Our week at Bonkers Hall continues...Back in the 1960s, when I served for some years on Party Council, I often found myself out of sympathy with majority opinion. Notably, when public disorder broke out, I frequently found it difficult to find a seconder for my proposal that we should send for the Rutland Fencible Cavalry. So I was pleased to see from the electric Twitter that Dr Evan Harris is now of my opinion.
I have been wondering why this should be so when he is otherwise to be found on the Advanced side of every question, and I think I have put my finger on it. Whenever he is on the point of making a scientific breakthrough – creating artificial life, as it may be, or putting the atom back together – the local peasantry turns up with pitchforks and flaming brands to drive him from his laboratory, before hurling his retorts, test tubes and Bunsen burner into the nearest stream.
Is it any wonder that he is every bit as keen as I on calling out the militia? After all, the Reverend Hughes’s ping pong club does sterling work in keeping the local youth occupied, but there are times when only cold steel will do.
Earlier this week
I'm afraid, Sir, your history is a little at fault. The Rutland Fencible Cavalry did indeed serve the county briefly in the 1790s - their splendid riding school is now the Rutland County Museum - but they were not at all the same thing as the militia whose calling out you advocate, nor for that matter must they be confused with the Yeomanry Cavalry...
ReplyDeleteYou will find that some things lingered on the Bonkers Hall Estate for longer than the history books suggest.
ReplyDelete