PotCXXIIIpouri

 “People have forgotten this truth, but you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed.” 

- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

It's been a while since I mentioned the pigeon. "Wait a minute," I hear you say "you've never mentioned a pigeon." Well, actually I have, you just weren't paying attention. A couple of years ago a pigeon with an injured wing landed in my garden and hasn't been able to leave. International Pigeon Rescue let us down by failing to send their operatives and I don't have it in me to wring its neck, so I've been feeding her ever since. My garden is surrounded by high stone walls and is never visited by cats and so she's still here. Last year she attracted a mate and reared a chick. I'm pretty sure I had never seen a young pigeon before. However, tragedy has struck. Her beau - and they mate for life - is no more, seemingly having flown into one of the same walls that has been protecting them. The original bird has gone full Greyfriars Bobby and has been sitting in the spot where he fell (I've obviously removed the remains) ever since. I shall have to put up a memorial to her. As none of the people to whom it is variously attributed once said "Sometimes you're the pigeon and sometimes you're the statue".

I was sorry to see that Tom Priestley, son of the great John Boynton, died on Christmas day. I met him once a few years ago. Most of his obituaries mention the problems he faced in being the son of a distinguished father, but he had great success himself. He was the editor of many films that you will certainly have seen, being nominated for an Oscar for 'Deliverance'. 

My health continues to improve to the extent that I have both been on a demonstration and been to a gig. Here's Brave Rival with 'Bad Choices':