Lord Bonkers sends his best wishes to Paddy Ashdown

Lord Bonkers writes exclusively for Liberal England:

My friends, tenants and the Well-Behaved Orphans join me in sending their best wishes for a full recovery to Sir Paddy Ashplant.

I recall what I wrote in my Diary when he resigned his illustrious leadership of our party in 1999:

I first met Sir Paddy Ashtray in the library at Bonkers House in Belgrave Square. Shortly preceded by a stun grenade and an impressive quantity of smoke, he had burst in through the French windows. 

After I had picked myself off the floor, dusted down the butler and pointed out that he probably wanted the embassy next door, he was all apologies. 

This, I reflected even then, was the sort of chap one could do with on one's side in a closely fought by-election.

Subsequent events only proved the rightness of my judgement.