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Wodehousekeeping

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Ian Cockburn and guests discuss the work of P. G. Wodehouse, one book at a time.

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#35
Tuesday · 1 hr 26 min
Best of Episodes 1-10 (Spoiler-Free Special!)
A special episode consisting of excerpts from the first ten episodes of Wodehousekeeping, introduced by host Ian Cockburn with a little background on how the show came about. This is designed for the listener who has skipped these episodes because the haven't read (or actively dislike) the books that the episodes discuss. The selections therefore have been chosen to steer clear of plot spoilers, and plot recapping generally. The emphasis is on my guests' history with Wodehouse and their general thoughts on him, plus other stuff that I think is intrinsically interesting or amusing, outside the wider context of the full podcasts. The ten episodes The Pothunters A Prefect’s Uncle Tales of St Austin’s The Gold Bat William Tell Told Again The Head of Kay’s Love Among the Chickens The White Feather Not George Washington The Globe By The Way Book and the guests featured Julia Ediger Alexander Rennie Josh Cockburn Thom Robinson Ujjwal Deb Mora Gwen Sheldon You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com. Help bolster the show's tottering finances at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. Jolly decent of you. Drop in at the digital clubhouse at Bluesky or Facebook Main reference works consulted N T Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum: Wodehouse: A Life Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works mentioned Very Good Jeeves Summer Moonshine Psmith in the City The Inimitable Jeeves "Ukridge Starts a Bank Account" A Few Quick Ones "Jeeves Takes Charge" "Goodbye to All Cats" "The Amazing Hat Mystery" Also mentioned Arthur Ransome Enid Blyton Winker Watson in the Dandy Jeeves and Wooster TV show Herbert Westbrook Baldwin King-Hall Ella King-Hall Sebastian Faulks, Jeeves and the Wedding Bells Frasier Anthony Buckeridge, The Jennings books Edward Gorey Richard Ayoade St Stephen's College, Delhi Shashi Tharoor Lewis Carroll SNL Jonathan Swift Alexander Pope Winston Churchill Peter Motteaux's English translation of Miguel Cervantes's Don Quixote René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the Asterix books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#34
August 31 · 1 hr 53 min
The Girl on the Boat with Ansley Ashe
Ian is joined by author Ansley Ashe to discuss The Girl on the Boat (1922), AKA Three Men and A Maid. Ansley Ashe is making a transition from wrestling/soccer mom, soccer coach, and library trustee to full fledged novelist. She has loved mysteries since she was a little girl, so when it came time to choose a genre, mystery was a natural fit. She loves everything between Sherlock Holmes and Mickey Haller aka the Lincoln Lawyer. She is reading her way through Agatha Christie and Anne Perry and read her first Wodehouse just for this podcast, now she will have to add him to her TBR list. Last year she published a series of holiday themed novelettes based on a young, female detective Charlotte "Charlie" Snow, with several novels still to come in the series. You can keep up with her on her Substack There will be plot spoilers. Next month: The Adventures of Sally with Sarah Humphrey. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com. Help keep the Good Ship Wodehousekeeping afloat ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. Our Bluesky and Facebook Reference works consulted N. T. Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff: Who's Who in Wodehouse, third edition Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website https://www.madameulalie.org Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works mentioned Frozen Assets Jill the Reckless (The Little Warrior) Something Fresh Heavy Weather "Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" "Church Round the Corner" A Damsel in Distress "Sir Agravaine" "The Mixer" A Gentleman of Leisure "Strychnine in the Soup" Also mentioned Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Sherlock Holmes stories Agatha Christie Anne Perry Michael Connolly, the Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer books Jeeves and Wooster Hugh Laurie Stephen Fry, Moab is My Washpot Saturday Night Live The Girl on the Boat film, archived here Norman Wisdom Millicent Martin Bernard Cribbins Sheila Hancock Richard Briers Athene Seyler Philip Lock Wilde Annie Besant F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby The Lusitania Alice "Billie" Dovey Thomas Otway, The Orphan Alfred, Lord Tennyson Constance Markievicz - first female member of UK parliament Nancy Astor Frank Tinney The Black and White Minstrel Show Bert Williams Southwick Priory Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy William Shakespeare, Othello Scooby Doo Edgar Allen Poe Sir Walter Scott, "Young Lochinvar" Mary Mestmacott, Giant's Bread Mary Roberts Rheinhart Dorothy L Sayers G K Chesterton Georgette Heyer Raymond Chandler "Carolyn Keene", the Nancy Drew series Amelia Earhart Marilyn Monroe Song snippets Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, "(She's Gonna) Respect Me" Flanders and Swann, "Sea Fever" The Seven Inches, "Stop Pestering Me" (lyrics/vocals: me) Tindersticks, "Pinky in the Daylight" Special thanks to Radio Guest List. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#33
