The Ladykillers

I first saw the Ealing comedy, The Ladykillers, at school. For the end of year treat, we were all herded into the blacked-out assembly hall to watch the customary feature film.

I have seen The Ladykillers a number of times since then. I even have a copy waiting and ready for my dotage.

I am reminded of it every time I take the train to King’s Cross station. As we slow down about a mile from the terminus, I make a point of looking out for the south portals of Copenhagen tunnel. This is where the final dramatic scenes of the film were played out.

Most recently, we were on our way to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the Pink Floyd exhibition, entitled, Their Mortal Remains. It wasn’t long after leaving school, that we first saw Pink Floyd in concert at the Liverpool Empire and then again - later in the same year of 1969 - at Mountford Hall, the university students’ union. Added psychedelia was provided by kaleidoscopic images whirling around on the ceiling.

How comforting, I thought, to have two such important fragments from the past to entertain me on the same day.