Nights Out - Tuesday 24th May 05 - Benny Hill Preservation Society By Adam Atkinson

My utter fascination with all things Benny started as early as the age of three, when I by chance happened upon some irrelevant sketch involving the Benster dressed as a cardiac surgeon examining some saucy minx. 12 years later I would see my own Uncle Frank arrested for the very same thing. After that, life became a blend of half-baked schemes and half risqué English comic obsession. It was to my astounding surprise and exhilaration that I discovered our own Metropolis of Hull actually homed a Benny Hill preservation society and their next meeting was Tuesday. So I thought why not, put on the plastic mac, donned the suspenders and tally-hoed!

I arrived at LA's (that's Lexington Avenue for the unteached) at 7:30pm and was put in the acquired direction by a friendly doorman called Rita. I made each step with intrepidation, nervous to be ousted as the Hilliac I surely was, to a bunch of possibly homicidal strangers (the kind of people who use Friends Reunited for purposes other than seeing if any of your classmates are dead).

With a Heave-Ho and a prayer to the God of the 80's I entered the hallowed floor space of the upstairs function room. WOW!!! There must have been more than 400 people, all chatting away, all of them Benny fans. Believe me it was a humbling experience that's for sure and the evening of reminiscence and devotion flew by. The night's highlights included The Best of Benny Hill; an hour long projection show of our messiah's funniest and sauciest antics; a sketch recital where groups of us would re-enact some of his funniest and sauciest antics and a game where me and two others chased a fat woman down Spring Bank.

We even watched clips of him in his movie days, his role as the barmy professor in The Italian Job and his lesser-known appearance in Remains of the Day. It must have been about 20 past nine when we stumbled out of that temple to Benny. Drunk on one of Britain's funniest and sauciest comedians I left for home a happy man. The group is also arranging a trip to BENCON 2005; a large Benny Hill themed convention held every year in Vancouver. Hopefully the man himself will make an appearance.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 8th June at Circus Circus. Anyone is welcome except the under 14s and under-achievers.

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