It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

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Sandy Shaw
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It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#1 Post by Sandy Shaw »

I was checking out novels mentioning Pet Shop Boys and found one that won't make the grade for Wayne's site as it is more of a short story, but it got me thinking about coincidental mermaid connections with the Boys. So in time honoured fashion I have created a mini list with two books with mermaid in the title which mention PSB and another two non literary mermaid connections for a bit of fun!

So here goes:

1) Sleeping with the Fishes (Fred the Mermaid Book 1)

http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Fishes-F ... Descending

In Sleeping with the Fishes, ''Fred is half-mermaid, and her life has just become way too exciting. It starts with her walking in on her parents having sex, which, even for a grown-up, is just too icky to contemplate. Then in short order, a mer-prince arrives and announces she's his queen; she gets a new mermaid-Barbie-clone intern; the fish at the aquarium where she works are on a hunger strike, demanding she play the Pet Shop Boys for them; a hunky new marine biologist arrives and actually sees that her hair is green, not the blue most people see... oh, and someone's dumping waste in the harbor.''
From the Amazon review.

2) The Mermaids Singing by Val Mcdermid

http://www.valmcdermid.com/pages/books/mermaid.html

The Mermaids Singing (2002) by Val McDermid (U.K.), page 154:

"Have you been here, Andy?" he asked himself. "Does this feel like you, smell like you? Would you watch these videos? Are these your CDs? Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli? The Pet Shop Boys? I don't think so. You're not camp, I know that much about you.…"
Thanks to Wayne at http://www.geowayne.com for this reference.

3) The Mermaid Theatre, Puddle Dock.
Home to the famous live concert and subsequent CD release 'Concrete'

4) David Walliams swimming the channel singing PSB songs to keep himself going
He is my honourary mermaid!
Last edited by Sandy Shaw on Thu 04 Oct 2012, 10:19 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#2 Post by retrofuturist »

On that, there's a few good Pet Shop Boys references in Jim Bob's new "Storage Stories" book.

Retro. :)
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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#3 Post by Naughty Zoot »

Interesting premise, Sandy. Of course, there's also the 6 degrees of separation link between PSB & the new Ballet ~ based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen, writer of The Little Mermaid.
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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#4 Post by Sandy Shaw »

Naughty Zoot wrote:Interesting premise, Sandy. Of course, there's also the 6 degrees of separation link between PSB & the new Ballet ~ based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen, writer of The Little Mermaid.
Indeed! Now Neil used to live in Rye. I have found one reference on the web which mentions that he lived on Mermaid Street!
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#5 Post by bohemians. »

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Last edited by bohemians. on Wed 10 Nov 2010, 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#6 Post by Sandy Shaw »

bohemians. wrote:and "The Little Mermaid Danny and Diminutive Neil and few others..." /this time"diminutive" not in sense of size,but in sense of "dear"
-like Neilchen/D/,Níláček/CZ/=Narling)
"Mermaid Street" sound nice...I wisch to live in Darlington -Darling from Darlington -it sounds so nice, dosn t it? /I would never wanted
to live in Cockermouth for example...
By the way,Sandy, is it possible to swim in summer in some U.K. sea- isn t it tooo dirty /or cold??
I am confused by the Little Mermaid Danny stuff!

Mermaid Street sounds nice and looks nice too. I have to confess I was a little freaked out when I had already posted about the 'mermaid connections' and then found the reference to Neil's previous address as I had not idea about Mermaid Street! Of course all these connections are just down to pure coincidence but it felt spooky! Here is a link to a photo.

http://www.urban75.org/photos/rye/rye017.html

Well as I live in Heston I suppose if I had another name I could have been Heston from Heston!

It is possible to swim in the sea in the summer (or the winter come to that if you can stand the temperature). However after one of the few times in my life I swam in the sea off the Isle of Wight, I think I may have caught an infection by ingesting some sea water, which along with stress triggered Bells Palsey (from which I completely recovered I am pleased to say).
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#7 Post by bohemians. »

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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#8 Post by Sandy Shaw »

bohemians. wrote:even Neil was -))
I can not imagine Neil staying even for moment in such claustrophobic street
so its not possible to swim in it/in Brighton the sea was so horrible and as we were trying to get out it was impossible -all waves and stones -so when we managed to get out of that we had all bruisers -that was many years ago -and I asked only I wanted to know if for example beaches near Newcastle might be better.They al teast looked much more nicer when I was there one summer -I got lost in fog and nearly missed last night train to Newcastle ..it was very amazing place and that fog was lovely -hardly could see half meter in front of me
I think the street looks amazing myself and can certainly imagine Neil living there. Paul McCartney also has a place near Rye, but I think a little larger than the properties in Mermaid St! This is the reference to Neil's address by the way to prove that I didn't make it up. The site was last updated on 14th October 2008. The page has the title 'Cringing Cult of Celebrity'!
http://www.knowhere.co.uk/Rye/East-Suss ... nfo/celebs

As far as the quality of other beaches, try:
http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk/

I am glad that you enjoyed Newcastle. Fog can certainly be very atmospheric!
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#9 Post by bohemians. »

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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#10 Post by Sandy Shaw »

bohemians. wrote:thanks Sandy
..bloody " atmospheric"
LOL
Check out one of the best songs ever - 'A Foggy Day in London Town' performed by Judy Garland!
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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#11 Post by Naughty Zoot »

[quote= Indeed! Now Neil used to live in Rye. I have found one reference on the web which mentions that he lived on Mermaid Street![/quote]
If I may digress: Rye is the real setting of the fictional town of Tilling - of Mapp & Lucia fame.
I can't promise you'll see Mermaid Street but you'll definitely get a feel for what Neil might have faced in Rye/Tilling in the late 50s.
The 2 seasons of Mapp & Lucia DVDs - starring Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales & Nigel Hawthorne are Priceless Gems and I recommend them highly.
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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#12 Post by leahysb »

The 2 seasons of Mapp & Lucia DVDs - starring Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales & Nigel Hawthorne are Priceless Gems and I recommend them highly
Seconded! I think that Mapp & Lucia was a brilliant series and such a shame there were only two series.
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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#13 Post by Sandy Shaw »

leahysb wrote:
The 2 seasons of Mapp & Lucia DVDs - starring Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales & Nigel Hawthorne are Priceless Gems and I recommend them highly
Seconded! I think that Mapp & Lucia was a brilliant series and such a shame there were only two series.
Thirded! Thanks Zoot and leahysb. I know that my parents have these DVDs. In fact I reckon it is completely 'on topic' to mention Mapp and Lucia as Neil is a big fan of the books.
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Re: It's a swim. PSB and mermaids!

#14 Post by Sandy Shaw »

Ok - this one is a stretch but the original 'Luna Park' was on Coney Island which is also famous for the annual Mermaid Parade (I was lucky enough to go a few years ago and the parade is is much camper than any Pride March!)
In fact the brand new amusement Park on Coney Island is called Luna Park again and they have just had their own Mermaid competition.
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#15 Post by bohemians. »

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