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Latest
News
(added August 12th 2008)
The Laurel & Hardy
Cafe/Restaurant In Holland
The
Laurel & Hardy Forum
writes...
To all Sons... today I am going to ask you
to donate £1 (or $2) in aid of the Laurel and Hardy Cafe in the
Netherlands which was tragically destroyed by a fire this week.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY
I urge you all to dig into your pockets and help ensure the
restoration of this establishment which has many times been kind
host to sons worldwide.
Everyone who donates will receive a receipt for their
contribution.
If you would like to make a donation please email me at
ross@laurelandhardyforum.com for more details or...
To make your donation using paypal you can use
the following link
www.intratentjournal.com/donate.htm
If you wish to donate more, that is your perrogative. All funds
raised will be passed on to Ron and Gerda and every person who
donates will be mentioned on the card presented to them along
with the money we raise.
Donations should be sent in no later than October 31st.
Memorabilia Donations
Roger
Robinson writes...
RE the Laurel
and Hardy Cafe:
As you may have seen on Bowler Online, I have volunteered to
collate and deliver any memorabilia that UK Sons may like
to donate. I will be at the Statue Unveling in Bishop Auckland
on 30/8/08 and also at the Laurel and Harday on 6/9/08 so Sons
can personally give items to me on those occasions. Items can be
also be posted to me. I will take all donated items personally
to the Netherlands (date to be arranged, but logically this will
be in 2 or 3 months time).
If you can put
this information on your Websites it will be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Roger
For more details about donating memorabilia, Roger can be
contacted at
roger.robinson5@btopenworld.com
**************************************************************
(added August 10th 2008)
So Long Dougie
Doug Rimmer passed
away on Sunday 1st June in his local hospice. He had
been fighting cancer for some time. We thought he was winning
the battle, but this awful disease came back with a vengeance
and took our friend away. He was a founder
member of The Live Ghost tent of London and a tent officer. He
was also an early member of the
Helpmates tent of Medway,
Kent. He attended
his first international convention at Hollywood 80 and then
became a familiar friendly face at many subsequent conventions. Words
can not convey
how we feel, but here are some of the comments from Sons of the
Desert around the world.
I
am sure that Dougie's
friends will not mind their words being repeated here.
Tributes
This is such tragic
news and quite a shock because it happened so quickly. Dougie
never had a bad word to say about anybody and he was extremely
well liked by everybody. He was so proud to be aSon of the
Desert and this is a very sad day for all in our society. I can't
believe Iwill never see him again. At least the suffering is
over and he is now with his great friend Happy Harry - and
perhaps a few others.
Del Kempster, The Live Ghost tent,
London
Dougie was one of the
sweetest persons I've
ever met. He always had that elfish twinkle in his eyes. He
started a tradition several years ago of giving me some type of
"pig"
item at each
convention because of the Bacon Grabbers connection. (I think
I'm the only person in the states with a pig purse, thanks to
Dougie. Don't
let it ever be said that you can't
make a purse out of a sow's
ear -- I have proof it's
possible.) Truly, truly will miss him so much.
Marcia
Opal,
Bacon Grabbers tent, Chicago.
I am absolutely
stunned! I am typing this with tears in my eyes at the loss of
such a gentle soul. Please extend my condolences to the family.
Carol Rugh, One Good Turn tent, Connecticut
It's
VERY sad news. The last time I saw Dougie was at the last
Convention I attended which was Nashville. It's
hard to imagine a person SO full of life not being there
anymore. I always looked forward to hearing from him at
Christmas time. We shared the same love of roller coasters and
he'd
always report to me on which coaster he had conquered during the
summer. But more than that. he reported on his family and what
he did during the year and that alone made up for not seeing him
at the conventions that I had missed during the past few years.
It's always the gentle souls that touch everyone's heart. Dougie
was certainly one of those souls.
Jack Roth, NY Founding
tent
Sad news indeed,
another great Son moves on to the great Oasis in the other
place, he was a great character, we will all miss him. Add his
name to the list of friends who have moved on, we enjoyed their
company and now have our memories. Dougie was a great guy, such
good company, a sad loss.
Eric Woods, Come Clean tent,
Lancashire
I have sent the word
out to the Brothers in New Jersey who are calling me in shock
and sorrow over the loss of our dear friend and honorary member
of the Flying Deuces. I included you in the roster as I thought
you would understand the fortitude and positive attitude that
Doug carried with him. I share your sadness in losing such a
wonderful young man.
