Whatever Works (and the A21)

There is a moment in The Radio Ham when Tony Hancock leans back and says – “ Look at this! Friends from all over the world…….none in this country, but friends all over the world.”

I’m thinking that maybe it’s the same with blogs.

I met Vicky Hollett yesterday. She lives in America, writes a VERY interesting blog and somehow, through cyber-incidence read mine. Of the people I am certain that read mine (sometimes) one is in Ireland the other one in Italy.

Hence my Tony Hancock moment.

The villages around here often have an old, disused yet well preserved Lavoir where the villagers would communally wash and hang out their clothes. From the house where I live this involved an almost two kilometre walk through forest trails.

I don’t know if they did this every day, once a week or once a year – I read that folk used to be smellier – but certainly the moment was one of significant interaction and communication.

In the local town the Lavoir is now a faved hangout for local teenagers who have customised the corner by heavily hanging out their graffiti on the walls. Yesterday I noticed two changes, the authorities had repainted and the youth had replied.

The world keeps changing, sometimes at a pace that befuddles me but yesterday I went to the cinema to see Woody Allen’s new film – Whatever Works – and although I haven’t seen one of his films for a long, long time it seemed to start right off from where I left.

Fortunately some things never change; Woody Allen films, my Aunt Ivy and, unfortunately, the awfulness of the A21 from London to Hastings. But that’s about it.

Even Mars Bars are different! They are smaller…..or is it just that I have grown?

I’ve wittered on before about the way the world betrayed me with Level Crossing Gates (apparently not as a search of my own blog has just shown me), and I have recently expressed my disappointment with Roadside Milestones, but what about telephones?

I have an old British Telecom, I mean Post Office handset, with a beautiful chrome metal dial that just invites you to insert a digit and twirl. Krissie says that people just don’t have the time to wait that long anymore, but I ask you – how much of the world’s obesity problem is caused by this lack of exercise?

That was an attempt to inject a little more Tony Hancock into this post (but I ask you) but in fact I am feeling more and more like the main character in Woody Allen’s film – a grumpy old fellow with whom I uncomfortably identified – especially when everyone else in a restaurant scene got up from the table and left him alone.

Friends all over the world, none at home?

So, am i against all change?

No.

So, what would I change if I could?

1. The spelling of the past form of the verb to read. (See paragraph 3)
2. Time.
3. The A21.