Newsletter October 2024

Our oldest and most celebrated active member – Maureen Larkin remembers Red Riding Hood 1998, the last pantomine her dear father watched before he passed away later in the year.

My parents used to watch all our Pantomimes from 1976 until 1998, and my Dad always brought along his little tape recorder.

Consequently, I have many tapes of recorded Pantos.

We have laughed so much, as they were both heard to be chatting on these recordings….it was mainly when the audience were asked to join in a song…..one half of the audience first and the other half second.

My Mum sang both times and Dad could be heard, saying “Thass not yar turn!”

1998 was the last time they watched, as sadly Dad passed away later that year. That Pantomime was “Red Riding Hood” and I played the part of Grandma Hood.

It was the first Panto without Derek Loyd, who I had worked alongside as Dame’s sidekick from 1977. Anthony (Titch) Bunting took over the role of the Dame Mrs Meddler, and I did share some scenes with him, (and I especially remember  the scene where we were having a cup of tea together,) and he watched me lift my cup and said “why don’t you use your saucer?” so I immediately poured some tea from my cup and slurped it from my saucer!  “This caused much laughter in the audience, but Anth reprimanded me on my bad habit, while supping from his own saucer too. That caused more laughter from the audience and and I knew from then on he had all the makings of an excellent Dame.

In that Panto I had to sing “Count your Blessings”, and one line of that song is “Count your blessings come what may, for we are here but little time to stay”. Little did I think that two months later my Dad would pass away. That Panto was great fun, especially when the Wolf, played by Melly, knocked on the door of my cottage when I was in bed, and a young lady in the audience shouted “Don’t answer it Maureen..It’s the wolf!”

I will always remember that particular Panto as fun,but it was a time of a few beginnings and ends for me.

After the loss of my Dad, who had also made many props for our Pantos over the years, I had to take care of my Mum, and I couldn’t face going on stage for the next Panto “Jack & the Beanstalk” in 1999, and I had a year off.

1998 was also the year that Jackie & David moved from Pratts Bottom to Loddon and became very valuable members of our group. Its a year that is etched in my memories.

Here is a link to our archive of Red Riding Hood 1998