Hello Laurel & Hardy friends,

Our next film show will be next Wednesday, June 21st,  7.30pm till 10.30pm at the THE BRIDGE INN on Longmoor Lane, Sandiacre NG10 5LW –  in the outside function room as per usual.

All are welcome and entry is free.

It was great seeing so many of you at the Bull Inn – the weather was brilliant and I’m so pleased that we could put on an impromptu film show in the backyard.  Thanks again for you support.

Next Wednesday we will continue our celebrations of the 133rd university of the birth of Arthur Stanley Jefferson (Stan Laurel) with a showing of one of his finest feature films with Ollie in the “A Chump at Oxford” from 1940.  Stan plays his “usual” self….as well as demonstrating his comedy actor prowess playing a completely opposite character in the form of Lord Paddington…a don from the university of Oxford.

We will also be showing a number of other short subjects where Stan plays a key role.  We will also be showing a very short documentary on Stan Laurel’s yacht – the Ruth Laurel aka The Ida May, and if time a number of other items.

We will also continue our history of L&H cartoons with a short Disney cartoon from 1939 entitled “Mother Goose goes Hollywood”, which presents one of the best characterisations of the Boys in cartoons along with other Hollywood stars of the time.

We will have the usual raffle and toasts, all donations are gratefully accepted.  And yes…they’ll be some birthday cake!

As a one-off, our July film show will be delayed by a week to the 4th Wednesday in the month..from July 19th to Wednesday July 26th when we will show short films by popular request.  I’ll put a list together of short films we haven’t seen in a while so that you can chose.   Our August meeting will go back to the usual 3rd Wednesday…August 16th when we’ll show another 1940s Fox feature films.

Hello Laurel & Hardy friends,

Just a quick reminder that you are all invited to an”informal”, unplanned and possibly chaotic, social gathering  this Saturday, June 10th at the Bull Inn.  The good news is that I’ve been given the green light to put on an improvised L&H film show in the skittle hall or in the pub’s lounge. Also, in the morning, we will be conducting our usual walkabout of Barkston village. This is to lay flowers on AJs grave and to visit the Plough Inn, Olgas first pub….first visited by the Boys in March 1947.

So, I can confirm timings for Saturday are:-

11am at the Stag inn, Barkston– for a walk around the village from the Stag Inn to the Barkston & Syston cemetery where AJ is buried, then,  onto 22 West Street where the Plough inn is located. I will probably be in the village a little bit earlier (about 10am) to tidy up the grave. We’ll leave Barkston at around 12.30pm to go to Bottesford.

1pm, Bottesford for some free time, sandwich lunch and a walkabout for an hour…I’ve always wanted to visit St Mary’s church and its tall spire.

2pm at the Bull Inn – chance to enjoy a relaxing time in Olga’s 2nd pub, the pub that the Boys visited a number of times during their 1950s tours. We will put on an improvised film show.  We’ll probably conclude about 5pm.

As per usual – all are welcome.

So, hopefully, we’ll see you on Saturday. Please bring friends and family – all are very welcome.

Also don’t forget we’ll be back at the Bridge Inn on Wednesday, June 21st to celebrate Stan’s 133rd birthday with a showing of A Chump from Oxford.

Fraternally Yours,

Dave T

(Grand Sheikh – Nottingham Beau Hunks tent)

Hello Laurel & Hardy friends,

Our next film show will be next Wednesday, May 17th,  7.30pm till 10.30pm at the THE BRIDGE INN on Longmoor Lane, Sandiacre NG10 5LW –  in the outside function room as per usual.

All are welcome and entry is free.

This month is our  “Nothing but Mae” film show in tribute to the eternally ever-popular Mae Busch.  Though her birthday is next month (June 18th), its always over-shadowed by Stan’s birthday just two days before – so it has now become our annual fixture to pay tribute to one of our favourite supporting actresses a month earlier – in Mae….indeed, the month that was named after her wasn’t it?   Though she was a major silent film star, infact a million dollar babe of the 1920s where many of the films she appeared in grossed a million dollars, she was actually a year younger than Stan, born June 18th 1891.  I intend to show nothing but a series of Laurel & Hardy short films in which the eternally ever-popular Mae Busch provides a supporting, and in one film, a top billing role!

We will also continue our history of L&H cartoons with a short cartoon from 1939 entitled “Art Gallery” , where a statue of Nero comes to life and sets fire to a painting of Rome.  In a panic a lot of the other paintings come to life – including one of a tearful Stan Laurel…watch out for the Marx Brothers and another Mae…Mae West.

We will have the usual raffle and toasts, all donations are gratefully accepted.

Our June film show will be on the usual third Wednesday in the month..June 21st when we will be celebrating Stan’s 133rd birthday and showing one of his finest feature films with Ollie, as Lord Paddington in the “A Chump at Oxford” from 1940. Due to circumstances beyond my control, our July film show will have to be delayed by a week from July 19th to Wednesday July 26th – but I will confirm that nearer the time.

As mentioned last month we won’t be holding a “formal”, fully planned out film show at the Bull Inn in June. However, instead, you are all invited to an”informal”, unplanned and possibly chaotic, social gathering on the afternoon of Saturday June 10th at the Bull Inn.  If I can get the appropriate permissions from the pub, I’ll put together an improvised film show of film shorts in the pub’s L&H lounge. In the morning, we will however be conducting our usual walkabout of Barkston village. This is to lay flowers on AJs grave and to visit the Plough Inn, Olgas first pub….first visited by the Boys in March 1947.

So, provisionally timings for June 10th are..

11am at the Stag inn, Barkston– for a walk around the village from the Stag Inn to the Barkston & Syston cemetery where AJ is buried then onto 22, West street where the Plough inn is located. I will probably be in the village a little bit earlier (about 10am) to tidy up the grave. We’ll probably leave Barkston at 12.30pm to go to Bottesford.

