Blog No. 30
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 12:02PM I’m glad you liked my shirt/jacket, I bought it down Leather Lane Market which is where I go to buy my oddly shaped fruit and past-its-sell-by-date cheese slices, I recently got five Polish-made Lion bars for £1! The jacket was £7.95 I think and is from a stall that does end of lines and fashion overrruns, one of two in the market, when I searched on the internet it appears to be a US Wal-Mart product, I don’t know how it got over here. The only other one I’ve seen was being worn by a homeless guy in the Elephant and Castle but I think I carried it off better.
My shirt/jacket was probably my most successful contribution to that Gaza meeting, my wife LInda says I try too hard to be original at those things when people only want simple stuff but I’ve never been able to do that. Still, going on about windmills at a Gaza meeting just confused everybody.
Last weekend I was one of a small group who met Dr Mustafa Barghouti, Palestinian democracy activist and 2010 Nobel peace prize nominee and I think I got on his nerves too. It did make me feel proud though, people complain about the lack of political engament in Britain but Dr Barghouti said that the UK is by far and away the most active country for protest against brutal Israeli actions against Palestinians and a world leader in the Boycott Israel campaign.
I am bad about keeping you informed of my appearances so here’s a list: Cultural eXchanges Festival at Leicester De Montfort University. 5.30 March 1st. Book reading. Southend Library March 3rd. Hudersfield on the 11th and I’m doing a reading at the Oxford Literary Festival on the 23rd though not of my own work but one of the winners in the Sunday Times Short Story Competition. Also the Sunday Times Magazine is running a new short story of mine “The Store Detective” on March 14th. I also notice BBC 2 and 4 have been showing my old Great Railway Journey. September, October, November we’re planning a big live tour of my memoir which I think I finally finished writing yeseterday and I’ll keep you up to date on that, I think I’m doing a preview at Udderbelly on the South Bank July 14th.
That flim “Curacao” is also known as “Deadly Currents” and in fact when I made it, it was titled “A Circling of Sharks”. It was “Deadly Currents” when I saw it was on the TV a year or two ago and yes I was pleasantly pleased with my accent and the way I handle that Ingram Mac 10 .45 cal machine pistol. I remember the film had no proper armourer and the guns were being handled by a producer, which is really dangerous and he didn’t know how to cock the Mac 10 so I had to show him. It was the proudest day of my life! It also starred Bill Peterson the original star of CSI who seemed like a nice man.
Reader Comments (23)
Hello Alexei, became a fan during your first series after the Young Ones, I can see how doing comedy would be annoying after awhile as everything in life gets, still vainly hoping to see you return but now having stalked you on YouTube and having realised you have well and truly moved on, well, all the best.
Never will forget seeing you sometime in the 90's on Kentish Town Road one quiet weekend morning, on your own and looking morose.
Hopefully you can respond to this message by email and then everything will become wonderful.
ha ha. Grumpy scouse git.
Cool, a new tour, good reason to come over to England! I somehow can't image you writing about personal stuff but still, I'm looking forward to your biography
Has ANYONE outthere in etherwave land gotthe lyrics of The Wine Bars of Old Hampstead (from Cak! 1982). I can't find them anywhere and only knowing one verse - which I have now sung for almost 3o years - I know is driving me nuts.
Come on help a fellow fan!
all my posts keep vanishing - and Mulder and Scully have retired
I think it's admirable to want to try and be original at those thingies. (But your wife may also have a point too). Speaking as someone who is ill- (if not un-) informed, I like a mixture of simplicity and salient. But then, if I were to know more about it, I would like it to be more detailed and thought-provoking.... I'm never asked to go on them anyway.
It's the same when I read about guns. A Mac 10 is like an uzi, isn't it? Is it? Isn't it? Is it? I think I remember them from my days as a gang-banger in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.
Haha - the proudest say of your life. Bless you.
"Day", obviously :-)
Geoff - I'll transcribe the songs from CAK! When I get back from me holidays, I'm in Whitby again. I put up the lyrics from Stuff on the Alexei Facebook fan page. Yep, took me ages to copy down the subtitles!