July 31 · 1 hr 30 min
The Clicking of Cuthbert with Elin Woodger Murphy
Ian is joined by extra special honoured guest Elin Woodger Murphy, A legend of the Wodehouse Society (and the Wodehouse Society UK), former editor/"oldest member" of Plum Lines and Wooster Sauce and one of the organisers of this year's Wodehouse Society Convention in Garden City, NY. The book we are discussing this month is The Clicking of Cuthbert (1922), Wodehouse's first collection of golf stories, AKA Golf Without Tears. Elin also talks of her childhood spent in Port Chester and Long Island where they lived very near the Wodehouses, and of her history in Wodehouse fan circles. We also enthuse over the work of Elin's late husband, Norman Murphy. There will be plot spoilers and stymies. Next month: The Girl on the Boat with Ansley Ashe. Special thanks to Maria Jette. The Wodehouse Society website, with details of the 2026 convention in Garden City, NY My band The Seven Inches are playing a show this month! Tickets here You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com. Help bolster the show's tottering finances at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. Jolly decent of you. Drop in at the digital clubhouse at Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted N T Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff: Who's Who in Wodehouse, third edition Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works alluded to Carry On Jeeves The Man Upstairs The Man With Two Left Feet Leave it to Psmith Uncle Fred in the Springtime "Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend" The Heart of a Goof Love Among the Chickens "Archibald's Benefit" "Parted Ways" "the Eighteenth Hole" "The Man Who Disliked Cats" "By Advice of Counsel" Jill the Reckless "Bongo in the Congo" (lyric) The Mating Season "Tom, Dick and Harry" "The Idle King" William Tell Told Again "Sir Agravaine" Also mentioned Maria Jette Wodehouse Society (US) Marilyn MacGregor Ed Ratcliffe Plum Lines Bill Blood Norman Murphy The Wodehouse Society (UK) Wooster Sauce Edward Cazalet The Wodehouse Collection at Vanderbilt University The Shaw Festival Theatre Niagara Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense Norman Murphy: - A Guide to P G Wodehouse's New York City and Long Island - A Wodehouse Handbook - In Search of Blandings - A Wodehouse Miscellany Weston Park Sudeley Castle Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Bobby Jones Abe Mitchell Harry Vardon Terry Mordue Alfred, Lord Tennyson Rudyard Kipling Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" Marcus Aurelius E. M. Hull, The Sheik Hal Cazalet Song snippets Pet shop boys, "You know where you went wrong" Goffin and King, "He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss) Cole Porter, "Find Me A Primitive Man" Gallagher and Shean, "Mr Gallagher and Mr Shean" There is more in this pastime than the casual observer would suppose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#32
July 1 · 1 hr 48 min
Indiscretions of Archie with Peter Falconer
Ian is rejoined by composer, writer, musician, voice artist, and parafictionalist Peter Falconer to look at Indiscretions of Archie (1921), a series of short stories adapted into the form of a novel. Topics arising include the First World War, Prohibition, 'the Irish question' and Labour Relations. There will be plot spoilers. Next month: The Clicking of Cuthbert, or Golf Without Tears. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com. Replenish the show's doubloons at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. One-off or recurring payments gratefully received. Hob nob and so forth at Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted Robert McCrum: Wodehouse: A Life Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff: Who's Who in Wodehouse, third edition Lee Davis: Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works alluded to The Swoop A Gentleman of Leisure Piccadilly Jim The Inimitable Jeeves The Code of the Woosters The Prince and Betty "Extricating Young Gussie" "Leave it to Jeeves" AKA "The Artistic Career of Corky" A Damsel in Distress "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" Bring on the Girls (with Guy Bolton) "We're Crooks" (song) Uneasy Money "Napoleon" (song) "In Alcala" "Doing Clarence a Bit of Good" "Jeeves Makes an Omelette" Also mentioned Baldwin King-Hall Herbert Westbrook Ella King-Hall Biblia Wodehousiana T. D. Skidmore (US illustrator) Fred Astaire A. Wallis Mills (UK illustrator) Ian Hay C H Bovill James Bond "Fatty" Arbuckle Abe Erlanger Abgail's Party Song snippets The Archies, "Sugar Sugar" Sananda Maitreya, "If You Let Me Stay" The Beach Boys, "It's Trying to Say" The Divine Comedy, "Don't Mention the War" Shonen Knife, "Fruits and Vegetables" Little Richard, "Lucille" Kenny Carter, "Showdown" Sterling Trio "It's A Long Way Back To Mother's Knee" Cole Porter, "You're the Top" Noel Coward, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, "Annie's Cousin Fannie" Flanders and Swann, "Strike" Magnetic Fields, "Goin' Back to the Country" Cocteau Twins, "Tishbite" Georges Brassens, "La chanson pour l'Auvergnat" Sting, "An Englishman in New York" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#31
