The cowboy of Ambridge
QUESTION Did Eddie Grundy of The Archers have a hit record?
EddiE Grundy (Trevor Harrison) first appeared on The Archers, the longrunning Radio 4 soap opera set in the fictional village of Ambridge, in 1980 when he was contracted by Jethro to remove the range in the Larkins’ house.
For some strange reason, Jethro’s straitlaced daughter Clarrie (Heather Bell) fell for the ne’er-do-well country music fan who wore a horned cowboy hat.
Even after Clarrie had paid off Eddie’s debts — and bought her own engagement ring — he almost disappeared with local country music siren, Jolene Rogers. Luckily for him, he had the good sense to marry the long-suffering Clarrie, who has spent the years since bailing Eddie out of his various get-rich-quick schemes.
The BBC tried to cash in on his popularity by releasing a novelty country music record called Lambs To The
Slaughter, featuring the lyric: ‘I’d love to buy a ring for your finger / I promise you I’ll pay you back on Friday.’
This duet with folk singer Cathy Lesurf was released on dingle’s Records in 1981 and the cover featured a picture of Eddie sitting on a bale of hay, sporting his goat horn hat. They performed it live on Nationwide, the erstwhile early evening BBC news and current affairs show, with an interview by Sue Lawley. The song didn’t trouble the charts.
Lambs To The Slaughter was written by Alan Prosser and ian Telfer, who played guitar and fiddle on the track. They were former members of Fiddler’s dram, who had a Top Ten hit in 1979 with day Trip To Bangor, also sung by Cathy Lesurf. it was written by debbie Cook, who was later a scriptwriter on The Archers.
The following year, Eddie released another single, on Foxy Records, featuring Poor Pig on the A-side (Eddie owned a pig called Barbarella) and Clarrie’s Song and Poor Pater on the B-side.
The cover featured Eddie, with hat, standing in a barn with the pig. it featured the line: ‘I don’t care what people may say / They’ll be making silage while I’ll be making hay — Hey!’
The sleeve had a funny description of the Borchester Country & Western Club, comparing it to the Grand Ol’ Opry. it further boasts: ‘ As well as singing, Eddie demonstrates his talents as a songwriter on Poor Pig, a touching protest against prejudice reminiscent of the early Bob dylan . . . ’
Eddie’s final release on Foxy came in 1985 with Clarrie / The Ferret — fans of The Archers will know that Eddie is fond of these little mammals.
But Eddie wasn’t finished: he released a series of covers in 1996 under the title The World Of Eddie Grundy by Trevor Harrison on demon Records.
Some were obvious choices: CottonEyed Joe, A Pint Of Shires, don’t Sell The Farm and Beans For Breakfast, a Johnny Cash number.
Others were more adventurous: The Big Light by Elvis Costello and The Beast in Me, which, despite its farmyard title, is an intense song by Nick Lowe.
Greg Fowler, Sunderland.
QUESTION Dennis Skinner lost his seat at the age of 87 after 49 continuous years as an MP. Are these records?
SURPRiSiNGLY, long- serving MP dennis Skinner was not a record-holder.
The oldest MP was Sir Francis Knollys, re-elected for Reading aged 90 and said to be 97 or 98 at his death in 1648.
The second oldest was Samuel Young, Nationalist MP for East Govan from 1892, who died on April 18, 1918, aged 96 years and 63 days. The longest serving MP was Charles Pelham Villiers. When he died on January 16, 1898, aged 96 years and 13 days, he had represented Wolverhampton South for a record 63 years and six days. Skinner turned 88 on Tuesday.
Tim Mickleburgh, Grimsby, Lincs.
QUESTION Was George Washington technically the ninth U.S. President, not the first?
THE Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 original states of the United States of America that served as its first constitution. The articles were ratified on March 1, 1781, while General George Washington was fighting the British.
On October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis surrendered the British Army to Washington, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.
days later, the Continental Congress elected John Hanson, a former sheriff from Maryland, as the President of the United States in Congress Assembled.
in a letter written on November 30, 1781, Washington wrote: ‘i congratulate your Excellency on your appointment to fill the most important seat in the United States.’ On paper, the role was largely ceremonial, with its only specified duty being presiding over the Congress.
However, Hanson created a number of important U.S. institutions, including the Great Seal of the United States, which all presidents have been required to use on official documents.
Hanson also set the date for Thanksgiving day, declaring ‘the observation of Thursday the twenty- eighth day of November next as a day of solemn thanksgiving to God for all His mercies’.
The Articles of Confederation allowed for a president to serve only a one-year term. Seven other presidents were elected after Hanson: Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Nathan Gorman, Arthur St Clair and Cyrus Griffin.
However, the Articles of Confederation was a failure because the individual states had too much power and legislation was rarely agreed upon.
Thus the U.S. Constitution was drawn up, putting more power into the hands of the president.
The Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, and George Washington became the first President of the United States under the Constitution that Americans follow today.
Thea Jordan, Ordsall, Notts.
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