20 years ago, I unmasked a bogus European nobleman whose family title was listed only in the 1946 Almanach de Gotha -- printed in the Palatino typeface designed by Hermann Zapf and released for the first time in... 1949. (In other words the whole book was bogus.)

Keep the sheep away from the Astronomical Clock !

My Watts cassock has acquired that mouldy green patina which is a mark of distinction, & also evidence that I "pre-aged" it in the washing machine during the first lockdown rather than patiently waiting until the dry-cleaners were open again. Any black clerical garment should go green eventually.

I've lived much of my life surrounded by folks who think sport is "General Knowledge" !

It is like a stupid pub quiz.

Last time I checked, TfL derived a far higher proportion of its revenues from fares than the Paris Metro, which is/ was mostly supported by a govt block grant. If still true, the Metro may just not care about fare evasion.

Spock (raises one eyebrow disinterestedly): "Fascinating"
McCoy (furiously): "Damn and blast you, Spock!"

It was nice of William Empson to have entitled his 1971 review of the Waste Land manuscript facsimile Edition, "My God Man there's bears on it".

One of the low, on whom assurance sits
My God man there's bears on it
As a silk hat on a Bradford millionaire.

Does anyone these days who likes "traditional language" opt for straight 1662?

Was the late Rex Hipple the head virger then? I met his son some years ago.

Derek Laud.

Brit Cards Out

While dusting, I almost knocked the Virgin over once !

Think of it as the "Church of England" version of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

I was christened there. I dropped in one day in 2017 and one of the churchwardens gave me a photocopy of the relevant page from the baptismal register, and recommended that I read Rev John Solloway's "The Alien Benedictines of York" for the history of the priory. An excellent book, now online.

Holy Trinity Prince Consort Rd in London has or had, one evening a week in termtime, and billed as "Choral Evensong", a choral version of CW Evening Prayer. You get the BCP Evensong canticles there every single time... because the choir has the settings for those.