Warming Up

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Tuesday 10th June 2003

I was at another book awards tonight. As usual I was not up for any kind of prize myself, which is fair enough as I only finished my first book yesterday and it hasnÂ’t been published and even I am not expecting such a rapid recognition of my genius. In any case, it was awards for poets and novelists, not seedy blokes writing about cocks.
I saw Roger McGough was there and thought he’d be a cool bloke to talk to, and luckily the woman I was talking to was his publisher, so he came over to say hello. I was about to introduce myself, but before I could he said “Hi there. I didn’t recognise you with your clothes on.”
I was quite chuffed he even knew who I was.
We had a brief chat and he asked me if I was doing Edinburgh this year and I informed him that IÂ’d just been too busy. He told me heÂ’d done it for 40 consecutive years. I donÂ’t know if he was exaggerating for comic effect, but if thatÂ’s true it is some kind of achievement and surely a record. It is more to the point a record that I have never seen commented upon.
All these fly-by nights come and go and yet the real national treasures chug along unnoticed.
I passed an affable couple of minutes with him, thankfully not yet being drunk enough to make an arse of myself and then he mingled.
Another name crossed off in the I-Spy Book of comedy heroes.