The late English author Terry Pratchett had a character in his Discworld books,"The Duck Man", who was one of a group of beggars in Ankh-Morpork and was considered insane because he forever had a duck sitting on his head – but appeared to be totally oblivious to it. This interview supposedly was on BBC in 1969, and Pratchett's first Discworld novel came out in 1983. I wonder if he might have seen the interview with this eccentric, then later recalled it and use it as the basis for his "Duck Man".
Hmm. I would point out that the BBC's normally exacting journalistic standards often slip on the first day of April.
ReplyDeleteThe late English author Terry Pratchett had a character in his Discworld books,"The Duck Man", who was one of a group of beggars in Ankh-Morpork and was considered insane because he forever had a duck sitting on his head – but appeared to be totally oblivious to it. This interview supposedly was on BBC in 1969, and Pratchett's first Discworld novel came out in 1983. I wonder if he might have seen the interview with this eccentric, then later recalled it and use it as the basis for his "Duck Man".
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Originally broadcast 27 Oct 1969. On the 29th, the UK Midland News reported the folliwing:
ReplyDeleteThe pigeon that has been living on the head of Glynne Wood from Stechford has now been claimed by its owner Pawel Miotla from Alum Rock, Birmingham.
There was video there too but it's apparently long archived.
Bicycle Bill: Exactly the first thing that popped into my head!
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