Wodehousekeeping

iandishes
  • 4.8 (5)
  • Books

Ian Cockburn and guests discuss the work of P. G. Wodehouse, one book at a time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4h ago

    The Clicking of Cuthbert with Elin Woodger Murphy

    Ian is joined by extra special honoured guest Elin Woodger Murphy, A legend of the Wodehouse Society (and the Wodehouse Society UK), former editor/"oldest member" of Plum Lines and Wooster Sauce and one of the organisers of this year's Wodehouse Society Convention in Garden City, NY. The book we are discussing this month is The Clicking of Cuthbert (1922), Wodehouse's first collection of golf stories, AKA Golf Without Tears. Elin also talks of her childhood spent in Port Chester and Long Island where they lived very near the Wodehouses, and of her history in Wodehouse fan circles. We also enthuse over the work of Elin's late husband, Norman Murphy. There will be plot spoilers and stymies.  Next month: The Girl on the Boat with Ansley Ashe. Special thanks to Maria Jette. The Wodehouse Society website, with details of the 2026 convention in Garden City, NY My band The Seven Inches are playing a show this month! Tickets here You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com.  Help bolster the show's tottering finances at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. Jolly decent of you. Drop in at the digital clubhouse at Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted N T Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff: Who's Who in Wodehouse, third edition Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works alluded to Carry On Jeeves The Man Upstairs The Man With Two Left Feet Leave it to Psmith Uncle Fred in the Springtime "Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend" The Heart of a Goof Love Among the Chickens "Archibald's Benefit" "Parted Ways" "the Eighteenth Hole" "The Man Who Disliked Cats" "By Advice of Counsel" Jill the Reckless "Bongo in the Congo" (lyric) The Mating Season "Tom, Dick and Harry" "The Idle King" William Tell Told Again "Sir Agravaine" Also mentioned  Maria Jette Wodehouse Society (US) Marilyn MacGregor Ed Ratcliffe Plum Lines Bill Blood Norman Murphy The Wodehouse Society (UK) Wooster Sauce Edward Cazalet The Wodehouse Collection at Vanderbilt University The Shaw Festival Theatre Niagara Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense Norman Murphy: - A Guide to P G Wodehouse's New York City and Long Island - A Wodehouse Handbook - In Search of Blandings - A Wodehouse Miscellany Weston Park Sudeley Castle Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Bobby Jones Abe Mitchell Harry Vardon Terry Mordue Alfred, Lord Tennyson Rudyard Kipling Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" Marcus Aurelius E. M. Hull, The Sheik Hal Cazalet Song snippets Pet shop boys, "You know where you went wrong" Goffin and King, "He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss) Cole Porter, "Find Me A Primitive Man" Gallagher and Shean, "Mr Gallagher and Mr Shean" There is more in this pastime than the casual observer would suppose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Clicking of Cuthbert with Elin Woodger Murphy

  2. Jul 1

    Indiscretions of Archie with Peter Falconer

    Ian is rejoined by composer, writer, musician, voice artist, and parafictionalist Peter Falconer to look at Indiscretions of Archie (1921), a series of short stories adapted into the form of a novel. Topics arising include the First World War, Prohibition, 'the Irish question' and Labour Relations. There will be plot spoilers.  Next month: The Clicking of Cuthbert, or Golf Without Tears. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com.  Replenish the show's doubloons at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. One-off or recurring payments gratefully received. Hob nob and so forth at Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted Robert McCrum: Wodehouse: A Life Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff: Who's Who in Wodehouse, third edition Lee Davis: Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works alluded to The Swoop A Gentleman of Leisure Piccadilly Jim The Inimitable Jeeves The Code of the Woosters The Prince and Betty "Extricating Young Gussie" "Leave it to Jeeves" AKA "The Artistic Career of Corky" A Damsel in Distress "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" Bring on the Girls (with Guy Bolton) "We're Crooks" (song) Uneasy Money "Napoleon" (song) "In Alcala" "Doing Clarence a Bit of Good" "Jeeves Makes an Omelette" Also mentioned  Baldwin King-Hall Herbert Westbrook Ella King-Hall Biblia Wodehousiana T. D. Skidmore (US illustrator) Fred Astaire A. Wallis Mills (UK illustrator) Ian Hay C H Bovill James Bond "Fatty" Arbuckle Abe Erlanger Abgail's Party Song snippets The Archies, "Sugar Sugar" Sananda Maitreya, "If You Let Me Stay" The Beach Boys, "It's Trying to Say" The Divine Comedy, "Don't Mention the War" Shonen Knife, "Fruits and Vegetables" Little Richard, "Lucille" Kenny Carter, "Showdown" Sterling Trio "It's A Long Way Back To Mother's Knee"  Cole Porter, "You're the Top" Noel Coward, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, "Annie's Cousin Fannie" Flanders and Swann, "Strike" Magnetic Fields, "Goin' Back to the Country" Cocteau Twins, "Tishbite" Georges Brassens, "La chanson pour l'Auvergnat" Sting, "An Englishman in New York" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Indiscretions of Archie with Peter Falconer

