I was 10 years old when this happened - 83 years agi - and living in the New Forest with my parents about 1/2 mile from Calshot Beach. We went down to the beach that evening and looked across to Spithead where the ships could be seen strung along the horizon. We waited until dark to see the illumination and then walked home and turned on the BBC Regional Service. And there was Lt Cdr Woodruffe burbling away. The Officers Mess of HMS Nelson ( a ship which I had recently visited on Navy Day at Portsmouth) had clearly looked after him well. How he managed to stay on the air so long, given the starchy morals of those days, is a mystery. Perhaps it was mischieveously deliberate Or those in charge had drunk more than he had. I.m glad I saw and heard it. Little did I dream then that one day I should be piped aboard warships and enjoy their hospitality.
"The Book Of Heroic Failures" by Stephen Pile brought me here :) I was reading it again after 30 years and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe a recording of this existed online. Thanks for uploading this; it's every bit as funny as described in the book!
My ex worked at the Anglo Austrian society. Her boss was present for least successful opening. My cousin, a met copper, claimed to have guided the green goddess crew to the least successful cat rescue
He reminds me of Rowley Birkin QC...'I was very...very drunk....'. Mind you, Kingsley Amis pointed out the truism that some upper-class types sound drunk even when they're sober.
Public Service Broadcasting had tapped into the British consciousness with this one. Bugger me... "I can hardly see the glass in front of my face." M. Python. LOL.
The whole fleet's lit up, and when I say lit up, I mean lit up with fairy lamps. The whole thing is in fairy land, It isn't true It isn't here. The Fleet's gone it;s dissappeared. It has to be THE funniest commentary of all time.
I heard this on a cassette tape that someone from the BBC made in the early 70s of various out-takes. Brings back memories. First time Ive heard it since about 1975 and I remembered every word. Apparently he had been round his old mates on the other ships all afternoon having a few tots (hence "teh thing we saw this afternoon"). They coudl have told him the lights would be turned off at some point, he must have been taken aback. An absolute classic. Now where's the rest of the tape?
ha ha........each ship is outlined......thing almost makes me cry with Elgar in the background....rave on Tommy. I think at one point you can him put the glass down. Cheers. You may hear my reaction when I see them go.
@matty2055 I came here via the Stephen Pile 1979 book : ' " The Book Of Heroic Failures" ...track it down if you can...you swill not stop laughing or snorking to yourself as you read! it!
David Quatick? Really? Anyway, I adore this recording. First head it about 8 years ago and I'm so glad to have come across it again, completely out of the blue. But David, if you are the David I'm thinking of, I thought you would have been above the typical CZcamsr's trick of sticking some perfectly good footage up with some daft music over the top of it. OK, this isn't Korn over a video of David Tennants most dramatic gurns but I really would have liked the original, untouched recording.
Stephen Fry just tweeted this link. Lets see how many of his 2.1mil followers now click on it in the next 24 hours. At 14.43 GMT there has currently been 13,132 views
I was 10 years old when this happened - 83 years agi - and living in the New Forest with my parents about 1/2 mile from Calshot Beach. We went down to the beach that evening and looked across to Spithead where the ships could be seen strung along the horizon. We waited until dark to see the illumination and then walked home and turned on the BBC Regional Service. And there was Lt Cdr Woodruffe burbling away. The Officers Mess of HMS Nelson ( a ship which I had recently visited on Navy Day at Portsmouth) had clearly looked after him well. How he managed to stay on the air so long, given the starchy morals of those days, is a mystery. Perhaps it was mischieveously deliberate Or those in charge had drunk more than he had. I.m glad I saw and heard it. Little did I dream then that one day I should be piped aboard warships and enjoy their hospitality.
I'm here thanks to listening to Public Service Broadcasting's song, Lit Up! This is brilliant!
"Why is the rum gone?"
"The Lieutenant Commander drank it all."
I love the bit where he breaks off to tell some people to "shut up talking". My god, he must have been hammered out of his mind!
"The Book Of Heroic Failures" by Stephen Pile brought me here :) I was reading it again after 30 years and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe a recording of this existed online. Thanks for uploading this; it's every bit as funny as described in the book!
My ex worked at the Anglo Austrian society. Her boss was present for least successful opening.
My cousin, a met copper, claimed to have guided the green goddess crew to the least successful cat rescue
Because of this, 'lit up' and 'in fairyland' are good naval terms for being drunk.
I don`t know what LT Cdr Tommy Woodroffe was on, but give me some.
Great. From what I understand the man went to the grave insisting he wasn't drunk but overwhelmed by the moment.
He reminds me of Rowley Birkin QC...'I was very...very drunk....'. Mind you, Kingsley Amis pointed out the truism that some upper-class types sound drunk even when they're sober.