Alan Hembrough, Flying Deuces tent,
New
Jersey
We will all cherish
knowing Dougie and enjoying his company at the Laurel & Hardy
events over many years.
Roger Robinson, Saps At Sea tent,
Essex
I
am just dazed and
heartbroken by this news. Certain people brought a family
feeling to the Sons and made it extra
special. Dougie
and people like him are the reason I'm in it.
Dave Greim,
Way Out West tent, California
I am deeply saddened
by the news. I last saw him at the last convention
and how sad he was that Happy Harry
wasn't
with him. He was a great guy always very friendly and a true Son
.... I feel he will be taken
under
Harry's
wing and be in a
far better place. It is another sad loss to the Sons and I wish
that I could
attend the
funeral;
I will be there
in spirit.
Bill Winfield, Cyprus
Can't
find
the
right
words to
say
- How we will
miss our Dougie - the world will be a sadder place now he is
no
longer
with us.
Jean
& Jim Stevens,
The
Live
Ghost tent,
London
Such
very
sad
news. Dougie was such a lovely guy & I always thought that
he & Happy Harry
were a bit of
a
double act too! We'll
all miss him but he has left us with many happy memories,
God bless him.
Gareth
Evans, The
Live
Ghost
tent,
London
Dougie
was a real
friend
to everyone in the Sons. He always
had a big smile
and
a
friendly comment for
anyone he met.
It's
hard to believe
he is gone,
but we can rest
assured that
he & Happy Harry
are now probably
the new official
greeters at the gates of Heaven. Let's
all
raise a pint and
toast - Dougie! .
Bugsy,
Flying Deuces
tent New
Jersey
I
am
a
bit numb after the news.
We all should grieve with a bit of a smile on our faces,
because after
spending
a
few
moments with Dougie, that is how he left us.
No more moments
with Dougie as he has left
us
for
the last
time,
but those moments
will live forever!
Dennis
Turcheck,
Ohio
Dougie Rimmer
was one of the
nicest,
kindest
people anyone
could or had the pleasure to meet. Roy and I
met him
along with Happy
Harry on our Convention
to
England. I sat
down with Harry,
at
a
Pub where we
were
all
gathered
and
felt
like I had met my
long lost friends.
I wrote to Harry until he died and I
also
wrote
on the internet
with
Dougie. We will
miss
Dougie
like we miss Harry and hopefully,
they are starting
our
Club
in Heaven
where
we can
all
meet
and continue
the happiness
we knew when we were with them. Love
always
to both
of
you,
Dougie and Harry.
Sheran
and
Roy
Rioux, Florida
It is
amazing
what
a group
the
Sons has become. More than
just
a
bunch of guys who watch
Laurel & Hardy,
we have
become family.
We expect
to see each other every couple of years like at family reunions.
Losing Dougie Rimmer is like losing a
cast member from the Roach studio
- an empty
place is now where he used
to
be.
Thanks
to memories, pictures
and videos we can relive the fun we have all had.
Bill
Oates,
Flying
Elephants
tent,
Indiana
I first
met Dougie Rimmer
in Hollywood
'80
(or was it Detroit
'82).
We became
good friends however
at the
first
UK convention
in '84. I still remember playing pool with him
for hours downstairs at the Cumbria Grand
Hotel.
We corresponded at least once or twice a year for every year via
letter (and who could forget
his Xmas
message
every year that came with his Xmas card). When he finally
had e-mail
we
wrote
back and
forth
all the
time. In fact my
wife Tammi wrote to him at least once a week up until recently.
When he told
her/us
that he'd
had
a
relapse we both
were shocked and alarmed because prior to then his spirits were
high
and all
he was talking
about
was
Amsterdam
and our post-convention
trip around Europe. I had the privilege
of
having both
Dougie
and Happy Harry
stay
at my house
after
the
Columbus
'04
convention
along
with 3
members
of
the Swiss
Miss tent
(Peter,
Archana
& Gerard)
plus Gary from
the NM Busy Bodies tent. Yes,
I
did have
a house
full.
Prior to
all
of us coming to my house
we all
went
to
Niagara
Falls and
then
we stopped
at the
Corning
Glass
Works in Corning NY. Dougie was so worried about Happy Harry.
