Bolton, the Dirty Work Tent.
Here are two sites that show the new Stan
Laurel statue which was dedicated on August 30 in Bishop Auckland. Stan's
cousin, Nancy Wardell, was the special guest of honour. These sites were
sent to me by fellow Son, Dave Tomlinson.
News from Gino Dercola Any Old Port Tent - Oasis 212 - Baltimore, Maryland
As well as the second Monday meeting
mentioned above, the Brats Tent of Sheffield will be celebrating their
20th University in style on 20th Octember with a 'Brats Curry Night' at
the Lajawab Restaurant in Sheffield (This is the closest Monday to
the date of the first ever meeting which was held on 17th Octember).
“We have an added highlight on the night
with Sheffield actor Andrew Shephard performing his own play of The Fiddle
And The Bow - a 'World Premiere' “.
Over the past 20
years Brats have had the following number of officials -
1 Grand Sheik
4 Vice Sheiks
4 Grand Viziers (1 acting for 12 months)
2 SubVice Viziers
2 many Board Members at Large to mention,
but without whose support the Tent would not have survived without!
“Last month a lorry reversed down my road
and knocked over a concrete lamp standard. They replaced it with a metal
one and TODAY a lorry arrived to remove the remains of the broken lamp. In
the process of reversing down the road there was a very loud
CRASHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!. They had backed into
ANOTHER lamp standard and knocked it down !
I had to use ALL my willpower to resist
going over to say ' Another nice mess you have gotten us into '
I was one of those unfortunate buyers of a
fake LH autograph recently on the buyers beware site: http://www.laurelandhardy.org/buyerbewae2.htmI think you should mention these
fake autographs in your column. I have got my money back with the help of
Dave Tomlinson..
