Paisley fans of the famous comedy duo Laurel and Hardy gave a special nod to their world-renowned bowler hats at their most recent meeting.
The Paisley cohort of the national Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society, dubbed Bonnie Scotland, marked 133 years since the birth of Oliver Hardy with a hat cake.
The group convened for its January meeting when a cake in the shape of a bowler hat was rolled out to great applause. Explaining the belated Christmas meal earlier this month coincided with Hardy’s birthday, the local group decided to also recognise their comic hero’s birthday.
Janice Hawton, who is the ‘Grand Sheik’ of Bonnie Scotland, said: “We were holding our regular belated Christmas meal and realised that it coincided with the 133rd anniversary of Oliver Hardy’s birthday on January 18, 1892.
“A special cake was made by one of our regular members, Mags MacLaren, in the shape of the famous bowler hat worn by Laurel and Hardy. It was wonderful.”
Oliver Hardy was part of the iconic pair Laurel and Hardy who made 106 films as a duo between 1921 and 1951 – including 34 silent short films, 45 sound shorts and 27 full-length films, winning an Oscar in 1932 for their classic short film, The Music Box.
The global appreciation society is known as the Sons of the Desert, after the 1933 Laurel and Hardy movie, with local clubs known as ‘tents’ who also take their names from Laurel and Hardy films.
Mags, who has been a member of the Paisley group for over a decade, used her past experience of making novelty cakes to commemorate the birthday.
She said that the idea of the famous hat came to her when she thought back to the films, as it was always a staple of the pair when they appeared on screen.
She said: “Janice asked if I knew anywhere that could make a cake. I told her I used to make novelty cakes and would have a go at it.
“The idea behind the bowler hat-shaped cake was derived from the hats that Laurel and Hardy wear in most of their films.
“I also added some extra touches like a tartan band around the bowler to represent the Bonnie Scotland tent and a ‘film reel’ with snapshots of some of the most memorable Laurel and Hardy scenes.
“I’ve been a member of the Bonnie Scotland tent since 2011, when I helped out organising the UK Sons of the Desert Convention in the Watermill Hotel in Paisley. I was presented with a membership of the Bonnie Scotland tent and have never managed to leave them yet!”
The Paisley-based ‘tent’ is the oldest existing ‘tent in the UK and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. It meets at 7.30pm on the last Thursday of every month at the Tartan Rose pub in Broomlands Street.
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