1pm, Bottesford for free time, sandwich lunch and a walkabout for an hour…I’ve always wanted to visit St Mary’s church and its tall spire.

2pm at the Bull Inn –chance to enjoy a relaxing time in Olga’s 2nd pub, the pub that the Boys visited a number of times during their 1950s tours. We will hopefully get a film show running.  We’ll probably conclude about 5pm.

All are welcome – i’ll write to remind/finalise everything nearer the time.

Finally,”Another Fine Fest” is on Saturday and Sunday June 17th/18th in Ulverston.This is a 2-day free public street festival with street theatre, carnival acts, bands, artists, and other entertainmentloosely celebtating the life/comedy of Ulverston’s most famous son…Stan Laurel.I suspect the L&H Museum will be open.A few of us are going – you are welcome to join us.

Hello Laurel & Hardy friends,

Our next film show will be next Wednesday, April 19th,  7.30pm till 10.30pm at the THE BRIDGE INN on Longmoor Lane, Sandiacre NG10 5LW –  in the outside function room as per usual.

All are welcome and entry is free.

Last month we screened the Boys first feature film for the Fox film studios, Great Guns (1941).  This month we’ll show the one before….this was their last feature for the Hal Roach studios, entitled Saps at Sea (1940).  Quite unbelievably we haven’t seen this since summer 2017…so it’s well overdue a screening.

This month we’ll be paying yet another birthday tribute to very important Laurel & Hardy supporting player…..Edgar  Livingston  Kennedy, who was born  April 26th, 1890.    I’m hoping to show at least three short films of his appearances with the Boys….including the wonderful “Night Owls”.  Time permitting we’ll also re-show the alternate ending to this film from the Spanish phonetic version entitled “Ladrones”.

We’ll also show another Porky Pig cartoon with a L&H connection with thanks to Ant & Jo Mitchell-Waite. There’ll be the usual raffle – all donations gratefully accepted….and of course the loyal toasts.

Our May and June film shows will be on the usual third Wednesdays in the month. May 17th and June 21st.  It’s all about Mae in our May meeting as we celebrate Mae Busch’s birthday…a month early!!  This is because our June meeting will be reserved for celebrating Stan’s 133rd birthday where we’ll be showing “A Chump at Oxford”.

For various reasons we’ve decided that we won’t be holding a “formal” , fully planned out , and broadly advertised, film show at the Bull Inn in June this year.  However, instead, you are all invited to an”informal”, unplanned and possibly chaotic, social gathering on the afternoon of Saturday June 10th at the Bull Inn.  If I can get the appropriate permissions from the pub, I’ll take the projector and screen and put together an improvised film show of film shorts in the pub’s L&H lounge. In the morning, we will however be conducting our usual walkabout of Barkston village.  This is to lay flowers on AJs grave and to visit the Plough Inn, Olgas first pub….first visited by the Boys in March 1947. I’ll finalise all the meeting times etc nearer the time. A number of Sons (and daughters) of the Desert have already shown an interest.

If you feel short of a complete L&H fix in June why not join a few of us at the “Another Fine Fest” on Saturday and Sunday June 17th/18th in Ulverston. This is a 2-day, free, public street festival with street theatre, carnival acts, bands, artists, and other entertainment loosely celebrating the life/comedy of Ulverston’s most famous son…Stan Laurel.  I suspect the L&H Museum will be open throughout.  You can Google the festival online.

Hello Laurel & Hardy friends,

Our next film show will be next Wednesday, March 15th,  7.30pm till 10.30pm at the THE BRIDGE INN on Longmoor Lane, Sandiacre NG10 5LW –  in the outside function room as per usual.

All are welcome and entry is free.

This month we’ll be daring to show a feature film from the their 1940s period with 20th century Fox film company.  Their days at the Hal Roach studios ended in 1940 with the release of A Chump at Oxford and Saps at Sea.  In 1941 they were contracted to make a number of B-movie feature films for Fox.  The  Boys appeared in a total of 6 films with this company….and we will be showing their first in the sequence of 6 which was entitled “Great Guns”  from 1941.  It is often viewed amongst L&H aficionados that  these films  are not as good as those produced for the Hal Roach Studios – mostly blamed as a result of they losing a lot of control in scripting and on-set film production.  So, consequently, we don’t show them that often at film meets….but saying all that….these are Laurel & Hardy films and they do have many very good highlights including  some reworking of sequences and gags that have been copied from previous Roach studios films.  This will be our first screening of “Great Guns” since April 2010…..so its well over due for an airing.   So, don’t be put off – I think you will be pleasantly surprised.  And, of course you’ll get to know who Penelope is.

This month we’ll also be paying a birthday tribute to not one but two Laurel & Hardy supporting players.  First, as it was Jean (Jeannie Weenie) Harlow’s birthday on March 3rd (1911), we will be starting the evening by showing one of the silents she appeared with the Boys in 1929.   Later we will show a rare fan-dubbed talkie version of the film that Jean is best recommembered for – “Double Whoopee“.  Our second birthday tribute is to our favourite villain….Walter “Mugsy-Tiger”  Long whose birthday it was on March 6th (1879) – I’m hoping to show one of his best talkie shorts with the Boys….the boxing brilliant film “Any Old Port“.

We’ll also show another cartoon with a L&H connection thanks to Ant & Jo Mitchell-Waite. There’ll be the usual raffle – all donations gratefully accepted….and of course the loyal toasts.

So, hopefully, we’ll see you next Wednesday.  Please bring friends and family – all are very welcome.

Fraternally Yours,

Dave T

(Grand Sheikh – Nottingham Beau Hunks tent)