Packing A Punch
About a year ago I found myself at a swanky lunchtime do at the Savoy Hotel in London. I was sitting at a table with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ colleagues from Wales and Northern Ireland and I'm sure they must have thought I was a bit rude because I was distracted by someone I'd spotted at the next table. One of my heroes, in fact.
It was Alan Coren, former Editor of magazine and regular panelist on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4's News Quiz. Also, to my mind, one of the funniest writers of all time.
There was a time in my life - the mid 1980's - when I lived for Punch magazine in the way that some of my contemporaries lived for strong glue and tonic wine. Once a week I would catch a bus into Glasgow city centre and buy my copy from the kiosk at Buchanan Bus Station. Then I'd catch the bus back and would have read at least half of the articles by the time I got home. I would also spend the journey persusing the magazine's famous caption competition which, I'm still proud to say, I won three times.
But it was the writing I loved so much, especially the offbeat musings of the editor himself. Coren could take a quote or a news snippet and twist it into a wonderful fantasy. I have a vivid memory of one particular article in which he imagined Britain in days to come when smoking would be outlawed, anti-social and small bands of puffers would gather on rooftops and back alleys to share the remnants of stale tobacco. No so fantastical after all.
But back to that lunch at the Savoy. It was a Radio Academy event and, as it drew to a close, I watched Alan Coren shake hands with the people at his table and prepare to leave the room. He walked past my own table and I wanted to catch his eye and say something in appreciation of his talent.
But I didn't...and all because I feared I'd look foolish.
Today I discovered that . So, I know I'm late, I knew I should have said it when I had the chance, but I just wanted to say....
Thank you, Alan.
