Munich memories of Ken at the Palace
KEN Dodd was appearing in pantomime at the Palace Theatre, Manchester on the night of February 6, 1958, when during the performance people started coming in from outside, and some others started to leave.
Very soon Ken came on stage and announced that the show would not be continuing, but he would end it by doing his performance of ‘The Road to Mandalay.’
At the end of this he held his arms out to everyone and said: ‘You can go now, people of Manchester. You have far more important things to think of tonight. God bless you,’ and the curtain came down and the lights went on.
The news of our wonderful Manchester United football team was just coming through. The whole of Manchester was out in the streets trying to get news of the dreadful air crash in Munich.
That night is fixed forever in my memory, mainly for the way Ken handled the whole situation – his understanding and amazing professionalism.
I will never forget him on that stage, sending us all out into the night to face that dreadful news. Pam Cuthbert, Manchester
Farewell to true legend
SO, it’s a sad goodbye to Ken Dodd, a true comedy legend.
Humour is a personal choice and Ken’s silly routines may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but his sell-out shows and large TV viewing figures proved that he was loved by millions.
Whenever I think of Ken, I remember one of his shows at the late-lamented Golden Garter Club in Wythenshawe. He burst on to stage, took the applause, and his first line was: ‘Hello everybody, how tickled I am to be here with you in this converted aircraft hangar, borrowed from Manchester Airport.’ From that moment he had the audience in stitches for a hilarious hour-and-ahalf.
His memory for gags was amazing, and after an hour or so he had a clever way of using the audience as prompts. He would ask people to shout out a topic.
For example, someone shouted out ‘holidays,’ and then he did a 15-minute routine of gags about holidays.
He finished with his hit song ‘Happiness.’ He left the stage to a standing ovation with the audience clapping, whistling and shouting ‘encore.’
After ten seconds or so he came back on stage, presumably to take a final bow. Not a bit of it – he then proceeded to carry on for another 30 minutes, before finally closing to another standing ovation.
So we were treated to just over two hours of rib-tickling humour, which I for one will never forget. A truly remarkable performer.
Rest in peace, Ken. Timperley Tom
And they call it progress...
I NOW find it difficult and annoying to try and contact many companies by telephone these days. I don’t have access to the internet. The other morning, after waiting for more than an hour in the snow for a bus through our estate, I returned home and decided to try and phone the bus company.
I wanted to find out if there was a possibility of the bus operating late in the day and, after a very long wait listening to what seemed to be the same piece of music repeatedly playing, I eventually managed to speak to a human being, to be told that the bus service I was enquiring about wasn’t appearing on the system.
I find the rigmarole of having the option of pressing any button from one to five confusing.
The options generally are not always very clear and by the time I have listened to them, I usually have forgotten which one seemed to be the most appropriate.
I find myself wondering if this is what might be considered to be progress in this technological age. M Smith, Middleton
No use for a government
UNTIL the vote to leave or stay in the EU, I would have voted for a donkey with a red and yellow rosette pinned to it. Since the referendum, I would now question the need for parliamentary democracy in this country.
I have an iPhone, smart television, can read, have access to social media, and a computer, so why do I need somebody that I have never met dictate the future, for me, my children, and my fellow Britains?
Unfortunately, too many of us have voted for donkeys, clowns, charlatans, pompous oafs, and the very lazy.
Let the Palace of Westminster crumble into the Thames, technology is the future, not this crass government, or the wishywashy opposition. Bren Urmston, Manchester