On Tuesday when I was very briefly in Sligo in the afternoon to hear a set from Freddie Hendrix, I went on a pilgrimage like some sort of homing pigeon to the currently dug up Holborn Street full of road men in hard hats, rubble and temporarily closed to motor vehicles. The idea was to idle over to the Milligan house which is just over from Stephen Street where an entrance to the Lillies cocktail bar is and where Freddie was playing. Spike’s dad lived on Holborn Street. I padded along from the Rendezvous end to sidle up to its front door and gaze. I’d been there before some years ago inside circa The Bright Side of Life, a comedy festival run in the town. By the way regarding the Fred, without fear of losing the thread or indeed (touch wood) plot – lovely gig – hope someone records FH’s Brownie loving new tunes asap. So, long story short today’s playlist is Spike themed.
On Holborn Street, Sligo, a memorial to Spike Milligan
The goon of course was a comedy genius and polymath – an extremely funny man who worked as a performer, writer of very amusing novels and memoirs, playwright, inveterate letter writer, jazz trumpeter, Ronnie Scott’s regular, and much else – who best of all even bearing in mind all of the above – inspired Monty Python. He even totally serendipitously appeared in Life of Brian – as a prophet who tries to lead a group in prayer, but gives up and wanders off when he realises everyone has chased after Brian instead.
