A Tribute to Victoria Wood

Yesterday, Victoria Wood, the funniest woman in Britain died at the tragically early age of 62.
She wrote many very funny songs about human frailty and lives of ordinary folk with a particularly northern outlook. One of her funniest TV series was dinner ladies about ordinary dinner ladies and their male manager.

However LSF readers will always remember her wonderful lines in a song about a sexually frustrated middle aged woman whose husband was using any excuse (my bask still aches after grouting the bathroom):

"Bend me over backwards on my hostess trolley,
Beat me on the bottom with a 'Woman's Weekly'."

Jimisim, good to see your tribute to the fine Ms Woods, will be honest did not follow her career closely, however what comedy i did hear of hers, i must admit tickled my funny bone, or in the case of her starring in the film Housewife, 49 her acting was excellent.

Her normality to me was an endearing feature, despite being talented and highly regarded she gave impression that her northern persona was truly her, and did not change whoever she was in the company of.

Rosie you have missed something so special. I remember the song with line 'beat me on the bottom with a Woman's Weekly' It was called, as far as I recall, 'Lets Do It' and it went on for about 10 minutes with so many funny lines! 'Dinnerladies' - magical, the love affair between her and her boss, such a struggle they had to get anywhere with their inhibitions, and let us not forget the part in the series played by her ever present friend the lovely Julie Walters as her free spirited Mum who eventually provided the cash, after her death, that allowed the romance to happen. And then there's 'Acorn Antiques' with Julie Walters again. So much fun so many laughs, a sad loss indeed.

Totally agree with everything that has been said.

She was an exceptionally talented lady with many strings to her bow.

The 'soup' sketch with Julie Walters is absolutely brilliant and makes me roar with laughter every time I see it.

R.I.P VW.

It is strange how we all remember the same line in that song! However, it was only one of a whole treasure trove of gems. Victoria Wood's ability to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground and reduce everything to the mundane epitomises what I love about North of England humour.

"My boyfriend had a sex manual but he was dyslexic. I was lying there and he was looking for my vinegar."

"I once went to one of those parties where everyone throws their car keys into the middle of the room. I don't know who got my moped but I drove that Peugeot for years."

RIP

I too remember that song well - but surely the line concerned is ' . . . spank me with THE Woman's Weekly . . . '.
UK members will be aware that this is a well known magazine, whose name Victoria Wood used to heighten the comic effect of her brilliant song - it is a very worthy and somewhat uninspired publication, and the idea of a rolled-up copy being used to spank someone is in itself amusing.

John Chester (new member)

John

I copied the lines from The Daily Telegraph obit, as I couldn't remember them verbatim and assumed they'd have been checked for accuracy.

Radio 2 has just played "Let's do it" & I listened carefully. Definitely sounds like '... A Woman's Weekly ...'.

Victoria Wood was too good a lyricists to write "the Woman's Weekly" which doesn't flow nearly as well as "a Woman's Weekly". Try singing it yourself.

There are two versions of the lyrics of The Ballad Of Barry And Freda (Let's Do It), both hilarious, at The Ballad Of Barry And Freda. I don't know how definitive they are, but both versions say 'The Women's Weekly'. I think this is probably the authentic version for the reasons JohnChester gives.

I'd love to see/hear what Ms Wood would have made of her lyrics being subject to controversy on a spanking website - sure to be a delight!

Because of my faith in the quality of Ms Wood's writing, I could not let this rest. ( and the fact that I've nothing better to do!)

From - Lucky Bag: The Victoria Wood Song Book, 2nd edition published 1992 by Methuen, ISBN 0-7493-0819-2

"Beat me on the bottom with a Woman's Weekly"