http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7381923.stm

Village pub recalls comedy greats

A village pub in the Midlands is to recreate the moment two Hollywood comedy
icons served behind the bar.

Laurel and Hardy pulled pints at The Bull Inn in Bottesford, Leicestershire,
during a break in a European tour in Christmas 1952.

The pub was run by Stan Laurel's sister, Olga, and she invited them over
while their show was in Nottingham.

Now two amateur actors will appear as the screen legends as part of Bank
Holiday events in the village.

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy rose to fame in Hollywood's silent era but
continued their success into the 1930s and 40s.

Local hero

But after World War Two their movie careers slowed and they toured Europe
with live shows.

Teacher David McCormack will play Oliver Hardy and also wrote the sketches
for the celebration.

"I looked at photographs of their time here to think about what they would
have done and said," he said.

"I suspect they would have used snippets from their old routines in pastiche
form."

He added: "There are jokes, a bit of slapstick and maybe even a song or two.
But there is a serious note, thanking the residents of Bottesford for their
hospitality."

Oliver Hardy died after a stroke in 1957 but Lancashire-born Stan Laurel
lived until 1965.

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Bruce Calvert
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