Isn't part of the joke about Mornington Crescent the sheer absurdity of the station itself? Hardly anyone gets on or off, it is situated in a no man's land traffic island, for years trains used to whistle through without stooping and who knows where the crescent named Mornington actually is?. The game wouldn't work half as well if it was called Baker Street or Charing Cross
Oh definitely! There was originally a whole paragraph about the actual station, but the piece was already getting as long as the Northern Line. During the mid-90s I actually worked in that amazing Art Deco Egyptian warehouse opposite Mornington Crescent station and it made me so happy to finally be able have it as my actual destination.
Great, insightful essay. Any views on ISIHAC changing over time? I thought that though they never replaced Willie Rushton (because how could you? The man could repeat the word cupboard for several minutes and it would be the funniest thing you'd ever heard) it still worked with Humph and the rest, then they made the right choice in replacing Humph but it was clearly worse, and now listening to it just makes me sad. But then I'm miserable and middle aged. It would be nice if there were some people who loved it more now than ever before.
I do tend to assume that the perfect line up was Graeme / Tim / Barry / Willie and Humph in the chair, but then I suspect that's because that's the line up I grew up with in the 70s and 80s. I do home there's people now who have grown up with Jack Dee and think that's the ideal.
The only thing I was ever regularly exposed to from Radio 4 was the Sunday omnibus of “The Archers” while my mum did the ironing and a little bit of “Desert Island Discs”. This sounds like it might have been more fun!
My online book club have started the occasional bout of Mornington Crescent which has, up to now, left me mystified. Thanks for the explanation. I now feel equipped to be able to join in.
I mean, we had the Archers two times a day anyway (evening broadcast and lunchtime repeats), so by the time the omnibus rolled round, we'd already heard each episode twice already. It is possible to have too much Archers, it turns out. I stopped listening when they killed Nigel Pargetter. Crossed a line, that did.
Bring me the street cred of Alfredo Garcia
Gen X cultural review substack editor's film club
The day after Humph died I happened to be walking past Mornington Crescent. There was an array of flowers and other tributes there.
The one signed from Mrs Trellis of North Wales made me properly tear up.
Oh, I would have absolutely lost it at that, without a doubt, what a splendid thing
Isn't part of the joke about Mornington Crescent the sheer absurdity of the station itself? Hardly anyone gets on or off, it is situated in a no man's land traffic island, for years trains used to whistle through without stooping and who knows where the crescent named Mornington actually is?. The game wouldn't work half as well if it was called Baker Street or Charing Cross
Oh definitely! There was originally a whole paragraph about the actual station, but the piece was already getting as long as the Northern Line. During the mid-90s I actually worked in that amazing Art Deco Egyptian warehouse opposite Mornington Crescent station and it made me so happy to finally be able have it as my actual destination.
Great, insightful essay. Any views on ISIHAC changing over time? I thought that though they never replaced Willie Rushton (because how could you? The man could repeat the word cupboard for several minutes and it would be the funniest thing you'd ever heard) it still worked with Humph and the rest, then they made the right choice in replacing Humph but it was clearly worse, and now listening to it just makes me sad. But then I'm miserable and middle aged. It would be nice if there were some people who loved it more now than ever before.
I do tend to assume that the perfect line up was Graeme / Tim / Barry / Willie and Humph in the chair, but then I suspect that's because that's the line up I grew up with in the 70s and 80s. I do home there's people now who have grown up with Jack Dee and think that's the ideal.
The only thing I was ever regularly exposed to from Radio 4 was the Sunday omnibus of “The Archers” while my mum did the ironing and a little bit of “Desert Island Discs”. This sounds like it might have been more fun!
My online book club have started the occasional bout of Mornington Crescent which has, up to now, left me mystified. Thanks for the explanation. I now feel equipped to be able to join in.
I mean, we had the Archers two times a day anyway (evening broadcast and lunchtime repeats), so by the time the omnibus rolled round, we'd already heard each episode twice already. It is possible to have too much Archers, it turns out. I stopped listening when they killed Nigel Pargetter. Crossed a line, that did.
Thankyou for explaining this show which I’ve listened to hundreds of times, never really getting it. I’ll enjoy it more now
Heh. It's a pleasure. I feel like I've done a public service now.