May 30 · 2 hr 51 min
Jill the Reckless with Alexander Rennie
Ian is joined for a fifth time by Alexander Rennie of the now concluded Forgotten Towns podcast and blog. They discuss Jill the Reckless, AKA The Little Warrior, from 1920. A standalone Anglo-American novel centred around the New York stage, it includes the first mention of the Drones Club. Ian and Alex both consider this one of the stronger Wodehouse books so far covered in the podcast. There will be plot spoilers. Next month: Indiscretions of Archie. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com. Help finance the show, Otis Pilkington style, at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping. One-off or recurring payments gratefully received. Monitor my feeble attempts at self-promotion at Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted Robert McCrum: Wodehouse: A Life Sophie Ratcliffe, ed: P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy: A Wodehouse Handbook Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff: Who's Who in Wodehouse, third edition Lee Davis: Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Frances Donaldson, ed: Yours, Plum Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia Other Wodehouse works alluded to Something Fresh The Prince and Betty Uneasy Money The Adventures of Sally Leave it to Psmith Bill the Conqueror Big Money "The Man Upstairs" Indiscretions of Archie The Inimitable Jeeves A Damsel in Distress "The Mixer" The Luck of the Bodkins The Rose of China "Napoleon" in Have A Heart The Small Bachelor "Bill" in Show Boat Anything Goes Psmith Journalist Company For Henry Also mentioned Alfred, Lord Tennyson John Grant Willy Mason Walt Mason Flanders and Swann, "The Safety Curtain", "Strike" and "In the D'Oyly Cart" Richard D'Oyly Carte Book of Daniel, The Bible Beastie Boys, "Shadrach" David Devant and His Spirit Wife, "Pimlico" The Bowes-Lyons family Dickens, David Copperfield and Bleak House Beachcomber (J.B. Morton), the Captain Foulenough stories Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Ian Sproat Julian Mitchell The Ziegfeld Follies Abraham Lincoln Erlanger Napoleon Bonaparte Cockburn's Port Rennie Heartburn and Indigestion Relief Diet Coke Etta James, "I Just Want to Make Love To You" Automat Omar Khayaam Alexander Woollcott William J Halley, "Pullman Porters on Parade" Robert S. Bader, Four of the Three Musketeers Apocrypals podcast Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Rivals The Orange Tree, Richmond Patricia Hodge Thank you for reading the notes! Typing them sometimes feels a little futile, but you make it all worthwhile. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#30
April 30 · 1 hr 45 min
A Damsel in Distress with Josh Cockburn
Ian is joined again by his brother Josh to talk about P. G. Wodehouse's A Damsel in Distress, the 1919 standalone novel that has a lot of similiarites to a Blandings Novel. It also features the return of Keggs (The Man Upstairs, The Coming of Bill) and the themes of medieval-style chivalry, class snobbery and musical theatre. We also talk about the 1937 film version, starring Fred Astaire, featuring songs by George and Ira Gershwin, and a screenplay co-written by Wodehouse. There will be spoilers. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com, anonymously or otherwise Furnish me with the needful at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping Join in the feast of reason and flow of soul on Bluesky or Facebook Reference works consulted Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work to the End Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse Lee Davis, Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Barry Day, The Complete Lyrics of P. G. Wodehouse Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Wikipedia and IMDb Other works by Wodehouse mentioned: A Gentleman of Leisure Something Fresh A Damsel in Distress (play and film adaptations) The Girl Behind the Gun (show) "The Good Angel" "Love Me, Love My Dog" Something Fishy Summer Lightning Bachelors Anonymous "Sir Agravaine" The Prince and Betty "Avenged!" "Extricating Young Gussie" Piccadilly Jim Uneasy Money Spring Fever The Code of the Woosters Jill the Reckless Miss 1917 (show) Oh Kay (show) Rosalie (show) Also mentioned: Ian Hay Basil Foster W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman, 1066 and All That George Gershwin Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (Bollywood adaptation) Maud and Ivan Caryll Euros Childs, "Thrips" Jerome Kern Taskmaster Reece Shearsmith Mary Deane The Regal Theatre Alice Dovey Anton Chekhov Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle Enid Blyton Richard Harris Barham, The Ingoldsby Legends Lewis Carroll, "The Walrus and the Carpenter" Alfred, Lord Tennyson Machiavelli David and Jonathan (Book of Samuel) Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac Riot Women Guy Bolton Ira Gershwin Pandro S Berman George Stevens Allan Scott Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers Joan Fontaine George Burns Gracie Allen Reginald Gardiner Ray Noble It's A Wonderful Life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#29
March 31 · 1 hr 32 min
The Coming of Bill with Gwen Sheldon
