Andy Coleman
News Revue
29 November 1997Dear Andy
Glad to learn that you are doing the Christmas show and that you have gathered a great sounding cast.
I attach 1997 material which, in my opinion, has “best of” potential. I have recordings of all of these, so if you need recordings just let me know and I’ll drop them in to the Canal. (The Cafe, of course, not the actual wet place).
If you want any updates or rewrites (the attached material or other stuff of mine which you like) let me know.
Good luck and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Ian Harris
Month: November 1997
The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore by Tennessee Williams, Lyric Hammersmith, 29 November 1997
I wrote the following in my log around the time:
Unusual production; worked in many but not all respects.
Originally done at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow in October 1994.
This play is not, in my view, top notch Tennessee Williams, so there was possibly only so much that could be done with it. Philip Prowse did his best as director. Rupert Everett flamboyantly and memorably played the role of Flora Goforth.
Like us, Nicholas de Jongh was impressed by the performances but not 100% sure about the play in The Standard:
28 Oct 1997, Tue Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Susannah Clapp in the Observer observed the performance as uber-camp
02 Nov 1997, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Charles Spencer in The Telegraph didn’t like it much:
29 Oct 1997, Wed The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
A Driving Holiday In Morocco, 7 to 21 November 1997, Placeholder & Links
Our sole navigation device – which might be described as a “map nav”
Janie and I had a superb action and fun packed driving holiday in Morocco in the autumn of 1997.
I have now written this up from my travel logs as part of my “25 years on” series. You can start by clicking here or below if you like reading forwards:
Alternatively, if you like reading stories backwards, you can start with the ending here or below:
For enthusiasts of highly summarised words and pictures, the itinerary is shown below, followed by links to the photo albums, which contain over 200 items of eye candy, such as this one:
Below is a scan of the itinerary, which we arranged through Steppes East:
Below are the two photo albums (just over 100 photos each) on Flickr:
Driving Holiday In Morocco Days Thirteen & Fourteen: Relaxing In Marrakesh, Including Premature False Start To Our Journey Home, 20 & 21 November 1997
La Mamounia for dinner
Resolved to relax all day…
…[until] false start when Travel Link turned up a day early to take us home!
This is a favourite travel agent cock up story of mine. There we were, having been touring rigorously for best part of two weeks, enjoying a blissful relaxing morning on our last day of holiday – looking forward to a well posh dinner I had booked for us at La Mamounia for our end of tour celebration, when an agent turned up and cajoled us poolside, “you need to leave straight away for your flight or else you’ll miss it”.
This incident was only 18 months after my own genuine flight cock up, when returning from Germany after Michael’s wedding. But surely, so soon after such an error, I couldn’t have erred by a whole day. I rushed up to the room and got our travel documents out of the safe.
This must have been the agent’s error, not ours. Phew.
The young woman was extremely apologetic and reassured us several times (including leaving a message when she got back to the office) that the error was all theirs and that they would return the next morning to collect us, as arranged.
Dinner at La Mamounia was well posh and great fun. I think the music got a bit tedious for us after a while, but still we ate extremely well and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. An excellent way to round off a wonderful holiday.
All the photos from the second part of our journey are on this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder and links for information about this whole trip can be found here and below.
Driving Holiday In Morocco Day Twelve: Another Day In Marrakesh, 19 November 1997
Rose quite late. Cloudy morning, so changed plans re touring.
As part of our changing plans we delicately asked the concierge to find us a gentler guide who might take us to shops with less pushy merchants. I think the geezer listened.
Got excellent guide Moulay – went to see Ben Youssef Madrasa…
…and the Saadian Tombs [see headline photo & below]…
…then back into medina proper, where we got some nice clothes for Janie at last and admired expensive antique shops.
Lunch at hotel, then restful afternoon by pool.
Super evening at restaurant Yacout – palatial surroundings and so much food and wine! Moroccan salads, chicken with olives, lamb tajine (we rejected a couscous dish) and pastilla au lait and almonds.
All the photos from the second part of our journey are on this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder and links for information about this whole trip can be found here and below.
Driving Holiday In Morocco Day Eleven: A Day In Marrakesh, 18 November 1997
Jardin Majorelle – Yves St Lauren’s place
Rose, quite late – faffed around in morning re-changing room and spoilt films etc before lunch.
I don’t really remember the specific room-changing incident at Le Tichka, but in those days we did quite often end up changing rooms, as anything that didn’t meet Janie’s very high standards of room quality would get rejected.
