Reasons to be cheerful

[LMcD]

And, of course, Angela Morley (Wally Stott).

The show was, of course, really nothing more than a thinly disguised recruitment campaign for the River Police.

[french frank]

But not Little Jim?

I had forgotten him, along with Henry Crun (who I think knocked around with Minnie Bannister).

Actually, I was never a fan and didn't find the Goons funny, but my brother (and Prince Charles) did. Nor was I amused by Monty Python, the Goodies, Mr Bean (other than sporadically). Or even Fawlty Towers. I preferred the comedies where the characters resembled normal human beings rather more closely. With actors rather than comedians.

[LMcD]

I had forgotten him, along with Henry Crun (who I think knocked around with Minnie Bannister).

Actually, I was never a fan and didn't find the Goons funny, but my brother (and Prince Charles) did. Nor was I amused by Monty Python, the Goodies, Mr Bean (other than sporadically). Or even Fawlty Towers. I preferred the comedies where the characters resembled normal human beings rather more closely. With actors rather than comedians.

Sybil Fawlty is scarily normal, and all of us have surely met at least somebody who closely resembles one of the geeks/nerds/ultra-hobbyists/obsessives that crop up in Monty Python. However, I agree with you about The Goodies and Mr Bean.

[french frank]

Sybil Fawlty is scarily normal, and all of us have surely met at least somebody who closely resembles one of the geeks/nerds/ultra-hobbyists/obsessives that crop up in Monty Python. However, I agree with you about The Goodies and Mr Bean.

Well, my reason to be cheerful is that my humane cat exterminator seems to be working. Not a sign of a feline in my back garden since I installed it.

It doesn't actually exterminate them. When a living thing moves in front of its sensor a red light comes on and it screams: "Exterminate! Exterminate!" and the cats shoots off to save itself. It's apparently the only animal that can hear the sound. That's the theory, but I haven't actually seen a cat at all so it may be me setting it off and keeping them away.

[Bryn]

Well, my reason to be cheerful is that my humane cat exterminator seems to be working. Not a sign of a feline in my back garden since I installed it.

It doesn't actually exterminate them. When a living thing moves in front of its sensor a red light comes on and it screams: "Exterminate! Exterminate!" and the cats shoots off to save itself. It's apparently the only animal that can hear the sound. That's the theory, but I haven't actually seen a cat at all so it may be me setting it off and keeping them away.

Do tell more. I could do with such a device to protect the wild birds visiting my garden. Orange peel is not really doing the trick.

[gurnemanz]

Don't forget announcer/straight man Wallace Greenslade!

I loved the Goon Show. Great for it to appeal to adults and me, aged about 5-10 when it was on in the 50s. I think I was bought a 78 of the Ying Tong Song (to go with my Robin Hood/Davey Crockett disc).

Re announcer/straight man, I remember Douglas Smith who had similar role in the mayhem of Round the Horne.

[Petrushka]

I loved the Goon Show. Great for it to appeal to adults and me, aged about 5-10 when it was on in the 50s. I think I was bought a 78 of the Ying Tong Song (to go with my Robin Hood/Davey Crockett disc).

Re announcer/straight man, I remember Douglas Smith who had similar role in the mayhem of Round the Horne.

Round the Horne was by far my favourite comedy show, even if, as a 1960s teenager, a fair bit of the innuendo passed me by. It's still a wonder they got away with it.

Most TV comedy leaves me cold but I used to love the very dry humour of 'I Didn't Know You Cared' taken from Peter Tinniswood's Uncle Mort books which I already knew.

[Bryn]

. . . I used to love the very dry humour of 'I Didn't Know You Cared' taken from Peter Tinniswood's Uncle Mort books which I already knew.

I went as far as to buy the coxed set. As to Round the Horne, let's not forget Beyond our Ken. The first two series of Brass were very fine, I thought. The third, however, was pretty dire, in comparison.

[Serial_Apologist]

I had forgotten him, along with Henry Crun (who I think knocked around with Minnie Bannister).

Actually, I was never a fan and didn't find the Goons funny, but my brother (and Prince Charles) did. Nor was I amused by Monty Python, the Goodies, Mr Bean (other than sporadically). Or even Fawlty Towers. I preferred the comedies where the characters resembled normal human beings rather more closely. With actors rather than comedians.

Those old comedies were patchy, but hilarious at their best; similar Spike Milligan. But I first felt "grown up" when allowed to stay up an extra hour to watch That Was The Week That Was, as it depended on intellectual sophistication and a bit of knowledge to be appreciated; and it included jazz. Sadness came with the realisation that successive performances of sketches from Beyond The Fringe, eg at The Policeman's Ball, were having to have their jokes explained as they were being delivered - an early sign of cultural dumbing down, to my mind. But my problem with "new humour" began with The Young Ones; I guess that was the moment when I became "middle-aged".

[LMcD]

I loved the Goon Show. Great for it to appeal to adults and me, aged about 5-10 when it was on in the 50s. I think I was bought a 78 of the Ying Tong Song (to go with my Robin Hood/Davey Crockett disc).

Re announcer/straight man, I remember Douglas Smith who had similar role in the mayhem of Round the Horne.

'I, Douglas Smith, play the semi-detached bijou residence (or whatever) .....' to which Kenneth Williams usually replied 'Oh get on with it!'
I share Petrushka's admiration of 'I Didn't Know You Cared', starring the wonderful Robin Bailey.
Both 'Round The Horne' and 'Beyond Our Ken' are broadcast regularly on Radio 4 Extra.

[Dave2002]

Do tell more. I could do with such a device to protect the wild birds visiting my garden. Orange peel is not really doing the trick.

Difficult to know whether they work or not. We had several in the past - mainly to deter squirrels - but those pesky varmints didn't seem to care. What I can't say is whether the problems from cats and other animals would/wouldn't actually have been greater if we hadn't installed them.

[Bryn]

Difficult to know whether they work or not. We had several in the past - mainly to deter squirrels - but those pesky varmints didn't seem to care. What I can't say is whether the problems from cats and other animals would/wouldn't actually have been greater if we hadn't installed them.

I was asking more in terms of manufacturer and designation.

[cloughie]

Round the Horne was by far my favourite comedy show, even if, as a 1960s teenager, a fair bit of the innuendo passed me by. It's still a wonder they got away with it.

Most TV comedy leaves me cold but I used to love the very dry humour of 'I Didn't Know You Cared' taken from Peter Tinniswood's Uncle Mort books which I already knew.

Aye, well mmm! Wonderful - there were some great one-liners in there and Uncle Mort having served through t’First World War’

[french frank]

Do tell more. I could do with such a device to protect the wild birds visiting my garden. Orange peel is not really doing the trick.

CatWatch is the one electronic deterrent endorsed by the RSPB, and apart from the actual destruction and fouling caused by neighbourhood cats, they do keep away the garden birds here - that's my main concern. I have to be honest. No birds have yet been tempted by my various bird attractions either. But I'm still working on that

CatWatch is about £50 per unit and depending on the configuration of your garden you might need more than one. I'm hoping that every time I activate it the cats get the heebiejeebies and stay well away. I have as much sympathy for the cat owners as they have for me.

[Petrushka]

Aye, well mmm!

I used to work with this guy who had a really miserable face, and rarely smiled, but came out with this hilarious dry humour without changing his miserable face in the slightest. It reminded me so much of the characters in 'I Didn't know You Cared' and he genuinely couldn't understand why the office was laughing at everything he said.