Saturday 20th October marked yet another in the series of village entertainments in the form of “an evening with Mervyn Stutter”. Members of the Village Trust committee who had organised the event had earlier shared certain misgivings about the size of the audience mindful that a rival event taking place in Paris might act as a distraction but their fears quickly subsided with the arrival of over 40 enthusiasts from Pailton and surrounding communities all intent upon enjoying a sparkling performance. The village hall had been arranged in an intimate nightclub-like setting so that our guest soloist could perform close to his greatly appreciative audience. His rapid succession of humorous repertoire and hilarious songs kept the audience entranced displaying an uncanny ability for non-stop, stand-up comedy which gave such evident enjoyment to his audience of all ages. His skill as an accomplished guitarist as well as his polished comedy act ranked him as one of the most popular visiting entertainers of all time. We learnt that he hailed from Bournemouth and were not surprised to discover that he had been engaged in comedy for some 34 years and described by a leading newspaper as “ The comedy voice of the baby boom generation” with numerous radio and TV performances also the Edinburgh Fringe to his credit. The concert had been promoted by the County Council-sponsored “Live & Local” scheme and certainly proved to be one of the most successful of many events. The programme included snacks and a well stocked bar accompanied by the customary raffle.
The evening concluded with an expression of thanks by John Cunliffe on behalf of all those present, inviting a warm round of applause for the visiting performer.
The event was made possible by Live and Local.
Parishioners are reminded that the Fosse Division Locality Panel of the County Council will be holding its six monthly meeting at the village hall on Tuesday 30th October at 7.30. Everyone will be welcome to come and discuss a range of issues of local interest.
Joanna Morris-Jones