Ian Louis Harris

Monty’s Cosy Office, A Latke-fest Weekend In Keele & Hard Labour In A Finsbury Park Factory, January 1986

Latkes by Dall-E.

Monty Mendelson (forgive me if the surname is not spelt correctly) was a manager at Newman Harris who worked primarily for partner Lesley Cohen, whose office was in an office building in Wigmore Street, around the corner from the main Cavendish Square office. Monty at that time looked after one or two clients in Stanley Bloom’s portfolio too (Laurie Krieger’s “empire”, if I recall correctly), which might explain why I got to use his office in his absence.

The other possible reason is that the computer room was in the Wigmore Street office and I was the designated youngster who was supposed to try and sort out the problems that the departing “computer manager” had failed to sort out.

Monday 6 January 1986 – Work ok today – in office all day. Pretty uneventful day. Got to use Monty’s office which is cozy. Had a lazy evening at home reading mostly.

Tuesday 7 January 1986 – Uneventful day at work – still got Monty’s room – a cushy number. Spent the evening at home reading a book etc.

Clearly this role in Monty’s office felt cosier and cushier, to me, than real hard graft at clients’ sites doing actual accounting work. Who knew?

Wednesday 8 January 1986 – In office this morning (Monty’s) – met Kate [Fricker] for lunch – went to Cinecittà [see below]– pleasant enough lunch. Went to Laurence Corner in afternoon – ok. Lazy evening in – watched some TV + read etc.

In the 1970s and 1980s, London was home to a very famous, eccentric Italian restaurant called Cinecittà, located right behind the old Debenhams department store at 74 Welbeck Street, on the corner of Henrietta Place in Marylebone.
It was highly memorable for its unique setup:
The Concept: It was a theatrical, self-service Italian restaurant designed like a movie studio lot.
The Decor: Diners could choose to sit and eat their meals inside various novelty “movie sets,” most famously including a full-sized vintage train carriage booth.
Google’s AI mode

Thursday 9 January 1986 – Spent the day at Laurence Corner – ok. Had a quiet evening in – watched some TV etc + read books.

Friday 10 January 1986 – Went to office today – did budget for CAA [Concert Artiste’s Association]. Had a drink with Mike [King], Sandra [soon to be or just became King]+ Terry [errand “boy”] after work. Went up to Keele – pretty tired etc. Had dinner + earlyish night.

Saturday 11 January 1986 – Got up reasonably early – had breakfast at [the] SU. Went out in afternoon – saw Ali [Dabbs], Pitty [Graham Pitt], L54 [Alan Gorman, Pete Wild, Hayward Burt] etc – went on to Hanley. Saw “Plenty” at cinema + then went for drink – decided impulsively to eat at Hanley Garden + get cab home.

Sunday 12 January 1986 – Rose quite late – after getting papers etc. Ben [Benita Wishart] came over for latke “lunch” etc – went for walk in woods in the dark. Lazed some more – had dinner watched a lot of TV + turned in.

Monday 13 January 1986 – Returned to London from Keele. Work OK – in office all day doing bits of this + that. Pretty tired though – had a quiet evening in + early night.

Tuesday 14 January 1986 – In office today – pretty uneventful day all told. Stayed in this evening – got a few odds & ends done.

Wednesday 15 January 1986 – Work OK – nothing very exciting happened. Stayed in evening.

Thursday 16 January 1986 – Went to Sam Phillip’s factory today – fairly hard work. Went on to Andrea [Dean]’s in evening – for booze, fondue etc. Very pleasant evening with that crowd. Stayed over there.

Friday 17 January 1986 – Set off to Finsbury Park (Sam Phillip’s) – worked in factory all day – pretty tiring – had a quiet evening at home + earlyish night.

The First Weekend Of 1986, Including Noises Off by Michael Frayn, Savoy Theatre

From The Daily Telegraph 13 January 1986, via my Newspapers.com subscription

Here’s the diary extract for that weekend starting with Friday:

Friday 3 January 1986 – Went in to the office this morning – finished Ashley’s files. Met Caroline for lunch – went to Effes [meaning Efes] – v pleasant. Had a lazy evening at home + a fairly early night.

