A Likely Lad

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Terry's West German wife was Jutta Baumgarten. The couple married in November 1969 but separated in June 1970 after West Germany defeated England 3–2 in the World Cup. Confusingly, Terry later says they were married for two years "on and off", which further clouds the continuity issue of Terry's time away. She was due to appear in the episode "End of an Era", played by April Walker, but the scenes featuring her were omitted from the broadcast version. Terry "This town might have a new Civic Centre mate, but it doesn't disguise the fact that it's a dead end". Such “colourful” anecdotes are usually considered the holy grail of celebrity interviewing. Here, they accumulate into a wealth of surface detail but offer no deeper narrative substance. Perhaps this shows the effect such an enormous amount of hard drugs can have on a person – inviting all manner of chaos into their orbit, but diminishing their ability to find meaning outside their addiction, in their passions, their loved ones, or their selves. Or perhaps it’s simply because he hasn’t written the book himself.

A Likely Lad (Bodley Bookshelf Series) by Gillian Avery A Likely Lad (Bodley Bookshelf Series) by Gillian Avery

Anita Carey as Susan Chambers, Thelma's sister, who lives in Toronto, Canada, with her accountant fiancé PeterDeirdre Birchwood, an ex-girlfriend of Bob's with somewhat loose morals. The frequent references to her became a running gag (with the line "Don't mention Deirdre Birchwood!" becoming a catchphrase) It's 40 years since The Likely Lads first hit our TV screens. Inside Out pays tribute to this comedy classic which is as fresh and funny today as it was when it was first screened.

A Likely Lad by Peter Doherty, Simon Spence | Waterstones A Likely Lad by Peter Doherty, Simon Spence | Waterstones

The song and the sitcom spoke volumes about the social and economic revolution of the Sixties and Seventies when Tyneside was undergoing a huge transformation. Terry is renowned for his bigoted views and old-fashioned attitudes, but he's also a moaner and a cynic, criticising all and everything around him. It is revealed (in the episode "Storm in a Tea Chest") that the boys used to be in a skiffle group called Rob Ferris and the Wildcats. Other group members included Maurice "Memphis" Hardaker, named after a real-life friend of the show's co-creator and co-writer Ian La Frenais.I was so excited to discover that Peter had finally written an autobiography, disappointed that I didn't manage to score a signed copy (although I have plenty of other signed bits), and further disappointed that it's ghost written. But then it's such a Peter thing to do, telling everyone the book was written by someone else, based on his words, but not what he was expecting and cut up by his misses and others who wanted certain stories to stay quiet, just before it was released. Thelma's full maiden name is Thelma Ingrid Chambers. Thelma's father, played by Bill Owen, is George Chambers. Her younger sister is Susan, who lives in Toronto, Canada, with her accountant fiancé Peter. Today's Newcastle is vastly different from Tyneside in 1964, but what would Terry make of the city 40 years on?