Latest news with #DickVanDyke
Telegraph
12 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Britain has forgotten its manners. Now it's every man for himself
At first glance it sounds like a terrible insult, a slap in the face of British hospitality; those pesky yanks pulling our legs and being decidedly unfunny. Gruel Britannia is an establishment in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the northeastern United States. Pop a pin on Long Island and the fictional town of West Egg, home of Jay Gatsby, wouldn't be too far away. It's a prosperous part of the New York metropolitan area, specifically at 2217 Post Road. And Gruel Britannia is, apparently, frequented by the silver foxes of Long Island Sound, no longer commuting to the metropolis of NYC. They swing by Gruel Britannia for a taste of the old country, which is not actually, as the name implies, a glorification of the culinary offerings of Dickens or the rationing years. In fact, in a room adorned with Union flags and with shelves that heave with Colman's mustard, Sarson's vinegar and Marmite, there's a dinner menu delivering prawn cocktail, mushrooms on toast and sticky toffee pudding. Come tea time, sandwiches of cucumber and coronation chicken are on offer. Some of the breakfast dishes seem lost in translation, though, in particular 'The British Breakfast Plate', which features toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, baked beans and onion gravy. One imagines a Dick Van Dyke character doing his worst cockney ('Alright, ladies and gents?') as he brings dishes to the table. But the place is actually run as an affectionate tribute to the UK. And such is its popularity that a second branch is now opening at nearby Westport. And it's at GB2, at 161 Cross Highway, that the owners are now offering a more immersive British experience, including lessons in British etiquette. As British co-owner Karen Hubrich put it this week, 'It's a de facto portal to London.' Which makes me wonder if Ms Hubrich has been to London recently, because the current state of manners on display in the UK's capital is less tea and crumpets, more marijuana puffs in your face and a stabbing. Offer someone a seat on the Tube and you'll likely be accused of ageism; open a door for people while remarking 'ladies first' and you'll be labelled a chauvinist; address a classroom of teenage kids with a 'good morning, boys and girls' and you'll be arrested for being transphobic. British etiquette has been replaced by an every man – sorry, person – for themselves attitude. On trains we must suffer the smells of other people's Asian noodles, the tinny sounds of music emanating from headphones, the horrendous din of cartoons (often the horror that is something called Grizzy and the Lemmings) playing on iPads to enraptured, brain-diminishing children and conductors addressing one another as 'mate', a plague now adopted by UK police. As a cyclist in London, I bear witness to a dramatic decline in driving etiquette, the idea of 'after you' now superseded by those at the wheel acting like they're getaway drivers in a crime caper; honking horns now making the streets of London sound more like Naples. There is no dignity offered by anyone answering the phone, be it a bank, TV or telecoms business, with British grannies being abused daily by folk demanding their dates of birth. And if you ever make it to the front of the telephone queue in an attempt to get a doctor's appointment you are promptly warned against (although it feels more like an accusation) assaulting the surgery staff. Parcels these days are less 'delivered' than hurled in one's general direction. And rather than nipping out of the room to take a call in the hall, it's considered reasonable to interrupt conversations to receive and have loud ones on a mobile, as if re-enacting Dom Joly's Trigger Happy TV man on the big phone. Dare I even mention people forgetting to take their hats off in church? Let's not forget the current state of dress in the United Kingdom, either. People think it's reasonable to go shopping as if dressed for a pyjama party; to wear shorts to the office and, worse, flip-flops. Sporting a beard is considered normal, as is the sacrilege that is bearing one's tattoos in public. Yet, elsewhere, some cling to what is left of Britain as a heritage brand; our perceived manners and sensibilities; conduct as portrayed in the black-and-white Ealing comedies. British murderers weren't drug-toting thugs but the likes of Louis D'Ascoyne Mazzini, whose mass murder of the line of succession in his family was somehow portrayed as reasonable if not rather charming. Thus Brits are employed to give lessons in manners at The Etiquette and Leadership Institute in Hong Kong and similarly at the Pria Warrick Finishing Academy in Delhi. While here at the mothership, the inhabitants of our small island are all behaving appallingly.