Gwen Sheldon has stayed on the line to help me look at The Coming of Bill (1919, but really 1914), Also known as Their Mutual Child or The White Hope, it's a rare serious novel (though featuring some choice quips) with a plot supplied for Wodehouse by a helpful magazine editor called Bob Davis. There will be spoilers. Content note: discussion of eugenics, nazis, racism, death, and general bad times. (Surely some mistake? -Ed) You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com forward me your spare Colombian gold at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluesky or Facebook Please tell your friends about the show: our publicity budget was lost in some unwise stocks and shares shenanegans. Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work to the End Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Other works by Wodehouse mentioned: My Man Jeeves The Man Upstairs and Other Stories Bring on the Girls (with Guy Bolton) "A Prisoner of War" Piccadilly Jim Jill the Reckless "By Advice of Counsel" "The Good Angel" "Love Me, Love My Dog" A Damsel in Distress The Little Nugget The Globe 'By the Way' Book The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories Also mentioned: Bob Davis Jack Johnson James Jeffries Wodehouse's adopted daughter Leonora Cazalet Rembrandt van Rijn The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air L M Montgomery, The Blue Castle Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events Short musical snippets included or parodied: Noël Coward, "Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans" Dire Straits, "Lady Writer" Helen Morgan, "Bill" (Wodehouse/Kern) Elvis Presley, "Old Shep" Nobuyoshi Koshibe and Katsuo Ohno, Theme from "Mysterious Cities of Gold" The Gothic Archies, "Scream and Run Away" "Napoleon" (Wodehouse/Kern) Kimya Dawson, "It's Been Raining" Kenny Carter, "Showdown" The Seven Inches (my band) "Our Gang of Friends" and "Bad Genes" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#28
March 1 · 1 hr 46 min
My Man Jeeves (and the Reggie Pepper stories) with Gwen Sheldon
Ian is re-rejoined by Gwen Sheldon to look at THE FIRST JEEVES BOOK (if you think it counts): My Man Jeeves, a UK only collection of eight short stories, half of which are among the earliest Jeeves stories, all set in New York. The other half are Reggie Pepper stories, Reggie being an early prototype of Bertie Wooster. We also look at the three other Reggie Pepper stories that were published in magazines but were left out of the book collections during The Master's lifetime. There will be spoilers. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com tip me at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluebook or Facesky Stories covered in this episode: "Leave it to Jeeves" "Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" "Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg" "Absent Treatment" "Helping Freddie" "Rallying Round Old George" "Doing Clarence a Bit of Good" "The Aunt and the Sluggard" "Disentangling Old Percy" "Concealed Art" "The Test Case" Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse At Work to the End Daniel Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Other works by Wodehouse mentioned: The Man Upstairs and Other Stories The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories Carry On Jeeves The Inimitable Jeeves "Jeeves Takes Charge" "Extricating Young Gussie" "Bertie Changes His Mind" The Adventures of Sally "Rough-Hew them How We Will" Love Among the Chickens Something Fresh A Gentleman of Leisure "The Fatal Kink in Algernon" Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit "Fixing it for Freddie "Unpleasantness at Kozy Kot" A Few Quick Ones (US version) "Deep Waters" Brother Alfred (play/film) Not George Washington The Globe By the Way Book Thank You Jeeves Piccadilly Jim "George and Alfred" Plum Pie "Jeeves Makes an Omelette" A Few Quick Ones "The Wigmore Venus" "Archibald's Benefit" Also alluded to: Harry Leon Wilson, Ruggles of Red Gap Ian Carmichael and Dennis Price, "What Would I Do Without You, Jeeves?" Bud Fisher, Mutt and Jeff R Outcault, Buster Brown James Sant, The Soul's Awakening Agatha Christie Herbert Westbrook N A Knox F Opper, Happy Hooligan Laurence Grossmith George Grossmith Jr. George Grossmith Sr. and Weedon Grossmith, Diary of a Nobody Leslie Havergal Bradshaw Cupid's Inspiration, "Yesterday Has Gone" Billy Sunday Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Fred Stone Making Good with Mother Cutting Out Venus World of Wooster Jeeves and Wooster Helen Wodehouse George Herriman, The Dingbat Family and Krazy Kat The Beatles, "Baby's in Black" Boost for Birdsburg! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#27
February 1 · 2 hr 1 min
The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories
A solo episode this time, as I (Ian Cockburn) turn to 1917's The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories, P. G. Wodehouse's second collection of short stories for adults, which includes "Extricating Young Gussie", the story that first introduces the legendary characters Bertie Wooster (here apparently called Bertie Mannering-Phipps), Aunt Agatha and - in a cameo role - Jeeves. There are plot spoilers. Content note: see below next to individual stories. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com tip me at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluesky or Facebook Stories covered, with start times: "Bill the Bloodhound" 6m "Extricating Young Gussie" 17m "Wilton's Holiday" 33m 46s "The Mixer: He Meets a Shy Gentleman" 42m "The Mixer: He Moves in Society" 49m "Crowned Heads" 54m "At Geisenheimer's" 1h 1m "The Making of Mac's" 1h 11m (CN: suicide) "One Touch of Nature" 1h 22m "Black for Luck" 1h 27m "The Romance of an Ugly Policeman" 1h 35m "A Sea of Troubles" 1h 43m (CN: suicide) "The Man with Two Left Feet" 1h 46m Other works by Wodehouse mentioned The Man Upstairs and Other Stories Piccadilly Jim Something Fresh The Reggie Pepper stories "Three From Dunsterville" "Deep Waters", "Fixing it for Freddie" The golf stories The Girl on the Boat Bustanoby's "In Alkala" "By Advice of Counsel" "Something to Worry About" "The Man Upstairs" "The Man Who Disliked Cats" My Man Jeeves The Prince and Betty Uneasy Money Joy in the Morning Nuts and Wine (revue) A Man of Means Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Richard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work to the End Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned George Grossmith, Jr. Harry Leon Wilson, Ruggles of Red Gap Percy Jeeves Leslie Havergal Bradshaw The Beatles, "Get Back" Magnetic Fields, "Goin' Back to the Country" O. Henry The Golden Butterfly (film adaptation of "The Making of Mac's") M. F. Carey, "Learning McFadden to Waltz" Leonora Cazalet Denis Mackail "At Mr Besley's" Do the Right Thing podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#26
Nov 1, 2025 · 1 hr 44 min
Piccadilly Jim with Nigel Townshend
Ian is joined by Nigel Townshend to enthuse over 1917's Piccadilly Jim, a breakthrough novel for Wodehouse. Nigel voices his displeasure at the 2004 film version. There are plot spoilers. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com tip me at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow the show on Bluesky or Facebook Other works by Wodehouse mentioned Leave it to Psmith The Little Nugget A Damsel in Distress (film screenplay) A Gentleman of Leisure "Concealed Art" The Riviera Girl (musical, with Guy Bolton and Emmerich Kalman) Bring On the Girls (memoir, with Guy Bolton) Love Among the Chickens "Rallying Round Old George" Anything Goes (musical) Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Barry Day, The Complete Lyrics of P. G. Wodehouse Lee Davis, Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned The three film adaptations of the book Blandings (TV series) New York Giants The Regent Grill Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Hugh Laurie George Herriman, "The Dingbat Family" & "Krazy Kat" comic strips Delmonico's Bachelors' Club Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#25
Sep 30, 2025 · 2 hr 12 min
Uneasy Money with Tom Bailey
Drop the Dead Monkey! Ian is joined by writer and artist Tom Bailey to look at 1916's Uneasy Money, Wodehouse's second serial for the Saturday Evening Post, which had a personal significance for Plum and Ethel Wodehouse, as it is set in Long Island, setting of their courtship and early married life; and like them, the hero and heroine are married at the "Church 'Round the Corner" on Madison Square, also the inspiration for the song of the same name by Wodehouse and Jerome Kern. Tom and Ian debate the merits or otherwise of Wodehouse's more romantic novels, and of romance stories in general. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com, give me an unexpected legacy at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or join in the feast of reason and flow of soul on Bluesky or Facebook Other works by Wodehouse mentioned "Bill" (song) "At Geisenheimer's" "Extricating Young Gussie" Something Fresh Performing Flea A Gentleman of Leisure Psmith Journalist The Swoop "Church Round the Corner" (song) in Sally Indiscretions of Archie Bachelors Anonymous Ring For Jeeves (the Jeeves novel without Bertie) Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Barry Day, The Complete Lyrics of P. G. Wodehouse Lee Davis, Bolton and Wodehouse and Kern Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned Michael Buerk Nicolae Ceaușescu Bob Peck Jeeves and Wooster David Nobbs The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, Bleak House, Pickwick Papers Oscar Wilde George Eliot Olga Tokarczuk The Empusium, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of The Dead Thomas Mann The Magic Mountain Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote Henry Fielding, Tom Jones Laurence Sterne, Tristam Shandy Tobias Smollett Jonathan Coe Honoré de Balzac Emile Zola Vanity Fair (US) Mary Poppins F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Edna May The Belle of New York (Musical) Lady Constance MacKenzie Sarah Bernhardt How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies John Mortimer, The Rumpole stories Alfred, Lord Tennyson Bartlett's Familiar Quotations Superman III Hergé,the Tintin stories Ionicus (Joshua Charles Armitage) Rashomon Bringing Up Baby The Church of the Transfiguration, New York Alice Fraser, A Passion For Passion Georgette Heyer When Harry Met Sally Nora Ephron, Heartburn Sherlock Jr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#24
Aug 31, 2025 · 1 hr 16 min
Psmith Journalist with Matthew Bellwood