I’d forgotten that I sometimes treated Efes in Great Titchfield Street as a lunch place in the Newman Harris Cavendish Square days. My recollection was as a “soak up the beer after work” place, as I said in my write up of the Z/Yen Seasonal Party there, many years after the 1986 visit:

Z/Yen Christmas Do At Efes Restaurant In Great Titchfield Street, 15 December 2000

Update: Caroline remembers Efes as a lunch place more comprehensively than I do – even recalling that her luncheon of choice was No 13- chicken shish. Extraordinary powers of recall, that.

Saturday 4 January 1986 – Lazyish day – went to the high road in afternoon to library etc after lazing for most of the morning. Petra came over late afternoon – went up to town – saw Noises Off – very funny evening, went for late Italian meal. Came back to stay + late night.

Despite having been going for best part of four years, Noises Off was still filling houses and still had an excellent cast: Christopher Godwin, Stephanie Cole, Hugh Paddick, Michael Cochrane, Colette Gleeson, Timothy Carlton, and others too numerous to make it onto the newspaper classifieds at the time. Probably my first sighting of those people and probably my first sight of a Michael Blakemore directed piece too.

I do recall finding the play very funny – especially the middle act. I am really glad to have seen the original production of Noises Off, albeit not the very first cast.

Sunday 5 January 1986 – Saw Petra off this morning – had a big Italian lunch with folks – watched an old movie in the afternoon and had a generally lazy time at home reading etc.

The old movie was The Four Feathers.

Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein, Albery Theatre, 2 January 1986

This image of Antony Sher from newspapers.com, click here or Observer embed below.

I went to see this one with Marianne Gilmour. Unfortunately I didn’t get/keep a programme, but I do remember it being a long, but very entertaining, evening of theatre.

My first sighting of Antony Sher live, no doubt. I vaguely recall that the idea of going to see this show was entirely predicated on the notion that both Marianne and I wanted to see Anthony Sher on stage.

Here’s my diary entry for that day:

Thursday 2 January 1986 – Went to Finsbury Park to do stocktake at Sam Phillips – ok – spent most of day there + then went back to office. Met Marianne – went round shops -> Chinese food meal -> Torch Song Trilogy (Antony Sher) – V. good indeed. Went back to Stanmore with Marianne & stayed there.

There was more to it than Anthony Sher. My sense is that the whole cast and production was very good, although I found the musical element of it a bit camp and shmaltzy. But you can hardly complain about that if you go to see a show named Torch Song Trilogy, can you?

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Here’s what the experts said. Step forth, Michael Radcliffe in the Observer:

Torch Radcliffe Observer 6 Oct 1985 The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

My friend Michael Billington was not convinced by the play but was convinced by Anthony Sher:

Torch Billington Guardian 3 Oct 1985 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Milton Shulman in the Standard hated the play and also derides Sher’s performance as being:

…like a harassed Jewish accountant in need of large doses of chicken soup.

Torch Shulman Standard 2 Oct 1985 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

That’s horribly near the bone, Shulman.

Seeing In 1986 From A Traditional Thames Vantage Point – Waterloo Bridge I Think

Nano Banana 2.1 has reimagined the scene for me based on my instruction, although I placed us, from memory, on Waterloo Bridge, but Nano Banana wanted us on Westminster Bridge

Tuesday 31 December 1985 – Had lazy day taping and lounging around – met Petra in afternoon – > John’s -> Poons -> bridge

“John’s” in those days was the flat in Bow that he shared with Mandy, Rachel and I think one or two others.

I don’t list the people who joined us for that meal in Poons and for the celebrations on the bridge afterwards, but it is just possible that either John or Petra will remember.

I’m pretty sure that John’s number one choice of Chinese in those days would have been Joy King Lau. I am guessing that Joy King Lau was full and/or had a longer waiting time than Poons, which I remembered (correctly) was immediately next door in Leicester Street.

Here is a link to my Joy King Lau/Poons proximity question.

My profound love of The Original Poons restaurant in Lisle Street came a little later – other Ogblog pieces might oblige with details of that ultra low key but very high grade Cantonese food place.