A life...what's that again???
xx
In an English gaol about 12 years these days...
Get this everybody! I dreamt about our very own Mr. Sayle last night!
Having spent the evening in Hugh Laurie's house (and upsetting his wife by asking if he was going to write any more novels!!) I was ejected and found myself in Alexei's house. The atmosphere there was much more sedate. He didn't have an elephant in his swimming pool, for example. Later in the evening Alexei showed me a photo of an armoury in a tent, where he had been shot at by terrorists. "I died" he boasted!
He was so happy!
I like the surreal world of dreams. And the occasional filthy world of them, too.
And I really like Hugh Laurie's book.
Just thought I'd share that with you all....
With that lot in parliament, active protest against Israel usually involves inviting the Israeli ambassador round for tea and bikkies. Still, as they say, time wounds all heels.
-The Wine Bars Of Old Hampstead Town -
'In Hampstead Town where I was born, the streets are paved with lentils,
The cars are all Swedish and the theatres experimental,
If you go down to the wine bar, it's sad to say but true,
the shorter beard accountant (?) throwing up over you!
Rumpty Toodle Pina Colada, half a pound of muesli,
what do you think of Shirley Williams, I want to go to the toilet
Wine bars aren't called wine bars because of what you drink when you're dining,
wine bars are called wine bars because they're full of people WHINING!
Ever had a multiple orgasm, yes it made me sick!
Oh I once loved a hamster but I killed it with a brick.
Rumpty Toodle Pina Colada, half a pound of muesli,
what do you think of Shirley Williams, - She looks like a bat!'
- Think thats right. Thanks Geoff, it let me revisit CAK! In another example of my depressive fandom, all the Stuff lyrics are in 'Discussions' section on the Facebook fanpage. All of them. Honestly. Every last one.
xx
The lyrics! Wonderful!
Sadly my nearest and dearest will be cursing you on high for I will now plague them with this song for the rest of their natural lives or mine (which I fear may be curtailed by an act of extreme domestic violence).
Thanks Alexei.
Hello.
Sorry if this is the wrong place to type this....Thank You!!
I have had "The Fish People Tapes" stuck in my head for around 20 years, I groan at myself for making the joke about men looking really interesting at the bar, I still sing "Milton Springsteen" to "That's Entertainment", I still have a Prince Albert Tin......and I know where the missing launderette socks go!!!! I have done much in my life since first hearing it those years ago, but it never leaves me, Alexei, you complete and utter bastard.
I wanted to say "Thank You!" for putting it on the website, I lost my dog-eared vinyl to my sister years ago, who didn't even listen to it. It really has given me much joy to find it again, in mp3 format, I shall have a good sing song to "take my metro to the disco" whilst driving around Europe. It is (sadly?) a joy for me that you have put it up for download. Thank You !!!!!!!! Very cool of you.
I hope to see you at one of your public events, I promise to keep my fish people affection private.
Wishing you much peace, joy and freedom Alexei
And now your lishtening to Alexeihy Saayyle and the fasshh pee...pole, eweeuuughh kuckeugh kuckeuugh...
That's ok Geoff :) Russell, I have had one dream about Mr. Sayle, and it involved us sitting in a posh beer garden on a hot summers day, him looking about circa 1982, yellow and grey striped tie and all. We were completely silent drinking very heavy duty ale. :)
P.S - I got a date with Mr. Sweary tonight. I'm worried though, coz I know f*** all about the Cortina!
xx
Jay,
Haha!
"More wine you c***?"
'Do what has it happens, yes f***ing please John. how's your f***ing steak? Waiters a c***! knows nothing about the cortina!'
Hi
Tried to find an email address for you but i'll post on here.
Just a quick line to say it was a pleasure meeting you today all be it for a few minutes at the train station. I'm the chap who found your lift and said hi on your way to your train back.
Brought back many a memory and been a fan for many a year.
thanks for the smiles.
One last thing...I'd follow you to at least the end of my road, at a push as far as the shops Alexei, but i can only say 1 thing about the South Bank gig....£17.50?!?!?!?
xx