Nobody Does It Better

It could be a Christmas card; a modern Breughel of folk skating, chatting and maybe wassailing.

This really is a Christmas card. It is supposed to be the first Christmas card, sent in 1843. No surprise, its inventor worked for Rowland Hill (no relation) at the Post Office when the Penny Post was introduced in 1840. It democratised communication until telephones and the internet were invented.

There was an intensely dull feature in my comics called “join the dots” – it was ahead of its time – it was Suduko for stupid children (yup, me). Now join the dots.

You may not have noticed the name of this part of the V&A: the Henry Cole wing. I hadn’t until a few days ago.

Henry Cole was an energetic Victorian, indeed a favourite of Prince Albert and the Queen. A footnote among his many achievements was the invention of the Christmas card.

Do you remember the Special Escort Group? Recently I saw it in action, unfortunately taking HM to hospital. A few days ago I saw an equestrian SEG. No motorbikes; no Glock pistols; mounted police with whistles controlling the traffic as a visibly chuffed couple were wafted slowly across London; destination probably Kensington Palace.

That’s soft power. I think they were off to a video Audience with HM and got the carriage ride to make up for not kissing hands. Nobody does it better.