He's another one of those resonant voices I can't get out of my head and I have to imagine him shouting all my thoughts from too far away in a zeitgeisty prosey in a suit and sunglasses and a bit pudgey type way.

Yes, I have seen that Mortgage advert.

*Further Abroad* and *Even Further Abroad* were superb programmes and I equally enjoyed his look at Nazi architecture. Meades has a dry critical style (as well as a voice) that seems to be all of his own. The last time I saw them, they were buried away on BBC2. (>>>mutters that next time, he'll record them<<<)

The broadcasts I particulary enjoyed were (and this is by no means a definitive list):

Golf - because I agree with his apparent loathing of the sport - his descriptions (paraphrased, because I haven't seen the programmes for a long time) of parts of the Home Counties being taken over by Planet Golf.

Remember the future? - Terminator parody, and the Tony Benn-o-meter.

The Fens - if just for the closing images of different *charachters* in procession heading towards Ely Cathedral.

I enjoyed them programs, though all I can really remember is "thjis is not a pipe" and the sneezing-into-a-hankie-and-finding-something-incongruous-in-it bits. because I was quite young.

fudge.


that was me.

The one on caravans was really good, too. The thing about Meades is that he can take any subject and make it completely fascinating. He constantly borders on the pretentious, but actually never is. His style is apparently ironic, but is intrinsically sincere. If he says he loves caravan parks he means it - he's not just trying to be wacky.

With you all the way on the golf thing, George. Have you seen Michael Douglas' D-Fens' spectacular rant about golf in 'Falling Down'?

They were terrific, and Even Further was repeated last year. On a Saturday afternoon at 5pm. Except for the last one, which was at 11:30pm on a Tuesday. Gits. I only managed to tape the last one.

Does he write for a newspaper? If not, what does he do when not on TV?

I'm pretty sure his day job is as a restaurant critic.

Thinking about it, it was repeated early this year. Not that it makes any diff.

For whom?

JM has written in papers - I read a very good article by him in The Observer once. Trouble is, I can't remember for the life of me what it was about.

Meades writes for the sunday times style magazine, iirc.

Yep, he was restaurant critic for the times and also wrote an excellent novel called "Pompey".

I couldn't be bothered to read through all that lot, however -

He published a collection of his journalism up to 1990 called "Peter Knows What Dick Wants", which I never bought but read most of it in various bookshops (look, I was a student). It was brilliant, and well worth the price I didn't pay just for the excellent essay about poison-pen letters (they come in epidemics in southern England, apparently). And there was an interesting piece about travellers. And an attack on the novels of Frederic Raphael, which is great, because FR is a total cunt, as any educated person knows.

He also wrote a collection of short stories called "Filthy English", which I once saw a copy of in a 2nd-hand shop in Greenwich, and he did that thing for BBC2 about brummies. And he went to RADA, but I don't think he's ever acted.

Oh yeah, the caravans one, wasn't that the one were there was an end shot of cliffs on the south coast, then endless rows of caravans inserted?

I dug out my copy of *Falling Down* and zipped forward the Country Club Scene. Wonderful. (Goes out and shoots Golf Buggy).

"Now you're gonna die. Here. In those stupid pants."

What a great movie!

He also did that rarest of things - a good edition of "J'Accuse" for C4's Without Walls on vegetarians. Actually, it was priceless, and I was one at the time.

Love him, anyway. Another Further Abroad series, please.

>He also did that rarest of things - a good edition of "J'Accuse" for C4's Without Walls

And we know what the other one was, right Just?
"9.02 - BASTARD!"

Jon, in the programme about brummies, he did the joke about the brummie lorry driver who has to go to London.

Al, yes, Falling Down is a superb film. Almost seems to have been forgotten in the past couple of years.

Meades is a God. It's a fact.

But the best bit in Falling Down is the fast food restaurant.

>He also did that rarest of things - a good edition of "J'Accuse" for C4's Without Walls on vegetarians. Actually, it was priceless, and I was one at the time.

Ah yes - I knew there was something needling me about Meades, who generally I like. That 'J'Accuse' programme infuriated me at the time, because his wholly negative personal experience of vegetarians seemed to have less to do with those he knew abstaining from meat and more to do with them being wankers. One of those 'they're like this' and 'they say this' and 'they're always doing this' diatribes which failed to strike a single right note.

And yes, I'm a veggie.

I'm surprised you managed the effort of typing so many letters.











Only joking

>I'm surprised you managed the effort of typing so many letters.

Was that aimed at me, anon? Nice one. Actually, now you mention it I do feel a tad run down. Nothing like a big juicy steak to get the blood pumping, eh?

>Only joking

'Only'? You're being hard on yourself.

I just had a quick trot round a couple of on-line bookshops I know of. Most of Meades' stuff is out-of-print, they don't even list a copy of PKWDW. But if you ever see it going 2nd-hand, get it. I will.

Since my posting I've remembered it has a very good tribute to Joe Orton in it.

Anyhow, the booksites did reveal that he has a new book due out soon called "Encyclopedia Of Myself".

I was at school with his daughters. Fascinating I'm sure.

'Pompey' is a dizzying book. Bloody marvellous, and expensive, too, as it means that I've now got to go and seek out everything else the bugger's done. Very very good.

"I was at school with his daughters"

I had the idea he was gay.

Have you noticed he plays all the people in the background in that advert (old lady etc.)? What a versatile man.

he's not gay. he's got a girlfriend who also works in newspapers. i snogged her once in the back of a vauxhall. (not a lie.)

j xxx

Cor.

He's not gay but he is a cuckold.