Thanks Skipjack, for the name of the frig guy. It is all coming back to me now. I also recall that for a comedian, no one who encountered him down at the pub thought him particularly funny. Difference in laughing at you as opposed to with you, I suppose.

When the locals found out what the premise of his trip was, they responded with an attitude of--ah, what a howl, another Brit coming to catch us out at being foolish. Yawn.