Uncle Mort's North and South Country

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Such A Shame :-( - Rated
I was an such a fan of 'I Didn't Know You Cared' and when I discovered Uncle Mort and Carter had done Audio Books I just had to have them, but my how disapointed I was :-( I was not aware of the sad loss of Robin Bailey in 1999 so when I heard the voice of Uncle Mort on these CDs It took all of 10 minutes before I had to turn it off ... There will never be another Robin Bailey so any other voice reading the fantastic writing of Peter Tinniswood just doesn't work for me.
Robin Bailey 'was' Uncle Mort and the best 'Carter was Keith Drinkel ... in my opinion that is.

Uncle Mort's North Country... - Rated
If you are partial to a pint of mild and your idea of hell is a trip to Ikea on a bank holiday then this Radio Collection is for you.

Class. - Rated
Why didn't I discover Uncle Mort years ago? My introduction has been very recent, through accidental exposure via BBC7 in the wee small hours. I was suprised to read that these were recorded over a decade ago, as the work sounds utterly contemporary.

This 5CD set will keep me entertained for years. A slight caveat here is that Mort is one of those sublime creations capable of taking up residency in one's noodle; one finding oneself quoting him internally in response to one's own doings. Really, it's that good. Multi-dimensional, textured, deep, very funny... even beautiful. The writing, as has already been noted, is a joy. Language is used with tremendous power; both in the narrator's bardic evocations of scene and in Uncle Mort's blistering rants.

It's clever and highly original, but instantly accessable and doesn't shout "ART". Recommended to anyone.

Its Grim Up North - Rated
Both series centre on the events and musings as a young man, Carter Brandon, takes his curmudgeonly old uncle, Mort, out for day trips. The actual plot of each story is intentionally thin, since it is the dialogue that shines through, and I have to say that writing of this quality is very hard to come by. The musings are a mixture of whimsy, rant, comedy, and diatribe but with a slightly surreal sense. At these moments it is difficult to tell if Tinniswood is being straight, ironic or subverting irony further - a good example of this is the first time Uncle Mort takes a sip from a pint of Southern Ale and begins a rant - these slightly surreal episodes only add to the pleasure. The funny thing is, as surreal as the dialogue becomes sometimes, I clearly remember my grandma (Blackburn born and bread) saying almost identical things.

I really like Uncle Mort, the Uber-curmudgeon of literature. I'd love to meet him. One of my favourite lines is "If a job is worth doin', its worth doin' grumpily." But Uncle Mort is not a one-trick pony - his character is far more complex and some of his stories are truly hilarious.

Apart from the sublime dialogue of Uncle Mort, which takes up 70% of the script, there are inputs from other characters. Carter Brandon is a man of few words, but his input is essential.. you have to listen to see what I mean. There are several other characters who are explored incredibly deeply for the few minutes they are speaking, one notable character being Dornford Scargill, brother of Arthur, voiced by the great Jim Broadbent.

The lion's share of the remaining script is the narrative - unusual and quite beautiful rhythmic poetry voiced by Christian Tosca, his dry Northern brogue perfect for the incredibly vivid prose.

For me, it is both comforting and harrowing, comedy and art. I guarantee you will find something different with every listening, and you will want to listen to it again and again. I only regret Mr Tinniswood is no longer with us... I would love to have seen Uncle Mort's reaction to the internet, MP3s and thai food...