Another Take on the Two Towns.

I saw a man in Uttoxeter today who was the spitting image of Walter Long, best known for playing gruff voiced and punch-drunk heavies in Laurel and Hardy films. Allowing for the difference in accent, the man I saw even spoke like Walter Long.

 

It isn’t unusual to see people like this in Uttoxeter. It is, however, very rare indeed to encounter this type in Ashbourne. There, you’re more likely to spot the following:

 

This is a shot of a typical Ashburnian couple who have just been told that a man claiming to be a socialist has been seen in Birmingham, and Birmingham is only fifty miles away. (Actually, it’s a shot of Tubbs and Edward from the brilliant comedy series The League of Gentlemen, but it’s close enough.)