4th Sep 2007, 12:42 pm | #1 |
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Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Hi all
They are all fantastic reading but my top 6 are...... 1 Mr nasty and is brc3000 2 Beardy and none Beardy the missing volume control 3 The big ginger tom cat 4 Grace and Sid duff tube 5 Smoking Philips G8 in a pub in the middle of nowhere 6 A visit to the cinema tit and bum Also do any members have any pictures of Les and is shop they could post here. Maybe another member could start a new thread on Chas E Miller and is fantastic storys with the various people that are Ike Hodge the ones that spring to mind are..... The grass seed filled GEC, The auctions, The dustbin lids for satellite dishes etc all brilliant reading Regards Marcus......... |
4th Sep 2007, 1:03 pm | #2 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
It would be nice to have a book dedicated to his stories. His aritcle was always the first thing I read in the Television Magazine.
Tony |
4th Sep 2007, 1:55 pm | #3 | |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Les Lawry-Johns had a brilliant sense of humour, and at the same time, could write some excellent serious technical articles.
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Maybe Donald Bullock?
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4th Sep 2007, 5:00 pm | #4 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Not a "story" as such - just a snippet - but I'll never forget it ~
His wife is in the workshop. Les says "Can you watch the shop for me for half a mo? I've just got to pop out 'the back' " (read: take a trip to the toilet). When he gets back, his wife - with a look of total disdain on her face - says "God you're SO vain! Every other man I know washes his hands AFTER he's been to the toilet - but not you!" Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Al / Skywave. |
4th Sep 2007, 5:05 pm | #5 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
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4th Sep 2007, 5:40 pm | #7 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
'Quatermass and the Navvy' - Dec 1980
Elaine Knell (E. Knell) story. Mr Piddlewell. I could go on all day, Les Lawry-Johns, (or LLJ as he was called), was a brilliant engineer as well as a top class writer. He also wrote under the pen name S. Simon. (S being Simple.) I don't know who's got the copyright on his tales now. How would we find out? I could ask Chas E. Miller when I next see him. Cheers, Steve P
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4th Sep 2007, 6:08 pm | #8 | |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Les Lawry-Johns was a legend. The fact that he's so fondly remembered by us almost 15 years after he died (and more like 20 years after he wrote his last "proper" piece) says a lot.
His servicing articles were as superb as his anecdotes were hilarious. Some of them would be quite unpublishable in our current politcally-correct age It's worthing getting back issues of Television for these alone. Quote:
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4th Sep 2007, 6:17 pm | #9 | |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
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Do you still have them? If not, I'd be happy to re-send them if you send me your address in a PM. Nick. |
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4th Sep 2007, 6:31 pm | #10 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Hi,
My ex - brother - in - law who is at best "non technical" used to enjoy reading Les Lawry - Johns tales in "Television" magazine. He intimated that Les was a brilliant writer as even without a technical mind you could still get enjoyment from the humorous way in which he wrote. Story wise I can't think that I have any one story in particular that springs to mind whilst recalling most of the ones that have already been mentioned. A couple of snippets from Les' stories spring to mind though, there was the child who proclaimed "wha dat when bang" in one article and also Dorothy (I think that was her name) who hung a strip of wallpaper a day when decorating so that she didn't get bored I might have a dig about and see if I can find the picture of Les outside his shop praying with the accompanying caption "Oh Lord would it spoil some vast eternal plan if I were to be a wealthy man" Andrew Andrew |
4th Sep 2007, 6:39 pm | #11 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Did he feature on a cover once (slightly plumpish chap in a grey cardigan)??
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4th Sep 2007, 6:45 pm | #12 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
What about Laura Lovitt's loose legs on her dicey Decca?!!!
All of his work was superb. There was a photo taken in the 1980s in "Television" outside his shop. I've lost most of my post 1983 issues so I probably no longer have it. He also wrote under the guise of Peter Gaymead-Frazer. Brian R |
4th Sep 2007, 8:56 pm | #13 | |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
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4th Sep 2007, 9:51 pm | #14 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Not sure when he started writing but I have quite a few of the 1970's Television mags with lots of his wonderful humerous stories in. He also did servicing articles of many of the tv chassis of the day both under his own name and that of S Simon.
As the Televison mag has now folded I wonder who owns the copyrights now. Probably the printers.
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4th Sep 2007, 10:03 pm | #15 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
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4th Sep 2007, 10:51 pm | #16 | |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
I believe he started writing for Television in September 1954
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4th Sep 2007, 10:59 pm | #17 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
Shops like that - and their proprietors - are few and far between these days - which is such a shame . I guess that's piece-and-part of the relentless onward march of technology.
Al / Skywave. |
4th Sep 2007, 11:05 pm | #18 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
I used to read his articles and thought every one brilliant ! one of his customers addressed him as " Mr Lousy Jones" now was that Beardy or non Beardy??
you could almost relate to every story if you ran your own shop! Rich.
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5th Sep 2007, 12:17 am | #19 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
The very first copy of "Practical Television" I purchased had an article on servicing the Ferguson 988T which was my parents first TV, a set now in my loft. The article was written by Les Lawry-Johns.
It was late in 1975, when LL-J ceased the servicing articles under his own name, and began his monthly column. His column was the only one that my wife would read in any of the technical magazines I purchased. A book with a reprint of his articles would find a purchaser here, ALAN |
5th Sep 2007, 12:30 am | #20 |
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Re: Whats your favourite LES L JOHNS story
That's a great idea, Alan. I wonder who could organise that?
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All the very best, Tas |