humour

Paperback Writers

August 13, 2021 By Robbie Sprague 11 Comments

Did you know that the Beatles have 229 songs to their name? The Fab Four have each contributed brilliant songs to this total but Lennon and McCartney were the most prolific.

The Beatles Image by Maxpinsoo from Pixabay

Yesterday, we heard from our neighbours, who were visiting Liverpool, that they were drinking in the Cavern Club, birth place of the Beatles. It gave me the idea of writing a short story using the titles of some of those famous hits. It took fifteen minutes and I had a little help from my friend, my wife Jill. It’s not going to be a Booker Prizewinner but it contains 29 Beatles song titles (plus one repeat) and it goes like this: [Read more…] about Paperback Writers

Tags: creative writing, culture, humour, music, storytelling, writing

Name a Gritter Lorry

February 10, 2021 By Mike Sedgwick 7 Comments

I hear that the Scots have taken to naming their gritter lorries. Here are a few names that may brighten your frosty day.

Gansta Granny Gritter

Grittly Come Dancing

Gonnae Snow Dae That

Bear Chills

Sir Andy Flurry

For Your Ice Only [Read more…] about Name a Gritter Lorry

Tags: humour, language, writing

A Quiz from Local Walks in Chandler’s Ford

January 12, 2021 By SO53 News 4 Comments

If you have been doing your socially distanced walk locally, you might have discovered some new things. Today we have 3 questions for you:

Where can this milestone be found n Chandler’s Ford?

Where can you find this milestone in Chandler's Ford? — Where can you find this milestone in Chandler’s Ford?

2. Where can you find these pooh sticks in Chandler’s Ford?

Tags: Chandler’s Ford community, guessing game, humour

Keeping us Cheerful – the Windmills of my Mind

January 2, 2021 By Robbie Sprague 7 Comments

On April Fools’ Day 2019, I had the following letter published in the Daily Telegraph:

Sir,

Every lawn in my road has been devastated by crows frantically digging for chafer grubs. The day they started on my lawn I ordered two hundred and fifty children’s windmills and placed them over the entire grassed area of my front garden. That was five months ago and not one crow has ventured into our garden and our grass has flourished. These colourful windmills are a great source of entertainment for families walking up and down the street – one or two have even spread into neighbouring gardens.

Having had success, I decided to harness the potential of each windmill by modifying them to become miniature wind turbines, interconnecting them and linking them to the National Grid. The power that is generated reduces the cost of my electricity bill by approximately 25%.

In these challenging Brexit times when we all have to become more self- sufficient, I offer this simple, yet effective scheme to save your readers money – and to fend off crows.

Sincerely,

We have given away literally hundreds of windmills to little – and not so little – children. — “I ordered two hundred and fifty children’s windmills and placed them over the entire grassed area of my front garden.”

Tags: Chandler's Ford, coronavirus, Covid-19, family memories, good neighbours, Hiltingbury, humour, lockdown, publication, science, storytelling, writing

A Romantic Romp through the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

September 20, 2020 By Christine Clark 6 Comments

In this bit of nonsense, I have included each of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet codewords …

Last November, alpha male Mike and his Zulu boyfriend Charlie took a holiday at the famous golf hotel in Lima. Wanting a break from the game, they took a drive through the delta, up into the sierra, where they heard the famous echo. In the evening they were joined by their yankee soldier friend Victor (who was in uniform) and his Papa.

They all went to the theatre where they saw Romeo and Juliet (it was an Oscar-winning performance – ‘Bravo’, they cried) and then went dancing, first the foxtrot then the tango. [Read more…] about A Romantic Romp through the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

Tags: creative writing, humour, storytelling

Part 2 – The Writing Game – and What to Watch For

July 31, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Welcome to Part 2 of my new series. You can find the link to Part 1 here. Writing colleagues and I share tips we hope will be useful ranging from contracts to marketing to even handling professional jealousy. There is much to learn from here!

Any industry attracts charlatans. Writing isn’t exempt. From copyright infringements to piracy, it pays to be aware of what can happen and where to go for advice. It is also useful to know what to avoid.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: advice, Allison Symes, Amanda Baber, Bridge House Publishing, Cafelit, Chapeltown Books, creative writing, Dawn Kentish Knox, fantasy, flash fiction, Gill James, hints, humour, Paula C Readman, publishing, scams, short stories, tips

Fun With Words by Allison Symes

April 24, 2020 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Most writers, certainly the ones I know, love word games. These can range from good old Scrabble to the Times crossword. I fall into the former camp! It is a very good day when I get a cryptic crossword clue right but never mind!

I am also fond of fun, pun games which are the ultimate form of word play as far as I’m concerned. You’re taking the language and “mucking about” with it. What’s not to like about that? It is how so much comedy is generated. It does wonders for your vocabulary too given you have to know the various meanings for any pun to work.

Word games are huge fun - Pixabay — Word games are huge fun – Pixabay

Radio shows such as Just a Minute, The Unbelievable Truth, and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue are all dependent on word play. I was sorry to hear of the death of Nicholas Parsons and hope that Just a Minute does not die with him. I am convinced he would not have wanted that and it is a marvellous show. Working with words gives endless permutations so I see no reason why it couldn’t go on.

The traditional board game of Scrabble - PIxabay — The traditional board game of Scrabble though I’d love to know why someone’s got 8 tiles here!- PIxabay

Tags: fun with words, humour, silly book titles, word play

Murphy’s Law For Readers

April 10, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

I thought a lighthearted piece would probably be timely. Last year, I wrote a piece about Murphy’s Law for Writers so I thought I would take the topic again and look at it from a reader’s viewpoint.

