So rehearsals are now in full swing and Still Life begins to take shape. As we all know by now this is the play from which the film Brief Encounter was made, one of Noel Coward’s finest productions. So I am enjoying the rehearsals immensely.

The part of the ticket collector, played by Stanley Holloway in the film, is a very enjoyable role and I get to throw two errant soldiers out of the station café-great stuff.

You will remember the last night of the play in November is to include a supper as part of our 60th year celebrations. As many of the past members as possible are being contacted to be part of the evening so it promises to be a superb evening.

Some of us oldie members are off to Eastbourne soon (where else?) for a rave weekend of siestas and Sanatogen. Chuffer will be in attendance trying to re-create his seconds of passion last year with the evasive Marylin, so the elderly spinsters and widows of East Sussex had better beware, Chuffer has already been seen polishing his zimmer and trimming his beard. You have been warned ladies. Naturally you will be wanting a full report - yes you will - and this will be forthcoming in a future blog.

This week’s story concerns a friend of mine and his wife who were spending the day at the zoo. She was wearing a loose fitting, pink dress, sleeveless with straps.. He was wearing his usual jeans and T-shirt. As they walked through the ape exhibit, They passed in front of a large, silverback gorilla. Noticing the wife, the gorilla went crazy. He jumped on the bars, and holding on with one hand and two feet he grunted and pounded his chest with his free hand. He was obviously excited at the pretty lady in the pink dress. My mate noticing the excitement, thought this was funny. He suggested that his wife tease the poor fellow some more by puckering her lips and wiggling her bottom. She played along and the gorilla got even more excited, making noises that would wake the dead. Then the husband suggested that she let one of her straps fall to show a little more skin. She did... and the gorilla was about to tear the bars down. "Now...... show your thighs and sort of fan your dress at him," he said. This drove the gorilla absolutely crazy and he started doing flips. Then the husband grabbed his wife, ripped open the door to the cage, flung her in with the gorilla and slammed the cage door shut. "Now. Tell him you have a headache."