Doctoring the script
PAISLEY-BORN TV writer Steven Moffat has been paying tribute to his mother-in-law, Beryl Vertue, following her death aged 90.
Beryl was a legendary agent who represented the interests of writers. In the 1960s she had a client named Terry Nation who scribbled a story for a new, kiddie sci-fi show made by the BBC.
Beryl noticed some characters in the script who she thought might become rather popular.
“She quickly adjusted Terry’s contract so he retained the rights to those characters, and the BBC readily agreed,” says Steven, who adds: “Of course they did. I mean, who’d ever even heard of the Daleks?”
Woe till Wed
A FEW years ago reader Jane Butterly worked in a rather intense office in Edinburgh city centre, where frivolity was frowned upon.
To lighten the mood one Monday morning she whispered to a colleague a joke she’d heard at the weekend.
The uppity supervisor, overhearing, scolded her by snipping: “Let’s be having no jokes on a Monday morning.”
With a certain amount of relish the supervisor then added: “We don’t even allow you to smile at your desk until Wednesday afternoon.”
Wifey’s blowback
THE gallimaufry of ghastly gales gallivanting round Scotland reminds David Waters from Blackwood of the auld wifey who visited her doctor with stomach pains.
After examining her the doc explained it was merely wind, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Just wind! Just wind!” expostulated the wifey. “D’ye no ken that it wis jist wind what blew doon the Tay Brig?”
Moniker multiplied
WE continue mulling over the ubiquity of the name Bob. In the mid 1950s Brian Smith from Ayrshire moved to Glasgow where he attended Thorntree Primary School.
In the class there was Bobby Murdoch, Bobby Ferrie, Bobby Glasgow and Bobby Scotland.
“We had great fun,” recalls Brian. “Just Bob, Bob, Bob (Bob)in’ along.”
More moniker muddling
THE above story may be a tad misleading, for the vast majority of people in the world are not named Bob. To prove this point, Roddy Young tells us of a female student he knew named Gemma Pell who struggled to make introductions during a visit to France.
Fighting talk
THE husband of reader Jenny Cooper was watching Boris Johnson make a speech on TV about possible war with Russia.
With a grim sigh, Jenny’s hubby said: “I preferred it when Boris just made speeches about Peppa Pig.”
Feeling flat
“I USED to work for a recycling firm crushing old Irn-Bru cans,” says Gavin Murray. “It was soda pressing.”
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