tuesday

 

ON BOARD THE CHEERFUL LIZZIE
Central Hall, Renshaw Street, 1928.

Captain Growler, to the right, was my dad's Uncle Tommy, from Malvern/Molyneaux Road in Fairfield. His three brothers, John, George and Charlie (who is the grinning child, and my grandad) are also in the photograph, along with some other boys named Sam McCawley, Jack Brewster and Eddie Head. Tommy carried a satchel wherever he went. He once spluttered in rage, "The dog's got me blimmin' battenberg!", to the endless amusement of his nephews.

He wrote the play, along with many comic songs, one of which he is said to have given to George Formby. And, according to Foster family folklore, which is routinely circulated around its four surviving members on Christmas Eves and special occasions, the Diddy Men were his creation. Ken Dodd nicked the idea when they were on the same comedy circuit.

Can this be true? We'll never know. We can hope for pride's sake that his version never induced people to sleep so swiftly as Dodd's did. Diddy dodd did.