Are You Being Served?

Adam writes…


I'm leading A Village In Piccadilly walking tour this afternoon - join me at Piccadilly Circus tube (by Eros) 2.30pm…

Old school. How's that for a phrase to encapsulate the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served? From 1972 - 1985 this sitcom set in a department store drew huge ratings in the UK, but was also a big hit overseas, particularly in Canada, Israel and Australia. 

It still enjoys reruns here in the UK and on PBS is the US.

From tales of Mrs Slocombe's pet cat – invariably referred to as "my pussy" – to Mr Humphries and his camp cries of "I'm free!" when queried as to his availability to help out a customer, AYBS is firmly in the seaside postcard tradition of English humour.

Suffice to say, no entendre is left un-partnered for very long.

It was created by prolific British comedy writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft – the team behind 'Allo 'Allo – and enjoys a London connection insomuch as Lloyd, when a young man, spent a brief time working at Simpsons of Piccadilly – once the largest menswear store in Britain. It is said that his time there inspired the series.

The original series ran from 1972 to 1985 - 70 episodes in total.

Simpsons closed in 1999 and is now home to Waterstones bookshop…

… you can find it here…

… and we'll be looking at it along the route of my Village In Piccadilly tour this afternoon, and on the following dates…

Monday 23rd December 2019 – 2.30pm meet at Piccadilly Circus tube by Eros

Monday 30th December 2019 – 2.30pm meet at Piccadilly Circus tube by Eros

Monday 30th March 2020 – 2.30pm meet at Piccadilly Circus tube by Eros

Click the button below to book a place on one of my scheduled Village In Piccadilly public tours…

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