Goodnight, Rik

I was woken to the news that Rik Mayall had passed away.

I cried.

Anybody who knows me knows that I still quote "The Young Ones" ad nauseum, even now, 30 years after the twelve episodes came to air.

After posting a goodbye on my facebook page, the number of friends who came back with,"I remember watching The Young Ones with you", or "You got me into that stupid show," or my sister pointing out that I can't peel an orange without saying "Neil, Neil, orange peel..." (A few years ago I was posting every three minutes as episodes were played on one of the digital channels.

I've bonded with many people over a common love of Rik, Vyvyan, Neil and Mike.

Yep, I was a teenager of the eighties. I had to sneak out of bed to watch The Young Ones. My parents wouldn't let me watch it. They thought it was daft - and it was on past my bedtime. One of my first acts of teenage rebellion (one of the few)

I sang along to the Damned and Motorhead, bounced about the Jerzy Bolowski, wondered what women found attractive in Mike the Cool Guy and I sorta wanted a hamster called Special Patrol Group.

I am a proud Young Ones nutter.

Rik (with a silent P) you are going to be sorely missed.

I leave you with a few of my favourite bits.

Oh, and I have to put in this scene from Bambi, because I love it. (Plus it has a very young Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie in it)

And a little bit of Jerzy Bolowski for good measure.

As a friend said today, the world just got a little less funny today.