Back In The New York Groove

Which in case you missed it is a Kiss lyric, and has nothing to do with what I am going to write about but is as good as any other expression of pleasure at being back here on terra blogga. The picture is included because I can't resist the temptation of running it alongside the Bagehot portrait below. Contrarianism is king as those who follow even fractionally attentively will already know. Can you still hear me at the back? Which I actually heard someone say without a trace of irony at a seminar I attended yesterday. Lawyers are a funny bunch.

My art has kept me from you my public. That well known artefact of high culture Ray Cooney's It Runs In The Family to be precise. The poster (right) is from someone else's production but catches the tone of the piece rather well. Now say what you like about farce as a genre but I can tell you this, it's bloody knackering to play. Rehearsals were themselves rather a farce but it all came together vaguely convincingly on the night, that is to say I think we got away with it. The Overgraduate himself had a shedload of lines to learn  and even went so far as to learn some of them quite accurately. He could not however have managed without the estimable Colin Bridle who took the understandable precaution of learning not just his own lines but mine as well so that he could get me back on piste when I overindulged my freestyle proclivities.

Dave's new best mate

There's someone I'd like you to meet: Walter Bagehot (1826-1877) - banker, economist, political thinker, commentator, critic and man of letters. Being the generous soul I am I have already forgiven Walter for being a graduate of the godless and infidel college on Gower Street and am letting him play a central role in my postgraduate research. You will hear more of him but for now let me share with you this little bit of conjecture from the Book of Dave. David E. Latene Jr (he of Virginia Commonwealth University, which may or may not be godless or infidel, I know not) mildly disparages my man Walter as reducing Shakespeare to 'an honorary Victorian.' It is, I suggest, rather the opposite - so insightful is Shakespeare that he in fact made of the talented Mr Bagehot an honorary Shakespearean.

The Overgraduate Coach of the Year award can now be announced. We have received nominations for both Messrs Gatland and Lancaster though oddly none for Andy Robinson. However the winner is of course follower of this blog, Gary Street whose England women won yet another Grand Slam to add to their series victory over New Zealand in the autumn. Not only that but you should see Street when he does his comedy break-dancing. I am almost 100% certain that neither Gatland nor Lancaster can do that. Top bloke, Gary. Brush daft of course but top, top bloke.