Trailer Trad Hall of Fame: The Return of the King

Trailer Trad Hall of Fame (North Carolina Annex): Ben Folds

Trailer Trad Hall of Fame: Robert Hardy

It's surprising that a kid growing up in the rolling countryside of the Virginia Piedmont could be influenced by an Oxford educated English actor starring on a little known BBC TV show. But Robert Hardy had such an influence on me and many others. His Show All Creatures Great and Small was a favorite of mine even though it was on PBS (which at the time I associated with The Woodwright's Shop, The Victory Garden and other stuff that a teenage boy wouldn't be interested in).

In the show, Robert Hardy played veterinarian senior Siegfried Farnon, senior partner of a country practice in rural 1930s Yorkshire, England. His younger brother Tristan (Peter Davidson) was somewhat the black sheep and Christopher Timothy played James Herriot (the author of the wildly successful books that the series was based upon) who was usually caught somewhere in the middle. The beautiful English scenery actually reminded me quite a bit of my own Virginia stomping grounds and the parade of livestock and cool dogs every episode always interested me.

I think my Anglophilia began in ernest with All Creatures Great and Small. Siegfried, even when really frustrated with his younger brother, was always ready to offer encouragement, wisdom and good cheer. And the costume designer was brilliant. The tweeds, tattersall shirts, fair-isle sweaters and wellies looked incredible to me. Being Southern Baptists growing up in the country, my family liked the wholesome 'working farmer' tone of the show too (I don't think my parents would have gotten into the more hedonistic, aristocratic Brideshead Revisited at all!) The following are a couple of clips if you've never seen the show.

Tristan and Siegfried With Fantastic Dogs

Siegfried Judging Cakes

Until fairly recently, I had no idea just how accomplished Robert Hardy is. He has accumulated a tremendous body of work and, even now in his mid-80's, shows little sign on slowing down. He was friends with Richard Burton, Albert Finney and other British stars of the 1950s and 1960s and starred in movies and TV adaptations spanning Dickens' David Copperfield to Shakespeare's Henry V. You might not know that he also was the narrator for all of the Patrick O'Brien novels or that he is a graduate of Oxford University and holds three honory doctorates. One of my favorite performances was his legendary Winston Churchill for the miniseries Winston Churchill; The Wilderness Years. If you are a fan of him or of Winston Churchill (or both, as I am), you should seek it out.

Robert Hardy As Churchill on Socialism




I was late to the party regarding the Harry Potter craze, but I've really grown to enjoy them. And the icing on the cake for me was the appearance of Hardy in the series, albeit in the slightly villianous role of bureaucratic Cornelius Fudge. And typical of Hardy's range, he does a great job in that role too.

So here's a TT Hall of Fame nod to this fine Englishman to accompany his Yorkshire barn full of accomplishments and awards!

This Octoberfest, Make it Wimblefest! (reshown)

(Since it's Octoberfest time and also time for the last Major of the year, The U.S. Open, I thought I'd reshow my post on Elena Dementieva in hopes that it will bring her good luck).

I am kicking off my first edition of Trailer Trad Hall of Fame with a purely selfish nomination. She has been called the greatest female tennis player never to win a grand slam title. That is enough to gain her entry right there. Her name is Elena Dementieva, the most beautiful Russian tennis player that you’ve never heard of.

Why does she deserve to be nominated to the Trailer Trad Hall of Fame? Her statuesque blond beauty certainly helps but it’s her quirkiness that makes her trailer trad. She’s very traditional – but in the Russian sense. Her biggest tennis goal was not to win a major, but to bring home the singles gold for Russia in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which she did. While most of the other hotties on tour are cashing in with huge conglomerate sponsorships, residing in Monaco and training in the U.S., Elena remains fiercely patriotic to Mother Russia by living in Moscow and by obtaining few Western endorsement contracts (compared to Maria Sharapova, at least).

