Winch

[liadnan]

Toddled down to Hampshire -and back- for the second time in three days purely to go to the Cathedral carol service. As I may have mentioned in previous years, it's just one of those things I do: I've been every year since I was 8 and I'm buggered if the facts that I live and work in London, am largely lapsed and have never been an Anglican anyway, and have something approximating to a professional career, are going to stop me.

I amaze myself when I think that there was a time when I could, effortlessly, soar away on the descants in Once in Royal, Of the Father's Heart Begotten and, scariest of all, God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen. It's all been downhill since then you know.

Anyway, the point is that as a result it is now properly Christmas, and the mere bagatelles of a 10AM meeting tomorrow and an adjourned trial on Thursday are not going to cast any shadow on my cheer.

Bah humbug. Where's the sherry?

"Count" Nikolai "I'm related to the novelist, sort of" Tolstoy appears to be making a complete arse of himself in the TLS letters' pages at present. I say that partly with a certain sense of loyalty to the object of his dislike, my former employers the Oxford DNB* (it's all about inaccuracies he's identified in the biography of Patrick O'Brian#) but mainly I say it because the man is an arse. And has anyone ever actually finished his godawful Coming of the King?

*Coo, this week's Lives of the Week are a good bunch: Stella Gibbons, Lord Lucan (I remember the heated debate about whether he should be acknowledged as legally dead and hence eligible for an entry), Jack Hobbs, Elizabeth Campbell and Lady Craven.

#Mainly, he thinks he should have written it. Far be it from anyone to question Tolstoy's competence as a historian. Except Lord Aldington...

Comments

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

larhely lapsed

Yeah,and you've turned in your Whig card.

[liadnan]

Nay, they'll never have that from me, NEVER I tell you.

Happy Christmas you old git.