In the 1980s, Bill Tidy was a neighbour of ours in Westbourne Road, Southport. He was a regular at the Berkeley Arms, a hotel bar well-known for a fine choice of real ales and home-made pizzas; my friends and I spent a lot of time there. I occasionally saw Bill with his friends in the bar, although I never had the opportunity to speak to him. Bill drew a cartoon about the Berkeley which was framed and proudly displayed on the wall. I can't recall after all this time what the joke was, and this was in the days before we all had a mobile phone camera in our pockets. Unfortunately the Berkeley closed well over a decade ago when the building was converted to flats; I have occasionally wondered what happened to the cartoon.
By affectionately mocking us real ale campaigners, Keg Buster was a welcome corrective to the tendency to solemn self-importance and pomposity that some committed advocates for any cause can occasionally be prone to. I don't know whether there are any plans to replace Keg Buster, but if there are, the cartoonist concerned has a hard act to follow.
RIP Keg Buster, and best wishes to Bill on his retirement.
 |
| From November 2017. Click on the cartoon to see a larger image. |
Agreed. I know some people felt it had become a bit dated and politically incorrect, but I derived a huge amount of amusement from it over the years, and Bill Tidy must be saluted for his achievement over such a long period.
ReplyDeleteYes, humour doesn't always has to be challenging and in your face. I have wondered whether some of those who didn't like it couldn't handle being on the receiving end of his gentle ribbing.
DeleteTrouble is, it got overtook by better comedy like Mrs Browns Boys.
ReplyDeleteOh, you are a wag!
Delete