The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post
The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post.
Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy.
www.philevans.co.uk
------------------------------------------
Tempus does fugit:
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it – the older I get, tempus does fugit remarkably quickly.
It’s only January but already several show business personalities have left us: actor Alan Rickman, the theatre impresario and discoverer of The Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood; Lemmy from Motorhead; broadcaster and “Crackerjack” host Ed “Stewpot” Stewart; and David Bowie, who, at 69, died just days after his latest album was released.
As ill as he must have been, he kept writing and recording almost to the end.
When I was a lad, when any of her contemporaries died, my Gran would always comment... ”But she was no age!”
My Gran was almost 80 at the time - proving that to some people, being old is all in the mind.
For others, it’s how out of breath they get when they bend down to do up their shoelaces.
Today, 69 really is no age, so it was a shock when I woke up and saw the reports of David Bowie’s death on the TV breakfast news.
He was a star who seemed to have been around forever and would always be around forever.
Whether or not you liked his songs, you couldn’t help being aware of them because they were regularly played on the radio – and will continue to be.
Even if he was only remembered for performing “Heroes” on the 1985 Live Aid concert, that’d be quite a legacy.
He had the massive Wembley crowd ‘in his pocket’ that day and immediately afterwards he enthused, “Let’s do this every year!”
He also had a successful film career and made a memorable cameo appearance as himself in an episode of “Extras”, sharing an excruciatingly funny scene with Ricky Gervais that brilliantly exposed the empty nature of ‘celebrity’.
There aren’t many pop performers around whose careers have been as long and consistently successful as Bowie’s - only McCartney, Jagger and Rod Stewart come to mind.
So, you have to take your hat off to the singer who adopted and discarded so many personas, from Ziggy Stardust and The Thin White Duke to The Goblin King and The Man Who Fell To Earth.
A true musical innovator has left us, so if you’re considering being creative this year - writing a book; painting; singing; or playing a musical instrument – whether you’re an Absolute Beginner or already a Star, man, don’t delay.
Get on with it!
Because tempus really does fugit remarkably quickly.
PS: For those who didn’t go to the ‘Grammar’ and do Latin at school, tempus fugit is Latin for ‘time flies’.
-----------------------------------------
Do unto others:
While running a few errands last week, I popped to get some milk and a few other essential ‘comedian’ staple items (chocolate, cake and Gaviscon) and could hear quite a commotion going on a few aisles away.
As I wandered around the shop, I realised a group of utterly fantastic carers were taking some adults with learning difficulties to do their weekly shopping.
Some of them were getting quite animated and excited at the prospect of doing their shopping and the joy on their faces was worth its weight in gold.
However, the actions of a young family to firstly stand and stare and then drag their children away to the sounds of “come away from there quickly”, as if they were in some mortal danger really took me by surprise.
What are we teaching these young children by not letting them interact in different social situations?
Everyone is different/
It's what makes the works go around. Let's teach our children to be tolerant and accepting of everyone around them.
-----------------------------------------------
Brecon spin:
Over the weekend, my travels took me to Brecon, which is a place of so much charm and character, and one that I have many fond memories of.
Having decided to take the scenic route over the Brecon Beacons, I passed the Storey Arms on the A470 and was fascinated to see the mountains were totally covered in snow and this made the usual spectacular views even more beautiful.
Every available space on the roadside was lined with parked cars, with families venturing out to explore this beautiful part of Wales and play in the fresh snow.
Both children and adults alike could be seen sliding down the mountains on sledges and clearly having a great time!
This was such a refreshing change to the continuous rain that we have all experienced over the past few months.
I’d love to see more snow forecast, as long as I remember to stock up on 30 bottles of milk and 20 loaves of bread first.
Why not take a trip for yourself and share the beauty of what we have virtually on our doorsteps?
--------------------
You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales and www.philevans.co.uk
Tempus does fugit:
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep on saying it – the older I get, tempus does fugit remarkably quickly.
It’s only January but already several show business personalities have left us: actor Alan Rickman, the theatre impresario and discoverer of The Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood; Lemmy from Motorhead; broadcaster and “Crackerjack” host Ed “Stewpot” Stewart; and David Bowie, who, at 69, died just days after his latest album was released.
As ill as he must have been, he kept writing and recording almost to the end.
When I was a lad, when any of her contemporaries died, my Gran would always comment... ”But she was no age!”
My Gran was almost 80 at the time - proving that to some people, being old is all in the mind.
For others, it’s how out of breath they get when they bend down to do up their shoelaces.
Today, 69 really is no age, so it was a shock when I woke up and saw the reports of David Bowie’s death on the TV breakfast news.
He was a star who seemed to have been around forever and would always be around forever.
Whether or not you liked his songs, you couldn’t help being aware of them because they were regularly played on the radio – and will continue to be.
Even if he was only remembered for performing “Heroes” on the 1985 Live Aid concert, that’d be quite a legacy.
He had the massive Wembley crowd ‘in his pocket’ that day and immediately afterwards he enthused, “Let’s do this every year!”
He also had a successful film career and made a memorable cameo appearance as himself in an episode of “Extras”, sharing an excruciatingly funny scene with Ricky Gervais that brilliantly exposed the empty nature of ‘celebrity’.
There aren’t many pop performers around whose careers have been as long and consistently successful as Bowie’s - only McCartney, Jagger and Rod Stewart come to mind.
So, you have to take your hat off to the singer who adopted and discarded so many personas, from Ziggy Stardust and The Thin White Duke to The Goblin King and The Man Who Fell To Earth.
A true musical innovator has left us, so if you’re considering being creative this year - writing a book; painting; singing; or playing a musical instrument – whether you’re an Absolute Beginner or already a Star, man, don’t delay.
Get on with it!
Because tempus really does fugit remarkably quickly.
PS: For those who didn’t go to the ‘Grammar’ and do Latin at school, tempus fugit is Latin for ‘time flies’.
-----------------------------------------
Do unto others:
While running a few errands last week, I popped to get some milk and a few other essential ‘comedian’ staple items (chocolate, cake and Gaviscon) and could hear quite a commotion going on a few aisles away.
As I wandered around the shop, I realised a group of utterly fantastic carers were taking some adults with learning difficulties to do their weekly shopping.
Some of them were getting quite animated and excited at the prospect of doing their shopping and the joy on their faces was worth its weight in gold.
However, the actions of a young family to firstly stand and stare and then drag their children away to the sounds of “come away from there quickly”, as if they were in some mortal danger really took me by surprise.
What are we teaching these young children by not letting them interact in different social situations?
Everyone is different/
It's what makes the works go around. Let's teach our children to be tolerant and accepting of everyone around them.
-----------------------------------------------
Brecon spin:
Over the weekend, my travels took me to Brecon, which is a place of so much charm and character, and one that I have many fond memories of.
Having decided to take the scenic route over the Brecon Beacons, I passed the Storey Arms on the A470 and was fascinated to see the mountains were totally covered in snow and this made the usual spectacular views even more beautiful.
Every available space on the roadside was lined with parked cars, with families venturing out to explore this beautiful part of Wales and play in the fresh snow.
Both children and adults alike could be seen sliding down the mountains on sledges and clearly having a great time!
This was such a refreshing change to the continuous rain that we have all experienced over the past few months.
I’d love to see more snow forecast, as long as I remember to stock up on 30 bottles of milk and 20 loaves of bread first.
Why not take a trip for yourself and share the beauty of what we have virtually on our doorsteps?
--------------------
You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales and www.philevans.co.uk
Comments