Times must be hard when a classic British comedian, a paragon of
innocent entertainment and veritable cultural icon of 80’s revolutionary
Saturday morning TV finds it necessary to sell off his ‘better half’.
And yet this is what has happened to this once household name of classic
comedy double-acts. How would you feel if Wise had sold Morcambe; if Cannon
flogged Ball or Little pimped off Large? Devastated, I’ll wager.
What could have happened to Bob Carolgees' career to find it necessary to
auction Spit the Dog at Christies yesterday? (Anyone with a spare £1,500 wanting
a tatty golf club cover?) The sale also came with one of Bob’s stage jackets
which was adapted to allow the left arm to operate Spit.
Spit (or as he is better known in the trade as “black and grey synthetic
plush, foam rubber head with opening mouth and orange and black plastic eyes and
tartan leather collar”) was Bob Carolgees’ arm warming partner, first introduced
to the British TV viewing public on TISWAS and then rose through the televisual
rankings to hit the high-life of Surprise Surprise.
There’s your answer then.
Addendum: Spit finally sold for a
staggering £5,378. Carolgees stated that he was going to use the money to
promote the website for his Cheshire based candle workshop in which he makes
candles based on customers own designs.
