Wednesday 5 August 2015

Malvina Reynolds - Little Boxes/What Have They Done To The Rain

OLD PA'S CORNER

BRIAN FRY

TACKS STUCK IN HIS FEET

 
MALVINA REYNOLDS - What Have they Done to the Rain
I shared in the early 70's, various flats in the Heathrow area with a guy call Brian Fry. Brian was a Customs Officer and came from Shrewsbury. He was a likeable lad and liked music and liked to drink. What was there not to like about Brian.
Here are a couple of Brian Fry stories for you. When Brian got ready for work he took ages in the Bathroom and when he was finished he smelled of aftershave and talc. It was almost overpowering. I noticed that all my aftershaves were going down very fast and I suspected Brian was the culprit. I therefore set up a test with a brand new aftershave which I did not use. As I suspected it went down very fast and proved it was Brian. I emptied the bottle and filled it up with piss.  

I never had the aftershave problem again.
One night I was drinking late with Brian and at about one in the morning I said I had to go to bed as I had to get up at six as I started work at seven. Brian just would not have it and kept annoying me. It got so bad after about an hour that I said I would hit him if he did not leave me alone. He just kept at it and I punched his chin. He went down like a ton of bricks. 
After recovering I helped him to his room. I returned and put tacks all around my bed. Just as I was about to go to sleep I heard this almighty scream Brian had a couple of tacks stuck in his feet.
Despite this we remained friends and it was Brian who introduced me to Malvin Reynolds. Nice one Brian.
 
MALVINA REYNOLDS - Little Boxes

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Malvina Reynolds - Little Boxes/What Have They Done To The Rain
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4 comments

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Anonymous
5 August 2015 at 09:14

Brian sounds like a sound chap but I may well have punched him too. A ling for Malvina Reynolds? That's quite left-field. These two are certainly classics, though I, like most I expect, best recall 'Little Boxes' from Pete Seeger's version which was a regular on Stewpot's Junior Choice.

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Anonymous
5 August 2015 at 09:15

BTW, both these videos are 'Just A Little Rain'.

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5 August 2015 at 09:50

Your memories of Brian bring to mind a few of the oddballs I shared digs with over the years. I had to lock my bedroom door a couple of times, but never had to chin anyone, thank goodness.

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17 August 2015 at 19:11

That aftershave story killed me, he learned a valuable lesson that day! Hmm he wouldn't leave you alone eh? Bit odd but then again most of the people you hung out with sound like weirdos. His music choice sounds like someone's granny. Maybe Ripley would like it?

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