After my ancestor, Patrick Bellew, was created Baron Bellew in the Peerage of Ireland in 1848 only three more Irish Peerages were handed out. That doesn’t sound quite right, but you know what I mean; namely Lord Fermoy (1865), Lord Rathdonnell and the Duke of Abercorn (both 1868).
My Jameson grandmother hoped that I would become a sportsman like her brother, Tommy Jameson. She gave me a Squash racquet and Fives gloves but, until I discovered Backgammon, competitive sports were not my forte – probably because I was always the loser.
In October 2017 I couldn’t think of anything original so, rather than being vapid – are vapers, vapid? – I set you the FT Weekend Magazine quiz. I’m similarly devoid of unique content today so, with apologies to WeekendFT readers in the UK here’s this week’s quiz.
I like Peter Starstedt’s 1969 hit Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)? Here is one verse. Your name is heard in high places You know the Aga Khan He sent you a racehorse for Christmas And you keep it just for fun, for a laugh, ha-ha-ha.
The St Leger has been run on Town Moor outside Doncaster since 1776, or thereabouts. It’s the oldest of the Classics run over a mile, six furlongs and 132 yards in September.
Nearly twenty years ago I went to Quintin Hogg’s memorial service in Westminster Abbey. At the time I was working in the City but Ian arrived in good time to get front row seats, that is as front row as permitted for nobodies. We were placed behind the section reserved for the House of Lords.