Plain People of Ireland: (brightly) "Well", as the divil once said, "That's the Christmas over for another year thank God!"
Myself: Indeed. A bloated orgy of drink, turkey and ostentatious consumption…
Plain People of Ireland: (unsure) That's right…
Myself:…a lurid festival of debauch where we sing the praises of Mammon to ward off the dark and drear of…
Plain People of Ireland: (interrupting) Er, c'mere and tell us this. Do you ever remember a fella called Bunny Carr at all?
Myself: Sure I do of course. "Quicksilver"…
Plain People of Ireland: (chuckling) Oh yes.
Myself: With 5p questions, Norman Metcalfe and his organ, Goosy Goosy Gandhi and so forth.
Plain People of Ireland: (slapping thighs) That's the wan! Stop the Lights! Weren't we awful innocent back then? What else?
Myself "Going Strong"…
Plain People of Ireland: Oh yes. All the ould biddies.
Myself: Ann O'Dwyer singing "We'll Meet again". Nostalgic tears flowing in the audience. Photographs of grandchildren being exchanged. An ambulance outside the door…
Plain People of Ireland: (doubled over with laughter) Oh Lord God! You're an awful man. 'Tis true though.
Myself: Not a word of a lie.
Plain People of Ireland: But c'mere, there's a reason we mentioned Bunny. You know, out of the blue as it were.
Myself: Go on.
Plain People of Ireland: We've a late Christmas present for you. Here! (parcel shoved in my direction)
Myself: (unwrapping) Why it's a used copy of the Quicksilver: Round-the-World Quiz Book. Thanks!
Plain People of Ireland: Not at all. (Leaning in to whisper) Of course…didn't he do a legger off to Mexico with a Texaco bag full of Gorta money. Never seen since. Well…enjoy! (A puff of stale tobacco smoke fills the air. It clears. I am left alone)
Myself: Hmmm, let's have a look…
Yes folks, after reading the other day (via Damien Mulley) about the thriving market for out of print, vintage Irish TV quiz books what do I have in my hands but a gem of the rarest sort. If "Where in the World" volumes are going for £201 (sterling) then what should I be insuring the above for?
Having worked in the antiquarian book business for a time, and become fairly literate when it comes to associated terminology, I'd describe the volume as "near fine" - a remarkable fact given its likely age and disposability. I say "likely" because the book is dateless. Research into "Canavaun Books" has proved similarly unrevealing…though I can confirm that (in addition to the above volume) they also published the intriguingly titled (63 page) Patrick Myler's Celebrity Files.
I happily confess to being in the dark as to who Mr. Myler is/was, or what his celebrity files contained. I should also point collectors of the obscure (whose interests might now be piqued) in the direction of this sad Amazon message:
Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
Distressing news, but this might cheer you all up. It's Picture Quiz No. 5 (in glorious black and white) from the Quicksilver volume:
Who be he? Here are the clues.
This Irish singing star's wardrobe is by now both varied and extensive. Here he wears the garb of Aladdin for an RTÉ pantomime; he has also donned Joseph's Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. (p. 64)
First answer out of the hat will win a Manky Toy.
Before closing I should add that the "he ran off with a sack of charity money" slur that has attached itself to Bunny's (unusual) name over the years is (from what I can tell) totally unfounded. Though he may have combined (in Horace Cantwell's words) "Larry Gogan's 'Ah they didn't suit you' bonhomie with the sinister undertones of a high-ranking officer in the SS", this particular pre-internet "urban myth" seems built on very shaky foundations.
I've always nurtured a sick and secret ambition to be a game-show host, so if anyone feels like answering a 5p, 10p, 50p, £1, or (in a moment of wild hubris) £5 question then let me know. My clip on bow-tie and sparkly jacket are at the ready.
Tony Kenny?
Why is his right arm made out of Palitoy’s patent Action Man plastic?
January 6th, 2008 at 2:31 pmGot it in one. A toy of your choice will be your reward.
That I can’t answer, but didn’t Tony have a hit with “My Roving Eagle Eyes”?
January 6th, 2008 at 4:09 pmfustar.info
That was solved so quickly I’ll chuck in another one.
Clue:
Most amusing.
January 6th, 2008 at 4:16 pmJimmy Stewart.
I’d have sworn the other one was Gabriel Byrne.
Copernicus, I’ll be up in Dublin tomorrow for to be booking my berth on the coffin ship. Will give you a call later.
January 6th, 2008 at 7:19 pmTK does have a touch of the Gabriel Byrne’s about him, ’tis true. Not sure GB has appeared as Aladdin in an RTE panto though. A black mark on his CV.
And Jimmy Stewart?? Miles off.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:59 amNo takers on the above photo? No takers upstairs? None downstairs?
January 9th, 2008 at 4:27 pmIt’s never Alan Stanford?
January 9th, 2008 at 8:38 pmIt never is. See my previous comment for a massive, tv-show-sized clue.
January 9th, 2008 at 10:34 pmIs that John Whitney?
January 10th, 2008 at 12:37 pmPeter Bowles in the ‘Irish RM’ series?
January 10th, 2008 at 1:19 pmNot John Whitney (whoever he is).
Not Peter Bowles (but not far off).
He stole the heart of Shirley Valentine.
January 10th, 2008 at 11:31 pmTom Conti then?
January 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pmNo he stole her real heart in real life.
January 11th, 2008 at 11:26 pm‘Tis John Alderton probably in one of the P.G Wodehouse / Ben Travers adaptations.
January 12th, 2008 at 9:58 amJohn Alderton was my first choice and then I thought maybe it was an ‘Irish’ actor, if so my suggestion is a very young Tony Doyle.
January 12th, 2008 at 11:04 amI have known from the off that it was John Alderton but as the Tony Kenny guy I felt I should leave the field to other players.
I remember when he was the chauffeur in upstairs downstairs that him and Pauline Collins used to have extra-marital relations.
But of course, they were married in real life so it wasn’t as delightfully filthy as my pubescent self bethunk me at the time.
January 12th, 2008 at 4:27 pmThat reminds me, “Friend”, Zardoz was on over the Crimbo on one of the channels far down the Sky box.
Awesome.
January 12th, 2008 at 4:28 pmKashgar is d’winner (bad luck Grannymar). It is indeed John Alderton. The image does look Wodehouse-y alright but I haven’t a clue what it’s from specifically. It ain’t Zardoz though.
I had a childhood crush on Pauline “Downstairs” Collins…
January 12th, 2008 at 5:27 pm