The Paternal Optimist

Corrigendum

Mrs MOP would like it to be known that she did not attend the Footlights show with Young Mr H and the Boy Wonder last Friday. Moreover, she has a first-class alibi - she was "partying the night away at a friend's 50th in Kensington Place" - which Mr MOP, apparently, is more than ready to corroborate.

The PO therefore deduces that it was the Mother Superior who chortled at the Niceties proposed by those people from The Other Place.

As to the traffic-directing, Babycham-chugging, quad-biking high jinks indulged in by Young Ms H and her sidekick Orange following the inauguration (sic) of the vicar, the PO prefers to draw a discreet veil over them.

Niceties

The PO suspects there must be times when visitors here wonder whether this site was not created with the sole and unique purpose of spreading misinformation - not to say disinformation - regarding the activities of the Boy Wonder. What can the PO say or do, other than adopt a cowering, cowardly pose and stammer from behind trembling hands raised to protect his tear-drenched face ?

"P-p-p-please.... p-please, d-d-don't sh-sh-sh-oot the m-m-m-mess-ss-enger!!"

You see, a news service can only ever be as good as its sources. And every once in a while the PO's primary source can be, well, a touch on the unreliable side.

Which explains the following corrections :

• The BW will not, in fact, be rowing over the next two terms, although he is planning to lodge an appeal against his non-retention by the rowing selectors.
• Nor will the BW be playing the solo part in a concert performance of a Mozart piano concerto at Hogwarts on November 23rd
• In fact, on November 23rd he will be participating in a Mozart piano concerto masterclass with Jeremy Menuhin
• The concert performance of the Mozart will take place "er, some time in March, I think"

Naturally, all of the above remains subject to confirmation, modification, cancellation, repudiation and general ridicule.

In the meantime, just about the only thing of which the PO can be certain is that the BW accompanied Mrs MOP and Young Mr Hoskins on Friday night to an evening featuring the "square and squeaky sketches" of this year's Cambridge Footlights. Among the sketches that caught the BW's imagination were one involving Andy Murray and Tim Henman, and another making fun of the "sad people that go on forums on the web" (a category which the PO would like to stress clearly does NOT include bloggers, who are not sad at all).

When asked whether he might be interested in doing something similar one day, the BW replied "Yes, maybe. I kind of prefer that kind of subtle humour."

Subtle humour ? Sounds like the PO had better pull his socks up.

Return Of The Boy Wonder

So, the Boy Wonder is back.

Or rather, the Paternal Optimist is back. You may not have noticed that he was ever away, but he was - doing manly things, like getting massages, writing poetry and going to the opera.

As for the Boy Wonder, he's not so much back as - Back At School !

Yes, hard though it may be to believe, given that the sun is still shining, the leaves are still on the trees, and the cricket season is not yet over, Hogwarts pupils have been back, hard at it, working on their readin', 'ritin' 'n' 'rith'm'atick' [That's enough apostrophes. Ed.] for a week already.

The BW is apparently now in the Third Form, which, he assures the PO, is the Second Division to the Second Form's Conference. Or something like that. In any case, he would appear to have taken the step-up into his ever-lengthening stride, as is his wont.

PO : "So, what have you done this week, then ?"

BW : "Mostly just picked up the books I need for the new year."

PO : "For a whole week ?"

BW : "Hmmm."

He did, when pushed, confess to being slightly thrown by the fact that last year's Latin DP is now teaching him Greek, while her colleague, who last year taught him Greek, is now educating him in the language of Julius Caesar. Or maybe it was the other way round. Anyway, he casually mentioned in passing that they both write the word "commendation" in the same way on his work, so there can't be too much to worry about.

So, apart from the trauma of having different teachers from last year for every subject, it would seem that the new term has started quietly for the BW. He has extra homework, of course - an hour and a half every night, now - which, as he commented wryly, when combined with six o'clock finishes on most days, plus an hour's piano and viola practice (the PO is sure the Mother Superior will verify the accuracy that piece of information), "doesn't leave much personal time".

PO : "Then again, terms at Hogwarts only last six weeks."

BW : "Hmmm."

The other novelty this term is that the BW has taken up rowing. At the trials this week he was not amongst those pupils able to generate the greatest wattage with a few arm-only pulls on the ergometer. But when they were asked to row for a minute, his leg length and famous stamina came into play. As he put it, "Everyone else was puffed, but I felt fine." He'll now be rowing three times a week this term, instead of rugby, which should ensure that those cherubic looks last a little longer (until he starts getting into drunken bar-fights, for example, or gets caught by the horrific St Andrews teenager-creating face morpher).

Finally, a quick update on the musical front...

First, confirmation that the BW's masterclass went exceptionally well - he particularly enjoyed his sessions with up-and-coming Czech pianist, Libor Novacek. A recording of the BW's performance in the end-of-week concert (as predicted, he went for the Schubert impromptu in the end) will be posted here as soon as the PO receives his copy.

Second, the date of the BW's debut as a soloist in a concerto is tentatively confirmed as Thursday November 23rd. He was not entirely sure when he discussed the matter with the PO earlier this evening, but said that the Hogwarts concert programme for this term shows on that day "Mozart concerti" - "That's the posh plural of concerto", he added helpfully - and believes that this includes him. The PO will, of course, provide definitive information just as soon as he has it, so watch this space.