Absolutely priceless! And after 24 minutes of brilliant humour, he reveals himself just in the last two minutes as a champion of the arts, and a fighter against racism and war. Bravo!
Amazing to think he was only 33 when this was recorded, and he died the following year. He sounds quite ancient. He was an astonishingly funny chap and a tremendous loss.
I was in the bathroom, must have been about 16/17, with my transistor radio & the Beeb put this on. Mother knocked at the door thinking I was ill because all my laughing made me cough so much...tonsillectomy 15 yrs later, still coughed just now tears running down my cheeks...brilliant!
A striking lesson in keeping the upper lip stiff is given in a recent number of the weekly bulletin of 'The Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors' that prints the following letter from a bricklayer in Golders Green to the firm for whom he works. Respected sir, when I got to the top of the building, I found that the hurricane had knocked some bricks off the top. So I rigged up a beam, with a pulley, at the top of the building and hoisted up a couple of barrels full of bricks. When I had fixed the building, there was a lot of bricks left over. ... I hoisted the barrel back up again and secured the line at the bottom and then went up (listen)and filled the barrel with the extra bricks. Then, I went to the bottom and cast off the line.... Unfortunately, the barrel of bricks was heavier than I was ... and before I knew what was happening, the barrel started down, jerking me off the ground. I decided to hang on! ... and halfway up, I met the barrel coming down... and received a severe blow on the shoulder. ... ... I then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam and getting my fingers jammed in the pulley! ... When the barrel hit the ground, it bursted it's bottom... allowing all the bricks ... to spill out. I was now heavier than the barrel ... and so started down again at high speed! Halfway down... I met the barrel coming up and received severe injury to my shins! When I hit the ground... I landed on the bricks, getting several painful cuts from the sharp edges! At this point... I must have lost my presence of mind... because I let go the line! The barrel ... the barrel, the barrel then came down... giving me another heavy blow and putting me in hospital! I respectfully request 'sick leave'.
He was the art master at my school, but sadly he left the year before I started. My cousin, a little older than I, and therefore one of his students, tells me he used to hand out assignments such as "Draw me a picture of a city as if it is made of rice pudding." Genius.
I heard this many years ago on a public radio station and it was only afterwards that I thought, "I wish I had recorded that". Discovered it here on youtube a couple of years ago and did make a copy of it and still laugh every time I hear it.
We had this on a 10" vinyl record....which is long gone but I still recall its white sleeve but far more the happiness listening to the Bricklayer's Story gave a small boy many, many years ago. Thank you
We had the same 10". Unfortunately it had been left at the back of a car in the sun and so was warped. Not unplayable, but it added to his delivery in an odd way.
I remember my Mum and dads 10” record in the stereogram in the early 60s, it’s been almost 60 years since I’ve heard this. I remember the album cover also. Great to hear it again but was saddened he died so young.
Wonderful! A great talent cut tragically short. What could he have achieved had he lived to a full age? The closest I can think of would have been Peter Ustinov!
I first heard this in , I think 1965, I remember then buying it as a 10" l. p. So good to hear it again, even tho' I think I know every line. What a loss he was ,dying so young
Just listened to this after so many years. The stories are still hilarious, but worryingly his closing comments about arts funding and racism are as relevant now as they were 60 years ago!
Priceless! The highlight moments-5:33 The pensions clerk processes claims letters 6:55 A tourist guide offers helpful information to overseas visitors 8:36 to 16:01 The bricklayer clears up after the hurricane… 18:33 to 23:26 Tyrolean landlords reply to holiday enquiries. My parents had the original 10-inch LP of this, and as a wee lad I saw the (very) funny side of the stories but only later in life appreciated the genius of Hoffnung's comic timing.
My Chemistry master at Nuneaton High School for Girls played this when I was about 14 or 15 - loved it! I later collected all his books of cartoons- genius! I have some of his radio programmes recorded on vinyl and xome abooka sbout him, as well as the astronautical concerts :-)
Of blessed memory. This man had multiple careers in a phenomenally short life. I always wonder what his music and humor and art and politics and social commentary would have been like had he lived longer.
The other speaker in the "debate" (it wasn't really a debate at all, just an evening of priceless comedy) was Stanley Unwin. Is there any record of his contribution?
