Sidney Grapes
Encyclopedia
Sidney Grapes was a British comedian, the owner of a bicycle shop and later a garage in Potter Heigham
, a village in northeast Norfolk
.
In the years before the Second World War, he acquired a reputation as an amateur Norfolk dialect
comedian, performing at social functions in many parts of the county and on the radio. However, he is most famous for The Boy John Letters. The letters appeared in the Eastern Daily Press
, the regional newspaper, at irregular intervals. Grapes would simply write them when he felt like it - and they were always signed "The Boy John". They reported the events in the Boy John's village, and, in addition to the Boy John - a farm worker - they featured as their main characters his Aunt Agatha, Granfar, and old Mrs. W, their neighbour.
Most of the letters ended with a PS
containing one of Aunt Agatha's aphorism
s, which became famous throughout the county, such as "Aunt Agatha she say: all husbands are alike, only they have different faces so you can tell 'em apart".
, the Nimmo Twins, Keith Skipper
and the Singing Postman.
Potter Heigham
Potter Heigham is a village and civil parish on the River Thurne in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some north-east of the city of Norwich on the A149 road, and on The Broads....
, a village in northeast Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
In the years before the Second World War, he acquired a reputation as an amateur Norfolk dialect
Norfolk dialect
The Norfolk dialect, also known as Broad Norfolk, is a dialect that was once, and to a great extent, still is spoken by those living in the county of Norfolk in England...
comedian, performing at social functions in many parts of the county and on the radio. However, he is most famous for The Boy John Letters. The letters appeared in the Eastern Daily Press
Eastern Daily Press
The Eastern Daily Press, commonly referred to as the EDP, is a regional newspaper covering Norfolk, and northern parts of Suffolk and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is published daily in Norwich, UK....
, the regional newspaper, at irregular intervals. Grapes would simply write them when he felt like it - and they were always signed "The Boy John". They reported the events in the Boy John's village, and, in addition to the Boy John - a farm worker - they featured as their main characters his Aunt Agatha, Granfar, and old Mrs. W, their neighbour.
Most of the letters ended with a PS
Postscript
A postscript, abbreviated P.S., is writing added after the main body of a letter . The term comes from the Latin post scriptum, an expression meaning "written after" .A postscript may be a sentence, a paragraph, or occasionally many paragraphs added, often hastily and...
containing one of Aunt Agatha's aphorism
Aphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
s, which became famous throughout the county, such as "Aunt Agatha she say: all husbands are alike, only they have different faces so you can tell 'em apart".
See also
Others artists working in the Norfolk humorous tradition include Sid KipperSid Kipper
Chris Sugden is a Norfolk humorist, best known for his portrayal of fictional folk singer Sid Kipper, the younger half of The Kipper Family.-Personal life:...
, the Nimmo Twins, Keith Skipper
Keith Skipper
Keith Skipper is a journalist who writes for the Eastern Daily Press. He is also an author and formerly a broadcaster with BBC Radio Norfolk. His most recent books include: The Bumper Book of Norfolk Squit and Confessions of a Norfolk Newshound....
and the Singing Postman.