Host Ian Cockburn (of the Shropshire Cockburns) is rejoined by storyteller and writer Matthew Bellwood to discuss Psmith Journalist, the third Psmith novel, and one of the first of Wodehouse's novels to be set in America. The novel first appeared in The Captain from 1909-10 but didn't appear in book form till 1915, by which point it had already been repurposed in 1912 for the US version of The Prince and Betty A tale of yellow journalism in gangland New York. This podcast contains spoilers, and some discussion of racism. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com Put doubloons in the old oak chest at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow me on Bluesky or Facebook Wodehousekeeping cannot be muzzled Other works by Wodehouse mentioned Mike and Psmith The Luck of the Bodkins Psmith in the City The Prince and Betty A Gentleman of Leisure The Kid Brady stories The Little Nugget The Luck Stone "The Episode of the Live Weekly" Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned Columbo: Strange Bedfellows Twin Peaks The Godfather Boardwalk Empire Charles Dickens, David Copperfield Colin From Accounts Carol Vorderman Ted Kessler, Paper Cuts Al Capone Monk Eastman Groucho Marx Doctor Who Sandie Shaw, "Reviewing the Situation" John Mitchell Jr. Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm Cole Porter Noël Coward Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#23
Jul 31, 2025 · 2 hr 3 min
Something Fresh with Tania Agnihotri
Ian is joined by Tania Agnihotri to look at Something Fresh, AKA Something New, the first Blandings novel, published 1915. The book introduces the immortal Lord Emsworth, Freddie Threepwood, Beach the butler and the Efficient Baxter, though much of the focus is on this month's imposters at the castle. Content note: bad American accents. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com make a donation at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow or contact me on Bluesky or Facebook Other works by Wodehouse mentioned: The Mr Mulliner Stories "The Story of Webster" "The Truth About George" Mike and Psmith (part two of Mike) The Ukridge stories Love Among the Chickens The Luck Stone "The Matrimonial Sweepstakes" "The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace" "A Man of Means: The Episode of the Hired Past" Psmith in the City "The Crime Wave At Blandings" The Reggie Pepper stories "Ruth in Exile" Right Ho, Jeeves "Pearls Means Tears" "Strychnine in the Soup" Leave it to Psmith "The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat" "A Man of Means: The Episode of the Live Weekly" "A Pal Like You" from Oh, Boy! Reference works consulted Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Paul Kent, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned Saki, "Mrs Packletide's Tiger" George Ade Herbert W. Westbrook William Townend Samuel Johnson ("A man who is tired of London...") Alfred Harmsworth Simpson's in the Strand Philip Peveril Wodehouse Georgette Heyer J M Barrie, The Admirable Crichton Jeeves and Wooster (TV series) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#22
Jul 9, 2025 · 1 hr 36 min
The Man Upstairs and Other Stories (Part Two) with Gwen Sheldon
I am rejoined by Gwen Sheldon to peruse the first collection of Wodehouse short stories for a general audience, The Man Upstairs and Other Stories (1914), a bumper crop of nineteen stories and a favourite of both of us. Because there is so much to discuss, we have split it into two parts. In the second part we look at the remaining eleven stories, including the two stories whose success persuaded Wodehouse to move to America, "Archibald's Benefit" (his first golf short story) and "The Good Angel" (the first Keggs story, and first mention of a Lord Emsworth). Also in this batch we have a rare football-themed story, a Knights of the Round Table parody, and a highly autobiographical love story. We also each list our ten favourite stories. There will be spoilers. You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com make a donation at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow me on Bluesky or Facebook Stories covered in this instalment, with start times: "Archibald's Benefit" / "Reginald's Record Knock" 2m 09s "The Man, The Maid, and the Miasma" 10m 44s "The Good Angel" 17m 12s "Pots o' Money" 30m 08s "Out of School" 38m 46s "Three from Dunsterville" 43m 53s "The Tuppenny Millionaire" 51m 26s "Ahead of Schedule" 55m 22s "Sir Agravaine" ih 05m 50s "The Goal-Keeper and the Plutocrat" 1h 06m 40s "In Alcala" 1h 16m 16s Other works by Wodehouse mentioned Love Among the Chickens "The Truth about Webster" A Damsel in Distress "Mr Punch's Spectral Analyses. IV - An Official Muddle" "Love Me, Love My Dog" The Coming of Bill Over Seventy Something Fishy "The Crime Wave at Blandings" "Creatures of Impulse" "Jeeves in the Springtime" William Tell Told Again "The Idle King" "At Geisenheimers" Reference works consulted Richard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work to the End, notes to Sunset at Blandings Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned Ella Wheeler Wilcox Robert Browning Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King Gene (band) Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet Flanders and Swann, At The Drop of Another Hat (stage patter) "Purity" Statue, Times Square, New York City, 1909 Thomas Mallory, Le Morte D'Arthur Shrek James Thurber, The 13 Clocks and The White Deer Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in the Court of King Arthur J B Priestley, The 31st of June Ted Lasso André Messager, Mirette Alice Dovey Leslie Bradshaw William Townend Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#21