This of
course
wasn't
needed because
Harry ran circles
around
the
6 of us. Two
years
later
before the Georgia Convention I
again had
the
honor of
Dougie coming over
and staying
at my house
about
a week before it
was time to drive
to the
convention.
I
don't
think he quite
got
over
the fact that
Happy
Harry
was not going to
be at
this
convention
(remember
at
this
time
Harry was
still
alive).
I
took
him to a place in north western
NJ that's
known
by everyone
in this area
called
"Hot
Dog Johnnies.
Whenever the 3 of
us
(Tammi,
Gary
and me)
asked
him
where
he'd
like to eat the
response was always the same
-
"Hot
Dog Johnnies".
Between hot dogs
and
Pennsylvania
style birch beer he was
in
heaven.
When it was time to drive to
the
convention I don't
think
we went by
any
candy,
snack,
or souvenir store
without him mentioning that he'd
like to go in. This also applied to Harley-Davidson motorcycle
dealerships. My wife Tammi first met Dougie and Happy Harry at
Nashville
'02.
Tammi and Dougie immediately hit it off and soon after the
convention is when they started e-mailing back and forth. Both
Tammi and I will miss him both at conventions and at getting his
email messages.
Glenn
Campbell,
NY
Founding Tent
I
want
to
add
my thoughts to the long list of Sons paying tribute to our dear
Dougie Rimmer. Yes,
he was
simply
one
of the nicest,
sweetest people one could ever meet. The more one got to know
him,
the more caring
and
honest he seemed to become.
He was simply
what we should all strive to be in our lives.
Money mattered
very
little to him. It was friendship he treasured the most. He
couldn't
do enough for his friends. I had
the
pleasure to room with him in Georgia and was expecting to share
a room with him again in Amsterdam.
A bunch of us were
also
planning an extended Europe trip afterwards,
and his death
(although somewhat
anticipated) came
as quite a shock. Prior to the Georgia convention,
Dougie and I took
a two-day trip upstate
New York to a little lake I used to visit as a kid. He wanted to
see the Catskill Mountains that Ira Schprintzen
was always raving about,
and I wanted to
see the lake again
after
45 years. The lake wasn't
all that
much,
and I was a bit
concerned he might be disappointed. But Dougie could find
tremendous joy in a butterfly
or a chipmunk. We simply enjoyed the peacefulness of the place,
toasted the memory of Ira, and had a wonderful trip. When it was
time to leave the little cabin we rented, he insisted that we
had to make the beds. I told him, "But Dougie, they won't know
we slept in them." But that was Dougie. He couldn't leave things
unkempt. I'll remember that wonderful trip always. Dougie also
had a wonderful time spending July
forth with us (myself and Glenn and Tammi Campbell). He was
quite an Americafile -- and was thrilled to see firsthand how we
celebrate our independence from Great Britain. The whole time he
was here he kept saying how his stomach was so upset. Who knew
it was the start of such an ordeal for him? So, on my road trip
from Albuquerque to Pennsylvania I drove right through Columbus,
Ohio. It was all
very strange,
since the
last
time I drove that
route was when I drove Dougie and Happy Harry back from
Pennsylvania to the Columbus Airport (to fly home to England).
Now, within a year they are both gone. Which only proves that
we
should
all treasure each other and the times we have together. But
there,
I've
just described our Dougie
again.
We're
really
going to miss him.
Gary
Logsted,
Busy
Bodies
tent,
Albuquerque
I was
just going
through some of the emails I have shared with Doug in the past.
I must admit it is a little
hard
to
see
the computer
screen because I'm
a little teared up. This particular poem of his is one of my favorites
because it always brings a smile to my face.
He was simply one
REALLY SPECIAL person.
Kat
White,
Dancing Cuckoos tent, Michigan
.
PINK SOCKS:
BY DOUGLAS W RIMMER
I
WASH
MY CLOTHES WITHOUT A CARE
I PUT
MY
SHEETS
WITH UNDERWEAR
I
DIDN'T
KNOW THE COLOUR WOULD RUN
NOW
MY LAUNDRY
IS EVERY COLOUR UNDER THE SUN
BUT
WORST
OF ALL I'VE
GOT PINK SOCKS
AND
MY NIECE THINKS IT'S
FUNNY
I
ASKED
HER NOT TO TELL THE WORLD
I
EVEN
OFFERED HER MONEY
BUT
HER UNCLE DOUG IN BRIGHT PINK SOCKS IS JUST
TOO GOOD TO HIDE.
