Yes, I'm so Happy! 2012

[Lesley Cox]

The mid North Island town of Taihape (pronounced approximately Tie-happy) has an annual gumboot throwing contest. Ah for the far-off and funny days of Fred Dagg.

[David Nicholson]

I'm not sure how many of you will have visited Totnes here in Devon? It's a quaint little Town and is said to have more "weirdos" per square yard than any town in the UK. "Weirdos" is not my word but it certainly has a fair proportion of population who have a somewhat different (shall we say!) approach to life than the majority of us and this probably stems from the philanthropic approach to life at the nearby Dartington Hall and the musicians, poets etc turned out at Dartington College over the years. So, a rest home for ageing hippies.

A couple of examples. A bloke who thinks all the ills of the world can be cured by a potion based on baking powder; and another chap who carts around a mammoth gong and thinks that by looking suitably mournful and striking his gong over anyone prepared to stop by him he too will cure the ills of the world.

We passed through Totnes today, as we do quite often, and on the outskirts of the town is a sign saying "Welcome to Totnes". Underneath that someone has spray-painted "Twinned with Narnia"

Well, it made me laugh!

[annew]

It made me laugh too!

[Lesley Cox]

The bit about the baking powder is probably quite true, given that many/most cakes have baking powder in them.

[fermi de Sousa]

The mid North Island town of Taihape (pronounced approximately Tie-happy) has an annual gumboot throwing contest. Ah for the far-off and funny days of Fred Dagg.

Fred D is now happily ensconced in Oz as a satrical commentator as his alter ego John Clarke www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kAF8eXl9r4

cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

Yes, we mourn his loss daily. 

[rob krejzl]

And I thought all Australian TV had to thank NZ for was Neighbours at War.

[Paul T]

Rob,

Don't forget Coastwatch.  I know far more about the NZ bag limits and Paua quotas than I do about any Aussie fishing limits.  

[rob krejzl]

How could I have forgotten that - or Motorway Patrol. Saying that Aussie TV isn't much better. The latest version of Gardening Australia seems to believe we're all newcomers determined to fill the entire garden with choko's and chooks. Doh!

[Paul T]

Rob,

I watched part of the first episode of this series and have stopped watching it completely now.  I used to always watch it with Stephen hosting, but the tone of the show has dropped so far now that it is embarrassing. 

[rob krejzl]

Paul,

The next couple of episodes were no improvement on the first. The program may have needed reinvigorating, but the new main presenter's emphasis on vegie's and community gardens seems to make several of the older folk entirely redundant. Still, there's always Gardeners World - it plainly has a much bigger budget and, for all it's faults, covers a wider range of topics.

[Anthony Darby]

Can't say, except these factual programmes, I find much of NZ TV anything but awful, except perhaps "7 days"? Some of the ads are funny though, but every 7 minutes! And what's with TV 1 after 9 o'clock in the morning? It's just one long continuous programme of adverts selling naf all useful! Curious how the current UK government would scrap the BBC license fee. Sky is more expensive and you still have to suffer adverts, and then, when you think no-one is looking they create a new channel and call it Soho. They then put all the latest "must see" programmes on this "you will have to pay extra to watch it" channel! I suppose it's because some rich entrepreneur is not making a killing at the general population's expense that the BBC gets rubbished?

[Paul T]

Paul,

The next couple of episodes were no improvement on the first. The program may have needed reinvigorating, but the new main presenter's emphasis on vegie's and community gardens seems to make several of the older folk entirely redundant. Still, there's always Gardeners World - it plainly has a much bigger budget and, for all it's faults, covers a wider range of topics.

And.... I'm guessing that is on Pay TV?

[Gerry Webster]

....... Curious how the current UK government would scrap the BBC license fee............  I suppose it's because some rich entrepreneur is not making a killing at the general population's expense that the BBC gets rubbished?

.

Not curious at all -  Murdoch & those in his pocket have been campaigning against the BBC for years.

[Maggi Young]

You lot are depressing me... can't you moan to each other privately?
This is a Happy thread