Nursery rhymes and fairy tales

I believe I read a David Niven anecdote in which they were making a film in which there was a scene where horses were heard approaching but not seen. Apparently empty coconut shells were used as the sound effects. There was a call "Bring on the empty horses"

Roger , the phrase comes from the film “The Charge of the Light Brigade”. The producer yelled it when he wanted the riderless horses to appear, much to the amusement of the cast. The story is told in the second of David Niven's memoirs and it’s also its title. I don’t normally like autobiographies but “Bring on the Empty Horses” and the first one ("The Moon’s a Balloon") are well worth reading

Hi Old Lincolnian from a "new" Lincolnian. I think I read them both too now you mention it, way back, I`d forgotten the title of one of them was "Bring on the Empty Horses". I know this is changing the subject a bit, but I wonder if we have a section where we review or discuss books we are reading or have read or recommend to others. For instance I have just received a present from my daughter of Ken Follett`s book "a Column of Fire" which I am looking forward to reading with great anticipation as apparently it is a third of his in the same series "The Pillars of the Earth" and "World without End" which period I had associated with what life in 16th century Coventry might have been like, divided as it was into "The King`s Portion" and "The Prior`s Portion". I imagine the "no holds barred" battle between the two for power, ignoring "as usual" the have-nots (still us! - well, most of us )

"I wonder if we have a section where we review or discuss books we are reading or have read or recommend to others." The closest topic we have at the moment is Books on Coventry - but if you think there is some mileage in it, then please feel welcome to begin a "Non-Coventry" topic for something like "Favourite books". I'm sure many members will have something to contribute.

David Niven was the only real live James Bond in life, David did really go behind the enemy lines and blow up airfields, petrol dumps, etc, but when it came to act them out on film (Casino Royale) he didn't come across so well. David and his colleagues were named the Phantoms by no less than Rommel the desert rat. If they made a film of David's wartime record it would make James Bond look small fry.

Thanks Rob, I will do as you suggest and indeed name it "Favourite Books", the only problem is that I have a lifetime of reading and have haunted second hand book shops for years and have a substantial "library" - many of them are "favourites", generally for different reasons.Many of their subjects are history and perhaps since this site deals with History there may be those amongst us who are also into "wider" history. I would be able to lend some if anybody wanted them. Anyway I`ll give it a go.