Oh, to have a wonderful laugh.

I’ve been to see Gryff Rhys Jones this evening.

Gryff is an honorary Suffolk man. The East Anglian Daily Times call him “ the Suffolk comedian, Gryff Rhys Jones”.

I remember him in Smith and Jones (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQicl2US5UA), as I am sure many of us do.

Tonight he took a bit of a retrospective on his career (somewhat like Phil Hammond at Colchester earlier in the year) https://twsy.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/connections.html) and then proceeded to review some of his travels (whereas Phil took a look at the NHS, and our own health - CLANGERS).

Now, I quite like Gryff. I think he’s funny. I don’t go in for the performance, but I like the intelligence and the situational funniness.

Gryff talked bit about growing up with a father who liked boats and boating, like my grandfather. He talked about Arthur Ransome and sailing from West Mersea north round the coast. He talked about his (second) home on the banks of the Stour, and the worry associated with flood risk. (My rivers are the Deben and the Alde).

I had the pleasure of a woman sitting behind me who had a really enjoyable laugh, and so obviously liked Gryff.

He told us of his trip to Scotland for his new series, his travels to New York and Manchester… all the time alluding to the pressure the BBC put on him to do these things, rather than, possibly his need to work…

The interval was like the old days where a woman with a tray of ice creams made herself available - the choices were basic; vanilla , strawberry and chocolate.

In the second half, Gryff was more relaxed. He  entertained well about his relationship with Easyjet, which some of his will share. Not as it sounds, like the Stansted Express, which stops at Bishops Stortford.

And his holiday trip to St Petersburg via Finland. I think this may have been a reference to Three Men in a Boat, and it certainly rang a chord with me - Erskine Childers’ Riddle of the Sands…. Finland has thousands of islands off the coast, and Gryff in the boat with two others wanting a good time, headed for the coast in the dark, and they ended up berthing next to a cement factory.

Gryff then suggested how wonderful travel was, how the most difficult thing is to pass through the front door on your way out, which the audience seemed to agree with. And then again on your return, because you can’t find the key.

“Travel well, and try to end up somewhere good”.

I told the woman behind me how wonderful her laugh was. She looked a little embarrassed. I just don’t get it. I’d love to be told that I have a wonderful laugh.