As for the bridge in question, my vague memory suggests it was Waterloo Bridge, not Westminster Bridge. I took up this matter with Nano Banana, which responded with the following image, which strikes me as a scene with a view of the Palace Of Westminster that suggests it is roughly where Waterloo Bridge might be:

I’m sure we were all better looking than the youngsters depicted, but maybe we weren’t.

Anyway, here is what I said about the hours following the tolling of the bell:

Wednesday 1 January 1986 – Wandered round the south bankside – took cab – Petra + I hitched back to Bow – bedded down at John’s – hung around at John’s a while in afternoon. Went & had something to eat in Covent Garden – saw Petra off – went home & had lazy evening + early night.

I can’t quite reconcile “took cab” and “Petra & I hitched back to Bow”. Something’s missing in that statement. Perhaps we took a cab to one place, where we dropped some people off, then we hitched the rest of the way.

JOHN! Can you disambiguate this memory?

Update: John White Writes…

My diary entry for 1.1.86 reads. TODAY FOLLOWING THE NYE REVELRY, WE SLEPT LATE. CHATTED TO IAN AND PETRA AND WATCHED TV. Exciting hey?

My thoughts on Poons was that it was posher than Joy King Lau so maybe we decided to spend a bit extra. I can’t remember the evening at all other than in the mistiest of tones. I am sure we stumbled around had a few drinks and as Big Ben struck kissed each other before getting home. Probs the night bus then.

I wrote back to John, suggesting that his 31 December 1985 diary entry might contain the vital missing information.

John writes:

No entry for 31.12.85 as we were out partying.

Big help, John. Thanks.

I asked Nano Banana to add John’s “canoodling notion” to the scene and provided it with Mark Ellicott’s famous picture of John canoodling from earlier in the 1985 year.

Thanks, Mark Ellicott.

And thanks, Nano Banana. Once you can fake authenticity, you’ve really got it made.

Minutes of a Strange Meeting From 10 June 1985, Typed Up 30 December 1985

I have published the hand-written version of these “minutes” under the date of the “meeting”.

Here is the typed up version, scanned from what I think must be carbon copies. Is there anyone else left on the planet who remembers what carbon copies were?

I guess I prepared these for our glorious return visit in January 1986 for the traditional UGM/AGM thingie.

Almost The Very End Of 1985 – Mid To Late December

cc 2.0 Ian Capper / The Meliá White House

Saturday 7 December 1985 – Met Petra in morning – breakfast etc. (Lost handbag). Stopped off at shop – stayed in the evening.

I remember the “Petra lost handbag” incident quite well, but with some gaps. I think Petra took an early train down from Keele, having arranged to meet me in the morning and then go on to see her folks down in Sussex. We went to quite a swish place in Piccadilly for “brunch”.

Thanks to Gemini, I recall that the place was Richoux – written up and photographed in this Transatlantic article, although sadly no longer at 172 Piccadilly.

Petra and I got about five or ten minutes down the road when Petra realised that she didn’t have her handbag. We returned to Richoux to discover that the bag had gone.

Despair.

But wait!

A waiter said he thought he had seen another customer spot the left-behind handbag and thought that the gentleman had handed it in to the police. The waiter suggested that we visit the local cop shop.

In those days, that meant a short stroll to Savile Row. And in those days, only very limited questions were asked of Petra to prove that she was the owner of the bag.

And in those days, believe it or not, the copper handed over the contact details for the gentleman who had spared Petra no end of trouble, as we said we wanted to get him a gift to thank him.

Back to Richoux we went for some chocolates and then up to Albany Street to The White House Hotel. In those days, no questions asked, we simply strode to the appropriate floor and knocked on the door.

The gentleman, half-opening the room door, seemed a little taken aback to be confronted by two smiling, grateful youngsters and a box of chocolates, which he rather sheepishly accepted before closing the door.

I’m sure the “Do Not Disturb” sign had been invented by then, even though GDPR had not.

Sunday 8 December 1985 – stayed at home today – went to Grandma Jenny’s – did some work, etc.

Monday, 9 December 1985 – started FT [Financial Training] course today – okay. Stayed in and worked in evening.

