A Stewart Lee thread for theClaud

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I'm very fond of Honiton, and the Newt 'n' Pop is one of my favourite pubs. But I'd have to take stock before crossing the Tavy.

I'm astonished at the number of people I know fairly well who are mourning Jethro. [from Wiki]'Comedian Richard Herring noted that Jethro's success over a long career was admirable, but also stated, "Part of my admiration is that his stuff isn't as horrible as that of some of his contemporaries. Which is a bit of a negative positive." '
My family was from Axminster and I were dragged-up in Exeter. Honiton is a place we only ever drove through. I think I set foot in it once.
Remember it as just one long street with a major road through it.
 

AuroraSaab

Legendary Member
I don't think I'd heard of Jethro until he passed away. Am I to take it he's the South West contemporary of Roy 'Chubby' Brown? Or more a 'retro' Bernard Manning type? By 'contemporary' I mean smutty, and by 'retro', I mean racist, obviously.
 

mudsticks

Squire
I'm very fond of Honiton, and the Newt 'n' Pop is one of my favourite pubs. But I'd have to take stock before crossing the Tavy.

I'm astonished at the number of people I know fairly well who are mourning Jethro. [from Wiki]'Comedian Richard Herring noted that Jethro's success over a long career was admirable, but also stated, "Part of my admiration is that his stuff isn't as horrible as that of some of his contemporaries. Which is a bit of a negative positive." '
Faint praise indeed.

I don't think he helped to disabuse anyone of the notion that rural or indeed westcountry folk folk are all unreconstructed, stick in the muds .

I think he was probably seen by most as an old school 'institution' churning out the same tired old schtick, rather than anythng approaching a relevant to now comedian with much new to say about the world..

Hmmn, can't say I share much of your affection for Honiton ,

It has its compensations, such a it's setting.. but if it's windy or drizzly anywhere in East Devon it always seems doubly so in Honiton.

Mind you otoh Axminster.. :whistle:
 

qigong chimp

Settler of gobby hash.
I lived for a while between Luppitt and Upottery. Any chance I wandered across your fields thereabouts or on walks down to the coast between Lyme and Sidmouth?
 

Ian H

Guru
Hmmn, can't say I share much of your affection for Honiton ,

It has its compensations, such a it's setting.. but if it's windy or drizzly anywhere in East Devon it always seems doubly so in Honiton.

Mind you otoh Axminster.. :whistle:
Honiton: I can walk either to good local shops or on to a rural footpath in ten minutes (the town out of sight in 15).

As for Axminster, I lived there on & off for 20yrs.

Train, bus, & shanks' pony availability are important.
 

mudsticks

Squire
I lived for a while between Luppitt and Upottery. Any chance I wandered across your fields thereabouts or on walks down to the coast between Lyme and Sidmouth?
Depends upon precisely where you wandered, but it's not an impossibility.



Ah Luppitt, Upottery, etc .

That's proper backcountry, have quite a few friends hunkered down in the bosky folds thereabouts :rolleyes:

Honiton: I can walk either to good local shops or on to a rural footpath in ten minutes (the town out of sight in 15).

As for Axminster, I lived there on & off for 20yrs.

Train, bus, & shanks' pony availability are important.

Yes both very excellent places to catch trains from :okay:
 

Ian H

Guru
I lived for a while between Luppitt and Upottery. Any chance I wandered across your fields thereabouts or on walks down to the coast between Lyme and Sidmouth?
Mary died aged about 99 in 2020. The pub is temporarily in the village hall whilst they sort out the farmhouse (though I hear not much is happening at the moment)..
 

mudsticks

Squire
Mary died aged about 99 in 2020. The pub is temporarily in the village hall whilst they sort out the farmhouse (though I hear not much is happening at the moment)..

She made a good age..

Brings back (slightly hazy) memories of long summer afternoons :blush:
 

qigong chimp

Settler of gobby hash.
I ventured into that Luppitt boozer just the once; was more likely to be found resting up in St Mary's church.
One revelation from that time in my life, being a gritty northerner whose childhood hols were all Whitby and environs, was sea swimming off the south Devon coast in late summer. That stuff's warm: a man in a ventile flying suit could comfortably survive longer than 2 minutes.
 
Honiton: I can walk either to good local shops or on to a rural footpath in ten minutes (the town out of sight in 15).

As for Axminster, I lived there on & off for 20yrs.

Train, bus, & shanks' pony availability are important.
Both sides of my family were in either Foxhill and Boxfield Road Axminster. Straight after the war my Dad's family was moved to a Prefab, but I don't know where they were in Axminster.
Uncle Bob worked at the old Workhouse, Grandad Smith worked at the Surgery, Uncle David worked at Shands (when he wasn't propping-up the bar at the Con Club)...happy days!
 

mudsticks

Squire
I ventured into that Luppitt boozer just the once; was more likely to be found resting up in St Mary's church.
One revelation from that time in my life, being a gritty northerner whose childhood hols were all Whitby and environs, was sea swimming off the south Devon coast in late summer. That stuff's warm: a man in a ventile flying suit could comfortably survive longer than 2 minutes.
There seems to be an inordinate number of people throwing themselves in the cold cold sea hereabouts and thereabouts, even in winter ..

Can't see the attraction myself, but I encourage it, as I imagine it must be helping to warm up the waters for my first dip of the year- in June..

Coincidentally we used to holiday in both Whitby, and South Devon..

Much as I love 'The North' ..
I don't think I possess quite enough 'grit' to live there full time.

I mither enough about cold fingers and toes of a morn,' even down here.. :whistle:
 
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