Monday 3 December 2007

Growing up with Maalie (part one)

Two things have happened recently. The Musician has flogged me his redundant scanner and I had some positive feedback about Maalie from my last post. Now you might not think these two things are related, but ... the scanner has enabled me to get some old photos onto the computer. Let's go:



This is probably the first ever photograph of the famous TV star of 'The Nature of Britain' in the arms of his Mum. We move on to small boy with little sister:





I always looked up to my big brother. After all, he was taller than me. As children we did a lot together, dammed streams, climbed trees, explored the countryside, went on cycle rides and generally had a happy, carefree childhood.




This was after our father pushed young Maalie into the sea off Canvey Island. He was scratting away in the sand and it all got too much for my father. He couldn't resist giving him a shove.



He grew into Maalie the fisherman.

We had many really lovely holidays on Gower in South Wales.



Maalie the rugby hero. I remember going along to the Grammar School to watch him play for the 1st XV. He thought I was going to cheer him on. Oh no. I was going to watch all those lovely 6th formers with their muscular thighs, the mud, the scrums ... oh oh oh ... Beckwith, Andrews, McGill- where are you now?



Maalie's interests were never ending. He took up horse riding in a big way.



He went to University. He learned the ways of a student.



He bought a motor bike and became Maalie the rocker.



He became Maalie the pin-up and sex god.



He became Maalie the father.



He became Maalie the grandad.



He became Maalie the TV Star.



Or at least, his hand did.

38 comments:

tut-tut said...

Who's that on his shoulders??

Give a link to this TV program of Maalie's, as we here do not have access . . .

Ju's little sister said...

golly gosh Lorenzo - he's going to have to live outdoors forever now, I don't know how he's going to fit through doorways with a post like that!

Shammickite said...

I agree with Tut, we want to know when and why he's on the telly.
Did he write that book The Nature of Britain?

Maalie said...

I'm afraid its too late to do anything about "centralising" them now - the blank bits should have been cropped off at the scanning stage.

Glad to see that it's "Playboy" that I'm reading in bed!

wbloby

Ju's little sister said...

Hello Lorenzo,

I don't know if your tip worked or not - I left my hard drive at a friends place and won't get it back till this Sunday. It has the video file on it :-(

Maalie said...

For those who ask, my tv appearance was no big deal. There is currently a tv wildlife series called "The Nature of Britain" that covers different habitat types each week. I was featured for a short time to demonstrate my research work on Marsh Tits in Cumbria.

lorenzothellama said...

Maalie is just being modest!

For those who want to find out about the programme, it is a BBC production called The Nature of Britain introduced by a charming man called Alan Titchmarsh, who is also a superb gardener and has gardening programmes too. Alan is a very ordinary sort of bloke, down to earth and quite unassuming.

That is a young llama on his shoulders!

Lorenzo.

Merisi said...

Thank you for sharing this touching imagines! :-)

Merisi said...

See, you got me confused! :-) I meant "images". *embarrassedsmile*

The Lone Beader® said...

Love the vintage photos:)

Kiwi Nomad said...

I love the photo of maalie as a babe in his mother's arms... and the one of him with a very blonde young Lorenzo who clearly idolises him;-)

Anonymous said...

Nice obituary - I must say I will miss the old git.

BondBloke said...

This sort of reminds me that I have about ten boxes (and I mean BIG boxes) of old photographs that need to be scanned this winter... Great post!

Sara said...

Maalie, you have my every sympathy. And I was led to believe that I was the sister from Hades.

The caption for photo number two reads:
"Mummy help! I've got my feet stuck up the baby."

Merisi said...

Lorenzo,
I search wide and far for your email address, no success. You don't want me to forward strictly private messages to the Deli, do you?
Good night from Vienna,
Merisi

Thesaurus Rex said...

Great. I too must dig out some old photos, but I didn't exist as long ago as you guys did. I genuinely love looking at these types of windows to the past.And I must say, Lorro, your bathing costume was awfully daring for the 1930's.

Thesaurus Rex said...
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Thesaurus Rex said...

ChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmas.
There. Can I go home now, it's really dark.

simon said...

I used to play rugby for the first XV!!!

Well its seems Maalie continues his runcible life style

lorenzothellama said...

TR: Cheeky Bugger.

