As a kid growing up in the fifties, my ear glued to the radio, I often heard Stanley Holloway (who created the role of Alfred Doolittle in the musical, My Fair Lady)
A face to make you feel better!
reciting and singing one of his song/monologues called My word you do look queer (which dates it somewhat!)–about a man who gets up in the morning feeling better after an illness.
Making his way to the pub he meets friends who tell him how ill he looks–close to death’s door in fact.
He starts to believe them, but just before he expires he bumps into his old mate Jenkins, who says how bonny he looks–and he realizes he’s not really ill anymore.
I’m having trouble shaking off the aftermath of my cold and woke up with a long face and feeling chesty again. “My word I do feel queer,” I thought.
By happy chance and proving that sometimes a little outside input can put the spring back in your step, our friend Katherine Talmadge, renowned Washington dietitian, whose single-minded commitment and energy made the event in Georgetown happen a few weeks back, emailed me a recent post this morning.
She’s in California helping her mother recover from an operation with her healthy cure.
I made my usual breakfast which includes some of the elements recommended by Katherine–yogurt, strawberries, oats, oat milk, a prune, cinnamon–and began to feel better, my face regaining its normal shape.
Thanks Katherine!
Robin Ellis 
Wow… Stanley Holloway was one of my grandfather’s best friends.. How sweet! Get well soon, Robin! HUgs, Jill
Who was your Grandpa Jill?
Frank E. Tours, composer, conductor. Did all of Irving Berlin’s shows, a lot of George Gershwin’s shows … a Brit..
And thanks for your good wishes!
Thank you for being so nice to my daughter. She has been a tremendous help. Kjerstin Frey
Thank you Mom! And thank you, Robin! I hope you are feeling better soon…
I cheer you up by saying “take some fresh air and be patient”. My youngest daughter is after- one week “having a cold”- still very tired and she don’t like it either.
Best wishes from Caroline
So hope you are feeling better still now, Robin. Stanley Holloway is an absolute hero of ours – when I was little he lived in our village (Penn in Bucks) Such an amazing character actor & apparently a wonderful man too. Always amazed that Sophie Dahl always talks about her maternal grandfather so much, and never her paternal…the divine Stanley! I would be singing it from the rooftops if i were her!! Wishing you a continued recovery x
Well she was only four when Stanley H died whereas Roald D died in 1990 and so she knew him better perhaps?
lovely blog, very interesting – I was a child in the 1950s & 60s and spent a great deal of time (due to illness) watching old films on telly. I still love them today… especially ‘The Lavender Hill Mob’, ‘Brief Encounter’ and ‘Passport to Pimlico’ (my mother grew up there). And of course his Gravedigger in Oliver’s ‘Hamlet’ – chosen for the part at the last moment due to the death of the original choice…
Do you know who was the original choice?–plays into the maxim that no-one is ever the original choice…
sorry Robin, I don’t know…. I suppose it’s fortunate that at least one of the Gravediggers was included, given that Rosencrantz, Gildernstern and Fortinbras were omitted.
All brilliant performances!!!
He was Alfred Doolittle. Passport and Lavender Hill still hold up and I’d forgotten he was the gravedigger.
Hi Robin,
I had one of those infamous, terrible days that you never want to repeat – was thrown off a horse, had a fender bender, missed an important appointment . . . . Arrrg– and then I opened my email, read your latest blog; listened to Stanley Holloway, (who I seem to be the only one who has hadabsolutely no association with him), and now I’m grinning from ear to ear. Thanks, feel better, and never stop writing.
Sheila
Oh my this brings back memories:) hope you are feeling better and thanks for sharing links. I enjoyed Katherine’s blog.
Hi, Robin,
I hope this message will find you on the way to full recovery. Your always healthy diet lots of rest and fresh air should work wonders against the remnants of a cold. Please, beware of draughts.
Who could ever forget the British “greats”: Stanley Holloway, Alec Guiness of the 1950-ties – 1960-ties? We both used to enjoy watching these films here on ABC as late as early 1980-ties. I wish I could find these old films on DVDs. No one in the whole world knows how to laugh as British do. Their humour is subtle, gentle and always with a deep meaning. What a pleasure…
Hello Odette.
Thanks for your advice.
There are DVD box sets of the Ealing comedies–try Amazon.co.uk
They are reasonably priced.
The first time I saw Stanley Holloway was in My Fair Lady. I saw the movie when I was 8 years old. My parents took me to a movie theater on Broadway to see My Fair Lady. It was such a special occasion. The scene where Stanley sings “A little bit of luck” was one of the favourites for me and my father. “A little bit of luck” was a song my father would sing to me when I was in a horrible mood because it never failed to send me into giggles. I have happy memories of Stanley because of that one song!
Chicken soup Robin in has always helped me recover from a cold…and lots of rest in bed watching comedies on TV. Feel better
I do hope you are feeling better. We had an outbreak here in the states of it seems bronchitis. I was told by the Dr I had “acute bronchitis” to which I was sorely tempted to say “well a least something about me is cute.” Took about 3 months to get over. Make sure you get lots of rest, read a good book or watch funny old movies or sitcoms. Feel better. Love reading your blogs. 🙂 Like hearing from an old dear friend.
Oh Robin what memories -I grow up in the fifties,and remember all those mentioned but the film that stands out for me was I think called the Tichfield Thunderbolt, about trying to save a village railway line.Still makes me chuckle
Hope you are feeling better,please take care.
I liked that film too, Elaine. My Dad worked for British Railways and the romance of the film touched me I suppose.
Good morning, Robin,
thank you so very much for the el. address. At last I’m getting there… What a long row of letters dots and dashes. So very 21st Century… I only hope I’ll press the right buttons.
I also hope that you are much, much better this morning and continue to stay well.
Saw “The Lavender Hill Mob” last week on TV. Stanley Holloway and Alec Guiness My favourite comedian was Alastair Sim–he always makes me laugh.
I love Alistar Sims he was the very best Scrooge. Perfect!!!
Thanks for the Katherine Talmadge link.
Don’t forget, Robin, the lovely movie “This Happy Breed.” Holloway plays Robert Newton’s next door neighbor. When they want a snort, they resort to hiding in a closet away from the wives. Noel Coward wrote the script from his play.