Para Handy Tales

[ScotsTraveller]

I don't know who can remember the early tv show about Para Handy and his adventures on the Fital Spark... I never saw the originals or even the more recent remake with Gregor Fisher playing the lead role! However, I have recently been reading the stories and while some are a bit dated (as is the original series now probably) some have made me laugh - none more so than the story entitled Hurricane Jack (you can read it here along with other stories in the first collection The Vital Spark)! At times like I said they are a bit dated, but at others they are chust sublime... and of course I imagine there will be some on here that won't like the non-Gaelic language that is used throughout!

[Polwarth]

Originally Posted by ScotsTraveller

I don't know who can remember the early tv show about Para Handy and his adventures on the Fital Spark... I never saw the originals or even the more recent remake with Gregor Fisher playing the lead role! However, I have recently been reading the stories and while some are a bit dated (as is the original series now probably) some have made me laugh - none more so than the story entitled Hurricane Jack (you can read it here along with other stories in the first collection The Vital Spark)! At times like I said they are a bit dated, but at others they are chust sublime... and of course I imagine there will be some on here that won't like the non-Gaelic language that is used throughout!

I read the Para Handy Tales when I was at school. The Vital Spark series was first filmed with Roddy McMillan as Para Handy and Walter Carr played Dougie... can't remember the other cast members, cos it was a looooong time ago.

The Gregor Fisher VS series was just so-so in my opinon!

They are 'dated', but as you say, very, very funny!

[ScotsTraveller]

Originally Posted by Polwarth

The Vital Spark series was first filmed with Roddy McMillan as Para Handy and Walter Carr played Dougie...

Apparently in either an earlier series, or the pilot episode for the original series, Roddy McMillan played Dougie... I don't know who played Para Handy in that tho!

[Polwarth]

Here's a bit of info from the Beeb re the Vital Spark series
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/ar...99002464.shtml

[ScotsTraveller]

And another that confirms what I saw before (probably on the same site):

Para Handy - Master Mariner with Duncan Macrae as Para Handy and Roddy McMillan as Dougie!

[ScabbyDouglas]

"Streetch your hand and take a gless," he said to the Captain. "It'll do you no herm."

"Man, I'm not mich caring for it," drawled the Captain. "I had wan
yesterday. What do you think, Dougie? Would it do any herm chust to take wan gless to show we're friendly to the sale of impliments and things?"

"Whatever you say yoursel'," replied Dougie diffidently, but at the same
time grasping the glass nearest him with no uncertain hand

Is that not just some of the most sublime writing you ever saw?

"..I had wan yesterday."