The problem with film was probably film getting stuck in my old Zenith EM, which i think I largely solved by unsticking and changing the film in a changing bag, which i would always carry with me in those days. Photographer’s son blah blah.
Went off to La Mamounia for look around – also gardens and Koutoubia Mosque.
After lunch back at Tichka, we went sightseeing with a grumpy guide Abdul Jalil II – went to Palais de la Bahia…
– drove through the Mellah…
…to Jardin Majorelle [see headline picture and below]- saw gardens and small museum …
…then on to souks a look around – photographs and protracted negotiations over beautiful tajine dishes.
Yes, we both remember that souk/shopping trip well. Janie indeed got some beautiful tajine dishes which she still cherishes, but a little bit of our souls were left behind in the Marrakesh souk. The merchants were so pushy and we sensed that our guide, Abdul Jalil II (see above) was taking us to his personal choice of pushy, high-commission merchants. Both Janie and I had a headache by the end of that shopping trip.
Then after dark [we] wandered around to Djemaa El Fna for a while.
Back to hotel for dinner (Janie – brochettes, me – pastilla pigeon.)
All the photos from the second part of our journey are on this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder and links for information about this whole trip can be found here and below.
Driving Holiday In Morocco Day Ten: Ouirgane To Marrakesh Via Essaouira, 17 November 1997
Set out very early for Essaouira – Janie did all the driving because I’m a cripple – via Marrakesh, where my directions were spot on, but the traffic cop didn’t want to know!
The reference to me being a cripple is to do with the fight I (especially my foot/ankle had with a marble bathroom floor the day before, which the marble won on points. I cannot remember the traffic cop incident but we both remember Essaouira very fondly.
Essaouira was very pretty – we went into the craft shop area – bought some wood pieces – then went to see Villa Maroc – (stunning) and main harbour squares (Orson Welles!) Etc
Then Chez Sam at end of harbour for a fabulous seabass lunch…
…then back to Marrakesh – said goodbye to Noddy, the Renault 9.
Checked into Le Tichka & had a restful evening, including super Moroccan meal at hotel Johara restaurant (Janie had chicken tajine, me – brochettes).
All the photos from the second part of our journey are on this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder and links for information about this whole trip can be found here and below.
Driving Holiday In Morocco Day Nine: Lazy Day In To Ouirgane At La Roseraie, 16 November 1997
Me reading Harry Thompson’s biography of Peter Cook
Lazy day at La Roseraie – interrupted by my tumble in marble bathroom. Nevertheless, sat out all day by quiet, small, pool…
…and then “our” garden after light lunch.
Had massages in early evening and again an early dinner and early night. With a view to Smart start tomorrow.
All the photos from the second part of our journey are on this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder and links for information about this whole trip can be found here and below.
Driving Holiday In Morocco Day Eight: Taroudant To Ouirgane Via Tizi-n-Test Pass, 15 November 1997
Set out quite early for La Roseraie. Mostly stunning drive-through Tizi-n-Test pass – many stops to take photos etc – long drive.
Arrived [at La Roseraie] in time for late lunch and look around – arranged a serviced hamam. For late afternoon. And then dinner and early night.
All the photos from the second part of our journey are on this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder and links for information about this whole trip can be found here and below.
Driving Holiday In Morocco Day Seven: A Day In Taroudant & An Evening At La Gazelle Dor, 14 November 1997
Went into town quite early – fended off countless touts to be alone – bought painting.
Got a bit lost, but then found souk – I bought sandals, Janie bought the baboushes [slippers], then got bored with touts. Found ourselves a horse and carriage lad who had kept looking out for us and got him to take us round the ramparts, and then back to the souk (Berber part, then Arab part) where Janie, bought raffia.
I haggle hard & one [merchant] offered 6000 camels for Janie (previous best offer – 4000 camels).
Then home for relaxing afternoon on fab terrace.
Realised we needed extra baggage for our purchases. The result was to return to souk quickly (with tout). Naturally no touts were to be found, but shunned souk shopkeeper from earlier grabbed us and sorted out great leather holdall and more sandals & baboushes dead cheap!
Home to change and dinner at oh so snooty La Gazelle Dor (méchoui). Adam (manager, so OTT, it’s untrue). Great meal at £50 plus tip all in better than I expected.
All the photos from the first part of our journey are on this Flickr album – click here or below:
A placeholder and links for information about this whole trip can be found here and below.