Watching the moving documentary on George Melly's last days last night, I discovered that he'd had an affair with Molly Parkin. Molly was previously (George's wife) Diana's best friend.
George, it seems, was happier with his open marriage than Diana was. It gave him free reign to shag anybody he wanted.
George and Molly are two of the few famous people I have encountered in my life. I met Molly on a playwriting course in London. George I bumped into as I alighted a train at Diss station on my way to a scriptwriting course. The courses, of course, came to nothing. But the memories of seeing these flamboyant characters close up will stick in my mind for longer than that of my brilliant writing career.
Playwriting with Parkin & Scriptwriting in Diss? I knew you were really Willy Russell!
ReplyDeleteIf I were Diana I'd have put a "No Parkin" sign on the front door.
Melly was larger than life, and still is.
Enough already with the Willy Russell, Murph! People will start believing you. I am not and never have been a luvvie.
ReplyDeleteThey showed Melly's last live show. He was a shadow of his former self but there was more love in the room than in Warren Beatty's bedroom.
That is a cool story. I especially like it because these personas did not disappoint you. If you are going to be larger than life then for heaven's sake just do it.
ReplyDeleteMy Good-Lady-Wife remains adamant about prohibiting the free reign to shag anybody aspect (how pedestrian) and I am therefore predisposed to an isolated existance of obscurity...
which is a hell of a lot easier if you think about it.
I shall be expecting to read about your brilliant writing career from the vantage point of my lackadaisical condition of being terminally unbeknownst.
I used to read Molly Parkin's column in some Sunday paper years ago. She made me feel so conventional.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine what the pair of them got up to?
Bet it wasn't cocoa and the Corrie omnibus.
HE - Mrs Melly got in touch with a few of his other women and they visited him near the end. They were numbered as to the importance to his life. We saw number four visit him. My brilliant writing career was nothing to write home about.
ReplyDeleteKaz - George continued as much as he could till the end. He started to brag about his impotence whilst downing another whisky.
It's possible to combine an exciting sex life with cocoa and the Corrie omnibus.
ReplyDeleteNot all in one sitting, of course.
Maria and Liam would be on screen, then they'd suddenly cut to Janice and you'd sick up your cocoa.
ReplyDeleteWhat! I spent a fruitless hour yesterday searching for Melly jazz footage to use in a post about Bessie Smith....
ReplyDeleteAw, good old George. Not conventional husband material of course. 'Rum, Bum and Concertina' is one of the best books ever.
No Melly jazz footage but I bet there's plenty of Jamie Cullum stuff.
ReplyDeleteThat's not right.