Wednesday evening saw another visit to ‘The Real Marigold Hotel’, where it’s clear already that all this year’s residents - Dennis Taylor, Amanda Barrie, Miriam Stoppard, Rustie Lee, Paul Nicholas, Sheila Ferguson, Lionel Blair and Bill Oddie - each have their individual hopes and fears about the prospect of old age.
Episode 2 provided its share of laugh-out-loud moments, as well as time for reflection and some sympathy...
1. The shock of realising that Amanda Barrie is celebrating her 81st birthday!!! marked by her generously donating all her body parts to her companions. She looks AMAZING! All credit to good bones and a cracking sense of humour.
2. When football coach Rufus told Lionel - ‘You don’t have a bad back, you have a big tummy’, it was clear that Lionel wouldn’t like that reference to his belly. What was heartwarming was Dennis stepping in quickly to protect Lionel, “It’s a long story.”
3. “Just a little jacket” - who needs a spare pair of underpants when you have a perfectly cut blazer like the one donned by Paul Nicholas for Amanda’s birthday night? And that was before his hat appeared for the ex-part party. Give that man a crime drama!
4. The genuine gob-smackedness on the faces of the audience, especially Lionel and Amanda, faced with an Indian mime showcase
5. Dennis and Paul’s golf game with the ‘new friends that they made last week’ - like it’s not a reality TV set-up at all!
6. Paul admitting what we all really think about golf - “It does go on a bit, doesn’t it?”
7. Just when we thought Dennis was the pun-tastic buffoon we’ve all been stuck with on holiday, he told the heartbreaking tale of his mother’s death and how it had inspired him to lead every day of his life - “a little tick, that’s another day they can’t take away from you.”
8. Bill might have trouble hiding his impatience with the likes of loud Daniel, but he’s still delighting in his Kingfishers - ‘bigger and brighter and more beautiful than ours’
9. “I cycle every day,” said Miriam, wobbling and nearly killing a passing roadside cow. “A spinning bike,” she clarified.
10. Paul and Dennis checking on their train companions, “the girls” (combined age 250+).
Catch up with ‘Real Marigold Hotel’ on BBCiPlayer.