News.com.au
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Dick Van Dyke reveals ‘curse' of nearing 100
The Mary Poppins star, who turns 100 in December this year, admitted he's had to say goodbye to lots of loved ones. During a recent Q&A with People magazine with his wife, Arlene Silver, Dick reflected on longtime pal Ed Asner's death in 2021 before their remake of The Odd Couple could come to fruition. 'That would've been such fun, and we lost it. I've lost a lot of friends. He's outlived everybody," Silver chimed in. "That's the curse of living to almost 100'. 'Well, life's been good to me. I can't complain," Van Dyke acknowledged.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Dick Van Dyke reveals 'curse' of nearing 100
The Mary Poppins star, who turns 100 in December this year, admitted he's had to say goodbye to lots of loved ones. During a recent Q&A with People magazine with his wife, Arlene Silver, Dick reflected on longtime pal Ed Asner's death in 2021 before their remake of The Odd Couple could come to fruition. 'That would've been such fun, and we lost it. I've lost a lot of friends. He's outlived everybody," Silver chimed in. "That's the curse of living to almost 100'. 'Well, life's been good to me. I can't complain," Van Dyke acknowledged.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Dick Van Dyke's wife says living to 100 can be 'a curse'
For Dick Van Dyke, living to almost 100 can be "a curse." The "Mary Poppins" star described how he and longtime pal Ed Asner, who died in 2021 at age 91, were teaming up for a remake of the classic comedy "The Odd Couple." "That would've been such fun, and we lost it," said the 99-year-old at the "Dick & Arlene Van Dyke Present Vandy Camp" event in Malibu, California, as reported by People magazine. "He's outlived everybody," said Van Dyke's wife Arlene, 53. "That's the curse of living to almost 100." Still, Arlene noted that the star is "still so positive" despite losing so many friends and co-stars over the years. "Well, life's been good to me," said Van Dyke. "I can't complain." The actor told People magazine at the event that he's determined to perform instead of easing into retirement. Van Dyke will turn 100 in December. "I'm a ham," he said. "I love it. I get a jolt of energy from an audience." According to the outlet, "The Odd Couple" was first introduced as a Broadway play in 1965. A movie followed in 1968 starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. A TV series, developed by Garry Marshall, premiered in 1970 and ran for five seasons. It starred Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. The story follows Felix, a neat freak, who moves in with his messy best friend Oscar in a New York City apartment following his divorce. It's there where their friendship is put to the test. WATCH: 'DICK VAN DYKE SHOW' STAR NEVER BECAME CLOSE WITH MARY TYLER MOORE Van Dyke had already made his mark headlining "The Dick Van Dyke Show" when he was cast alongside Julie Andrews in 1964's "Mary Poppins." His sitcom, where he played a comedy writer named Rob Petrie, ran from 1961 to 1966. He described how Andrews, 89, was "as sweet as she could be and so patient with me" as he struggled with the singing aspects of his role. "I'm not a real singer, so I tend to be under, fighting to get up there and sing on top of the note," he told the outlet. "Just took me forever in the recording. But [Andrews] was just as patient as could be and kept helping me, saying, 'Think high. Think up there.' And it turned out great." "She was wonderful," he gushed. "We had a wonderful time together." In December 2024, Van Dyke opened up about his life while appearing in a new music video for Coldplay's "All My Love." The song wasn't initially written about Van Dyke, but the music video was a look back on his incredible career. Filmed at the legendary actor's Malibu home, the video features footage of Van Dyke's many accolades and awards, sweet clips of him and his extended family, and emotional moments of reflection. "I'm acutely aware that I could go any day now, but I don't know why. It doesn't concern me. I'm not afraid of it," Van Dyke said in the video. "I have that feeling, totally against anything intellectual, that I'm going to be alright." "I think I'm one of those lucky people who got to do for a living what I would have done anyway," he added. "When you think how lucky I am — I got to do what I do, play and act silly."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dick Van Dyke's wife says there's a 'curse' that comes with her husband living to almost 100
There is a downside to living such a long life like Dick Van Dyke. "He's outlived everybody," his wife Arlene, 53, said. "That's the curse of living to almost 100." As the world faces an aging population, loneliness among older adults is becoming a growing public health concern. Dick Van Dyke may be 99 years old and leading an active life, but longevity comes with its own set of challenges too. During a "Dick & Arlene Van Dyke Present Vandy Camp" event in California, the actor and his wife, Arlene, spoke about the heartbreaking reality that comes with him living to almost 100. Van Dyke reflected on the death of his longtime friend Ed Asner and shared that they were supposed to remake "The Odd Couple," a 1965 Broadway play about two roommates that has been adapted into a movie and a TV sitcom over the years. Asner died in 2021 at the age of 91. "That would've been such fun, and we lost it. I've lost a lot of friends," Van Dyke said, per People. "He's outlived everybody," his wife, 53, said. "That's the curse of living to almost 100." Despite losing so many friends and costars over the years, the "Mary Poppins" star is "still so positive," she said. "Well, life's been good to me. I can't complain," he added. This isn't the first time that Van Dyke has spoken about aging and longevity. In a 2023 CBS interview, the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" actor said he would have taken better care of himself if he had known he was going to live such a long life. He also reflected on outliving his friends Norman Lear, who died a few weeks before the interview, and Carl Reiner, who died in 2020 at 98. "Everybody I knew and worked with, there's no one left," Van Dyke said. In 2024, Van Dyke told Entertainment Tonight that regular exercise has been the "secret" to his longevity. "I've often tried to think, 'What did I do to live this long?' and I can't figure out," he said. "The only thing is I've always exercised. We still go to the gym three days a week and work out." According to the CDC, the average life expectancy in the US is 74.8 years for males and 80.2 years for females. However, the number of centenarians in the US is projected to increase from 107,000 in 2025 to about 444,000 in 2055, per estimates from the United States Census Bureau. But living that long often means outliving friends, partners, and peers, making loneliness a growing concern among older Americans. Additionally, Rose Anne Kenny, a professor at Trinity College Dublin whose work focuses on aging, said that research has shown that having social interactions and good friendships could be as important as exercise and diet for longevity. Several baby boomers told BI that they are finding budget-friendly ways to maintain a healthy social life, including taking up new hobbies and returning to work. A representative for Van Dyke did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours. Read the original article on Business Insider