Jul 9, 2025 · 1 hr 26 min
The Man Upstairs and Other Stories (Part One) with Gwen Sheldon
I am rejoined by Gwen Sheldon to peruse the first collection of Wodehouse short stories for a general audience, The Man Upstairs and Other Stories (1914), a bumper crop of nineteen stories and a favourite of both of us. Because there is so much to discuss, we have split the episode into two parts. In the first part we look at the background of the book and Wodehouse's life when he wrote them (living cheaply in New York), and discuss the first eight stories. There will be spoilers. Content note: mention in "Rough-Hew Them How We Will" of attempted suicide and of animal cruelty in "The Man Who Disliked Cats". You can e-mail me at wodehousekeeping@gmail.com Make a donation at ko-fi.com/wodehousekeeping or follow me on Bluesky or Facebook Stories covered in this instalment, with start times: "The Man Upstairs" 12m 33s "Something to Worry About" 23m 52s "Deep Waters" 32m 10s "When Doctors Disagree" 41m 47s "By Advice of Counsel" 49m 13s "Rough-Hew Them How We Will" 57m 03s "The Man Who Disliked Cats" 1h 02m 57s "The Fatal Kink In Algernon" (later rewrite of the above) 1h 11m 50s "Ruth in Exile" 1h 17m 40s Other works by Wodehouse mentioned The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories Over Seventy Uneasy Money (preface) "When Papa Swore in Hindustani" The Code of the Woosters Joy in the Morning A Gentleman of Leisure "Jeeves and the Chump Cyril" The Swoop The Luck Stone "Sir Roderick Comes To Lunch" Right Ho, Jeeves "The Fatal Kink In Algernon" "Aunt Agatha Takes the Count" (AKA "Aunt Agatha Makes a Bloomer") The Adventures of Sally Reference works consulted Richard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work to the End Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy; A Wodehouse Handbook Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums website Also mentioned The Ainu people of Japan O. Henry, "The Gift of the Magi" F. Opper, Alphonse and Gaston (comic strip) Alfred, Lord Tennyson William Shakespeare, Othello and Hamlet Lord Roberts Agatha Christie's character Hercule Poirot George Herriman, Alexander and Krazy Kat (comic strips) Michael Tisserand, George Herriman: A Life in Black and White The Book of Ruth (The Bible) Herbert Westbrook The Billiken Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#20
Jun 17, 2025 · 1 hr 37 min
The Kid Brady Stories and A Man of Means
A solo episode. Ian delves into two short story cycles, The Kid Brady stories (1905-7) and A Man Of Means (1914, with C. H. Bovill) which posthumously were collected into a single volume. The Kid Brady stories are boxing tales set in New York, while A Man of Means is a quasi-novella wherein a hapless clerk from Bury St Edmonds inadvertently keeps getting richer and richer. There will be spoilers. CN: brief discussion of racism Other Wodehouse works mentioned Over Seventy Psmith Journalist The Prince and Betty The Gold Bat The White Feather The Coming of Bill AKA The White Hope The Reggie Pepper Stories The Inimitable Jeeves The Indiscretions of Archie Something Fresh Not George Washington (with H W Westbrook) Nuts and Wine (Revue) (with C H Bovill) The Globe By The Way Book (with H W Westbrook) Big Money Bachelors Anonymous Bring on the Girls (with Guy Bolton) Reference works consulted or mentioned madameeulalie.org Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Garrison and Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse (third edition) David Jasen P. G. Wodehouse: Portrait of a Master Also mentioned Kid McCoy Too many other real life boxers to mention Jack Johnson vs James J Jeffries Damon Runyan Randy Newman, Short People (song) Harold Begbie, The Curious and Diverting Adventures of Sir John Sparrow, Bart. Charles Dickens, David Copperfield Seymour Hicks, The Gay Gordons (musical comedy) Phyllis Bedells C H Bovill, Honi Soit (revue) Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote Tobias Smollett, Roderick Random Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers George Barr McCutcheon, Brewster's Millions The Bumpkin Billionaires, comic strip originally in Whoopee comic Guglielmo Marconi Wodehousekeeping Podcast links Wodehousekeeping on Bluesky Wodehousekeeping on Facebook Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi email: wodehousekeeping@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#19
Apr 30, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
The Little Nugget with Nigel Townshend
Ian Cockburn is joined by his old friend Nigel Townshend to dissect Agatha Christie's favourite Wodehouse novel The Little Nugget (1913). A tale of kipnapping at an English private preparatory school, presumably inspired by Wodehouse's time as a guest at Emsworth House school. There will be spoilers. Other Wodehouse works mentioned Piccadilly Jim Full Moon Thank You, Jeeves The Luck Stone The Eighteen-Carat Kid (variant version of The Little Nugget) The Indiscretions of Archie Much Obliged, Jeeves Psmith Journalist Also mentioned The Beano and Dandy comics The BBC radio Jeeves adaptations with Richard Briers and Michael Hordern Agatha Christie, Hallowe'en Party Baldwin King-Hall Herbert Westbrook King Cophetua Harry Hershfield, Desperate Desmond (comic strip) Napoleon Bonaparte Reference works consulted madameeulalie.org Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Garrison and Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse volume 3 Sophie Ratcliffe (ed.), P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Wodehousekeeping Podcast links Wodehousekeeping on Bluesky Wodehousekeeping on Facebook Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi email: wodehousekeeping@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#18
