The Olympic challenge

摘要

December was the time of annual dinners, awards and conferences, leading me from one end of the Isles to the other. After-dinner entertainment in the capital was generally an appalling comedian (with the glorious exception of Barry Cryer at the Concrete Society) whose humour might extend to a series of insults to the audience. The lowest point was the FX dinner, where many of us nearly walked out. In Wales I was treated to a poetry reading full of wit and human insight, and in Scotland a Shetland fiddle and accordion duo kept their audience transfixed, despite arctic conditions in the hall.