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Sad news that Gareth Gwenlan who directed the first few episodes of Time Gentlemen Please has died. He is better known as the producer of Only Fools and Horses and top BBC executive, but he also helped guide us on the way with this overlooked and ahead of/behind its time sitcom. He was no nonsense and solid and thanks to him we cast Roy Heather (Sid from Only Fools), who died a couple of years ago (but was immortal in the sitcom). The other actor with an Only Fools connection, Kenneth McDonald (Mike the barman) died in 2001, shortly after appearing on our show (tragically young - he was only 50, which sends a shiver through me now). So this means the Time Gentlemen Please/Only Fools and Horses curse has claimed its last victim.
All of them were great company and great at what they did. Sadly missed. Thanks Gareth. RIP.
I didn’t manage to leave the holiday vibe behind on the trip home from Belfast. I had a beer in the airport lounge instead of lunch and then when I was looking round the duty free the assistant asked if I wanted a taste of whisky. Of course I did. But she was a friendly lady and poured three of the small measures into one glass for me to give me a decent shot of the stuff. Although I was mildly aghast at what I was doing I liked the fact that we had both been a little bit naughty and were breaking the rules and it was a welcome bit of friendliness from a stranger.
So I walked round the shops on a slight high and only vaguely feeling like an alcoholic. Another beer on the flight home and I had to concede that my resolution to give up drinking hadn’t gone so well. But maybe I should allow myself to drink in the day. That way the alcohol is out of my system by bed time and I won’t get hangovers. It’s a theory worth testing out. Nights are fun enough anyway. It’s the boring days that you need to get through. Why stop at booze? I might move on to heroins. Just to get me pumped up and fighting fit.
Certainly by the time I was home I was no longer merry, which was lucky as I was in charge of my baby from 4pm. She was initially annoyed to see me and didn’t want to be with me, but quickly the bond returned and we played and watched TV and read a book about hiding babies, to which Phoebe can dp all the necessary actions (peeping, waving, pointing, clapping and dancing). Have I sired a genius? Of course.Whatever, she is getting to be a whole lot of fun at the moment. I can't wait until she can talk. Though the blog is going to be heavy weather for you when that happens.
I was pretty blasted by baby bed time (I think because of the hard work, not the light alcoholism) and I fell asleep on the bed next to the cot, though did wake up in time to watch Game of Thrones. Tomorrow, when I am not flying anywhere, I will return to working and getting fit conditions. Unless someone is handing out free whiskies when obviously I can’t turn that down. If it’s free or included in the price then you have to make the most of it.
