Born: 3rd August, 1945 Died: 5th November, 2009
Anecdotes to be considered for inclusion can be sent by e:mail to hecate@email-postbox.com
Washeteria Wench
Rona told me that during his student days he had struck up a friendship with a rather plain girl who worked in a Laundrette close to his digs.
Keen to make his domestic arrange-ments as easy as possible rather than for any blossoming attraction to the girl, Rona decided he should move the relationship to a more intimate level.
At the time, he was living with another student who was named after a cartoon cat (who later became one of HMG’s Spooks and severed all links because Rona had political affiliations and social ideals that may have prejudiced his career).
Anyway, “Cat” became envious of the superior laundry service his friend was enjoying and decided to replicate the arrangement the girl had with Rona.
So for a time both of them were seeing to the carnal requirements of the laundry girl.
The arrangement eventually lost its lustre for both young men and an argument arose, the crux of which was that they both insisted that it was the other one’s turn to fulfil their obligation to the girl.
Due to the poor selection of venue for this disagreement - viz the Laundrette - the entire exchange was overheard by the female party to the arrangement and instantly, all laundry services were withdrawn from both.
Noticing disapproval on my face, Rona conceded that the situation had probably been “morally bankrupt.”
“No,” I said. “That would suggest that someone had actually bothered to open an account.”
That really amused him and he roared with laughter until tears ran down his face.
Bumbling Pensioner
Old age has few advantages over youth . . . but Rona found some. The following is a composite of several stories he loved to tell.
His famous routine with Hecate or Yong acting as his foil involved him overplaying his slight deafness and was one of his favourites. He would continually ask the accomplice what the person he was speaking to had said. They would dutifully repeat what had just been said and he would deliberately misunderstand.
The preferred target for this routine were overly officious or unhelpful retail staff. He would smile at the shopgirl and say to his co-conspirator: “What did she say?”
