Battle of Pearl Harbour

… as re-enacted for us now by the women of Barley Townswomen’s Guild

Review – Tracys Tits and Other Stories

It’s only a matter of time before the police swoop on the publishers and confiscate all copies of Tracy’s Tits by Ponty author Amanda Weeks … so I thought I’d better blog a review here pretty sharp.

Tracy’s Tits is a collection of short stories by Amanda Weeks, a fresh and exciting new voice writing from Pontypridd, the second-most important South Wales Valleys town after Aberdare.

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Review on Rob Brydon in Brecon

Photo of Rob Brydon (left) by Irregular Shed

If only Rob Brydon was prescribed on the NHS in Wales. We could get well sooner and save so much money by just learning to laugh at ourselves and avoiding all those happy pills.

Brydon rocked the house in Brecon last night. Theatr Brycheiniog is quite a small theatre at nearly five-hundred seats but it felt much more intimate than some of the larger venues on his tour. Sitting in seat AA1 might have helped me feel closer to the action too.

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Gwasanaeth Cyfieithu ‘Bananas’ Woody Allen

Mae hwn yn ein atgoffa ni o gyfarfod cyhoeddus Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg yn Aberdar.

Discovering Gavin and Stacey

Better late than never… this Christmas we discovered the television comedy Gavin and Stacey, thanks to a gift from a kind uncle. The comedy was written by Ruth Jones and James Corden.

It was a thrilling discovery. We had to pause the DVD several times to try and recover from fits of hysterical laughter.

Gavin and Stacey is a lovely romantic comedy romp, with a strong Welsh flavour.

There were one or two scenes that really tickled the heart-strings in a big way. We fought (and failed) to hold back the tears watching the scene with Rob Brydon on the way to the Church with his niece.

Rob Brydon was absolutely excellent. He recently appeared in a one-man show in the Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. How we now wish we had gone to see him!

The humour in Gavin Stacey is reminiscent of Rhondda playwright Frank Vickery. In the words of Smithy, the best mate of the show’s Essex hero, it’s “a Welsh thing”.

*

The drama revolves around a romance which begins over the telephone between a twenty-something girl from Barry Island, Wales, and a young man from Essex. The following is an excerpt from a conversation at the beginning of the first show, between Stacey and her pensioner neighbour Doris. Doris offers ‘romance tips’ to Stacey on her forthcoming blind-date in London :

Doris : Hiya Stacey

Stacey : Alright Doris, how’s the leg ?

Doris : Oh love, I wish they’d cut the bugger off.

Stacey : Oh you don’t mean that.

Doris : Oh yes I do. You ‘and me the axe, I’ll do it myself. You still going up London then on your blind date ?

Stacey : It’s not really a blind date. I mean, we’ve been talking for six months on the phone. We just haven’t met in the flesh like.

Doris : What time you off ?

Stacey : First thing. Dave’s coaches. I’m cacking myself I am.

Doris : Stace love, you’ve got to chill out. Thing to remember is don’t go giving him nothing on the first night.

Stacey : Really ?

Doris : Well, no, not nothing… A kiss, a cuddle, a cheeky finger… just don’t go selling him the whole farm.

We eagerly await the second-series which is in the making.

Night on the Tiles at Aberdare

If only the playwright Frank Vickery was available on the NHS ! Imagine how many ailments could be cured through comedy therapy. But don’t wait until your local GP can prescribe Frank Vickery for you… visit your local Coliseum Theatre this week where A Night on the Tiles, Frank Vickery’s latest pacey comedy, is running until Saturday.

Retail Comedy

One bale of hay in Focus DIY store Aberdare… twelve pounds and seventy five pence. Pure retail comedy.

The people’s flag is palest pink

Madonna makes a rare visit to Aberdare for a concert at Rock Grounds…

Bust Up in Bombay over Boobs

A typing error by a journalist at the Bombay Leader newspaper has sparked mass rioting at the Indian city’s travel agents with fights breaking out over air flights to visit Aberdare this weekend.

A news story was printed claiming that “Ann Clwyd MP will be unveiling her bust at Rock Grounds Aberdare“.

The Bombay journalist tried to translate the news story that Ann Clwyd MP will be unveiling a bust of Keir Hardie the very first Labour MP at Rock Grounds Aberdare on Saturday 2nd December 2006.

Internet Police, Pull Over

Leighton Andrews Assembly Member for Rhondda, you are hereby charged … with driving your website at very high speeds but with no Search Facility.

So your constituents can’t read what you’ve said in the past.

This is a dangerous way to drive a website Mr Andrews.

Being able to Search your website is very important, as you know.

As this is your first Internet Offence, you will receive a caution Mr Andrews.

Good day and safe surfing.

King of Comedy

The King of Comedy… it’s the one… the only Mr Elvis Preseli.

Geraint Benney is the only bald, Welsh-speaking Elvis in the world.

Wonderfully photographed by Morganne Bajai

Click here for a LARGE version of this photograph.

The King of Comedy makes a great desktop wallpaper