78. In the Wettest June on Record

GLASTONBURY (BBC)

Lest anybody be in doubt as to the two main reasons for the recent appalling weather one of them is Glastonbury, a joyful mud bath which attracts big musical names from all over the world. This year was no exception. Starting with the likes of Rufus Wainwright (a vision in Pierrot stripe) through to Dame Shirley Bassey (a vision in split-skirted pink) and rounded off by The Who (no vision but their set included Pete Townshend's Who Are You and Baba O'Riley which are used to introduce CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI.NY respectively) it just had to be a winner.
The Beeb gave it considerable coverage and, from what I saw, Ol' Shirl. alone was worth whatever it cost them. From her designer rainwear (DSB for Dame Shirley Bassey prominent on the wellies) to her this is what a star should look like stage dress she was queen of all she surveyed. I thought she was great. I love the Dame bit, too. OK, so they're all Dames now: Shirley, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Elton John...
But you can't begrudge them. They are fine entertainers who invariably support a plethora of charities.
So now to the second reason for the appalling weather : -

WIMBLEDON (BBC)

I was reading when the cat Shadow came in.
"I've got a couple of poems for you," he said.
"We wrote them between us up there on the roof."
I eyed him suspiciously: "Go on then."
He struck a poetic pose.
"Poem one: Wimbledon Is Here Again."

Wimbledon is here again.
It will rain and rain and rain
Drowning the alarm bells meant to ring
To warn that Cliff is going to sing.
There'll be strawberries and cream
And there'll be champagne
And lots of Sue and bloody rain.

He looked at me. I grunted in my best non-committal way.
"Poem two, Prime Ministers," he announced : -

BLAIR'S RESIGNATION (ALL CHANNELS)

Goodbye, Tone.
It's the other one, Brown,
Who's now the coolest dude in Town
No jaw-dropping,
All smiles,
No frown.
Promising Government of Renown.
(The price of cat food won't come down.)

He had a quick wash before enquiring: "What d' ya think?"
"Definitely doggerel and decidedly not Andrew Motion," I replied.
"Knew you'd be impressed. Can I tell the guys on the roof?"
"Feel free."
"Great. A bit of praise cheers them up no end."
I went back to my book : -

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

This is the penultimate book in Jo Rowling's super series and the one to read before the Deathly Hallows comes out on July 21st. Did not matter that I had read it twice before, once I got started I was hooked again. Now I shall be properly prepared for the last story, which I shall try to read less quickly than I have read the others (how do you do that with a book you know will be a page-turner?) because, like every Potter fan, I want it never to end.
There is a bonus, though. The film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released on July 12th. Then we'll have the Half Cut Prince (sorry, J.K.) and the final film still to come.
Meantime, July 2007 is Potter month. Hurray!
Oh, one last thing: keep writing, J.K., keep writing!