And so a legend was born .
I think he'd just keeled over and was looking for the ships in the night sky above
🙃
Public Service Broadcasting had tapped into the British consciousness with this one. Bugger me... "I can hardly see the glass in front of my face." M. Python. LOL.
The ships weren't the only things that were 'lit up'! :D
The ships are all lit up, you say? By lights like fairy lamps?
I first heard of this via The book of heroic failures by Stephen Pile, a source of great joy to me.
I'm afraid he was very, very drunk at the time.
Vay vay dwunk.
The whole fleet's lit up, and when I say lit up, I mean lit up with fairy lamps. The whole thing is in fairy land, It isn't true It isn't here. The Fleet's gone it;s dissappeared. It has to be THE funniest commentary of all time.
I heard this on a cassette tape that someone from the BBC made in the early 70s of various out-takes. Brings back memories. First time Ive heard it since about 1975 and I remembered every word. Apparently he had been round his old mates on the other ships all afternoon having a few tots (hence "teh thing we saw this afternoon"). They coudl have told him the lights would be turned off at some point, he must have been taken aback. An absolute classic. Now where's the rest of the tape?
its lit up, it seems. the fleet is lit up. with little fairy lights. thank you stephen. wonderful!
i was talking to you, and now they've gone!
its lit up, it seems. the fleet is lit up. with little fairy lights. thank you stephen. wonderful!
I really hope this gentleman's final resting place is lit up with fairy lights!😄
It's gone, it's disappeared! brilliant!!
From what I can gather, the fleet is lit up by fairy lamps, you can probably see the outlines.
sooooooo funny!!!!! thank you so much Stephen Fry!!!
This is really very lovely. My grandfather was at Jutland (mentioned below), a different time, a different world
Haha classic indeed! Thanks Mr. Fry :D
Continuing the proud tradition of drunken naval officers? Sure.
Thanks Stephen :D
Many thanks - strangely moving.
Are there any pictures anywhere of the guy who is drunk??
despretly need at least one image of him for a presentation i am doing!
Lt Cdr Tommy Woodroffe, you should have got a DSM for that commentary.
@Rubbuboe an English national treasure- comedian, actor, director, author, presenter and all round amazing guy.
there is nothing between us and heaven - what a last line
Alright old boy, the fleet's lit up. What of it?
ha ha........each ship is outlined......thing almost makes me cry with Elgar in the background....rave on Tommy. I think at one point you can him put the glass down. Cheers.
You may hear my reaction when I see them go.
I want some fairy lights please!
thanx Mr Fry ;-D
Thanks though!!
When cooking Sherry packed a punch.
Thanks to Stephen Fry, I no longer have to manufacture excuses to procrastinate. WOOT
thanks Stephen Fry... :-)
@matty2055 I came here via the Stephen Pile 1979 book : ' " The Book Of Heroic Failures" ...track it down if you can...you swill not stop laughing or snorking to yourself as you read! it!
Lord Fry sent me along as well
Public Servie Broadcasting brought me here!
I'm sorry, I was telling some people to shut up talking.
Did they ever find the fleet?
It's gone, it's gone! The Fleet's Gone! ;-)) hecwas on something!
I think that it was a little like fairy land , not something you would have expected in the Navy , like drunken Sailor's completely unknown!
David Quatick? Really?
Anyway, I adore this recording. First head it about 8 years ago and I'm so glad to have come across it again, completely out of the blue.
But David, if you are the David I'm thinking of, I thought you would have been above the typical CZcamsr's trick of sticking some perfectly good footage up with some daft music over the top of it. OK, this isn't Korn over a video of David Tennants most dramatic gurns but I really would have liked the original, untouched recording.
Heavens this is funny... poetically funny...
This is hilarious. He sounds a bit "lit up" himself. Well, you wouldn't want to get too close to him with a match, anyway...
now wheres the Black Pearl gone ???
Great music, I love Elgar! But it is so intrusive you lose the ability to hear clearly what he says.
What he says isn't that clear (-: - this is one of the best-known cases of someone completely plastered being on air.
Stephen Fry sent me here!
oh my god, the fleets gone!
modern translation: ZOMG
Pusser's navy rum, works every time
@gallifrey103 that's coz it's spelt surprising.
Steven Fry sent me here.
The 1937 version of "double rainbow"....
was it lit up?
Good od Steven Fry
who in the name of St. Josca is Stephen Fry??!!
Was the whole fleet lit up, though?
stephen fry brought me here :)
Stephen Fry just tweeted this link. Lets see how many of his 2.1mil followers now click on it in the next 24 hours. At 14.43 GMT there has currently been 13,132 views
varrrry varrry varrry varrry drunk
Lit up by what?
doesn't need 'Nimrod' really
@matty2055 Fry is God!!!!!