  3. May 30

    Jill the Reckless with Alexander Rennie

    Ian is joined for a fifth time by Alexander Rennie of the now concluded Forgotten Towns podcast and blog. They discuss Jill the Reckless, AKA The Little Warrior, from 1920. A standalone Anglo-American novel centred around the New York stage, it includes the first mention of the Drones Club. Ian and Alex both consider this one of the stronger Wodehouse books so far covered in the podcast.   There will be plot spoilers.  Next month: Indiscretions of Archie. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com.  Help finance the show, Otis Pilkington style, at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. One-off or recurring payments gratefully received. Monitor my feeble attempts at self-promotion at Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted Robert McCrum: Wodehouse: A Life Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff: Who's Who in Wodehouse, third edition Lee Davis: Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Frances Donaldson, ed: Yours, Plum Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works alluded to Something Fresh The Prince and Betty Uneasy Money The Adventures of Sally Leave it to Psmith Bill the Conqueror Big Money "The Man Upstairs" Indiscretions of Archie The Inimitable Jeeves A Damsel in Distress "The Mixer" The Luck of the Bodkins The Rose of China "Napoleon" in Have A Heart The Small Bachelor "Bill" in Show Boat Anything Goes Psmith Journalist Company For Henry Also mentioned Alfred, Lord Tennyson John Grant Willy Mason Walt Mason Flanders and Swann, "The Safety Curtain", "Strike" and "In the D'Oyly Cart" Richard D'Oyly Carte Book of Daniel, The Bible Beastie Boys, "Shadrach" David Devant and His Spirit Wife, "Pimlico" The Bowes-Lyons family Dickens, David Copperfield and Bleak House Beachcomber (J.B. Morton), the Captain Foulenough stories Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Ian Sproat Julian Mitchell The Ziegfeld Follies Abraham Lincoln Erlanger Napoleon Bonaparte Cockburn's Port Rennie Heartburn and Indigestion Relief Diet Coke Etta James, "I Just Want to Make Love To You" Automat Omar Khayaam Alexander Woollcott William J Halley, "Pullman Porters on Parade" Robert S. Bader, Four of the Three Musketeers Apocrypals podcast Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Rivals  The Orange Tree, Richmond Patricia Hodge Thank you for reading the notes! Typing them sometimes feels a little futile, but you make it all worthwhile. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Jill the Reckless with Alexander Rennie

  4. Apr 30

    A Damsel in Distress with Josh Cockburn

    Ian is joined again by his brother Josh to talk about P. G. Wodehouse's A Damsel in Distress, the 1919 standalone novel that has a lot of similiarites to a Blandings Novel. It also features the return of Keggs (The Man Upstairs, The Coming of Bill) and the themes of medieval-style chivalry, class snobbery and musical theatre. We also talk about the 1937 film version, starring Fred Astaire, featuring songs by George and Ira Gershwin, and a screenplay co-written by Wodehouse. There will be spoilers. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com, anonymously or otherwise Furnish me with the needful at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping Join in the feast of reason and flow of soul on Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work to the End Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse Lee Davis, Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Barry Day, The Complete Lyrics of P. G. Wodehouse Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia and IMDb Other works by Wodehouse mentioned: A Gentleman of Leisure Something Fresh A Damsel in Distress (play and film adaptations) The Girl Behind the Gun (show) "The Good Angel" "Love Me, Love My Dog" Something Fishy Summer Lightning Bachelors Anonymous "Sir Agravaine" The Prince and Betty "Avenged!" "Extricating Young Gussie" Piccadilly Jim Uneasy Money Spring Fever The Code of the Woosters Jill the Reckless Miss 1917 (show) Oh Kay (show) Rosalie (show) Also mentioned:  Ian Hay Basil Foster W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman, 1066 and All That George Gershwin Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (Bollywood adaptation) Maud and Ivan Caryll Euros Childs, "Thrips" Jerome Kern Taskmaster Reece Shearsmith Mary Deane The Regal Theatre Alice Dovey Anton Chekhov Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle Enid Blyton Richard Harris Barham, The Ingoldsby Legends Lewis Carroll, "The Walrus and the Carpenter" Alfred, Lord Tennyson Machiavelli David and Jonathan (Book of Samuel) Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac Riot Women Guy Bolton Ira Gershwin Pandro S Berman George Stevens Allan Scott Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers Joan Fontaine George Burns Gracie Allen Reginald Gardiner Ray Noble It's A Wonderful Life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    A Damsel in Distress with Josh Cockburn

