Come on Simon, where were you?

Simon Armitage was on Newsnight yesterday evening, talking about his Pennine Way walk (here, about 42 minutes in). No indication that he got lost on his way to us, but it's good to know that he didn't fall down a mine shaft or get lost.


I bet Roger McGough keeps his word.

Let Me Die a Youngman's Death

Let me die a youngman's death not a clean and inbetween the sheets holywater death not a famous-last-words peaceful out of breath death When I'm 73 and in constant good tumour may I be mown down at dawn by a bright red sports car on my way home from an allnight party Or when I'm 91 with silver hair and sitting in a barber's chair may rival gangsters with hamfisted tommyguns burst in and give me a short back and insides Or when I'm 104 and banned from the Cavern may my mistress catching me in bed with her daughter and fearing for her son cut me up into little pieces and throw away every piece but one Let me die a youngman's death not a free from sin tiptoe in candle wax and waning death not a curtains drawn by angels borne 'what a nice way to go' death