Simon: He was ALWAYS a runcible man. He just continues as he always did. He used to take young ladies down to Mersea Island on an incoming Spring tide knowing full well the island gets cut off for five our six hours at a time. Huh.
Lorenzo.

Martin Stickland said...

Wow! what a nice pair (and I am not talking about your bikini shot!)

What a lovely thing for your brother to see, a jolly good effort there that girl!!

Reminds me of me and my older sister, all those camping holidays in Wales etc.

Martin Stickland said...

Sorry lorenzybum but my Mum says I have to be in bed before dark but I have left a flask of hot soup and a part eaten kitkat by the crossroads for you.....enjoy!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Great pictures. I didn't know they had digital cameras way back at that time. Oh well, Britain was always ahead of us anyhow, so why should I be surprised?

Actually nice pictures and kind of snapshot of your brother's life.

Unknown said...

So, where's this photo of Maalie in the swimsuit then?

Tell Scaredy that once Plumpy is on my lap I doubt there will be room for anyone else. However, Beeps shyly asked me if I thought Scaredy would be happy to snuggle with her in front of the fire with some of Magdalene's mice pies.

lorenzothellama said...

Scaredy would just love to cuddle up to Beeps in front of the fire with some mice pies. He is very fond of mice pies, especially with extra gravy.

Scaredy is quite shy himself so he and Beeps will get along well.

Lorenzo.

Anonymous said...

How absolutely wonderful! Great post! I loved reading about and seeing the older pictures!!! Thanks you for sharing with us!!!
*HUGS*

Sara said...

Oh dear, the mice pies are off this year; literally. There they were all lined up on the kitchen table waiting for the oven to warm up, I turn my back for five minutes and hey presto they're gone. Now I shall have to put up with unpleasant squeaking and munching sounds for the next three nights. Clearly not enough brandy!

Martin Stickland said...

What time do you want us all to arrive for Xmas (Oh sorry, I forgot you do not like the word Xmas) I mean Crimbo dinner?

Unknown said...

Magadlene, I don´t know what we´ll do now there are no mice pies. Although I´m sure we can sort out the boozy part with few problems.

Merisi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Merisi said...

Somehow I feel I great letdown. I was hoping for the next segment of "GUM" rather soon than later. *sniff*

P.S.:
Where did you confess about not liking to hear the word Christmas? So what do you do? Skip the season alltogether?

Sara said...

R. dear, I think it's going to be ok because there are some large black and white birds that clatter about on my roof every morning. Apparently my mag-pies are almost as good as my mice pies. I must just remember to drink the brandy after I climb up on the roof, not before.

The w.v. is ouzheora. How fab!

Plumpy said...

mice pies? I am going to give Mum a good taling to for keeping me off the computer!

Unknown said...

Madgalene, mag-pies sound good too, Elbi is licking her whiskers at the thought. However, if you'd prefer not to chance the roof and just go straight for the booze, she's a dab hand/paw at the old mice catching business. I can start throwing her offerings in the freezer for you and by the 21st we should have enough for a feast.

Plumpy, you missed the invitation for a winter solstice bonfire on the 21st at mine. Scaredy's coming so you'll have to pop over too. Boozy mice pies all round!

lorenzothellama said...

I could contribute a couple of mag-pies too. We have a nest of them at the top of the sycamore tree. Likewise with Magdalene, I'll attack the brandy when I come down.

Scaredy is looking forward to Beeps and the 21st.

Lorenzo.

todays word: lymbotic. A good one for wordimperfect.

Tortoiseshell said...

Just popping in to say hi.

I particularly liked the one of him having been shoved in the water. It partially makes up for Flamborough Head, Norfolk, the Dipper hunting weekend etc, etc.

Tortoiseshell said...

Happy Christmas Lorenzo, love from your nephew Tortoiseshell & Small Tort.

I wish I could contribute a bit more on the blogging front. Oh well, at leastyou are going from strength to strength - glad to have put you on your way. Are you doing anything to celebrate the blog birthday? xxx

Metamatician said...

I know this is incredibly late to be commenting on, but I have to say that in the picture title 'bike', maalie looks the spitting image of James Dean.

The coolest thing about him is he doesn't even try to come off as cool. If I were a chick, I'd think he was "neat" as my mom used to say in her younger days about people like that.

Bad boys with that tender streak...