The Paternal Optimist

Summer's Gone...

Well, in Geneva it has, in any case. Which is why the PO is off to sunny Spain tomorrow in search of the warmth. In the meantime, here are some more memories of summer, courtesy of Mrs MOP, who has now been officially inoculated or de-loused or whatever...

And if you've got nothing better to do this Thursday lunchtime, you could do worse than pop along to the Great Hall at Hogwarts, where the Boy Wonder and Young Mr Hoskins will both be playing in a short concert.

Now, if you'll excuse him, the PO has to go and pack his linen suit, t-shirts, sunglasses, maximum sun protection, etc.

A Little Later Than Promised...

Here, at last, courtesy of Northamptonshire's favourite presshound, Mrs MOP, photographic proof that :

(1) The Boy Wonder does think he's Stirling Moss (although there's more of the Barry Sheene about him here, I feel); and
(2) That girls of his age are TERRIFYINGLY TALL !! Look at those poor little lads next to them. What possible chance do they stand ?

I was about to post some beach pictures of the BW and Young Mr Hoskins here too, when I realised that they contained an Unknown Incurable Virus (dixit Hotmail's virus-checker). So they'll have to wait...

Double Scoop

No, I'm not talking about the legendary Gray Nicholls cricket bat so popular with lovers of sporting kitsch.

I'm talking about two brand new exclusives right here on the PO's page.

First, there's this - the BW playing the BW. Yes, it's his very first composition (Op. 1) - all 29 bars of the Invention in C Minor, played by the virtuoso himself. (Apologies for any deficiencies in sound quality, which are down to the limited technological means at my disposal this weekend).

And then, there's the photograph below, which is currently wowing visitors to my Flickr page (it has already been "favourited" by three people). Unfortunately, that's not Invention in C Minor you can see on the piano, but Erik Satie's sublime Gnossienne No. 1.

Well, after the long hiatus, I thought you deserved spoiling...