So how could Murphy’s Law apply to readers then? As follows, I think, but send in your suggestions via the comments box. Some of what follows will be for when we resume normal life again but the general principles apply.

So how could Murphy’s Law affect readers? Pixabay

Tags: books, bookshops, entertainment, humour, libraries, Murphy's Law, readers, stories

Review: Chameleon Theatre Group – Atlantis – The Panto

January 31, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credit: A big thank you to The Chameleon Theatre Group for kind permission to use their excellent photos. The images of the programme cover and the cast (from the pantomime programme) were taken by Allison Symes.

Feature Image - Atlantis - The Panto. — Feature Image – Atlantis – The Panto. Programme cover photo taken by Allison Symes-1

What do Camille Saint-Saens, Eddie Cochran, Queen, Bob Marley, and Sir Elton John have in common?

Not an awful lot, you may be thinking, but they did all have their music included in Atlantis – The Panto, which was recently staged by the ever excellent Chameleon Theatre Group.

I’ll share a song list later but the answer to my question tells you the music for the show was an eclectic mix, as it should be. There should be something for everyone to enjoy in a panto musically as well as in the jokes and storyline.

Well done to all in the chorus, you were excellent

Atlantis – The Panto was written by Paul Reakes. It ran at the Ritchie Hall from Friday 17th – Saturday 25th January 2020, and was directed by Sheila Hardiman.

Janet and I went on Thursday, 24th January and a great time was had by all, one of many signs of a wonderful panto. I’ll share a few more signs later.

Tags: acting, amateur theatre, Atlantis-The Panto. entertainment, Chameleon Theatre Group, humour, music, pantomime, Ritchie Hall

Review: Chandler’s Ford MDG Players: ‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’

December 2, 2019 By Ben Williams 3 Comments

This year’s performance by the MDG Players is a pastiche of sci-fi storytelling that lampoons radio plays and the stories of Stephen King and John Wyndham. Presented as a radio play, Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully is filled with clever humour and wit that results in a very original, fun way to spend an evening.

Mike Standing (A Minion), Lester Parry (Gryvook), and Mike Slatcher (Uljabaan)

The plot is simple – the village of Cresdon Green, Buckinghamshire, is a normal English town that has just happened to be slowly invaded by aliens. It starts with a dome being placed over the village and then Uljabaan, an alien trying desperately hard to impress his superiors, attempting to blend in with the villagers. Whilst some embrace the aliens, others, led by the rebellious Katrina Lyons, want to see the aliens gone. Hilarity ensues. [Read more…] about Review: Chandler’s Ford MDG Players: ‘Welcome to our village, please invade carefully’

Tags: acting, arts and crafts, Chandler's Ford, community, Dovetail Centre, drama, entertainment, event, fiction, humour, local interest, MDG Players, Methodist Church, review, social, theatre, Winchester Road

The Chameleon Theatre Group: My Husband’s Nuts – Review

November 1, 2019 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: A big thank you as ever to Stuart Wineberg and The Chameleons for the images.

The play’s title indicated there would be play on words (in every sense) running through the latest production from The Chameleon Theatre Group. With a title like this, it can hardly be avoided! Still it does tie in with my post last week on Meanings!

Feature Image - Chameleons - My Husband's Nuts - Review — Feature Image – Chameleons – My Husband’s Nuts – Review. Image taken by Allison Symes

Tags: drama, farce, humour, My Husband's Nuts, plays, review, Ritchie Hall, The Chameleon Theatre Group

Rules That Need to Exist

September 13, 2019 By Allison Symes 1 Comment

I know we can all be fed up with petty rules which seem to serve no purpose other than to irritate us but there are rules which need to exist. [Read more…] about Rules That Need to Exist

Tags: humour, rules that need to exist

Chameleon Theatre Company – Review: They Came From Mars…

August 2, 2019 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Apologies but the title of this spoof is so long for the boxes CFT has for its posts, I thought it best to truncate it. Truncate or not to truncate, that is the question… (oh and apologies to Shakespeare too).

Image Credit: As ever a huge thank you to Lionel Elliott, Mike Morris, and all of The Chameleons for the pictures.

I discussed titles in last week’s post and the latest production from The Chameleon Theatre Company has one which is a humdinger! They Came From Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in time for the Townswomen’s Coffee Morning doesn’t trip off the tongue but is a classic example of a title showing clearly what the story is – a spoof! [Read more…] about Chameleon Theatre Company – Review: They Came From Mars…

Tags: amateur theatre, Chameleon Theatre Group, comedy, entertainment, humour, plays, sci-fi, spoof, theatre

Murphy’s Law

July 19, 2019 By Allison Symes 3 Comments

I’m a great believer in Murphy’s Law. “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”. Why? Because humans have such a wonderful creative capacity and, simultaneously, an equally wonderful capacity to muck things up. (It’s just wonderful in a different direction, that’s all!). [Read more…] about Murphy’s Law

Tags: creative writing, entertainment, humour, Murphy's Law, writers

An Open Letter to My Cycle Thief

March 20, 2019 By Gopi Chandroth 8 Comments

Dear cycle thief,

Hope you are enjoying my bike or parts of it that you couldn’t sell. If you’ve sold it in the nether market, the money must have bought you a few pleasures. But, I am straying from the point now, digressing, if you understand the word. That was no aspersion on your education, but just a thought that occurred to me. In your profession, you cannot afford to digress. You cannot head for the bike shed with your chain cutters and suddenly entertain an alternative thought, like “Let me check out the Magnolia tree. Its blossoms are so overwhelmingly beautiful this time of the year”. No. You will be the master of concentration, one-track minded, a Zen of bicycle thievery. [Read more…] about An Open Letter to My Cycle Thief