Sunday 27 September 2009

A sheer delight....

It is nice to finally tread on my own floor boards once again....

I sat down last evening, poured a glass of something reviving, lit a small cheroot (an absolute weekend treat) and tuned in to A Prairie Home Companion. One of the BBC digital radio channels (7) broadcasts the previous weeks US show - and I am absolutely hooked.

I was a fan from day one of the wonderful Lake Wobegone novels of Garrison Keillor. His humour is so dry, understated and not a little eccentric. The antics of the people of Lake Wobegon and it's surroundings are just so easy to laugh with, rather than at.

The radio programme is a wonderful mix of music, the driest humour, sage advice and anecdotes. My apologies to any Americans reading - I'm sure you know all this already....lol.


Here he talks about the rising genre of 'old' radio shows.

As he says at the end of the show.....

Lake Wobegon,
Where the women are strong,
The men are good looking
and the children are above average.......

Have a grand week all.......



10 comments:

  1. Love-love-love Garrison Keillor.

    Good to hear you're feelin' the squeak of your own floor boards once again, Mick.

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  2. I'm a long-time fan of Keillor as well. His eclectic programs with interesting musical artists and silly sketches and banter and sometimes a nice ballad by Garrison himself, it's just a delightful show.

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  3. There was a film. Garrison Keillor played himself. It also had Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin and others I don't recall. It was a cute movie.

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  4. Yes, I saw the movie. Have read his books and have one of his CD's Songs of the Cat which is absolutely hilarious.

    I am a long time fan of Prairie Home Companion. Love all the "fake" ads like the Kitty Boutique with the decorator cats.

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  5. This is totally new to me so I will have to research. But what I will say is that is it so refreshing to hear that other people listen to the radio as well and also refreshing to know that there are some who admit to a glass of something reviving and a cheroot or two!

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  6. I love Garrison Keiler as well Michael. I particularly love the bit where they try to make the Stars and Stripes but take it in turns to go up the tower to see what it looks like, so that it is never complete! Have a good week too.

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  7. I have been a long-time fan. I actually got to see him in person in a "one-person" show where he did a very very long "Lake Woebegon" monologue. It was quite lovely. I believe Robert Altman's last film was the Prairie Home Companion movie (Lilly Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline). You might want to rent it!

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  8. Hi Michael,

    I've not read or listened to Mr Keillor although I'm aware of him. Perhaps I should give this show a try. Hope you're able to stay home a while!

    BTW, my Dad was a fan of the Hillman minx; even I had one as a teenager! Is the front car in your header pic a sunbeam?

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  9. Hello Michael! I love the header and so do my "car guys" here!
    PHC is always fun. I have been to one of the shows -- and it is like a trip to the past!
    I have been listening to him for well over twenty years! Such great "characters" in the skits!

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  10. The car on the left is a Ford Anglia 105E and the other car is a Singer Vogue...plenty of info on the interweb..laughing.
    The scooter is a Lambretta, a 175 I think. Tres mod and chic nowadays.
    My first car was a second hand Anglia and saw me through my student days...and taught me a lot about car mechanics too.

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