Amy Glanville went to meet Beryl who's artisitic and leads a hectic life giving after dinner speeches, Jenny who keeps an eye on Beryl, several mannequins and a pterodactyl ...
Beryl explains, "I was named after the kipper splitter’s daughter - which I think is rather fun and I’ve been rather fun. I’ve been very fond of kippers ever since. That was in Ealing - I was the young lady from Ealing - there are naughty limericks about that…
Beryl describes Jenny her helper as the managing director, but Jenny says "I think of myself more as the general dogsbody - I do everything that Beryl hasn’t got time to do because she’s so rushed…"
Beryl takes a bemused Amy to meet her mannequins, "This is Melvyn, the Butler. He originally came to me totally naked - from a shopfitter. This is Mary the cook, and then there’s Ethel who's got a rat on her shoulder - I thought she wanted a bit of company. The French Maid is very quiet but wears’s no underwear which is quite shocking..."
Jenny explains about Melvyn, "Beryl decided she wanted a male member of the family. Melvyn stands with one leg crossed over the other in a very posh way - he’s very pleasant - he doesn’t answer back. I dreaded the times when Beryl had to take him away for a few days for one of her demonstrations because he had to be naked. Beryl was always conveniently out the way when he had to be dressed - it's such hard work - so muggins here had to do it."
Jenny’s desk is strategically placed, "I have over my head a blow up pterodactyl - if I get up in a hurry it pecks me on my scalp..." she continues, raising her voice slightly against the background noise of Beryl tustling with what sounds like a mechanical parrot working itself into a squawking frenzy, "I was told a long time ago by an old gentleman that all the best people are eccentrics,"
There's a reason for all this; laughter’s very important to Beryl, "It prolongs your life and it’s much better than vitamins and all this slap and tickle …" Jenny, too, enjoys her work, "It’s an essential part of my life - I like the fun element of it."
"A damn good laugh is what more people need," concludes Beryl, "You see them walking about like vegetable marrows, and you just wish they’d laugh bit - just smile!"
