London – My personal starting point…

I thought it was about time I started writing my own blog.  This is not to self-publicise, more as a means to remind me of what I may have done and to provide me with a means to future reference points.  Others may wish to view the contents as I intend to use it mainly for my frequent London visits.  I hope some of the content others may find useful, if not then that’s fine and on we go…

I first started visiting London as a child many years ago.  I used to travel with my parents and siblings on the East Coast Rail service.  London always fascinated me, especially the “Tube” with its special map and different coloured “Lines”.  In later life I would visit to perform research into my family history using the now defunct Family Records Centre, Middleton Place, near the Angel Tube Station. In these early days I would travel down just for the day, although after a while I decided it better to stay a couple of nights and take in a Theatre Show or two.

I first became aware of “The Comedy Store Players” about 16 or 17 years ago having noticed a regular advert in the Evening Standard.  This was in the days when one had to buy the paper from one of the various newspaper stands.  It is with regret that it did not hit me at the time, because although I was a fan of the Channel Four show, Whose Line Is It Anyway, I had never been aware of The Comedy Store Players, never mind who they were?   Well thankfully, having arrived one weekend for a stag do, I visited the Comedy Store to see the Saturday Night Stand-Up Show.  I seem to recall Ian Stone as MC, and remember seeing the very funny Jeff Green perform.  It was on this first visit that I saw the advertising literature for the “Players”, so I thought I had better arrange a visit.

So I arranged my first visit to see The Comedy Store Players.  That night I recall seeing six of the seven regulars.  I feel very fortunate that one of the players was Jim Sweeney who due to the progression of his illness performed in his wheel chair and I have to say he was incredibly funny.  I can remember Paul Merton with Richard Vranch, plus I think Neil Mullarkey, Josie Lawrence and Lee Simpson also performed that evening.  I think Andy Smart must have been absent.  Well I was hooked and my general regret is I did not seek them out earlier because putting it as simple as a I can their humour is my humour.  I can still remember the name of the “musical” play they performed that night, it was called “The Geezer” and Jim Sweeney was one of the henchmen. 

It was very funny stuff and from these enjoyable experiences I have been able to reminisce about the various links or combinations some of the “Players” bring such as Paul Merton the Channel 4 Series with both Neil Mullarkey and Caroline Quentin. Then there is Andy Smart presenting the Channel 4 American Football Series with Angelo Abela, with the Final in San Diego.  I seem to recall Denver losing to the New York Giants (Mr Smart apparently put his match fee on a Denver win, oops).  Then there is my remembering of Jim Sweeny and his comedy partner Steve Steen in an episode of BlackAdder II with Robble Coltrane, or that Channel 4 Comedy “Terry and Julian” with a youthful Lee Simpson and Julian Clary….If you look back you can see the guys and girls have all plied their trade. Of course some appeared in Whose Line Is It Anyway, with resident pianist Richard Vranch, and Josie Lawrence in ITVs Outside Edge, the terrific Cricket Comedy…

So that is how it all started for me…and of course I have further memories…to record for myself and others if they wish to read…Incidentally this first blog has been written in between two Wetherspoon Pubs, Shakespeares Head and The Pendrell’s Oak… with the odd coffee and bottle of lager!