Anyone watch Decline & Fall on BBC1 last night? New comedy drama

http://sedulia.blogs.com/sedulias_qu...on_the_we.html

Evelyn Waugh racist? Heavens no! :-)

"The Welsh character is an interesting study," said Dr. Fagan. "I have often considered writing a little monograph on the subject, but I was afraid it might make me unpopular in the village. The ignorant speak of them as Celts, which is of course wholly erroneous. They are of pure Iberian stock-- the aboriginal inhabitants of Europe who survive only in Portugal and the Basque district. Celts readily intermarry with their neighbours and absorb them. From the earliest times the Welsh have been looked upon as an unclean people. It is thus that they have preserved their racial integrity. Their sons and daughters rarely mate with human-kind except their own blood relations. In Wales there was no need for legislation to prevent the conquering people intermarrying with the conquered. In Ireland that was necessary, for there intermarriage was a political matter. In Wales it was moral. I hope, by the way, you have no Welsh blood?"
"None whatever," said Paul.
"I was sure you had not, but one cannot be too careful. I once spoke of this subject to the sixth form and learned later that one of them had a Welsh grandmother. I am afraid it hurt his feelings terribly, poor little chap. She came from Pembrokeshire, too, which is of course quite a different matter. I often think," he continued, "that we can trace almost all the disasters of English history to the influence of Wales. Think of Edward of Carnarvon, the first Prince of Wales, a perverse life, Pennyfeather, and an unseemly death, then the Tudors and the dissolution of the Church, then Lloyd George, the temperance movement, Nonconformity and lust stalking hand in hand through the country, wasting and ravaging. But perhaps you think I exaggerate? I have a certain rhetorical tendency, I admit."
"No, no," said Paul.
"The Welsh," said the Doctor, "are the only nation in the world that has produced no graphic or plastic art, no architecture, no drama. They just sing," he said with disgust, "sing and blow down wind instruments of plated silver...."
--Dr. Fagan, a schoolmaster in Decline and Fall (1928), by Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966)

I've not seen the TV show, but it is one of the funniest books ever written.

Watched the first episode last night and really enjoyed it, some great characters in it, especially the school head played by David Suchet. It's filmed in and around Cardiff too.

I liked it.

A bit of topical relevance too as the Bullingham toffs get Paul sent down from Oxbridge at the start.

Were you watching David Cameron ?

Just watched it on iPlayer, the Welsh take a bit of a beating in it.

Was it comedy ?
Bit shit if it was.
My wife was watching it , so I took a look and neither of us laughed at all..

Was the building on it Dyffryn House ?

I thought it was excellent very, PG Wodehouse.

If you like this try and grab BBC 'S Wodehouse series called , Blandings , starring the brilliant Timothy Spall

Nice to see Our Russ back in work as well :thumbup: