Author of two London history books - Beautiful Idiots & Brilliant Lunatics, and High Buildings, Low Morals. Another book on its way …

New York, USA
Joined September 2009
I went down a rabbit hole when I first saw this Dave Allen clip of a more famous Yes, Prime Minister gag. Some fascinating trivia in this thread.
With the news about the upcoming Dave Allen biopic on BBC2, I read about Dave Allen At Large. And in this edition from 1976, he tells a joke that is now most closely associated with Yes Prime Minister. See for yourself! Anybody with any info on this?
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Most TV is just this now.
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A favorite photo of Kate. Hoyningen-Huene doesn't get name-checked on Twitter often enough.
katharine hepburn in Vanity Fair’s january 1935 issue, photographed by baron george hoyningen-huene
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James Bolam - equipped with comic glasses - is cast in the 1964 ITV Play of the Week production of Noël Coward's Present Laughter as Roland Maule, an aspiring young playwright who is obsessed with West End actor Garry Essendine (Peter Wyngarde). Coward was on hand to advise.
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Peter Wyngarde as self-obsessed actor Garry Essendine in a TV adaptation of Present Laughter, a Noël Coward play. Albert Finney, Peter O'Toole, Ian McKellen, Simon Callow, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. & George C. Scott all played the role, but PW - like Coward - was pitch perfect.
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Peter Cook at the Establishment Club, 18 Greek Street in 1962
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A carefree Audrey Hepburn in one of her home movies in 1956.
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Remembering actor Roddy McDowall, BOTD 1928, in Herne Hill, London. He worked with some of the great film directors, including Fritz Lang and Orson Welles, was a major star on Broadway and excelled in so many classic TV series. I remain a big fan of his artistic range.
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Elsa Lanchester and husband Charles Laughton at their Los Angeles home in 1936.
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I've at last got my old Nickel in the Machine website up and running, and secure too! nickelinthemachine.com
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Never need a reason to share this
Good morning Saturday’s Kids Booker T. & The MG's opened for Creedence Clearwater Revival, at the Oakland Coliseum, 31/01/70 with “Time Is Tight” CCR & fans captivated @NewWaveAndPunk @CrowleyOnAir @FatOldAnarchist @MakingTime60s
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We can do this
Big thanks to John Sweeney for this. An anonymous donor has agreed to double any donation up to £30,000 made to the Cinema Museum Crowdfunder before Midnight on Monday 31st August. PLEASE people, get the word out! The link to the Crowdfunder page is crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-cine…
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50 years on. Released today in 1976 — the Joan Armatrading album. Love and Affection. youtube.com/watch?v=sBohO1zr…
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This is London as I knew it in the 70s.
A Huge Photographic Tour of Royal London in the 1980s - Flashbak buff.ly/LPEJrJG
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If you’ve never heard of Ian Nairn, I urge you to watch this on iPlayer: bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0… Then buy his guide to London buildings. An extraordinary, furious man with a brilliant ability to understand the essence of place.
To London town for customary Ian Nairn pub crawl. He would have been 97 to-day.
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Are cricketers the only people still going to nightclubs?
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To London town for customary Ian Nairn pub crawl. He would have been 97 to-day. – at Salisbury, England
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Rita Moreno’s unforgettable performance of “Fever” on The Muppet Show originally aired in 1976, with Animal wildly backing her on drums. The performance became one of the most memorable moments of her appearance—and it ultimately earned Moreno a Primetime Emmy Award in 1977. 🎶❤️
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the original version sung by Noel Harrison was specifically written for The Thomas Crown Affair for the Steve McQueen glider scene (1968) this slowed down more soulful version was later recorder for the 'Dusty in Memphis' Album suited her voice perfectly Dusty Springfield - The Windmills of Your Mind (1969) ▶️
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