I was in the pub yesterday, when an old couple came in and started talking. I ignored them mostly, as their conversation consisted of a lot of coughing but, I must admit, my ears pricked up when I heard the old chap mention Spike Milligan. I thought being old codgers, they'd have some interesting memories of the Goons and so on. What follows is a precise transcript of the conversation.
'What?' his missus said.
'I said Spike Milligan's dead.'
'Eh?'
'Spike Milligan's dead!' he shouted.
'I know. Mmmm.'
There was a pause.
'That's all of them then,' he continued.
'Eh?'
'Bentine, Secombe, Sellers. All the Goons gone.'
At this, the old woman paused.
'The number 37 took a lot longer today than the number one normally does,' she said.
'Ah,' said her husband.
I felt that this had something terribly poigniant to say, but I can't put my finger on it. Anyone got Alan Bennett's email? |