  5. Mar 31

    The Coming of Bill with Gwen Sheldon

    Gwen Sheldon has stayed on the line to help me look at The Coming of Bill (1919, but really 1914), Also known as Their Mutual Child or The White Hope, it's a rare serious novel (though featuring some choice quips) with a plot supplied for Wodehouse by a helpful magazine editor called Bob Davis. There will be spoilers.  Content note: discussion of eugenics, nazis, racism, death, and general bad times. (Surely some mistake? -Ed) You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com forward me your spare Colombian gold at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluesky or Facebook Please tell your friends about the show: our publicity budget was lost in some unwise stocks and shares shenanegans. Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work to the End Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Other works by Wodehouse mentioned: My Man Jeeves The Man Upstairs and Other Stories Bring on the Girls (with Guy Bolton) "A Prisoner of War" Piccadilly Jim Jill the Reckless "By Advice of Counsel" "The Good Angel"  "Love Me, Love My Dog"  A Damsel in Distress The Little Nugget The Globe 'By the Way' Book The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories Also mentioned:  Bob Davis Jack Johnson James Jeffries Wodehouse's adopted daughter Leonora Cazalet Rembrandt van Rijn The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air L M Montgomery, The Blue Castle Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events Short musical snippets included or parodied: Noël Coward, "Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans" Dire Straits, "Lady Writer" Helen Morgan, "Bill" (Wodehouse/Kern) Elvis Presley, "Old Shep" Nobuyoshi Koshibe and Katsuo Ohno, Theme from "Mysterious Cities of Gold" The Gothic Archies, "Scream and Run Away" "Napoleon" (Wodehouse/Kern) Kimya Dawson, "It's Been Raining" Kenny Carter, "Showdown" The Seven Inches (my band) "Our Gang of Friends" and "Bad Genes" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Coming of Bill with Gwen Sheldon

  6. Mar 1

    My Man Jeeves (and the Reggie Pepper stories) with Gwen Sheldon

    Ian is re-rejoined by Gwen Sheldon to look at THE FIRST JEEVES BOOK (if you think it counts): My Man Jeeves, a UK only collection of eight short stories, half of which are among the earliest Jeeves stories, all set in New York. The other half are Reggie Pepper stories, Reggie being an early prototype of Bertie Wooster. We also look at the three other Reggie Pepper stories that were published in magazines but were left out of the book collections during The Master's lifetime.  There will be spoilers.  You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com tip me at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluebook or Facesky Stories covered in this episode: "Leave it to Jeeves"  "Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"  "Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg"  "Absent Treatment" "Helping Freddie" "Rallying Round Old George" "Doing Clarence a Bit of Good" "The Aunt and the Sluggard"  "Disentangling Old Percy" "Concealed Art" "The Test Case" Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work to the End Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Other works by Wodehouse mentioned: The Man Upstairs and Other Stories The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories Carry On Jeeves The Inimitable Jeeves "Jeeves Takes Charge" "Extricating Young Gussie" "Bertie Changes His Mind" The Adventures of Sally "Rough-Hew them How We Will" Love Among the Chickens Something Fresh A Gentleman of Leisure "The Fatal Kink in Algernon" Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit "Fixing it for Freddie "Unpleasantness at Kozy Kot" A Few Quick Ones (US version) "Deep Waters" Brother Alfred (play/film) Not George Washington The Globe By the Way Book Thank You Jeeves Piccadilly Jim "George and Alfred" Plum Pie "Jeeves Makes an Omelette" A Few Quick Ones "The Wigmore Venus" "Archibald's Benefit" Also alluded to:  Harry Leon Wilson, Ruggles of Red Gap Ian Carmichael and Dennis Price, "What Would I Do Without You, Jeeves?" Bud Fisher, Mutt and Jeff R Outcault, Buster Brown James Sant, The Soul's Awakening Agatha Christie Herbert Westbrook N A Knox F Opper, Happy Hooligan Laurence Grossmith George Grossmith Jr. George Grossmith Sr. and Weedon Grossmith, Diary of a Nobody Leslie Havergal Bradshaw Cupid's Inspiration, "Yesterday Has Gone" Billy Sunday Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Fred Stone Making Good with Mother Cutting Out Venus World of Wooster Jeeves and Wooster Helen Wodehouse George Herriman, The Dingbat Family and Krazy Kat The Beatles, "Baby's in Black" Boost for Birdsburg! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    My Man Jeeves (and the Reggie Pepper stories) with Gwen Sheldon