SO
NOW
THE WHOLE
WORLD KNOWS MY FATE
EVEN
SAINT
PETER AT THE GOLDEN GATE
BUT
THEY ARE
CLEAN AND I DON'T
CARE
GOOD
JOB
SHE DIDN'T SEE MY UNDERWEAR.
"Sorry, we are on our way to meet up with Stan and
Ollie!"
**************************************************************
(added August 8th 2008)
Henry
Sorenson's 2008 ITJ Index
Henry
Sorenson's 2008 ITJ Index is now available. It is a wonderful
review of all the ITJ has done over a 34 year period and
contains a complete listing of the articles and their authors
organised by subject matter. It also features many other
listings and facts, valuable for those conducting research on
Laurel and Hardy and the sons. The index is 29 pages in length
and will be sent to anyone requesting it for $10 which covers
printing, handling and postage expenses.
Make a check payable to the ITJ and send to: ITJ, 2230 Country
Club Drive, Huntington Valley, PA, 19006, USA.
**************************************************************
(added July 29th 2008)
Amsterdam ’08
Convention Highlights
Almost 300 Sons
of the Desert from throughout the world attended the Amsterdam
Convention in the Netherlands from July 9-13, 2008. It was a marvelous gathering featuring songs, banquets, films,
memorabilia sales, sightseeing trips and more. Intra-Tent
Journal summer issue number 129 describes it all.
What a great
job accomplished by the Perfect Day tent! They were everywhere
doing everything. The Convention was held at the Avifauna Hotel
and Bird Park in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn. The famous
Rhine River was not far away. It was a great place for a
convention. The bird park featured many breeds of exotic birds
from throughout the world. There were some exotic breeds of Sons
that also came from throughout the world.
Some pre-Convention
tours took place on Monday and Tuesday before the Convention, on
July 11 and 12. We saw much of this beautiful country including
agricultural growing areas, dairy farms, those wonderful Dutch
wind mills, modern wind turbines, canals, boats, and an ancient
ship yard. We saw the cities of Volendam and Rotterdam and the
ladies visited the Delftware Plant. Porcelain never looked so
good and was so expensive. It did rain a bit during those days
but it didn’t dampen our spirits one bit.
Congratulations to
Sacramento, California in the USA where the next Convention will
be held in June of 2010.
The opening
dinner was on Wednesday evening, July 9th. The
Fardouze Honolulu Dancers entertained. Naturally their opening
number was “Honolulu Baby.” Other great numbers followed. A
throw-back group from the 1960’s titled The WannaBeatles
followed. The traditional Parade of Tents never really came off
but was held later in the Convention.
On Thursday the
10th, we boarded coaches and headed to the Tuschinski
Theatre in Amsterdam for a tour and lecture on the history of
this great edifice. Following that we boarded canal boats and
floated through this beautiful city. Venice, Italy has nothing
on the canals of Amsterdam. We passed the Anne Frank House that
was visited by many at the Convention.
That afternoon some
Sons visited the “red light district” of the city. (We think
they only looked.) That evening back at the hotel, we viewed an
illustrated lecture by the UK’s A. J. Marriot on the life of
Stan Laurel. On Friday the 11th
the traditional “pee wee” and golf competitions were held with
many participants trying their luck. The
Grand Council was held later that morning.
In the afternoon we sailed on canal
boats to the lovely city of Leiden. That evening we had a
magnificent buffet banquet followed by an open air film show
including popcorn. On Saturday the
12th, we saw a magnificent show at the Tushinski
Theatre followed that night by a final banquet.
Highlights of the
convention included impressionists Jamie McKenna and Bill Levy
as Laurel and Hardy. They literally “stole” the Convention. No
better team has ever existed since the real Stan and Babe. The
convention also featured the lovely Jean Darling of “Our Gang”
fame.
We said our final
goodbyes on Sunday the 13th at a high tea. It is
always hard to leave when you’ve greeted so many long time
friends and met so many new ones in the Sons. The greatest
accomplishment of all the Conventions has been to bring us
closer together in our love for Laurel and Hardy. We look
forward to Sacramento, 2010. |