I spent quite a lot of time at Financial Training in Bramley Road those years I was articled and studying for my ACA exams. That building is now an abandoned, graffiti-ridden wreck, visible from the Western Avenue flyover, reminding me how dilapidated I might look after all those years if I didn’t take care of myself or have someone to take care of me.

I asked Google Flow to produce an artist’s representation of what the place looked like in the mid 1980s and I must say it (via Nana Banana 2.1) has done a cracking job, albeit an architect-style artist’s impression.

I do recall finding the course work extremely dull, especially in that first year as I had to do a lot of modules that were merely repeating stuff I had studied before (e.g. statistics, basic law) or was familiar with from years of doing practical accounting (e.g. basic book-keeping).

I remember spending breaks writing imaginary skits and songs about my fellow “kids in college” to relieve the boredom, sending them by post to Petra at Keele. I’m not sure that this comedy worked particularly well but it was possibly useful training for my post-qualification avocation as a comedy writer.

Tuesday, 10 December 1985 – course ok – worked at home in evening.

Wednesday, 11 December 1985 – FT went okay (evening messed up by call etc) – early night.

Thursday, 12 December 1985 – course ok – finished. Went up to Keele this evening.

Friday, 13 December 1985 went to union – did exam etc – went to Ben’s [Benita Wishart] for dinner in the evening – ok.

Saturday, 14 December 1985 – went to kiddie’s party in the afternoon for awhile – had a nice meal in evening.

Sunday, 15 December 1985 – lazy day at Keele reading papers eating etc- very pleasant.

At that stage, I was still very much enjoying the weekend visits to Keele and didn’t seem to mind catching a very early train from Stoke to Euston and going straight into the office. The very thought fills me with dread now.

Monday, 16 December 1985.– Came down from Keele. Back to work today – computer etc. – work ok! Had an early night.

Computer etc. will be to do with the regular problems Newman Harris was having at that time with its computer set up. The main machine (which was used primarily for payroll services) had a tendency to glitch out. Payroll was a very time sensitive affair in those days. The service was offered to quite a few retail and hospitality sector clients who paid their staff weekly and mostly in cash.

I think the firm lost patience with the “manager” who was supposed to be looking after the computer services and asked me (purportedly bright and young) to help hold the fort while they decided what to do.

A bit of common sense and an obsessive compulsive approach to backing up data regularly…which I have never quite got over since…meant that I ended up holding that fort for rather a long time.

(I have just pressed the “save draft” button, just in case. Even though WordPress auto-backs-up very regularly. I just pressed “save draft” again. To be sure, to be sure). Let’s move on.

It looks as though I used that run up to Christmas to catch up with lots of my friends.

Tuesday, 17 December 1985 – at Setty today – popped in to office etc. Bobbie [Scully] in evening had Indonesian meal etc. Very nice.

Wednesday 18 December 1985 – work etc – at Setty – went over over to Kate’s [Fricker] in the evening – had meal etc.

Thursday, 19 December 1985 – went to Setty -> office – ok – met Petra in evening – had Chinese meal etc.

Friday, 20 December 1985 – work okay – very tired in evening – had an early night.

Saturday, 21 December 1985 – lazyish day – library etc. Went to Andrea’s [Dean] party in the evening – ok – stayed over.

Sunday 22 December 1985 – hung around for a while. Went to Jilly’s [Black] in the afternoon and evening. Very pleasant.

Monday 23 December 1985 – work ok – did nothing in the evening.

Tuesday 24 December 1985 – work in morning – finished at lunchtime – met Annalisa [de Mercur] for lunch – went home – had lazyish time.

Wednesday, 25 December 1985 – lazy day at home – went to [Doreen & Stanley] Benjamin’s for evening – quite pleasant.

Thursday, 26 December 1985 – at home – worked most of the day. Watched some television also.

Friday 27 December 1985 – stayed at home and worked mostly – taped – went shops with dad in afternoon – worked in evening also.

Saturday 28 December 1985 – stayed in and work for most of the day and evening. Watched a film in evening also.

Sunday, 29 December 1985 – worked for most of the day – had Chinese lunch etc. Got quite a lot done.

