Tonight, from Edinburgh
Nigel has a piece about the arts under Gordon Brown.
And these two men are
Nathan Kiley (left) who plays Tony Blair and James Lark who plays Gordon Brown in "Tony Blair The Musical," sold-out on the Fringe. James wrote it.
We're in Edinburgh, or rather Nigel Wrench is, to talk about the future for the arts in the Brown era.
Nigel says he'll be live, technology permitting, at the Edinburgh Books Festival with the author Louise Doughty, who wonders if Gordon needs writing lessons, and with the playwright Mark Ravenhill as well as something from Tony Blair the musical, and, if Nigel can find him, the comedian Andy Zaltzman.
What will be the Brown equivalent of Cool Britannia?
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Eddie says:
What will be the Brown equivalent of Cool Britannia?
"Brown Britain" obviously.
Yes, it's back to the 1970s when everything was brown (except for stuff that was orange), cords and flares were in and Sparks topped the charts.
SSC - please no! I've lived through that once, don't think I can live through it again.
By not going to the Fringe until this week you have missed the chance to cover the best thing on it - Alan Plater's Tales from the Golden Slipper which was fantastic - and I say that not only because my son was in it, although obviously that has something to do with it.
A friend who went to see "Tony Blair - The Musical" last week tells me that Ian Duncan-Smith's son is one of the actors in it, and there's some in-joke within the piece about that which is very funny. I find that hard, although not impossible, to believe, to be frank...
Has anyone seen "Maggie's End"? Is it worth a look?
Eddie says:
What will be the Brown equivalent of Cool Britannia?
.....Bland UK?
DIY
Fool Britannia?
ah, the '70s, when Curly Wurlys* were bigger, and a Space Hopper or Chopper was the preferred mode of transit
*other chocolate bars are available
Fearless Fred,
I remember Space Hoppers. Boing, boing, boing, boing, Ouch!
The 70's - decimilisation created all sorts of pricing irregularities. 1 1/2 new pence equated to 3d OR 4d. Thus a sherbert fountain (which had been 3d) and a Curly Wurly (4d) ended up being the same price. Rip off if you were a sherbert fountain fan, bargain for the Curly Wurly brigade - until they put them up to 2p.
Oh, and watch out for Cool Kirkcaldy chic
Cool Britannia appeared on the Bonzo Dog Band's Gorilla LP in the early 70s (or even late 60s), so there was nothing modern about Tate Blair.
"Cool Britannia, Britannia you are cool (take a trip).
Britons ever, ever, ever shall be hip."
During one memorable Festival Period, Viv Stanshall, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band vocalist etc extraordinaire, ended up, for reasons too many and varied to go into here, sleeping on the living room floor of our flat, just off the Royal Mile. After he'd polished off our bottle of whisky........
Valery (10), You lead such a glamorous and mysterious life!
Well Appy, that could be lead or led? ;o)