Mar 31, 2025 · 1 hr 42 min
The Prince and Betty (UK Version) with Alexander Rennie
Ian is joined by Alexander Rennie once more to look at the UK version of the novel The Prince and Betty (1912). The US version has a very different plot closely based on the earlier novel Psmith, Journalist (serialised 1909-1910, book version 1915). We touch lightly on the US version but the main discussion of it will follow in the episode on Psmith, Journalist. Alexander's own podcast is Forgotten Towns Other Wodehouse works mentioned Psmith, Journalist The Swoop "The Good Angel" (AKA "The Matrimonial Sweepstakes") A Gentleman of Leisure Psmith in the City The Prizegiving scene in Right Ho, Jeeves The Steggles stories in The Inimitable Jeeves The J. Washburn Stoker character in Thank You, Jeeves Also mentioned Mills and Boon Boris Karloff Ellaline Terriss Seymour Hicks The Monégasque Revolution of 1910 Carry On Films Stephen Leacock, "Gertrude the Governess" Mary Shelley, Frankenstein Yes Minister Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Kigeli V Ndahindurwa of Rwanda Reference works consulted Daniel H. Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse (Third Expanded Edition) Neil Midkiff's notes on the different versions at Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Wodehousekeeping Podcast links Wodehousekeeping on Bluesky Wodehousekeeping on Facebook Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi email: wodehousekeeping@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#17
Mar 1, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Tales of Wrykyn and Elsewhere
Ian looks at the 1997 posthumous collection of Wodehouse short school stories, Tales of Wrykyn and Elsewhere, featuring stories that first appeared in magazines from 1901-1911. No plot spoilers for once, except one that comes with an advance warning. WIkipedia page for the book Madame Eulalie's Rare Plums links: List of Doyle/Holmes references in Wodehouse's early works Index to school stories viewable at Madame Eulalie Guide to early series characters, and an attempted explanation of which Jackson is which Other Wodehouse works mentioned All of the school novels Tales of St Austin's Psmith in the City The Prince and Betty The Luck of the Bodkins Not George Washington Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit "Treating of Cribs" "The Fifteenth Man" "From a Detective's Notebook" (The World of Mr Mulliner) "The Great Sermon Handicap" The Joan Romney stories Also mentioned Daniel H. Garrison and Neil Midkiff, Who's Who in Wodehouse (Third Expanded Edition) Tony Ring and Geoffrey Jaggard, Millennium Wodehouse Concordance Henry Bohn's Classic Library (used as "cribs" by Edwardian schoolboys) Barry Pain The works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Otto Penzler (ed.) Sherlock Peter Cannon, "The Adventure of the Noble Husband" Without A Clue Charles Hamilton, the Greyfriars Stories F C Burnand, "Happy Thoughts" Sir Walter Scott, "Marmion" Lewis Carroll, "Eight or Nine Wise Words About Letter Writing" Punch Wodehousekeeping Podcast links Wodehousekeeping on Bluesky Wodehousekeeping on Facebook email: wodehousekeeping@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#16
Feb 1, 2025 · 58 min
Psmith in the City with Josh Cockburn
Ian is rejoined by his brother Josh to scrutinise "Psmith in the City" AKA "The New Fold", the second Psmith novel, serialised in 1908-9 and collected in book form in 1910. It is a highly autobiographical account of reluctantly working in a London bank. Mike and Psmith's schooldays are behind them, but Mike is still fixated on cricket and Psmith is still out to cause disruption wherever possible. There will be spoilers and a soupçon of politics. Special thanks to the website Madam Eulalie's Rare Plums. Article mentioned in the show that helped explain the reference to the Unionist party Bradshaw's interview with Wodehouse, quoted in the episode Mark Hodson's annotations of the novel Other Wodehouse books and stories mentioned The Gold Bat Mike at Wrykyn (Jackson Junior) Mike and Psmith (The Lost Lambs) Psmith Journalist Leave it to Psmith Big Money Not George Washington Over Seventy (Autobiography) The Luck Stone The Swoop Money in the Bank "The Goalkeeper and the Plutocrat" "L'affaire Uncle John" "Comrade Bingo" Wodehouse reference books mentioned and/or consulted Richard Usborne, Wodehouse at Work to the End Robert McCrum, Wodehouse: A Life Norman Murphy, A Wodehouse Handbook Sophie Ratcliffe, P. G. Wodehouse: A Life in Letters Also mentioned The Fosters of Worcestershire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Leslie Havergal Bradshaw Hall Caine Manchester United Jimmy and Tom Turnbull Jerome K Jerome, Three Men in a Boat George Ade Jack Hobbs The Marx Brothers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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