Saturday
As ever, Christmas here at the Hall was a highlight of my year. The swelling of our parliamentary party through by-election victories saw some new faces around the table – I was, for instance, able to enjoy a valuable conversation with Sarah Dyke about the latest approaches to liver fluke.
Yet, by the Library fire that evening, I could not help but think of past Christmases and old friends. Of how John Pardoe would come down from Cambridge to tell me all the bright young things in the Footlights were impersonating Selwyn Lloyd that year. Of how the Flying Belotti Brothers would entertain the village folk by throwing each other from trapeze to trapeze (and very often catching each other too – certainly, they flew through the air with the greatest of ease). Of Sugar Ray Michie, the best fighter, pound for pound, that the Parliamentary Party has ever produced. Of Geraint Howells – ‘The Big Friendly Geraint’ to all – and his delightful speckle-faced sheep, who were always happy to swell the numbers if a party committee threatened to be inquorate. Of Dutch Mulholland and all the other casualties of 2015.
Let us hope this year’s election gives me more such endearing characters to write about.
Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for Rutland South West, 1906-10.
Earlier this week in Lord Bonkers' Diary...
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