Hugh Laurie, Sir Edward Cazalet and Sir Stephen Fry by the Wodehouse memorial stone in Westminster Abbey on 14th February, the 50th anniversary of Wodehouse’s death.
As the stone is obscured and you may want to see it without going to Westminster, where so many wicked things happen, here it is.
Wodehouse, gazing benevolently down on us puffing on his pipe, if allowed in heaven, if not an exception will have been made, will be delighted to see his beloved step-daughter’s, Leonora, son Sir Edward stage centre.
Of course he never saw the Laurie/Fry combo. He might have seen Sir Ralph Richardson, as Lord Emsworth, on the BBC in The World of Wodehouse in 1967 but probably not. I did, aged thirteen, and loved. I had read Wodehouse, there was one at Barmeath, (Barmeath had/has a library but a paucity of readable books) more at Castle Park (Prep school). Like Upstairs Downstairs I felt at home.
It may happen that Laurie and Fry will go out of fashion too, I hope not. What will last for ever are the readings and of course the books – I nominate Jonathan Cecil as my favourite. Sometimes listening is better than reading.
At the end of last month an old friend died in her late 90s. She was sustained at the end by her family reading poetry and playing music that she loved. I’d like that, drifting away. Not a bucket list, an exit list. Must compile.
Now for something different. There is a new only-to-easily-fallen-for scam. A delivery company, in my case EVRI, sends a message by text and later email asking me to reschedule a delivery as I was out. As it happens I was expecting a delivery but I was at home when they didn’t call and they were way too insistent on me clicking a link. Click that link and it’s like opening your front door to a burglar. The intruder is in your computer rifling through your files. That has consequences. Prenez garde. If you want to be sure it’s a scam, wait for the email and click carefully on the sender. Today it was ik@evagiovannini.it Fortress Bellew stays safe but I am on the ramparts to repel invaders.
Christopher,
I agree with you that Jonathan Cecil takes the prize for the reader of PGW’s stories. Apropos an earlier blog of yours, the reading by Fry of ‘Pig-Hooey’ did move me to tears of laughter though.
Anthony
The re-schedule parcel trick is quite common. Not just Evri. NEVER open such an e-mail. Slide left over to MORE, select forward: now you can examine the sender without exposing the e-mail links to your computer/phone. I always send these on to the cyber-squad at:- report@phishing.gov.uk . Then block sender -slide left again to MORE and at the bottom is the option to ‘block sender’. Then delete.
There is a number for reporting texts but it’s a trifle more complicated.