  7. Feb 1

    The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories

    A solo episode this time, as I (Ian Cockburn) turn to 1917's The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories, P. G. Wodehouse's second collection of short stories for adults, which includes "Extricating Young Gussie", the story that first introduces the legendary characters Bertie Wooster (here apparently called Bertie Mannering-Phipps), Aunt Agatha and - in a cameo role - Jeeves. There are plot spoilers. Content note: see below next to individual stories. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com tip me at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluesky or Facebook Stories covered, with start times: "Bill the Bloodhound" 6m  "Extricating Young Gussie" 17m   "Wilton's Holiday" 33m 46s "The Mixer: He Meets a Shy Gentleman" 42m  "The Mixer: He Moves in Society" 49m  "Crowned Heads" 54m "At Geisenheimer's" 1h 1m "The Making of Mac's" 1h 11m (CN: suicide) "One Touch of Nature" 1h 22m "Black for Luck" 1h 27m "The Romance of an Ugly Policeman" 1h 35m "A Sea of Troubles" 1h 43m (CN: suicide) "The Man with Two Left Feet" 1h 46m Other works by Wodehouse mentioned The Man Upstairs and Other Stories Piccadilly Jim Something Fresh The Reggie Pepper stories "Three From Dunsterville" "Deep Waters",  "Fixing it for Freddie" The golf stories The Girl on the Boat Bustanoby's "In Alkala" "By Advice of Counsel" "Something to Worry About" "The Man Upstairs" "The Man Who Disliked Cats" My Man Jeeves The Prince and Betty Uneasy Money Joy in the Morning Nuts and Wine (revue) A Man of Means Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work to the End Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned George Grossmith, Jr. Harry Leon Wilson, Ruggles of Red Gap Percy Jeeves Leslie Havergal Bradshaw The Beatles, "Get Back" Magnetic Fields, "Goin' Back to the Country" O. Henry The Golden Butterfly (film adaptation of "The Making of Mac's") M. F. Carey, "Learning McFadden to Waltz" Leonora Cazalet Denis Mackail "At Mr Besley's" Do the Right Thing podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories

  8. 11/01/2025

    Piccadilly Jim with Nigel Townshend

    Ian is joined by Nigel Townshend to enthuse over 1917's Piccadilly Jim, a breakthrough novel for Wodehouse. Nigel voices his displeasure at the 2004 film version. There are plot spoilers. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com tip me at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluesky or Facebook Other works by Wodehouse mentioned Leave it to Psmith The Little Nugget A Damsel in Distress (film screenplay) A Gentleman of Leisure "Concealed Art" The Riviera Girl (musical, with Guy Bolton and Emmerich Kalman) Bring On the Girls (memoir, with Guy Bolton) Love Among the Chickens "Rallying Round Old George" Anything Goes (musical) Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Barry Day, The Complete Lyrics of P. G. Wodehouse Lee Davis, Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned The three film adaptations of the book Blandings (TV series) New York Giants The Regent Grill Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Hugh Laurie George Herriman, "The Dingbat Family" & "Krazy Kat" comic strips Delmonico's Bachelors' Club Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Piccadilly Jim with Nigel Townshend
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Ian Cockburn and guests discuss the work of P. G. Wodehouse, one book at a time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    iandishes
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Wodehousekeeping