Monday 30 December 1985 – Did home exam in morning – went to shops, taped etc in afternoon – lazy evening.

I was really into classical music by that stage of the autumn/winter and I have no doubt that the taping I talk about over those weeks will have been classical music.

But one track from the charts that late autumn does stick in my mind as having been a bit of an earworm:

An Order To Attend A University of Keele Students’ Union General Meeting, Letter From June Aitken, 13 December 1985

I might have some notes or other artefacts from the meeting itself which I’ll post separately if/when I find them. I know I did attend the meeting. I’m pretty sure several/most of us did. If June said you had to be there, you had to be there.

Three Weeks, Two Keele Visits & An Inspection Of Paul Deacon’s Gear: Mid November To Early December 1985

Paul Deacon showing off his gear – picture (post 1985) from Paul’s FB images

This period of my life was all about keeping my head down at work and spending as much time with old friends as work and study would allow.

Friday, 15 November 1985 – work okay – met Caroline [Freeman] for lunch – farewell drink for Norman – up to Keele in evening.

Saturday 16 November 1985 – lazyish day. Went to L Block & Thorns – helped Petra with essay etc – dinner in etc.

L Block Barnes was my old flatmates, Alan “Great Yorkshire Pudding” Gorman, Pete Wild and the usurper of my favourite seat, Hayward Burt.

I cannot imagine what Petra’s essay was about, but as she was first year law at that time, it is safe to say it would have been something criminal, tort or contract. It’s also safe to say tat she would probably have got by without my help.

Sunday, 17 November 1985 – lazyish Sunday – did some work etc – decided to stay over – did so – v nice weekend.

Monday 18 November 1985 – returned to London. Work OK – did some work in the evening etc.

Tuesday, 19 November 1985 – work ok – stayed in evening – did little.

Wednesday, 20 November 1985 – all day at ST [Setty Textiles] – okay. Quiet evening – reading etc.

Thursday, 21 November 1985 – felt absolutely lousy today – spent day at ST. Stayed in evening feeling yucky.

Friday 22 November 1985 – work ok – feeling a bit better today – quiet evening in.

Saturday 23 November 1985 – went to shop with dad briefly -> library -> shops etc. Went over to Paul [Deacon]’s in the evening – inspected his gear.

Paul was, at that time, getting deeply into DJ-ing – I think from memory at radio Kings – the Kings College Hospital radio station. “His gear” will have had something to do with taping and/or DJ-ing. Paul might just remember.

Say something, young Paul! This picture also “borrowed” from Paul’s FB picture stash.

Sunday 24 November 1985 – stayed in all day – worked – had lunch – read and did a bit of taping.

I’m pretty sure that my autumn 1985 taping would have primarily been to do with classical music rather than contemporary music. I have recording lists but not dated ones. I’ll be doing some trawling of those at some point and might add some YouTube Music playlists to point at the stuff I was listening too around that time. I do recall that Mahler started to enter the frame around then. This classic 1948 Vienna Philharmonic recording of Mahler 2 conducted by Bruno Walter was one of the first versions I picked up.

Monday 25 November 1985 – at Setty most of the day today (office for a while). Quiet evening in.

Tuesday 26 November 1985 – work ok – stayed in evening – did some work etc.

Wednesday, 27 November 1985 – work ok – went over to Andrea [Dean]’s in the evening – went out for a meal etc.

Thursday 28 November 1985–Setty ok – went to backseat drivers class in the evening – ok.

Friday 29 November 1985 – work ok – met Caroline for lunch – went to Keele in evening.

Saturday 30 November 1985 – did little today – visited some people etc – meal in evening etc.

Keele didn’t look exactly like this in the winter and absence of Nano Banana Lite 2’s help.

Sunday 1 December 1985 – lazyish day – did some work etc – visited some etc – stayed over.

Monday, 2 December 1985 – went down to London – Setty warehouse for the day – ok – early night.

Tuesday, 3 December 1985 – work ok – Setty – stayed in evening – did some work etc.

Wednesday 4 December 1985 – Setty ok – stopped off at office – met John Boy [White] (inadvertently met Pete Roberts) for drinks & a meal.

