EDitorial ± 25-Jun-2002

Alphabites

Because you might be reading this on the 26th day of the month. Because twice twenty-six is fifty-two which is the number of cards in a deck, minus the jokers, and who needs those? Because seeing the number "26" reminds me of two-and-six, in old pre-decimal parlance, which was worth who knows what.

A new font devised by a chap named Kevin Simpson - it's called Jonathan, which happens to be the name of my godson who recently had a birthday and was given, by me, a blue Brasil shirt

Presented for your scrutiny are twenty-six items, count 'em, in an alphabetical stylee:

  1. Aberystwyth
    I want to go back there having just read a noir-ish comedy by Malcolm Pryce called Aberystwyth, Mon Amour: druids, an ark and a 24-hour whelk stall
  2. Babysitter
    Moving to Kesgrave in a shock move: still available for the prize of a Domino's Veg-a-Roma?
  3. Carrot Cake bagels
    Sampled the first batch t'other day following my personal web campaign from a couple of weeks back; not bad
  4. Divine Comedy
    Have a track called The Summerhouse on their Promendade LP; my mum's summer house was officially opened last Saturday with the twin raising of the St George flag and Stars & Stripes - very much not a shed
  5. Elvis
    Do I hear that the late Mr Presley is top of the charts? Meanwhile the more punctual Mr Costello is on top of my CD stack with his 1984 Punch The Clock album.
  6. French windows
    Rather handy on a balmy June evening
  7. Gimcrack
    To be slipped in next time you're admiring your parents' ornaments: where on earth did that gimcrack come from?
  8. Hoity-toity
    A word you must use at the earliest opportunity; compare harum-scarum and hugger-mugger
  9. Instinction
    Single by Spandau Ballet; not actually a word, but then you knew that
  10. Jumpin' Jack Flash
    Jagger a knight? Him who runs the corner shop in Stella Street with his mate Keef? Cliff must be hoppin' mad.
  11. Korea
    They came, they played well, but now they're out despite the various conspiracy theories put forward
  12. Leaflet lady
    You know who you are, and thanks for all the good work
  13. Midsomer
    Murder capital of England judging by Sunday night's body count: hackneyed, cliched, and top entertainment for two hours
  14. National Anthem
    A track by Radiohead that, as Kylie would say, I can't get out of my head
  15. Oh
    Theo says: "Where choo-choo?" At the station, I say. "Oh", he says. "Where choo-choo?" On the track, I say. "Oh", he says. Repeat ad nauseam.
  16. Pink Lady apple juice
    Freshly squeezed from M&S - scrum
  17. Queen
    HM ER II is visiting Ippo on Thursday - three cheers, etc!
  18. Reading festival
    White Stripes, The Strokes and Pulp on the same stage on the same day: I would if I could
  19. Sausages
    Nigella does hers in the oven, so I did mine that way tonight: prick 'em, coat 'em in a little oil, gas mark 6 for 40 mins, turn after 20 mins
  20. Tanning shops
    Springing up everywhere! Sure nobody wants to be pale and pasty, but do you really need to look as if you've ingested a jeroboam of Sunny Delight?
  21. Under, Six Feet
    All episodes taped so far, none watched; fab, apparently
  22. Video games
    Must get down to the Barbican for Game On, an exhibition on until September about the history and culture of video games: whatever happened to Pong?
  23. Winchester
    Wifey there last week admiring Anthony Gormley's standing figure in the cathedral crypt, near St Swithun's tomb
  24. Xanthippe
    Yet another term for a nagging woman, albeit a fairly erudite one; named for Mrs Socrates, no less
  25. Yes
    Yes, No, Maybe, Can You Repeat The Question?
  26. Zvak
    Congrats to J Zvak for being the last entry in the Ipswich phone book

Be seeing you!

Ed