A Break In Normal Service

In the past two days two legends of my teenage years have died. At nearly 45 I feel too young to be seeing so many familiar faces passing on this year but here we are.

First of all, that bitch cancer decided to deprive us of the wonderful comedienne and writer, Victoria Wood. In an 80s where most accents on TV were RP to the extreme here was a woman, being funny, appealing to all age groups and with an unapologetic Northern English cadence. Which, for me at least, added to the humour.

I wasn't the only one happy to sit with the parents, all of us laughing heartily at Victoria's shows. Really bitingly funny comedy, intelligently written but most of all it made everyone laugh out loud then shut up really quickly for fear of missing the next joke.

My best friend in school and I used to do a daft take on Marjorie and Joan to entertain our classmates.

And my mother and I shared a love for Acorn Antiques, especially Julie Walters as Mrs Overall.

One of my friends pointed me to this one as it is reminiscent of people we know (always in a disorganised flap!) Victoria wrote and starred in Dinnerladies -

Victoria was also a great actress so if you get the chance to watch Housewife, 49, it is well, well worth it for her performance alone.

There we are, getting over another iconic loss when only a little while ago I hear that Prince has died. Alas not one of the many Royals (now hearing Prince has died would give the media a heart flutter as they wondered if it was Charles, William, the other ones).

Again, when I was a teen Prince was very risky and daring. I remember watching and giggling along to Purple Rain with friends, for us it was racy, I've not watched it recently but I would bet it was anything but!  For a bunch of insular teens in a small Scottish town it was the closest some of us would get to porn (unless your friend's big brother accidentally left his naughty French video in the VCR!)  I digress.

Victoria Wood was 62, Prince 57, that seems ridiculously young. So unfair. Celebrity Death Year 2016 edition is bloody awful.

I bought and wore a raspberry coloured beret, which did not suit this 13-year-old, in order for people to think the song had been written about me. I fooled no one.

I tried to get the official video of Little Red Corvette but it looks like that's not so easy - I'll leave it to anyone reading this to seek out his music. Take of the lyrics what you will.