WTA Star Ana Ivanovich

She had been somewhat of a hard-luck story on tour for a few years even though she stayed in the top ten. Few on tour can match Elena’s strokes or her physical gifts but she had a nasty habit of choking away matches. This became even worse when, after recovering from a shoulder injury, she changed her service motion which caused her problems on her serve. ‘Train wreck’ is probably more accurate to describe those crucial moments in matches when she would double-fault after double-fault. At times, she would look up to her mother/coach for support (she’s so traditionally Russian, she remains a momma’s girl into her late twenties. –Disconcerting, but traditional). Some commentators would roll their eyes at whether she had what it took to win at majors.

That changed at Wimbledon in 2009 where she fronted for one of Wimbledon’s major sponsors, Evian bottled water. –What a bargain that was for Evian considering how well she performed against Serena Williams in the semi-finals and how, um, healthy she looked in her white tennis togs. In one of the most spectacular WTA matches in years according to many, Dementieva played brilliantly but came up a hair short losing to Serena 6-7, 7-5, 8-6. She remains one of the few players who can match the Williams’ power stroke for stroke and seems set to have a very successful year on tour in 2010.

To honor Elena Dementieva, one of the great players and also one of the nicest people on tour, I advocate a new holiday – Wimblefest!

It combines the elegance, tradition and athleticism of Elena at Wimbledon With plenty of beer served by blond waitresses in festive dirndls


Resulting in …. Voila! You’re very welcome. As Charles Dickens might say,”God Bless Elena Dementieva and Merry Wimblefest Everyone!”

Trailer Trad Hall of Fame: My Favorite Russian

I am kicking off my first edition of Trailer Trad Hall of Fame with a purely selfish nomination. She has been called the greatest female tennis player never to win a grand slam title. That is enough to gain her entry right there. Her name is Elena Dementieva, the most beautiful Russian tennis player that you’ve never heard of.

Why does she deserve to be nominated to the Trailer Trad Hall of Fame? Her statuesque blond beauty certainly helps but it’s her quirkiness that makes her trailer trad. She’s very traditional – but in the Russian sense. Her biggest tennis goal was not to win a major, but to bring home the singles gold for Russia in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which she did. While most of the other hotties on tour are cashing in with huge conglomerate sponsorships, residing in Monaco and training in the U.S., Elena remains fiercely patriotic to Mother Russia by living in Moscow and by obtaining few Western endorsement contracts (compared to Maria Sharapova, at least).

WTA Star Ana Ivanovich

She had been somewhat of a hard-luck story on tour for a few years even though she stayed in the top ten. Few on tour can match Elena’s strokes or her physical gifts but she had a nasty habit of choking away matches. This became even worse when, after recovering from a shoulder injury, she changed her service motion which caused her problems on her serve. ‘Train wreck’ is probably more accurate to describe those crucial moments in matches when she would double-fault after double-fault. At times, she would look up to her mother/coach for support (she’s so traditionally Russian, she remains a momma’s girl into her late twenties. –Disconcerting, but traditional). Some commentators would roll their eyes at whether she had what it took to win at majors.

That changed at Wimbledon in 2009 where she fronted for one of Wimbledon’s major sponsors, Evian bottled water. –What a bargain that was for Evian considering how well she performed against Serena Williams in the semi-finals and how, um, healthy she looked in her white tennis togs. In one of the most spectacular WTA matches in years according to many, Dementieva played brilliantly but came up a hair short losing to Serena 6-7, 7-5, 8-6. She remains one of the few players who can match the Williams’ power stroke for stroke and seems set to have a very successful year on tour in 2010.

To honor Elena Dementieva, one of the great players and also one of the nicest people on tour, I advocate a new holiday – Wimblefest!

It combines the elegance, tradition and athleticism of Elena at Wimbledon With plenty of beer served by blond waitresses in festive dirndls


Resulting in …. Voila! You’re very welcome. As Charles Dickens might say,”God Bless Elena Dementieva and Merry Wimblefest Everyone!”