I hadn't realised that Mike Read had gone bankrupt. Don't wish that on anyone. Does anybody know why?

I was alerted having seen this report on the BBC. Looks like there could be some ineresting records to be had at the auction.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8385446.stm

I was going to add this entry as a comment to an earlier post about Question Time last night, but the result of the Norwich North by-election prompts me to make a stand-alone point. Does anyone agree with me that with age comes wisdom?

By far the best panellists on last night’s programme were (Baroness) Shirley Williams and, as people have already noted, Clive James. Both were extremely erudite and while I didn’t agree with everything they said, I could recognise that they had years of experience to bring to the issues under discussion. Indeed both of them they were able to re-call the first time the topics raised became issues, like the crippling effects of polio of the 1930s that Clive James talked about. Discussion and thoughts on, for example, the ward in Afghanistan were informed by the experiences of having seen a World War and all that that brings.

With all due respect to Ms Smith who was elected today, I do wonder how much knowledge a 27 year old can bring to some of the problems that we face. I think I would be more reassured if she was a historian, but she only appears to have experience as a Management Consultant.

This is not a party political rant. And I know I come across as possibly snobbish and ageist. I really don’t care which Party Ms Smith represents, but I do know there should be a minimum age limit for Members of Parliament. Anyone agree?

Can any kind soul help me? Yesterday (Friday July 17th) during the morning session of the Test Match, Jonathan Agnew and Phil Tuffnell spent 10 minutes discussing on Test Match Special what the queen might choose from the lunch menu on offer at Lords.

Quite the funniest thing I have heard on the radio for years, so much so that my laughter forced me to pull over and stop driving.
However hard as I try I can’t find this extract on the web.

I can’t believe that I was the only person who found the conversation hysterically funny. Anyone any clue where I might find this particular scene on line? Thanks in advance!

Was reading the article in the latest edition about the Watchman film and, never having really been in to comics, it struck me that I might like to get to read few preferably in book form rather than the Marvel comics I remember in my youth.

But where do I start? For instance I thought that the Dark Knight film was excellent and liked the dark imagery that brought up. Are there any comic books , possibly not Batman with that type of storyline?

Anyone any recommendations as to what I might buy to see if I like the genre?

I know this has been mentioned in passing over recent hours on various entries to the blog, but I believe that David Hepworth’s latest letter to subscribers deserves an entry all of its own.

Why? Because it took me right back to Christmas 1973 when, as a ten year old boy I got given the first present that I had ever requested, in this case from my grandmother. Although I knew exactly what it was I can still to this day remember the delight I took in ripping off the wrapping paper and lovingly examining the gift inside and out. I just had to show all the assembled family – which didn’t include my grandmother who was with other relatives that year – the best present I had ever had.

My delight at showing others the gift, and the anticipation of the thrill to come of using my new present was shattered as I looked across the room and saw my mother’s look of horror as she fully opened the present. Why? Because it was a copy of Aladdin Sane, the inside gatefold sleeve of which has a picture of Bowie as Aladdin Sane “in the nude”, although as ones gaze moves down his body the picture becomes deliberately androgynous.

No word was said by my mother, but I knew she did wonder what her mother would think of me, a 10 year old, being allowed such a risqué gift. Happy memories.

PS: My grandmother was a matron at a boarding school in the North of England at that time. I remember visiting her at the school (probably around Easter) later that year, and taking much delight in finding that the dormitory walls were all covered in posters of the album cover.