A Tram car named Dave Gorman

[Helena]

I find it enjoyable going to the theatre or seeing comedians whilst dressed, both on my own or accompanied by my wonderful SO Maureen. This time it was a solo trip and for a change I thought I would use the Nottingham tram and park out of the city, as a bit of a test, as I hadn’t used public transport dressed.

The tram was reasonably full so I stood, trying not to catch any ones eye. Two stops later and three young women got on and one made a beeline to me saying, “Hi, didn’t I see you at Alicia’s party” and I said “no you must be mistaken” and she wandered back to her friends.

I alighted from the tram directly outside the Theatre Royal Nottingham and I followed two chaps in through the wrong door. We were redirected to the Concert hall side by a staff member but it did involve threading through one of the bars. My seat was on the balcony so I climbed the stairs and was somewhat taken aback to find a woman in my seat, with a gentleman on her left and an empty seat to her right. I double checked the row and the number, but she didn’t seem unduly concerned and I certainly did not want to get into an argument so I plumped for the empty seat and her final comment was “unless you would prefer sit next to my husband?” to which I politely declined. I was a little worried that some third party might pitch up to find me sat in their seat but thought I would just have to cross that bridge if it happened. Thankfully it didn’t and I had a most enjoyable evening except for one major worry. Normally comedians seem to finish their shows around 10pm but the signs said this one went on till nearly 11. This spooked me somewhat as I had visions of an empty tram and a dark deserted car park. I had to ring Maureen, in the interval, for reassurance.

In the end the tram was actually full, with people heading home, either chatting or checking their phones and nobody paid any attention except one student, resplendent with coloured hair and piercings, who gave me an extra look up and down and the merest hint of smile, before turning back to her group.

[Lydianne]

Nice! :thumbsup:. I remember the name! :thinking:. I watched his TV show where the challenge was to meet everyone in the world who contacted him named Dave Gorman. That was some time ago, wow! :eek:. I was either still a student or freshly finished, and TV used to spend money on making content! :ohgoon:.

"Unless you would prefer to sit next to my husband" sounds like a great title for a theatre piece! 🧐.

- Lydianne.

[Helena]

Lydianne, on UK TV he has a series called Modern Life is goodish. Excellent observational comedy about often mundane but funny quirks using slides how presentation.

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Sorry pressed button too early. It does sound like a play title, perhaps a farce. I am sure Teresa would have made much more fun out of it.

[Becoming Brianna]

Helena, I'm glad everything went okay on your trip. Is there any way for Americans to access that show? It sounds like something I would really enjoy.

[abbiedrake]

Brianna, I don't think you can. The site that shows it online (Uktv.co.uk) is region locked. Welcome to how it usually feels to proper outside the States. 😜
Plenty of clips on YouTube though. Including one called 'We are NOT Americans'.
I need to watch that with Wifeling GG. See how much she agrees with (she's American, I'm a Brit for those whose rocks I've not yet kicked over clumsily).

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Helena, how was the show? Oh and I loved that thread title. Lovely punnery.

[Tracii G]

What a rude lady she was in your seat going by what your ticket said and refused to move.
So her husband must have been in the wrong seat or her seat was on his other side and she was too rude to move.

[Helena]

Brianna. There are definitely clips on you tube. Here is link to uktv on demand. I don't know if it will work as is meant for UK residents. Let me know how you get on https://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/dave-gorman-modern-life-is-goodish/watch-online/?adfp=Search_Adwords_Search_DaveGormanModernLifeIs Goodish&pid=Search&c=Adwords_Search_DaveGormanModernLifeIsGoodish&gclid=CjwKCAjw5dnmBRACEiwAmMYGOdYT-Z-mSDAFEepMA172bxap56gk8lYTdR-rYLZSxB1moL-nY1MOAhoCJyUQAvD_BwE

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Tracii. I was sure it was my seat. Perhaps they had booked split seats in error. It was a tad rude I suppose but it was very genial and friendly and no harm done.

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Abbie. Very funny. Same format as TV show. Found poem was brilliant. I think he has announced some more tour dates for later this year. It is called with great PowerPoint comes great responsibility. Thank you I do like a good, or even a bad, pun.