Thursday, 5 December 1985 – at Setty today – skipped backseat drivers today – felt tired.

Friday, 6 December 1985 – work ok – stayed in evening – did some work etc.

Highs and Lows In Cardiff & London, Including A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen At St Stephen’s Theatre Space, Early November 1985

Inside of St Stephen’s Reimagined by Nano Banana Lite 2 on my instruction.

Sunday, 3 November 1985 – not a very nice day – mum and dad went to aborted wedding – I did exam (had Chinese after).

I have no recollection of this aborted wedding incident and cannot imagine whose intended wedding it wasn’t. I sense that mum in particular was upset by the business.

Monday, 4 November 1985 – office ok – I suppose – quiet evening at home.

Tuesday, 5 November 1985 – work ok – lazy-ish evening in.

Wednesday, 6 November 1985 – office ok – took folks out for Greek meal in evening (anniversary).

Not just any anniversary – it was their 30th wedding anniversary. A Greek meal might have been more appropriate for the 20th (China), but I’m sure they thought that me taking them out was a pearl of a gesture.

Thursday, 7 November 1985 – work ok – went to backseat drivers class in evening.

Friday, 8 November 1985 – Odd day at work – Sujen send off at lunchtime – long lunch! Went to Cardiff [to visit Jilly Black] in evening – Italian meal etc.

Saturday, 9 November 1985 – Earlyish start but did little – day went quick. Went to see Ibsen Doll’s House and for Chinese meal in evening.

OK, I have managed to find a newspaper clipping about that Doll’s House production in Cardiff. It seems we attended the last night.

Doll’s House Argus 1 Nov 1985 South Wales Argus (Newport, Gwent, Wales) Newspapers.com

From another mention in The Argus it seems we parted with £3.50 each, back when £3.50 was real money for a cushioned pew and a cup of cold coffee, unless Jilly’s student status entitled us to a discount.

Strangely, I remember the production as being rather good, although it was somewhat surpassed when Janie and I saw Janet McTeer, Owen Teale & John Carlisle in A Doll’s House more than 10 years later – unfair comparison, I know, I know.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, The Playhouse, 27 December 1996

Sunday 10 November 1985 – early start – went to Polly’s for lunch – left in afternoon – quiet evening at home.

I seem to recall that Polly was a charming young woman with a strident Welsh Nationalist boyfriend, which seemed super-cool at the time.

Monday 11 November 1985 – work ok – studied in evening for home exam.

Tuesday 12 November 1985 – work ok – did some academic work in the evening.

Wednesday 13 November 1985 – busyish day at the office – lousy journey – did home exam in evening.

Thursday, 14 November 1985 work ok-ish – felt pretty low in evening – didn’t go to drivers class.

Don’t worry about me, dear reader – I went to Keele for the weekend the next day and that made me feel happy again for a while. Until the next episode…

Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2 November 1985

Image from e-bay, click here, where this programme can be bought

This theatre visit predates my relentless keeping of programmes and logs. Aspects of it are well-logged in my memory – the fact that Lauren Bacall played The Princess Kosmonopolis and the fact that the production was at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, for example.

It had slipped my memory, however, that Harold Pinter, one of my heroes, was the director. I was probably seduced by that fact, combined with a chance [did you see what I did there?] to see Lauren Bacall in a play that I had studied with dry-mouthed admiration at school; it indeed had been this play that turned me on to Tennessee Williams.

West End ticket prices for hot shows, even in those days, were a stretch for an apprentice professional lad just down from University and would also have been a stretch for Bobbie – just embarking on her second year of pupillage. But stretch we did, and, with hindsight, delighted that we stretched am I.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this play/production. This tells me that the production had been doing the rounds of theatres royal and palace-like, prior to autumn at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Full formal reviews will take some digging, but Harold himself got there before me with a super one-pager summarising the best of the notices – click here to link to that page. In the unlikely event that misfortune befalls haroldpinter.org, click here for a scrape of that page.

I have rummaged for some interesting newspaper stuff on this production as well as reviews. Here’s a reflective piece by Roy Hattersley, of all people, suggesting that this play/production is not for young folk. Try telling that to 23-year-old me and 22 year-old Bobbie: