I meant the next street. Not this man's lawn.

Sad news. A peerless comedy talent - whose deadpan delivery inspired generations of comedians who followed - Mr Bob Newhart has died, aged 94.

We never had any of his shows - radio or television - in the UK, as far as I am aware, but his "Best Of" comedy LP was definitely in our family collection when I was growing up...

...probably mainly for this immortal sketch of his (here - ahem - ably assisted my none other than Dino himself):

Dean Martin & Bob Newhart - The Driving Instructor

Utter genius!

RIP, Bob Newhart (5th September 1929 – 18th July 2024)

Dangerous wine-making monks

A little divertissement courtesy of today's Telegraph:

Buckfast monks should be stripped of their charitable status, campaigners have said, following claims that they are profiting from selling "dangerous" wine.

The Charity Commission is launching a probe into the Buckfast Abbey Trust, where monks produce wine which has been associated with a surge in alcohol-related violence.

The National Secular Society - which works to challenge religious privilege - has claimed Buckfast Tonic Wine, known as "Buckie" in Scotland where it is most popular, is a scourge on society.

The drink has been linked to 6,500 reports of antisocial behaviour and violence in just two years. Yet Buckfast Abbey Trust, which produces Buckfast Tonic Wine, does not pay tax on its income because it is a charity, something which the National Secular Society claims is an "abuse of the charitable system"...

...The Trust justifies its charitable status by saying its aim is the "advancement of the Roman Catholic religion".

Ha!

It certainly may be someone's idea of "religion" - not least Mr Dean Martin...

Dean Martin and Jerry Read - Little Ole Wine Drinker Me

Cheers!

We're gonna go through it together

It's a new week - boooooo!

It's also the Patron Saint of "Belters" Ethel Merman's birthday, bitches!. All hail.

On this Tacky Music Monday - a slot to which she is admirably suited - in an effort to wake us up in the most alarming manner, here is Miss Zimmerman herself in the company of the old charmer Signor Crocetti - with a Broadway Medley...

Ethel Merman and Dean Martin

Have a great week, folks!

Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, 16th January 1908 – 15th February 1984)

Volare - oh oh oh oh

Today that fabulous comic and crooner Dean Martin would have been 91 years old...

Always the butt of the jokes in the Rat Pack with Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra, Dean was probably every bit as gifted a singer as Frank, and other contemporaries such as Tony Bennett and Frankie Laine took their lead from Dean's easy-going flair for swing and lounge numbers.

Dean was a phenomenal success for several decades, his Italian good looks making him equally popular as a film star and a showman, and even today his music still strikes a chord with a raft of crooners and big band revivalists such as Michael Buble, Matt Dusk and Harry Conick Jr selling millions of records based on the style he pioneered. A wonderful performer!

Dean Martin - Volare/An Evening in Roma

Dean Martin - Memories Are Made Of This

Dean Martin - Mambo Italiano

Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin

Dean Martin, Lainie Kazan & Ethel Merman

Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti, 7th June 1917 – 25th December 1995)