[Tracii G]

Must be different across the pond because most people here if they know they know they have been caught in the wrong seat they get up and move because they have no right to be in that seat.
Is it normal over there for people to just walk all over each other?

[Helena]

Tracii. We never got to the point of her admitting she was in the wrong seat. If the other seat hadn't been empty then I would have made more of issue of it. I can't say I am a good example of an English reaction to such a situation, I am a soft touch. I know plenty who would have made a thing of it, but imagine if I had stood my ground, all three of us would have been angry and not enjoyed the show.

[Teresa]

Helena,
I'm so pleased for you, your outings get better and better . Difficult choice whether to drive into Nottingham , it can be a little tricky .

I have a show coming up at the Cresset Centre in Peterborough , it's not most friendliest area at night and I'm taking my daughter , well it was actually my birythday treat from her to see Paul Merton . I have my fingers crossed it goes OK as it will be the first time I will have been out with her in the evening as Teresa .

I must admit I had a seat problem at the local cinema but it was my mistake , somehow the husband and wife had bought tickets for separate seats with me in the middle so the swap was a sensible one and again I sat next to the lady , she was perfectly happy and we chatted for sometime before the performance began .

[abbiedrake]

Tracii, we don't walk all over one another but neither do we kick up a fuss needlessly. If push had come to shove, ie. the holder of the seat Helena was in showed then she'd have raised the problem. As it was, meh. No harm no foul.
We can certainly kick off when we need too, especially where I live.
Otherwise we deploy the old passive aggression. 😁

[Helena]

Teresa, thank you. Nottingham can indeed be tricky to negotiate but this was driven, every pun intended, by a desire to experience public transport and by the fact it was roughly a third of the cost of using a city centre car park. I hope your evening goes well, I would have liked to have seen Paul Merton. I suspect my couple had done the same, just wish I had half your confidence to engage them in conversation.

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Abbie, there would have been tutting. Lol

[abbiedrake]

Followed by crossed arms and shaking of one's head presumably, Helena?
Or were you gonna go straight to pointed fake cough?
They're both good all purpose PA tools.

[Helena]

Steady there Abbie, I wasn't thinking of going to defcon 3.

[Bobbi46]

Teresa, Not all "seat" problems are due to people being in the wrong one! LoL

[Eemz]

I guess there are a-holes everywhere. Teresa's one I can understand, they more or less asked if it was ok. Helena's pair basically just took the "better" seat when they arrived and screw whoever comes, we'll just be a-holes about it and they'll probably back down to avoid a fuss. Nice people, great role models for their kids. That really wouldn't fly around here. I think I would spontaneously combust. Except I couldn't if I was dressed and trying to be inconspicuous, which would make me even worse.

Anyhoo... Leaving that aside. It sounds like you had a good night Helena and got home safely. I like the story of the smiling student. She was definitely on your side :)

[Teresa]

I don't want to sidetrack Helena's thread too much but why is it the last to arrive in a theatre or cinema are the ones with middle seats , also usually carrying hot coffee ! Nine times out of ten they usually go to the wrong aisle and everyone has to stand up to let them through .

[susan jackson]

Where did you get the tram from, Helena?

I used to live in Clifton, which is about 7 miles south of Nottingham city centre. I would use the tram at least once a week, and to be honest, I never felt wholly comfortable on it, although there was never any real trouble

Most of the trouble and anti-social behaviour (and there was a lot of it) seemed to be on the lines at the north of the city - i.e the city centre to Phoenix Park and Hucknall routes

[Helena]

Susan. Wilkinson Street. Perhaps I was lucky then.

[Beverley Sims]

It can be unnerving having social interactions with others on public transport.

There is usually something unusual for it to happen, clothes mistaken identity or some other.

I have had the mistaken identity also, on a streetcar named Desire that travels on the Wharf to Castro route in San Franscisco.

[Manasi]

I loved his show! I love the pranks he played in his wife and friends, and how they would sometimes backfire. I believe he stopped his Modern Life Is Good-ish series though, I think it was getting too exhausting for him.